Thursday, May 5, 2011

Moab Brewery is a Hit or Miss.


Moab Brewery

686 S. Main
Moab, UT, 84532

(435) 259-6333

Website: http://www.themoabbrewery.com/

Last night was the third time we have tried the Moab Brewery, and while the first two times were a hit, this night was a real miss. Now while the wait staff have always been friendly; and the greeters too, but last night the very young woman seemed to have the attitude that she was doing us a favor by allowing us to eat there.

The bar area, called the Tavern, was crowded and noisy; and we opted to sit in one of the few booths they have. The main area of the Brewery is open with tables; and photographs of the Red Rock formations in Moab adorn the walls; piped in music was classic 70’s rock.

The first time we ever went, we shared the Texas Pit Smoked Combo which is a sampling of smoked ribs, chicken and tri-tip; served with BBQ sauce, salad, bread, coleslaw and fries or onion rings. It was great and we didn’t leave a thing on the plates but the bones.

Second time there, Roy went for the Texas Pit Smoked Tri-tip, but I tried the Brewery's Fish Tacos; three crispy corn tortillas with beer-battered Cod, veggies and jicama; served with veggie chili, rice and salsa. The fish tacos were fantastic, so was the veggie chili, but I could do without the rice and salsa; they just didn’t add a thing to the meal itself. The jicama was crisp and really added to the flavor of the fish tacos though.

Last night we tried the Beer Cheese Soup which was out of this world, and wished we had gotten a bowl to share instead of a cup. It was not too thick, and definitely not clumpy like cheese soups can be sometimes; and the beer flavor was evident, but not overpowering. The Crab and Artichoke Dip was more of a spread than a dip; very thick, but you could make out the crab (not imitation) and the artichokes. However, the pita bread wedges were cold, not grilled or toasted at all; and they fell apart when you tried to dip; spreading the dip with a knife worked out much better.

Main meals were the Jack Daniels Burger which was a simple burger with fries, and nothing to write home about; the BBQ sauce had a nice smoky flavor though. I had the Gyro Wrap and was pretty disappointed with it. The thing is huge, I’ll give you that, but it was so packed with mixed greens, you hardly noticed the meat, diced tomatoes and cucumbers; the dressing was a vinaigrette instead of the traditional Tzatziki sauce. The wrap was a cold tortilla that fell apart as you tried to hold and eat it. Oh yeah, there was feta cheese somewhere in the wrap, but so little that I barely tasted it. Basically, I would have been much happier with a Greek Salad with extra dressing and feta cheese. The fries and onions rings were a bit on the soggy side, and you could taste the oil.

Roy did try the Black Raven Stout which he said was dark, smooth, hoppy and overall a very good brew. I stuck with unsweetened iced tea which the waitress kept filled.

Now we were smart enough to stop and get some of the Gelato they sell at a little counter near the main door. We tried the Nutty Milk and Honey…absolutely one of the most wonderful desserts we have ever, ever had. You don’t have to have a meal at the Moab Brewery to be able to purchase the Gelato; however, you will get a 15% discount if you show your restaurant receipt. After a long day of adventuring in Moab, and you want something cold and soothing; go for the Gelato, you won’t regret it.

All in all, we’ll be going back to the Moab Brewery; we won’t let one not-so-great meal spoil it for us.

Mary Cokenour

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June 11, 2011 Update Review

Even though the last time we were there was a miss; we went back last night and it was a real hit!!! Our server, Tony, was a true sweetheart; kept my hubby's dinner warm when he had to run out and do an emergency errand. The Spicy Teriyaki Wings were awesome; and the Jack Daniels BBQ Chicken sandwich was outstanding.

Great job all around!!!

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Moab Brewery on Urbanspoon


Moab Brewery on Restaurantica

Cinco de Mayo


Today is not Independence Day for Mexico; that actually occurred on September 15, 1810 when Mexico told Spain to go "stick it"; just like the United States told England.

France decided it wanted to invade Mexico and were told, "I don't think so!"; and that is what today is about. I'm putting things in a plain and simple prespective, since so many other blogs and websites will be posting about this celebration.

This is my little tribute to Mexican culture, so Happy Cinco de Mayo, and don't forget to whoop it up!

Tamale Stuffed Peppers



Ingredients:

4 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange or green) – tall and wide
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
1 (8 oz) package cornbread mix
½ cup whole kernel corn
½ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 cup salsa
½ cup milk
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400F. Cut tops off of peppers; remove stems; remove pith and seeds from inside peppers. Either keep tops to place on top of stuffed peppers, or dice up and add to filling.

In a large mixing bowl; combine ground beef, cornbread mix, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, salsa and milk. Stuff each pepper, leaving ¼” space from top.

Place the stuffed peppers inside a round baking dish; they should be able to stand, and hold each other, upright. Combine salt with water and pour into bottom of dish, but not over the tops of the peppers; cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes; uncover and bake additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.


Mary Cokenour