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.
