Sunday, June 29, 2008

The first rule of beer revolutionaries

There's a revolution going on at Portland's newest hot spot. For the past month, Novare Res has been serving up more than 200 bottled beers and an ever changing selection of 25 beers on tap. And the food is amazing.

If you're an olive fan, you've got to check out this olive and bread plate. The green Provence olives are so fresh and flavorful I can taste the Mediterranean sun.

The menu is tiny and intentionally rustic, which means delicious, unprocessed foods. There are only four composed plates on the menu and both the olives and the legume & fennel salad are vegan. With these whole, hearty foods, owner Eric Michaud aims to replicate the European tradition of enjoying small plates of food while drinking.

This sexy goblet holds a Trappist beer called Koningshoeven Quadruppel. In the background is the empty bottle and glass of a Piraat beer and a glimpse inside the walk-in refrigerator. The Koningshoeven had a sweet, pleasing taste which evaporates from the palate as soon as it's swallowed.

The bartenders and waitstaff know the product well. Not only do they navigate dozens of stemware choices to find the perfect pair for each beer, but they have lots of fascinating details about the breweries and regions where all this frothy goodness comes from.

I apologize for this fuzzy photo.

But I had to include it to give you a flavor of the Novare Res beer club. It's called the Uprising, and Adam is in training to become a full-fledged member. What does he have to do to be initiated, you ask? Just drink 200 beers. That's all.

And while I don't have the stamina (or the stomach) to join this elite group, it does look like I'll have plenty of chances to enjoy these delicious olives and taste finely crafted beers in the coming months.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't have the stomach for all 200?! :) Portland sounds like a really cool place!

Bianca said...

We have a place like that in Memphis called the Flying Saucer. They also have 200 beers on tap and something called the UFO Club. You drink all 200 and get your name emblazoned on a saucer on the wall (their walls are covered in saucers...some with names...others are retro plates from thrift stores). Unfortunately, their food menu is not vegan-friendly...except for the soft pretzel and chips with salsa. No olives...sigh...

Meg Wolff said...

Nice that they are concious of meals with their drinks ... making balance!

Anonymous said...

My husband is going to love this place. As I'm not a beer drinker, I'm glad to hear there are other options...

Anonymous said...

I adore Novare Res, and their Allagash event last night proves that lots (and lots) of other people do as well.