5 minute read
Washington Breweries with Great Food
Outstanding Food at Breweries in the Pacific Northwest
written and photographed by Jackie Dodd
WHEN CHICAGO Brewery Moody Tongue earned two Michelin stars, the rest of the brewing world stood up and took notice. “Pub grub” was no longer the baseline for food served in craft brewing establishments that took their beer seriously. In a region renowned for great food like the Pacific Northwest, it’s only natural that our local breweries have elevated their culinary offerings to compete in the landscape of the current craft beer scene. While many breweries face limitations due to kitchen space or the absence of one altogether—so they often rely on the exceptional fare of local food trucks—there are numerous noteworthy locations to explore when you traverse the beer scene in the PNW. Although not exhaustive, the following breweries are worth visiting for their exceptional food and expertly crafted beer.
Perihelion Brewery (Seattle)
Since its inception in 2016, this brewery has been redefining what it means to serve food at a brewery. While others were content with bags of chips and soft pretzels, the team at Perihelion took a different approach, smoking their own meats, pickling their own vegetables and earning accolades for their smoked pork belly burger. This all-ages taproom is continually growing and expanding its offerings, making it a must-visit several times a year to see what’s new. Patrons can expect an exciting yet accessible menu that pairs perfectly with their beers. Recent offerings include crispy pork belly banh mi, almond and port-poached pear cake, and roasted bone marrow with caramelized onion and rustic bread.
Fair Isle Brewing (Seattle)
Fair Isle Brewing has always set the bar high when it comes to the food they serve with their wild-fermented beers. From beer dinners just post-pandemic to a kitchen space that regularly hosts guest chefs and tasting menus, they take the same approach to their food as they do their beers, celebrating seasonality and utilizing local ingredients. Find oysters and ceviche as well as charcuterie boards and short ribs braised in their own saison. Ingredients exchange hands between the brewer and the chef, offering patrons at their well-appointed space a destination where craft beer and culinary excellence join forces to honor the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.
Iron Goat Brewing (Spokane)
Iron Goat Brewing began in a humble shack, relocating more than twelve years ago to a renovated historic building in downtown Spokane’s West End. They offer a range of award-winning beers, from IPAs to sours, with more than twenty beers on tap, plus local wine and cider. Their menu features creative takes on familiar food, including banh mi burritos, golden beet salad with blackberry apricot gastrique, and pizza with fig, brie and prosciutto.
Spada Farmhouse Brewery (Snohomish)
Spada Farmhouse Brewery, although new in its physical location, has garnered a growing fan base for its wild-fermented beers. Set up in a picturesque location that could double as a set for a Christmas movie, the space has the feeling of an English pub meets an elevated dining spot. Look for menu items such as fried Brussels sprouts with maple-mustard vinaigrette, a hot honey chicken sandwich on brioche, and mini doughnuts with caramel dipping sauce.
Aslan Brewing Co. (Bellingham)
If there was a Venn diagram of laid-back bar food, elevated and thoughtful cuisine and an accessible menu, Aslan would be right in the middle, embodying all of those elements. It’s thoughtful enough to keep your standard-issue food snob happy, but it’s familiar enough not to scare away the culinarily timid. The menu includes offerings such as a makhani curry bowl, slow roasted pork belly, and karaage Japanese chicken, as well as plenty of vegan and gluten-free offerings and adaptations. Their beer is also award-winning in its own right and excellent to pair with a variety of dishes. If you’re in Bellingham, it’s a must-visit.
Otherlands Beer (Bellingham)
Otherlands Beer feels like what Rory Gilmore would have opened if she had studied abroad and backpacked through Europe before marrying a chef, coming home and opening a brewery. You know exactly what it would look and feel like, don’t you? And you want to go? You should. Otherlands is in the class of 2020, opening during a worldwide pandemic in a very saturated beer market and making it work. In their own words, “Otherlands Beer is a small brewery and café dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, the exploration of the unknown and the celebration of the beautiful and the absurd. Offering rustic lagers and farmhouse ales alongside European-inspired street foods in a cozy guesthouse tavern.” The food lives up to the inspiration and excellence it strives for, with a vegetarian menu that leaves even the heartiest carnivore wanting for nothing and with a strong focus on breakfast foods. Look for dishes like curry pierogis, farmers cheese pancakes with citrus crème fraîche, shakshuka with burrata, and the beet Reuben sandwich.
Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria (Bellevue)
I’m going to make a bold claim: Resonate Brewery makes some of the best pizza in Seattle and should be part of the “Seattle’s Best Pizza” conversation far more often. It’s on the rustic side of comfortable, a place that’s easy to take the family but also great for after-work drinks, and the pizza is worth traveling for. With a cold, fermented Roman-style crust and ingredients like capicola, house-made sauce, burrata and habanero-infused honey, it’s not your standard pizza place. They also offer stromboli, charcuterie boards and, if you’re in luck, a to-die-for warm brownie sundae.
