Black Bear Bistro

I was first introduced to Black Bear Bistro when Chef Todd offered me an Oyster and Beer Shooter during a visit to Old Bust Head Brewing. The Warrenton, VA eatery was serving food at the brewery the day I visited and I promised myself that Colleen and I would visit the restaurant soon. I followed through on that promise with an early dinner after the Old Bust Head tap room grand opening this past weekend. Interestingly, we saw several people in the restaurant who we had also seen earlier at the brewery.

Naturally, the restaurant's beer selection was my first order of business. In an admirable showing of support, Black Bear Bistro has only Virginia beers, plus one Virginia cider on draft. That's right, all eight tap handles are "native"; Starr Hill, Old Bust Head, Lost Rhino, Legend and Bold Rock Cidery were offered. There are also bottled selections listed on the menu, though I frankly paid that list no mind. Since I had just come from Old Bust Head, and had been enjoying their beer two weekends in a row, I opted to drink another Virginia beer, Lost Rhino New River Pale Ale. That particular beer also has a special place in our hearts, and I raised a silent toast to an old friend.

We perused the dinner menu for a while, and decided to start with an appetizer plate of Fried Oysters. The breaded oysters were browned on the outside and just cooked enough to not be considered raw. The meat was juicy and tender. Three dipping sauce options were offered; Regular, Habanero Bacon, and Sweet Thai. Our server used the adjectives "spicy" and "hot" for both of the first two. Undecided, we asked for both the Regular and Habanero Bacon, for research purposes. I first tasted the "regular" sauce and found it to be deliciously "warm." Next I popped an oyster dipped in the Habanero version into my mouth, and for a moment didn't notice anything. And, then. Bam! There it is. Habanero heat, and a bit of smokiness. There's some serious heat going on there, all the while still quite flavorful. After the oysters were gone, I continued dipping my bread into both sauces.

Yea, that was a whole paragraph on the Fried Oysters. They were that good. Frankly, I might just make a meal out of them someday. But not this time. For my main course I selected the Bistro Crab Cake entrée. This was a fried "pancake" of crab meat set on a serving of Wild Rice, with Broccoli Rabe on the side. The crab cake was meaty and very tasty. I had no problem cleaning my plate thoroughly. Colleen opted for a Grilled Pork Flat Iron Steak set on Mashed Cauliflower and topped with Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms. The thick pork steak was moist and set on a heaping serving of mashed cauliflower. Colleen must have enjoyed it very much, as there was no offer to share. ;-)

We lingered over our meal for a while, enjoying time together and the delicious food. There doesn't appear to be much happening on a Sunday afternoon in Warrenton, but as it got closer to the dinner hour, the curbside parking started to fill, and folks began coming in for dinner. As we headed out for our drive back to Fredericksburg, it was clear that Black Bear Bistro was a popular place with the locals. I know for sure that we'll be back.

Old Bust Head Tap Room

Old Bust Head Brewing celebrated the grand opening of their new tap room this weekend. Even though I had visited the brewery just last week, Colleen and I made plans to go see the new tap room, as well as enjoy the good beers. We initially thought about going on Saturday, but I arrived home later than planned, and very tired, from Saturday's USPSA match, so we postponed our visit until Sunday. That was fortuitous, as I later learned that the crowd Saturday was so large they were turning people away! Sunday at the brewery was crowded as well, but we had no problem getting seats or beers.

The Old Bust Head tap room is huge, with seating for 200 plus people, as well as a small stage. Seating is at heavy wooden benches and tables. Outside tables are also available. There are hooks at the large walnut bar for purses, a feature that Colleen always looks for, so I suspect they will eventually provide seating at the bar as well. And there's free Wi-Fi too. It's immediately obvious that Old Bust Head is set up to deal with large crowds. There is an exceptionally long line of tap handles behind the walnut bar, as well as multiple chalk boards listing the current beers on tap. Even though the line was long, both times I stood in it, the wait was surprisingly short. It reminded me of an airline check-in line, you waited in one line for the next available agent server, and moved forward when your turn came. Of course, the reward at the bar was much more pleasant than what awaits at the airport line.

Since I had tried most of the beers last weekend, I opted for a glass of Gold Cup Russian Imperial Stout, a beer that was released for the grand opening. As an added treat, the Stout was served on nitro. Colleen opted for a flight of four beers; Bust Head Old English Pale Ale, Chukker Pilsner, Wildcat IPA, and Chinquapin Chestnut Porter.

The Gold Cup Stout was exceptionally well-done. The bittersweet chocolate and espresso flavors made a rich-flavored beer, with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel. A mild roasted bitterness stayed behind on the palate. The 10% ABV was masked and not noticeable in the flavor. I enjoyed this beer very much, but opted to have just one. I enjoyed a pint of the lower ABV Shorthorn American Pale Ale while Colleen continued on her flight tasting. As I was last week, Colleen was very enamored with the Chestnut Porter.

