Taste: Reviews: Bar Harbors
Industrial-sleek Triumph Brewing Company in New Hope is a modern counterpoint to the dim, nicotine-stained neighborhood taproom. This airy two-story brewpub is easily twice the size of N. 3rd or the New Wave, and its menu is twice as long. Local artists exhibit their work in the dining room, live bands play by the bar, big groups celebrate here, young couples bring children. The outdoor patio overlooks the quaint New Hope and Ivyland Railroad. Unless you sit at the bar and engage in serious beer talk, Triumph feels like a wholesome casual-dining restaurant in the suburbs. The first one opened in downtown Princeton a decade ago, and the New Hope branch in 2003.
Triumph will soon make its urban debut on the 100 block of Chestnut Street in Old City, next door to World Fusion. The menu will be similar to its affiliates; the beers differ among the locations, varying with the brewer and the season.
Craft beer novices will appreciate the printed guides that describe the character of each brew. The American-style honey wheat, which recently won a gold medal at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival brewers’ competition in Denver, is a good starting point, as light and clean as a glass of prosecco.
Three sous-chefs — Shaun Cush, Jared Martin and Angela Shellenberger — share responsibility for the broad menu, with mixed results. Two of the best dishes are the fried calamari, as weightless and addictive as popcorn, and the astonishingly grease-free fish and chips, with a touch of amber ale in the fish batter. A salad special with a poached pear brought gingery fruit carved into neat slices, on slightly tired greens, and chunks of creamy blue cheese with a salty edge that went down well with a glass of malty Oktoberfest. An even better introduction to beer-cheese compatibility is the beer and cheese tasting, which on my visits paired the honey wheat beer with soft goat cheese, the Bengal Gold India Pale Ale with parmesan, the Bohemian pilsner with cheddar, and blue cheese with Russian Imperial Stout.
I was as surprised by the deliciousness of a lunchtime pasta special, cappellini with chicken and baby pattypan squash in a blush vodka sauce, as I was by the dry bratwurst and knockwurst served as a special at dinner, accompanied by pan-crisped spaëtzle that crumbled into pebbly bits and a positively crunchy German potato salad with undercooked potatoes. A thin-crusted vegetable pizza at lunchtime was forgettable.
The cheerful service isn’t forced, and I give the staff extra props for treating a special guest of mine like a VIP. When the weather favors patio dining, Triumph allows well-behaved dogs to accompany customers. Our server brought a pan of ice for my bulldog, Spotty, and replenished it three times. Spotty was a model of canine propriety, and the french fries earned a snort of approval.
Scorecard
N. 3RD
801 North 3rd Street, 215-413-3666; norththird.com
Food : B+
Service : B+
Atmosphere : B
AVERAGE COST OF DINNER PER PERSON (with tax and tip, without alcohol) : $37
FOOD : Bistro-style main plates and fine-tuned bar noshes.
BEERS/WINES : Local microbrews on tap; Belgian ales by the bottle. Short wine list with some fine frugal finds.
NEW WAVE CAFÉ
784 South 3rd Street, 215-922-8484; newwavecafe.com
Food : C-
Service : C
Atmosphere : C
AVERAGE COST OF DINNER PER PERSON (with tax and tip, without alcohol) : $38
FOOD : Eclectic, with global influences.
BEERS/WINES : Local craft beers on tap. Reasonably priced wine list geared toward chardonnay and merlot fans.
TRIUMPH BREWING COMPANY
400 Union Square Drive, New Hope, 215-862-8300; triumphbrewing.com
Food : B-
Service : B
Atmosphere : B-
AVERAGE COST OF DINNER PER PERSON (with tax and tip, without alcohol) : $35 for three courses, though it’s easy to snack inexpensively.
FOOD : Beer-friendly American eclectic.
BEERS/WINES : Ales, stouts, pilsners and ambers are brewed on the premises. There’s a short list of mass-market wines.
