Niceley's Tavern

It's been a few weeks since I found the blog entry about Niceley's Tavern and the infamous burger service, or lack of service, but our cadre of drunkards went for a taste of our own and conducted hands on research. Hands on a lot of Woodruff IPA and burgers - ho ho!

The night went pretty well, much better than the service described by the aforementioned blogger. We went fairly early on a Friday night and there was a good gathering of folks - not crowded but far from empty. Old habits die hard so we went upstairs and had the place to ourselves for a while before the dinner crowd spilled in. Six patrons, five burgers (three half-pounders) and lots of beer were not a problem for our attentive waitress. The place is still a work in progress for sure, but the food and drinks were our main objectives and we didn't leave disappointed. IPA has its own way of making things special, but the burgers held their own and there wasn't a complaint among us, which is not easy with our drunk asses.

The oblong, football shaped bun was unique but sturdy to the task of big, juicy patties and cheesy goodness. The flavor of the meat was delicious and paired well with my toppings of onions and mushrooms. And the hand cut fries were also K.A. I'll admit the menu is very limited but honestly I appreciate a place sticking to doing what it knows best and not cluttering up the menu with a bunch of prepackaged crap.

Niceley's Tavern is now on my rotation of campus bars when I want a good burger and beer. The IPA makes this an easier choice. Niceley done...

Knoxville Brewfest

The inaugural Knoxville Brewfest has SOLD OUT. All signs lean toward a successful event and another beer drinking festival. Or is it a tasting festival? I suppose everyone will decide for themselves. I will not be in attendance so I'll have to rely on feedback from friends to let me know how it was. Please feel free to leave comments.

Apparently not everyone in town is pleased with the addition of another Brew event, according to KnoxNews.com. And I must say that I have to side with Woodruff Brewing Company on this one, they were snubbed without cause. Not having one of our local brewers as a participant just because they're part of another, similar event doesn't make sense. But I think the organizers realize this and will make the right call next year and everything will be fine. At least I hope so.

Good luck Knoxville Brewfest! Maybe I'll see you next year...

Happy Birthday Downtown Grill & Brewery

Have a party DGB, you deserve it now that you’re 8 years old. That’s eight downtown years and going strong. Let’s face it, the brewery has grown into a hugely successful gathering place and watering hole that accommodates pretty much any damn thing you need: great beer and bar deals, lots of space, patios, gaming, varied menu and yes, shots.

I hear they have live music for the party this Friday and Saturday.

Friday 21st – The Pop Rox

Saturday 22nd – The Dead Ringers

More Music From Lt. Rocka

Yes sir, Lt. Rocka is up to his old tricks, mixing beats and mashing music from all generations with his very own unique style. Visit here to download Episode 15. Last evening I listened about half way through before I was called away for an impromptu drinking session so I haven’t heard all of it yet, but so far so good. Now, it’s one thing to go to the bar for a few cheap pints on a Tuesday (TND) as we often do. It’s completely different if by the end of the night your bartender is off duty and ready to drink, plus you run into “birthday girl” and shots are consumed. All of a sudden your tab is triple your original budget and the next morning your head is pounding and your eyes are on fire. So thanks LVL, I feel like hell today. Anyway, enjoy the music:

Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers vs. The Zombies – Time of the Season
The Hood Internet – Decalogue
Jamaica – I Think I Like You 2
Yeasayer – O.N.E.
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto – In The Basement
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Cults – Go Outside
Daft Punk – Megamix 1 [DJ Hero]
The Hood Internet (Dr. Dre vs Class Actress) – Nuthin’ But a Journal Thang
Timbaland feat Chris Cornell – Part of Me (Grand Theft Auto Remix)
J Dilla – Workinonit
Brian Eno and David Byrne – Regiment
Local Natives – Sun Hands
The Phenomenal Handclap Band – 15 to 20
The Beatnuts – Confused Rappers
First Rate People – Girls Night
INXS - One Thing (Nikko V Club Mix)
Black Devil Disco Club – On Just Foot
Charlotte Gainsburg (produced by Beck) – IRM
The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio
T-Bird and The Breaks – Monkey in the Tree

Well Done

Really well done in fact, though not an aspect you’re aiming for when cooking pizza. Drunkenly cooking frozen pizza pie has cost me more lost pies than I can remember but probably fewer than our friend P. Sure, it works out most of the time, you come in from a night of boozing and think you just can’t make it without another meal before passing out. So you scavenge what’s available or become ambitious and cook something, often a frozen pizza in my case. Never mind that you just ate at the bar 2-3 hours ago. Get the pie in the oven, see what’s on TV while you wait – damn I’m comfortzzzzzz…..

