The early word on Bella Sol

It's open. Go check it out.

There’s few traditions here at The Beer Drinking Report, but having a beer at the new place is town has been a habit which I don’t mind sticking to.

I got some help on that front last weekend when my Special Lady and I met up with my Life Coach and HIS Special Lady. (I call her Mrs. Life Coach, but she doens’t like that.)

We were there strictly for beer and appetizers. And we weren’t disappointed.

My Special Lady is a big fan of bruschetta and she really liked the snappy version of it served to us at the upstairs bar. Its tomatoes taste like they’re pickled in a balsamic vinegar of some sort and give it a nice flavor. We also had the seafood chowder, which had a nice rich broth. The best seafood chowder in town is still at River House, but you will definitely like what you order at Bella Sol.

For beer?

As we were told ahead of time, the beer selection for now is short and sweet. Redhook ESB. A couple choices of Sam Adams. Bud. Bud Light. We had a couple of Redhook ESBs, nice and cold from the fridge and it went well with our order. Bella Sol is interesting in the sense that is seems to straddle fine dining and more down-home type fare.

I’ll be interested to see what else may wind up on Bella Sol’s menu in the weeks and months ahead. A beer on tap would be nice. But I will probably come for another visit soon.

In case you’ve never been this restaurant’s predecessor, Bella Luna, it has the only bar in town that has a bird’s eye view of Market Square. It’s funny how time flies. The last time I had a cocktail in the upstairs bar was probably close to 10 years ago on a late afternoon in which I enjoyed a White Russian and the warm summer breeze coming in through the upstairs windows.

One problem we ran into the other night was the temperature of the place. It was exceptionally hot upstairs (even making the windows foggy — impossible to enjoy the view above the square.) That’s probably not such an issue when it’s about 10 degrees outside, but I hope those windows get cracked in the spring and summer.

We wish Bella Sol lots of luck.

– The Beer Drinker

Looking back at the birth of the Portsmouth Brewery

In case you haven’t seen it, Portsmouth Herald head honcho Howard Altschiller has an interesting profile of Portsmouth Brewery/Smuttynose Brewing Co. head honcho Peter Egelston and all he’s done for the state of beer drinking in the greater Seacoast area in today’s Herald. It talks about Egelston’s big plans to build a new Smuttynose brewery in Hampton, and gives a pretty good history of what the bar scene was like when the Brewery first opened way back in 1991.

– Mr. X

The Super Bowl Shuffle

Usually on Super Bowl Sunday, I prefer to down a few beers while watching the big game at a house party. Many bars, like the Blue Mermaid and the Press Room, choose to close on Super Bowl Sunday, probably because so many people prefer to watch the game at home. But if you don’t have a party to go to and you don’t feel like watching it at home, there are plenty of other options.

For example, this Super Bowl Sunday marks the official grand opening of Muddy River’s new Underground Pizza Pub. There will be prizes, giveaways and specials on beer and pizza. Slices of cheese pizza will be just 50 cents, and slices with toppings $1. Bud, Bud Light and Bud Light Wheat will be just $2. Other beers for sale at regular prices include Kona Longboard, Wailua Wheat and Pipeline Porter, Bass, Shipyard Prelude and Stout, Seadog Blueberry, Dogfish 60, Doublebag, Brooklyn Lager, Rogue Dead Guy, Stella, UFO, Longhammer, and more. In addition to the TVs showing the big game, the Underground Pizza Pub has video games like Buckhunter, Golden Tee, and Bowling, and there’s also free foosball and two new dartboards.

If you don’t feel like stopping by the UPP’s big kickoff party, there’s also River House, which will be offering half price appetizers and lunch and dinner specials during the Super Bowl.

The Portsmouth Gaslight will be running its pizza buffet as the Colts battle the Saints, with $2 Bud and Bud Light drafts. Bud reps will also be on hand giving away free shit.

And there’s always The Page, which will also be open Sunday for the Super Bowl. They didn’t give us any details on what types of specials they’re offering, but we figured we should mention them anyway, since they’re one of the only sports bars in town now that the Brewery Lane Tavern is closed.

Be sure to check back over the next week, as we’ll be filling you in on what local restaurants and bars are planning for Valentine’s Day weekend and Fat Tuesday. We’re also working on a third installment in our What’s On Tap series, looking at what beers are being served at the bars right now.

– Mr. X

The Beer Drinker’s Top Three Pitstops for Winter 2010

These last few weeks, I have been meeting up with Fredo for a beer or two after work or dinner during the first half of the week. We’ve been trying to get together about once a week. It’s no big outing, really. These days, I just want a pint with a buddy once in a while so we can talk shop for a little bit outside the confines of my crib.

I don’t like to get too cooped up in my apartment while that bitter wind blows through Market Square and other parts around town. The quick-pint-and-go-home routine is what my Life Coach calls “One And Done” (e.g. He calls on his way into town and says, “You want to have One and Done somewhere?” Me: “Sure.” We get to the bar. Talk. Sometimes we say nothing, don’t look at each other and sip at our pints. OK, it’s really three beers.)

