Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 17, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Samara Litvack
Last week, I met up with a couple friends for dinner at the Terminal Brewhouse. Located in the Stong Building on 14th Street, the restaurant/brewery inherited a history that is apparent from the moment you take notice of the building.
When the Choo Choo’s Terminal Station opened in 1909, it created an immediate need for overnight accommodations. The Stong Building was built, creating The Terminal Hotel, which featured steam-heated rooms and meals served all hours of the day.
As the story in the menu goes, the Stong Building was home to speakeasies during prohibition, illegal casinos and even a house of ill repute.
In the early ‘40s, a porter from the Terminal Station – Mr. Chester Davis – saved his tips until he could purchase the building, making him one of the first black business owners in Chattanooga.
The building stayed in his family until 2006, when local raconteur Joe Sliger purchased and restored the property. As the menu states, “The walls and rafters seemed to cry out” to the men who’d banded together to help Sliger in his restorations. “‘Beer’ said the walls, ‘amazing food,’ said the rafters and so, despite being terrified of the talking building, an idea was born.”
The result was the Terminal Brewhouse, a combination of great beer and amazing food, and a wonderful addition to Chattanooga’s Southside.
My first impression of the place was great – unique building, friendly host and very cool atmosphere. We chose to sit on the patio, a grass-covered rooftop area with picnic and wrought iron tables, and enjoy the warm summer evening.
We were greeted quickly by our server, Adam, who was very friendly and attentive. I asked him for some pointers on the menu, as I wanted to order dishes that
We began our meal with two unique first courses. The Ravioli Identity Disorder sounded interesting enough – chicken and spinach stuffed in egg roll ravioli, breaded southern style, fried and served with a side of Tennessee state sauce.
The name of this interesting dish only makes sense when you see what they are; I’d only processed the “ravioli” part and was surprised when they came to our table. The breaded, flaky raviolis were quite large and stuffed full of spinach. I enjoyed them, slathering each bite in our unofficial state sauce (Ranch dressing), and was happy to have two left over for lunch the next day.
The Yosemite Salmon Cakes were my favorite, though, topped with jalapenos and onions, drizzled in a barbecue aioli sauce. The sauce was wonderful and the salmon was dressed with diced red pepper and cilantro.
They were very yummy, and I think I have to agree with the menu, which says, “These are the hootenest, tootenist, shootenist salmon cakes west, south, east and west of the Pecos.”
I ordered the Pepper Smashed Steak – roasted garlic Maibock infused reduction over marinated steak medallions – for my main course. The menu lists braised cabbage and spinach a la Term as the side items, but Adam let me substitute a bowl of Wild and Crazy Mushroom Soup and French fries for a small up charge.
The soup was very good, chocked full of mushrooms and flavor. It wasn’t quite as sweet as I generally prefer, but it was thick and hearty. If it hadn’t been for the summer heat beaming down on the patio, I would have eaten more than a few bites.
I’m glad I saved room for my entrée because it was delicious. The three medallions came out slightly overcooked (I’d ordered them medium and they came out well done) but that did not take anything away from the dish. The steak was thick and juicy and the Maibock marinade was fantastic.
According to the menu, Maibock beer originated in Einbeck, Germany, between the 14th and 17th centuries. It has a “complex malty flavor dominated by the richness of Munich and Vienna malts.” The beer has a slightly sweet aftertaste, which was prevalent in the taste of the steak. I loved it.
My friend had The FruFru, which he was embarrassed to order, for obvious reasons. But, thanks to Adam’s sympathy and the menu’s encouragement (“own your manhood,” it read), he swallowed his pride and went with it – and he was so happy he did.
The 8-ounce grilled chicken breast cooked in pale ale, topped with pears, bacon and Brie cheese was served on a Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato and onion. He enjoyed it so much, I had to take a bite. It wasn’t until then that I realized something a moment too late – I do not like Brie cheese. At all.
Luckily, I had a few beers from Terminal Brewhouse’s unique selection to get that awful taste out of my mouth. I started with the Belgian White, distinguished by its orange taste and its sweet/dry spiciness (says the menu, of course – try as I might, my beer palette is not yet developed enough to distinguish these qualities).
From what I read, the best Belgian Whites (such as Terminal Brewhouse’s) are yellow-white in color and have a low to medium bitterness, as they are made with noble-type hops.
I also tried the Maibock, my favorite of the two.
I definitely plan to return to the Terminal Brewhouse. Each dish was unique, the beer was very tasty and that patio is one of my favorites in Chattanooga, or anywhere for that matter.
Contact Samara at samara@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
|
|