Dry Keg

I love my kegerator. The only way it could be better is if it were magical and refilled itself. It would also be nice if it cleaned itself too but that’s just being unrealistic. As things go my keg is currently empty and the lines need to be cleaned, so I have some tasks to do. Refilling is easy, the cleaning requires a bit more labor. In the mean time I have taken the opportunity to try a few craft beers.

I’ve sampled the Stone IPA more than a few times and love it as a substitute for my usual Woodruff IPA. The Lobster Lovers was new to me and strong, coming in at 9.5%. I had this the other night after a few pints downtown and woke up on my meast-like couch in the early morning wondering what the hell happened. Like a lot of high alcohol beers I’ve tried, the taste can be overpowering if not outright bad. I really didn’t care for the flavor but that didn’t stop me from drinking every drop of it. However, I would not recommend this beer. Perhaps that’s why the Werewolf is still sitting in my fridge. I’m not afraid to try it but I’m not in a hurry to chug it down either. Time to pony up for a new keg and get busy cleaning my kegerator.

Dead End BBQ - Quick Review

Last week I made my inaugural visit to Dead End BBQ for lunch. Some thoughts:

Pros:

Excellent meats – tender pork BBQ good enough to eat without sauce; smoky beef brisket is the best I’ve had in Knoxville by far. I also sampled 1 rib (how much for 1 rib?!) and ‘twas good. This is why I’ll be going back for more.

Convenient location – it’s located on Sutherland Avenue, close to downtown and short-west Bearden.

Beer and Wine – Woodruff IPA on tap along with standard domestics, domestic and import bottles and they serve several wines too (no liquor); happy hours 4-7 pm and beer bucket specials available.

Cons:

Parking – the parking lot is too small to handle peak hours when everyone drives themselves 1 per vehicle so I recommend carpooling if possible. Night hours may be different when the neighboring produce market is closed to allow spill-over parking.

Too clean – It’s brand new and clean as a whistle! Ok, that’s really good but it is too neat and fresh and just doesn’t have that rundown, hole-in-the-wall feel that you expect with a good BBQ joint.

Sides* – the macaroni & cheese and beans with sausage were unimpressive. The M&C was bland and the beans were served at room temperature or below, twice. *I’ve only been once so they probably can do better. The guy next to me at the bar said his greens and corn on the cob were good. The jalapeño cornbread was spicy.

Happiness is a New Keg of IPA

Lately I’ve been negligent in my drinking responsibilities. The infraction involves home consumption and this past weekend I decided that it was time to put things back on track. My kegerator had sat empty for almost 2 months due to excuses from the economy to exercise, then I realized I was fooling myself – a keg is the most economical way to consume beer, and I’m going to drink whether I exercise or not so I may as well make it convenient and have it just steps away from my couch. So I arranged an emergency finance committee meeting with myself and immediately approved spending for 1 keg of Woodruff IPA. In case you didn’t know, Woodruff is the brewing company for none other than Downtown Grill & Brewery on Gay St.

Step 1 – Call ahead for keg availability and pick-up arrangements. Phone: 603-8750

Step 2 - Gather and return your empty keg(s) or pay a deposit if it’s your first time

Step 3 – Pick up in the alley behind 424 S. Gay St (level of garbage odor varies depending on time of day)

Step 4 – Pay for your goods

Step 5 – Tap into that sucker and enjoy!

Uh, yeah

Yes...First Friday was totally the reason I got polluted the other night. Completely. One hundred percent of the reason I ended up at the bar for an eternity after a happy hour-timed arrival.