This time last year, Mr. X and I were freezing our asses off in search of a cool place to go during the first half of the week where we could find a pint and a subdued atmosphere. We had terrible luck in ‘09. On many Monday and Tuesday nights, we wound up hanging with a bunch of grizzly-looking middle aged dudes who looked like they just wrapped up a season of “The Deadliest Catch.”

But don’t worry Beer Drinkers, I got you covered for 2010 if you need a pint during the week and don’t want to suffer like we did. Here’s my picks based on some recent footwork and a few hard lessons from last winter:

MONDAY

The Muddy River Smokehouse

I haven’t stepped into this place in quite some time. But recently, Fredo and I paid a visit and I remembered the place has about 20 beers on tap. That made me think, ‘Who else in downtown has more beers on tap than these guys?’ Ri Ra? Maybe. It’s a good question to sort out another time. I had a Long Trail Double Bag while I was there. Fredo drank a Boddingtons — which reminded me that I needed to take my Special Lady there. She loves that stuff. There were only about six or 8 people hanging at the upstairs bar during our visit. Very chill. Nearly everything on tap was a microbrew, and it proved to be a nice, quiet place to catch up with a cold beer and a friend.

TUESDAY

The Dolphin Striker

Don’t be a fool and call this place the Divorcee bar. That would be very 1997 of you. And chances are if you’re reading this, you weren’t even old enough to drink then anyway. I was. So, I can tell you that the Striker is all about a great music and cocktails. Our man Ray has booked some remarkable talent from around New England (OK, even around the country). The same is true for the beer on tap. I like an Old Brown Dog or a Harpoon IPA when I’m there. You can find a Guinness or something domestic in a bottle if that’s your game. As for the music on Tuesdays, Ray always seems to find some exceptionally talented acts who keep it acoustic for a weeknight. Check your listings for what’s up, but my two favorites last winter were seeing Jon Nolan and Melvern Taylor.

WEDNESDAY

The Press Room

Sure, the place is my old standby. But while you’re out there stimulating the economy by spending your hard earned cash on Hump Day, remember that The Room actually has a pint night on Wednesdays now from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Quite an innovation if you ask me. Drafts are generally $3 or so. Tristan has been mixing it up with the tap selection with a variety of Magic Hat and Moat Mountain Pilsner. The PR even had some big bottles of Sierra Nevada Celebration recently, something you definitely want to get a taste of while its around during the winter.

This week, I couldn’t help but jump on that Redhook on sale over at Gary’s — $8.99 a 12-pack?!? Gregg was giving me some crap the other day saying I should tell Mr. X the stuff is swill. But you got to remember, I spent last winter drinking PBR talls with the man (which I actually love).

– The Beer Drinker

The Brewery Lane Tavern is no more

Fredo's been inconsolable ever since he learned that the BLT was closing.

We mentioned last week that MoJo’s was moving from Islington Street to 95 Brewery Lane, in order to have some more room. What we didn’t realize at the time is that they’re taking over the old Brewery Lane Tavern location. In fact, we didn’t even realize until Saturday that the BLT was closed.

My guess is that the location so far outside of downtown finally caught up to the BLT, but they had been around for quite a while, so their closure still comes as a bit of a surprise. We’ll especially miss the Gumbies, but I know for a fact that Fredo definitely won’t miss the shitty TVs.

The good news is that the new MoJo’s, which is expected to open in its new location in about a week and a half, is going to include a full bar. So there will still be a place outside of downtown to grab a drink, in case you happen to live on the outer portion of Islington Street and don’t want to walk downtown in the middle of winter. UPDATE: Rachel at the Herald’s got the scoop on what’s going to be moving into the old MoJo’s location on Islington. You can read about it here.

Oh, and speaking of new beginnings, Brian, the owner of the new Bella Sol, says he’s finally set to open for friends and family tomorrow, Feb. 2, and then for the public on Thursday, Feb. 4. He also mentioned that the beer selection is going to be more extensive than the previous establishment. He said they’re going to have about 20 bottles — not sure what kinds yet.

– Mr. X

The Portsmouth Brewery’s pitching in, too

As promised, here are the details on the Portsmouth Brewery’s efforts to help out in Haiti, courtesy of the man himself, Peter Egelston:

Thanks for your note. As you know, the Brewery donates 25¢ to charity for every pint of beer we serve on Tuesdays. We call this our Community Pint Night.  Patrons receive a wooden token for each beer they order, and on their way out the door, they place them in one of our Charity Boxes, which have slots for four different recipient organizations (which we rotate quarterly). We tally up the tokens every other week and mail checks out based on that count.

Right after the earthquake, we listed “Stand with Haiti” – the relief effort initiated by Dr. Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health organization http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti – as the sole option on our Charity Boxes, where it will remain until further notice.

