Too Old

On Father's Day I chose The Blind Lady Alehouse for dinner. This was a mistake as this restaurant is not the place to have a relaxing meal.  We were lucky enough to get seats, which can be a challenge at The Blind Lady.  Actually we even got seats in two locations, as we moved from our first location in an attempt to get to find a less noisy spot.  No such luck. This is such a noisy restaurant it detracts from the whole experience.  We could not even carry on a conversation, unless you consider multiple "whats?" and shouting responses as conversation.  At our second table, we were diverted by a toddler that kept switching between screaming and laughing, and her disinterested mother who finally gave her a tube of lipstick to play with, which was promptly eaten.  (The child did not bother us, as we're used to that, it's always more fun to watch the agitated parents that bring their kids and then expect adult conversation, err, shouting.)

The restaurant was so loud, frenetic and unsettling we ended up only ordering a beer and appetizers and then going home and ordering take-out.  One appetizer was the cheese plate, and one of the three cheese selections was no bigger round than a quarter, or Hershey's Kiss.  Come on, for $15, can't we even get a dollop or a schmear of cheese?  (Not to pick on The Blind Lady, because it is not alone in dinky cheese servings, but cheese plates have become a big rip-off, but this is a rant for a future post.)

The Blind Lady has an awesome beer list and outstanding food despite its limited menu.  Its food is excellent, all farm fresh and organic, and prepared right.  Its pizzas are some of the best in San Diego, and it usually has daily food specials.  But The Blind Lady is a bar first and a restaurant a distant second.  It has the cacophony of a packed singles bar.   Maybe I'm too old, but when I go out to eat I like to have a relaxing time and not leave a restaurant more stressed than when I arrived, which is how I have left The Blind Lady every time I've eaten there.  If you want to go to a bar and are also hungry, The Blind Lady is your place.  To me, the wide selection of beers at The Blind Lady is no longer worth the headache.

Game Seven Beer Selection

Like the NBA championship game, my quest for beer before Game Seven was sort of ugly, but worked out in the end (if you're a Laker fan).  I did not make it to Alesmith for a growler fill as originally anticipated, as my meeting ran late and I didn't have the time to stop.  Instead, I went to the OB Pizza Port for a growler of Jetty IPA, but alas, this proved an impossibility because the Jetty keg had run dry.  As a backup, I selected Port's Shark Bite Red Ale.

Shark Bite is the type of red ale I like.  It is as hoppy as it is malty, which to me makes it enjoyable to drink, as I like hoppier red ales.  Shark Bite is a dry red ale, with a hint of chalkiness in the finish.   This is an aggressive red ale, but is also approachable.  It is perfect for people new to craft beer looking to kick up the flavor profiles in their beers.  Port bottles Shark Bite in six-packs, and it's available at better stores around San Diego.  (In my opinion, Shark Bite is a much better beer than Shark Attack, Port's Imperial red ale.)

Game Seven Beers

I hate when people complain about how busy they are, so all I will say about the lack of posts so far in June is that I have had other, pressing, priorities than beer blogging (I know it's hard to believe).  My big concern now is what beer to drink for tonight's game seven between the Lakers and Celtics.  I am thinking IPA (like always) or possibly stopping by Alesmith for a growler of something later this afternoon, as one of my "priorities" will put me close to the brewery during its brief open hours.  I want something with flavor, but not too much booze.  GO LAKERS!