Tag: Montrose

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Schreiners for German Beer

Glendale is in the middle of a lot and places that have been around forever can be missed, even places close to me like Schreiners Deli in Montrose which has old school German beer to buy in single cans or packs.

…and sandwiches and German treats like my favorite Haribo Gummi Bears. Or you can get your Oktobefest sausage here.

Here is a snapshot of the beer selection…

…it has a tilt towards Alkohol Frei but they also have Weihenstephan and Kostritzer though not much in the deep cut vein. Think stalwarts. Think more than you will find in even good bottle shops.

I grabbed a Gaffel Kolsch can to pair with my sandwich.

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Montrose and Beer

The Montrose Craft Beer Fest returns for the 8th time in the foothills just north of Glendale on April 30th.  As of a month out, twelve breweries were on the slate and before you go, that is too little of a headcount.  Riip, Everywhere, the new version of Cellador, Beachwood, El Segundo and Tarantula Hill will be there which is a good start.

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John Sparr


Looks like the Glendale / Montrose area is getting a bar / gastropub by the name of John Sparr Tavern. I will update you on what beers they are pouring and how many. They have a high bar since We’re Pouring has taken craft beer and food up a big notch.

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The(e) Elbow Room

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In the rain, with Christmas lights glowing hard, it can be hard to pinpoint where Thee Elbow Room is at.  At least in my case, I drove by it a couple times before getting out on foot to locate it.

Down a few steps in a sunken courtyard off of Honolulu Avenue in Montrose the small bar is a nice refuge from the outside world.  Yes, they do have two TV’s that could be scaled back to one but there are a bevy of taps and an interesting selection of beers to try.  Strike Brewing caught my eye but the draft system was having issues so I moved on to a porter from Tap It which was smokey with a touch of chocolate.

The bartender was helpful.  Offering information about the beer when prompted and on the ready when the next round was needed.  There are a couple tables inside but the most comfortable seats were at the bar.  They also offer up food as well for those wanting a pairing option.

 

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Basin 141

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To the north of Glendale is Montrose, a prototypical small town vibe type of place.  And I have heard from a few people about a new craft spot on the main drag of Honolulu Avenue, so I took my sis-in-law for Happy Hour drinks to scope Basin 141 out.

The space is medium sized and dimly lit with a really nice bar set up.  Dead center is a back lit tap list with one row detailing the rotating taps and right below it a row for what kegs are on tap.   Which I think is a great way to get people to come back.  Why more places don’t utilize this simple trick is beyond me.

I also like that part of their list is non-rotating.  Or as they call it, “Resident” taps.  Again, if I was running a bar, I would have this as well.  Minus the Coors Light of course.

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There are bottles as well but I want to focus on the make-up of the list.  It has a good variety of styles and breweries.  It has a majority of local offerings and the prices are good.  Those are three strong points in their favor even with wasting a tap on watered down corn lager.  Of course this is a snapshot.  Last week, the list may have been too IPA heavy or too dark for the heat of an LA summer but to find a place that will cover so many bases is really nice.

It can get a little loud and I wish there was more booth seating but the service was knowledgeable and helpful and the decor (minus a TV or two) was classy.  A grown up type of bar.  And one that I will check out again because it would be perfect for an after dinner drink.  Have ribs at Zekes and get a beer after or hit Pepe’s for Mexican and head over for a night cap.

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A little Elbow Room

So I was reading the Glendale News Press last month whose restaurant reviews are a little too homey for my personal taste when I ran across this about The Elbow Room in Montrose (just north of me toward the mountains).

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Love it.  I mean it.  We need as many local (i.e. non threatening) places with beer as we can get.  It is what will fuel the next stage of growth. So “Homey pub with good food and craft beer.”, I can’t wait.