Cumberland Brews
1576 Bardstown Road, 458-8727
I’ve found good things can come in small packages on my recent visits to Cumberland Brews. This microbrewery and restaurant is a tiny Bardstown Road establishment located in what once was the White Mountain Creamery between Stevens and Bonnycastle avenues. The narrow first floor area, holding only six tables, is dominated by a wide bar fronting windows displaying steel brewing vats. Upstairs is a smaller bar and a series of small rooms offering a bit more privacy.
As its name suggests, Cumberland Brews puts a big emphasis on handcrafted beers — and while I’m no beer expert, I must say I enjoyed several tasty examples there. The nut brown ale was a rich concoction, darker than my favorite bottled ale and carrying hints of smoke and chocolate. A cream ale was also particularly pleasant, lighter yet still full of flavor. Why am I talking about beer before the food? Because I feel you must know that when it comes to atmosphere, the brewpub tends to slide towards the “brew” more than the “pub.”
The pint-sized dimensions of Cumberland Brews mean that during busy times you may compete for table space with folks more interested in drinking than dining. There are no reservations or special “dining” areas, and you could wind up eating (as I did one night) next to a riotous table of young sports fans or enduring the glazed gaze of an inebriated patron (also on my last visit). Overall, though, it’s very friendly. In true pub fashion, my waitress was humorous, down-to-earth and exceptionally efficient — even letting me know when a table opened up. And the menu turned out to have several delightful surprises.
I’d recomm/files/storyimages/a pass on the competent-but-bland red-pepper hummus in favor of the beer cheese (both $6). It’s quite excellent — tangy, spicy and complemented by jalapeno slices and Ritz crackers. (It’ll make you a believer in the ad line, “Everything tastes better when it sits on a Ritz.”) The spinach con queso, a nicely warmed bl/files/storyimages/of spinach and cheese ($7), is also pretty tasty, but in my opinion nothing holds up against that beer cheese. Also on the menu: an awesome fried bologna sandwich ($5.25) with thinly sliced and nicely blackened bologna, two kinds of cheese, tomato and onion on a buttery grilled bun. Sp/files/storyimages/an extra $1.25 for the house-made chips — mine were nicely crisped, salted and virtually greaseless.
Beyond the pub fare, I found some real standouts on the chalked specials board located on the rear wall. These items generally include a quesadilla of the day along with a couple of appetizer and entree offerings. Although I’m not a huge fan of salmon, one night’s Cajun blackened version ($13) was the best presentation of this popular fish I’ve had in a long time. The salmon, crusted with Cajun seasonings, was cooked firm but remained moist, and it had a clean, mild flavor. It was enhanced by a tart apple salsa and another excellent touch — a couple of fried green tomatoes underneath the seafood, which added tartness and body to the entire dish. The only unfortunate note came from the accompanying sauteed potatoes; the melon-ball scoops of white potato were a bit underdone and perhaps could have used a bit of boiling before they were sauteed.
I also enjoyed the London broil sirloin steak ($13). This “old school” special was thick, done-to-order medium-rare and graced with an extra tang from a vinegary marinade. It went quite well with sweet (though slightly greasy) Southern-style green beans and a cheesy, twice-baked potato so good that my dining companion and I fought over
the skin.
However, my favorite surprising find so far at Cumberland Brews has to be the Greek spring roll with sushi ($7), a simultaneously fanciful and flavorful offering that has virtually no business being in a brewpub, but was on the specials board and became a welcome addition to my table. The “spring roll” was more like a Greek salad encased in pastry, with feta cheese, lettuce, onions and black olives. The “sushi” consisted of a slice of miso-marinated portobello and a bit of roasted red pepper, both placed on rice and wrapped with seaweed. This off-kilter interpretation of an Asian staple presented with Greek flavors was delicious and virtuously vegetarian.
By managing to slide out a couple of high-quality food offerings each night, Cumberland Brews has made itself into an alehouse worth toasting.
The kitchen is open from 4-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m-midnight Friday, noon-midnight Saturday and 1-10 p.m. Sunday.