Certainly I needed the artistic motivation to knock back countless IPAs, double Makers, and the coup de grace of Knob Creek belts straight from the bottle. Otherwise, I wouldn't have felt the need to drink all that shit.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

2008 Awards

2008 is over and we can’t close it out without giving some meaningless awards just like everybody else. Mind you, no criteria were established for these empty accolades. There was no discussion, voting, polling, logic or sense when determining the “winners”. I tried to come up with a clever name for these new "DK Awards" but with no luck, so for now we'll go with nothing. If you disagree with the results – tough titty! But feel free to add a comment if you think something is way off base or omitted with prejudice. Let's begin:

Best New Lounge: Southern Graces Skybox at the Sunsphere – This is what downtown Knoxville has needed for a while, a pure cocktail lounge detached from a hotel that offers a great place to go for a drink. Not only do they occupy the most recognizable landmark in the city, but they provide a unique setting with a fabulous view that is convenient to locals and visitors staying in the area. Plus they don’t fuck around with their concept. They’re not trying to sell shooters to college kids or shitty draft beer on game days. They stick to higher end spirits and wines for a more selective crowd, so don’t show up in your cut-off jeans and plan on drinking Corona all day. This isn’t my favorite watering hole by any means, but I’m certainly glad they’re open for business and provide another option for the downtown drinker. Here's to the new kids on the block!

Breakthrough Bar: Sidestreet Tavern – I love going to this bar. I think they’ve been open for a year or two now, but I’ve only been going occasionally this past year, so it’s a breakthrough for me if nobody else. They must be doing something right to put asses in the seats because I’ve never been able to get a spot at their bar and always have to sit at a cocktail table. That’s fine because there are plenty of TVs around with sports and NFL Sunday ticket during the season, plus they have a pretty good pub menu (in-house battered fish and chips!) and 2 fully stocked bars downstairs that helps get the drinks out pretty quick. The staff has always been very laid-back the patrons seem to be in the late 20’s to 30’s crowd, but I’ve noticed more than a few aged cougars on the prowl and even some business types in there too. They’re definitely a comfortable place to hang out with some friends and indulge your bad habits. Smoking is allowed and plentiful. Drink up!

Comeback Beer of the Year: Löwenbräu! I don’t know what the hell happened to the Schlitz rebranding campaign with the original recipe because it sure didn’t come through Knoxville. I was really looking forward to their attempt to relive the glory days, but they missed their opportunity while Löwenbräu stormed back onto the scene! Well not entirely, I mean, not every bar or grocery store carries it, but damn it’s so delicious. Delicious and fresh. Refreshingly delicious. Light, delicious, refreshiness that is also tasty. And -- Ooh THE JINGLE THE JINGLE! A CATCHY JINGLE!! (sings catchy jingle) Never mind the odd serving size of 11.2 oz bottles. Prost!

Beer Story of the Year: Anheuser Busch Sells Out They can have ‘em!

Smokiest Bar: Preservation Pub – For the 4th year in a row! (This used to be Union Jack’s annual award before they installed those fancy fans) Even before the smoking ban came down last year and forced a decision on bar and restaurant owners, this place was a smoker’s dream. Like most bars that went 21+ and smoking, the smokers have gravitated there en masse. What can you do but suck it up and drink your way through it, right? Pres Pub is great for sitting at the bar drowning your sorrows, having up-close conversations over loud, live music, doing waaay too many shots, and perhaps the occasional wedding proposal if the mood strikes you. Smoke up!

Beer of the Year: Woodruff IPA – By a landslide. Brewed locally and best consumed with a designated driver, the Woodruff IPA packs a punch and a lot of flavor. The stuff only gets better with each drink, which is why it can be dangerous to the uninitiated. “Light” beer drinkers need not bother. This beer has more hops than the NBA and then stings you a la Cassius Clay back in the day. I’ve drank this beer for years and years, but it wasn’t until last year that it became my absolute # 1 beer of choice. I think this one may be locked in for a while. Cheers!

Drunkard of the Year: TBD – Not to self-promote too much, but I can’t think of anyone that’s had a year as drunk as I have. Injuries, humiliation, embarrassment and idiocy documented here, here, here and here. Please, if anyone else wants the honor then take it. I'll drink to the winner!