A shrimp pot pie at Monk's Kettle with an IPA from Moonlight Brewing: Bombay by Boat.
It's a lot of fun matching good beer with interesting food at Monk's Kettle -- or is it the other way around?
Monk's Kettle makes a valiant attempt at escaping the pub fare that characterizes most beer bars. The Mission District gastropub does serve burgers/sandwiches, but they're made with lamb, salmon, turkey, pulled pork and chicken breast. Crispy, skinny fries come with chipotle ketchup, herbed aioli and curry aioli. All dishes are accompanied by a beer pairing suggestion.
Menu entrees are limited to an angus skirt steak, bone-in chicken breast and a beer and cider brined pork chop. I would like to see more dishes like the shrimp pot pie special I had. The floral bitterness of the Bombay by boat IPA from Moonlight Brewing nicely undercut the sweet creaminess of the pot pie, refreshing my palate with each bite of the perfectly cooked shrimp and vegetables and crispy crust. More offerings along this line would raise Monk's Kettle well past the ordinary.
How about some
moules to go with those nice frites, or a cassoulet. Monk's Kettle's saisons, altbiers, tripels, lambics and biere de garde deserve more hearty dishes to sink their teeth into.
Thank you very much for your honest and insightful write-up. I can assure you that various preparations of moules et frites and cassoulet been featured on our constantly updated and always rotating specials menu. Might I suggest the cider-brined pork chop on your next visit? I bartend every Sunday afternoon, a highly recommended time to beat the crowds and enjoy a pint or three.
ReplyDeleteYours,
Nick Schuster, Bar Manager