Regards,

P

Beer drinkers rally for Haiti

Anderson Cooper isn't the only one helping Haiti. Portsmouth's doing its part, too.

We’ve already told you about Tristan’s big Haiti benefit on Feb. 5 at the Buoy in Kittery. Well now it appears another group is organizing a beer-infused benefit to the earthquake-devastated country. And the best part is it’s on Feb. 12, so it shouldn’t be too hard to go to attend both of them on back to back Fridays.

A number of local bars and businesses have already signed on for the Feb. 12 event. The idea is that they’ll be donating money raised through cover charges, raffles or donation boxes that night to the Haiti relief effort.

The event itself will run from 9 p.m. to midnight on the 12th. To raise money, all you have to do is go out to a bar or restaurant that has signed up. If you can’t decide on one, you can always bar hop. Each bar has adopted a relief organization and will donate the money directly. All you have to do is drink beer and eat some food. Sound easy enough?

Anyway, here’s a list of the bars and restaurants that have signed on so far, and what they will be doing on the 12th:

Coat of Arms
Donation box for Habitat for Humanity

Daniel Street Tavern – karaoke night!
Raffling gift cards for UNICEF

Gas Light – Haitian Relief Mardi Gras Party
Sponsored by Bacardi and Red Hook Brewery
Selling beads for $1. Most beads at midnight win prizes such as snowboard, 4 ski lift tickets, 2 VIP passes good for one year at Gas Light

Muddy River / Underground Pizza Pub – ’80s Night for Haiti theme
Donation box set up for UNICEF

The Page – ’80s Night for Haiti theme
Donating Cover Charges to American Red Cross
Raffling gift cards, tandem skydive, and whitewater rafting trip

Ri Ra – Vegas Temper is playing
Donating Cover Charges to Habitat for Humanity
Raffling gift cards

In addition to the events on the 12th, raffles are being held at The Page, Daniel Street Tavern, and Ri Ra, where you can win gift cards from a variety of local restaurants and businesses, including the Black Trumpet Bistro, the Oarhouse, the Page, Radici, the Rosa, and more. For more info., check out the Facebook page for the event.

It’s still possible that some other bars could jump in before the lineup is finalized. We’ve also been told that the Portsmouth Brewery is planning some sort of a Haiti benefit event of its own, but we don’t have the details yet. We’ll let you know as soon as we know.

Oh, and if you hadn’t heard already, Rachel at the Herald recently blogged that Alex Ray of the Common Man is in Haiti himself, helping with the relief efforts. Way to go, Alex!

– Mr. X

2 birthday bashes at Red Door

 The Red Door has a couple of special events coming up over the next several days — both of them birthday related.

The Red Door will be celebrating Cresta's and Bob Marley's birthdays on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. For the record, this is a photo of Bob Marley, not Cresta.

On Saturday night, they’ll be celebrating the birthday (not sure which one) of co-owner/bartender Cresta, with help from DJs Evaredy and Ryan Durkin. Sounds like a good time. Happy Birthday, Cresta.

Then on Tuesday night, the Red Door will be celebrating the birth of a slightly more famous person — Bob Marley. No, not the lame Maine comic — we’re talking about the late reggae master. And if it’s reggae, it makes sense that it would be the Green Lion Crew providing the music. Don’t miss it.

– Mr. X

A big move for MoJo’s

I saw a sign today in the window at MoJo’s Barbecue Shack on Islington Street that says they are closed for winter vacation, and they are planning to move to 95 Brewery Lane as of Feb. 11.

I actually haven’t been to MoJo’s, yet, although just looking at their menu online is making my mouth water. And The Beer Drinker raves about the place.

The move to Brewery Lane is a pretty big one for MoJo’s, as it will provide them with more space and an actual dining room. And it’s only 1/4-mile away from the current location. It will be interesting to see how they do there, though. They were already outside of the downtown area anyway, but it’s always struck me that Brewery Lane must be a tough place to operate a restaurant. I mean, I like the Brewery Lane Tavern, but I rarely make it out there because it’s so far out of downtown. If you go there, you’re pretty much stuck there for the night.

Anyway, we wish MoJo’s the best of luck in the new location. After all, you can never have enough barbecue joints.

– Mr. X

More on Bella Sol

Sounds like Bella Sol (the former Bella Luna) might not be ready to open on Tuesday as originally hoped. Here’s a quick update on the proposed opening from Brian, the owner, who sent us an e-mail last night:

“I will be having my final inspection for Health Permit on Monday. Then it’s to Concord for liquor license… The moment I receive my liquor license I will have a soft opening for the first couple days, then have the grand opening right after. If I had to guess, which these days I don’t care to do, I would say within a week we will be open.”

Brian also confirmed that they will be serving only bottled beer, though he didn’t say what kinds. And if you want to see what the menu will look like, he’s posted a copy in the window.

– Mr. X