Houston Hall

Of the many, many email lists I belong to, Urban Daddy is the only one that I read religiously. Not only is the writing clever, but they have yet to steer me wrong with any of their suggestions (granted I'm ignoring that ones that are gender-specific, I get that it's supposed to be a site for dudes). So when I read their email about a new beer hall opening in the Village, I knew that I wanted to check it out ASAP.

Friday night was rainy and gross and all I wanted was some comfort food and a real beer (translation: not a Coors Light), so I suggested Houston Hall since their food menu is really just snacks and fancy grilled cheese sandwiches (which is exactly what I wanted). Houston Hall is a great space; the distressed walls and exposed beams in the ceiling of this former garage give it a really cool vibe. UD describes it as "ginormous," but let's face it - there isn't a space in New York that seems huge when it's getting rave reviews, so the joint was packed.

2 of us arrived at the same time and navigated our still-dripping bodies through the dense crowd, which was no easy feat. Props to the bartenders for maintaining a positive attitude despite the pushy and thirsty masses. After about 20 minutes, and just before the 3rd member of our party arrived; we scored some seats at the end of a table. Warning: they are communal, as they tend to be at these beer halls, so bring your manners and your smile.

What I ate:

The Classic with a Twist - It's definitely not the grilled cheese you made with Kraft Singles in college, but those are really 2 different animals, so we'll call this what it is: fancy yumminess. My sandwich was delicious, but not too heavy and at the end of a stressful Friday it was just what the doctor ordered. Also, there were pickles and I firmly believe that the pickle is an underutilized way to pep up a sandwich.

What I washed it down with:

John's Dunkle (yup, still sounds dirty) - I had 3 glasses of this malty goodness and I'd definitely go back for more. In a bit of poor planning I ordered a large beer, which is 14oz, shortly before we were leaving. Sadly the chaos was just too much for one member of our party and we decided to take it elsewhere. While I'd rather savor than chug good beer, I figure it's better than wasting it, so I downed the remains and off we went.

So, until next time, Houston Hall. I look forward to visiting you again.