We had plans to enjoy dinner at Black Bear Bistro in Warrenton before heading home, so after we finished our beers we headed out, but not before Colleen won an Old Bust Head koozie in one of the free raffles. I expect we'll be making regular visits to Old Bust Head, the beers are excellent and the drive not that long.

Old Bust Head Brewing

On Saturday I headed into Faquier County to visit Old Bust Head Brewing. The brewery is an easy drive from here, and I can totally avoid the I-95 mess. Construction and summer traffic on that feat of urban non-planning has kept me from making visits to other breweries, but this drive was actually pleasurable. When I arrived at the brewery, just a little after opening time, there was already a small crowd inside, and I saw a stream of people arriving and leaving with growlers. I got a brief intro from one of the friendly employees and opted for a flight of all six beers being served.

Old Bust Head opened earlier this year, holding their first public event in February. They have been distributing in bottles and kegs in the local area since around March. In fact, Old Bust Head beers are quite well-distributed, especially for such a new brewery. I was very surprised when I walked into the building and saw the size of the operation. The owners did not take the "start small and grow" approach, something that seems to have worked out well. 

But it takes more than shiny equipment to be successful, good beer is the primary requirement, so let's get to those beers.

First up in the flight was Bust Head Old English Pale Ale. This is a classic English Pale Ale, and the only one of the beers I've had previously. Deep reddish-brown in color with a toffee and caramel malt and lingering hop bitterness make this the brewery's most popular beer. Chukker Pilsner was next up. The toasted bread and noble hop crispness made for a refreshing beer. 

As I worked my way down the jockey box line, the European influence continued with Wildcat IPA. This English-syle IPA was rich in sweet malt with a hint of fruitiness. A subtle hop bitterness kept the sweetness in check and provided a pleasing bitter finish to the flavor. I heard many folks commenting that they enjoyed the balanced nature of this IPA. 

The newest Bust Head beer, Shorthorn American Pale Ale was making it's debut this weekend. This APA was the most hop-forward beer being offered, breaking away from the English styles and bringing on the citrus hops favored in West Coast style Pale Ales. Shorthorn has a crisp citrus rind bite along with a piney bitterness. I suspect this one might just compete with the English Pale Ale in popularity.

Next on the list was Vixen Irish Red. I was looking forward to trying this, as I enjoy a good Red Ale, but frequently find them lacking. I was not to be disappointed. Roasted malt and sweet caramel combine to make a full-flavored ale. The lingering bitterness remained on the palate, enticing you to yet another sip. I was seriously considering getting a pint of this Red Ale, even before I finished my flight. 

Chinquapin Chestnut Porter was the last beer in my tasting exploration. This robust porter was a change from the medium to light bodied beers to this point. This one had flavors of dark coffee, bitter cocoa, roasted malt, along with the roasted and mildly sweet nuttiness from the chestnuts. I found it richer than the average porter, and worthy of further consideration. 

All six beers I tried were very good. In fact, when I finished the flight, I had a long period of indecision trying to decide what to order to accompany my much needed lunch. I was tempted by beers outside my usual style preference, especially the Irish Red and Chestnut Porter. I wandered outside the table where they were selling food, to see if the menu would aid in my decision making.

The afternoon's offerings were from the nearby Black Bear Bistro in Warrenton. I was immediately asked if I liked oysters by the chef. "Of course," I replied. So Chef Todd proceeded to prepare a complimentary "Oyster Shooter" for me to try. A fresh shucked oyster was joined by a bit Chimichurri in a shot of Shorthorn Pale Ale. Despite my lifelong fondness for oysters and love of craft beer, I've never had such a concoction previously. Boy was I missing out! The saltiness of the oyster, the spicy Chimichurri, combined with the citrus of the Pale Ale made for a delightful appetizer. After chatting with the folks from Black Bear, I headed back into the brewery for a pint of Shorthorn Pale Ale, to go along with a Lamb Gyro for lunch. A generous serving of lamb, in a toasted flatbread with local yellow tomato slices proved a filling and hearty lunch. I was told they also keep a selection of Virginia craft beers, including Old Bust Head, on hand at their restaurant. I've since checked out the online menu, and reviews, of Black Bear Bistro, and am looking forward to a visit there soon.

I talked to a number of Old Bust Head employees during the course of the afternoon, and to a person, they were friendly and truly excited to share information about their beer and the brewery. Many were also excited about the grand opening of the taproom next weekend. This weekend was the last chance to stand and drink in the production brewery. "No more setting up in here" one server excitedly told me. Once the 200 seat taproom opens, there are plans to add more fermentation tanks in the brewery space. 

The tap room opening this coming weekend will also feature the debut of Old Bust Head Gold Cup, a Russian Imperial Stout joining the lineup. I sure would like to make that event. Even if I don't, I plan to visit Old Bust Head again, very soon. I was tremendously impressed with the beers and the friendly folks. It's a sure bet too, that we'll follow up the tap room visit with a meal at Black Bear Bistro.