Tea Egg at The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)
Located in the upper level of the brewery, The Brewer’s Table, Surly’s fine-dining sibling to the Beer Hall & Restaurant, opens this Friday and offers patrons a more ambitious menu and more intimate setting than what is found downstairs.
Creating the fine dining experience at a brewery has been a welcome challenge for both Executive Chef Jorge Guzman and Head Brewer Todd Haug; each of them masters of their craft, now tasked with innovating while also keeping the pairing of food and beer in the back of their minds.
The results of that collaboration are outstanding and belie the modest price point. Entrees on the menu will be changed regularly and range in price from $10 to $25. The most intriguing option, in my opinion is the $15 Beer and Bump, where the diner has no clue what they’re getting other than is is a food paired with a beer. I’m a sucker for a surprise.
A five-course food and beer pairing can be had for $75. You could combine your own, but you’ll be well-served to leave it to the experts. The pairing of Pentagram with beets & foie gras was an exercise in perfectly contrasting flavors. The tea egg paired with Cynic was a piece of art – a soft-boiled egg, steeped in black tea and a charcoal mixture to give a marbled appearance – and showed just how versatile that stalwart of Surly’s lineup is.
Octopus & Chorizo @ The Brewer’s Table (Photo: DD)
While the butter-soft pork jowl is a must-have, I will go out of my way to have the octopus and chorizo again. Spicy and smoky with a perfect texture one would not expect from a cephalopod, it was perfectly complemented by an Overrated West Coast IPA.
A different experience in different parts of the building – to paraphrase Surly Hospitality Director Linda Haug – is what Surly is offering patrons with their tours, Event Center, Beer Hall & Restaurant, and The Brewer’s Table. With the opening of the latter, the Surly vision is complete and ready to be had.
(Photo: DD)
520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Reservations via OpenTable can be made here.
Hours:
Wednesday & Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5-11 p.m.
Phone: 763-999-6526
Email: brewers.table@surlybrewing.com
