Category: The Post Cellar

Stopped by for dinner last night, optimistic there might be a new player in town for good beer and food. New Cheese Grill is run by the same guy behind Penuche’s Ale House. Since Penuche’s is commonly referred to as ‘Nuche’s, the name of this place makes sense. (Say it out loud if you’re still having trouble.)

We walked inside and were greeted by a completely empty pub save for a couple of people sitting at the bar. Not a single employee in sight. We waited for a few minutes and once acknowledged by someone sat ourselves at a table outside. Their outdoor seating is on the sidewalk, but being a tree-lined side street makes it quieter and cooler. There were 3 other tables besides us, all being waited on by the same waitress. She was friendly but clearly in need of help as she was servicing the whole place herself.

The menu is full of your typical pub fare like burgers and wraps. I had the chicken sandwich and my significant other had a plate of pasta of some kind. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. Although the entrees themselves were nothing special they were fresh and very tasty. Unfortunately, the lack of help showed in our spotty service. When we first arrived, we were quick to get menus but it got progressively worse. When we finished eating, I nearly had to go inside to ask for the check. Once all the tables had food, the waitress disappeared.

What about the beer selection? In a word: disappointing. Although they have a good number of taps, what they have on them is nothing special. As of last night, the tap list is as follows: Bass, Boddington’s, Blue Moon, Stella Artois, Long Trail, Guinness, New Castle, Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat #9, Coors Light, Smithwick’s, Woodchuck Cider, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Summer, with Harpoon IPA as the rotating tap IPA and UFO has the Hefeweizen. They have a bunch of bottles with the only beers of note there being the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and Long Trail.

Would I go back? Probably. The food is good and fairly priced and even though the beer choice was limited at least they have a few brews I would drink. The Sierra Nevada on tap was fresh, so points for that. I had higher hopes that there would be a better beer selection. The service issues I will chalk up to it being a Sunday night.

I decided to take a side trip to Willimantic on my way down to PA this past weekend. I didn’t find it to be too far away, only about 15 miles off 84. Nice little cruise on a hot, sunny summer day.

We got there around 1pm on Friday the 27th of July and inside was a small lingering lunch time crowd. The atmosphere is real unique as it’s a converted post office.

I was pleased to see they had several IPAs on tap as well as a hoppy dark ale called Downtown Willi I.D.A (India Dark Ale) which was interesting. I was also able to try (and thoroughly enjoyed) their latest IPA called “Hip Hop IPA”. It was scheduled for a 7/31 release but had been tapped that day or the day before. I thought is was an excellent (unfiltered) IPA and I walked out with a growler of it.

The food selection was good and my BLT was very tasty. Crisp fresh veggies and perfectly cooked bacon- it’s hard to mess up a BLT but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality.

Overall, I was very happy with my detour and would pay Willimantic a visit again in the future. I forgot to buy a tee shirt, so I have an excuse to return…in addition to the quality beer selection. I would say Willimantic is worth going out of your way to visit.

Picked up a 4-pack of 12oz bottles when I visited New Glarus back in May. Shipped them back to NH along with a number of other beers. This is the first one I’ve cracked since returning.

Appearance
A short time after eating a great meal on this lazy Sunday night I decided to relax and have a Raspberry Tart for dessert. It all started when I poured the heavy, cloudy, deep-hued red brew into my Goose Island tulip glass. I was presented with what looked like a glass of puree topped with small islands of quickly-dissipating head scattered around the surface.

Smell
The smell is of pure, fresh molten raspberries. Definitely a great dessert beer.

Taste
The taste is as though someone smashed you in the mouth with a baseball bat made of raspberries. The carbonation is very even with a moderate syrupy feel over the tongue- yes, this tastes like a glass of fruit. Awesome!

Mouthfeel
There is a tart kick to this brew which is gently evened out by the sweetness. The finish is a crisp, malty raspberry finish that doesn’t linger too long.

Drinkability
Raspberry Tart is as enjoyable as it is hard to get. If you live in WI and are near New Glarus, I’m definitely jealous! I’m glad to have been able to experience this beer.