If there’s one thing I regret about our family’s recent forays to Schlafly Bottleworks, it’s that my boys didn’t get to try any beers. What an embarrassing oversight! A spectacular microbrewery, practically in our backyard, and we ended up so preoccupied with the food that we completely blanked on ordering any of Schlafly’s delicious craft brews for Brendan and Duncan to quaff.
That’s Schlafly’s own Lewis Osterweis ginger beer, root beer or birch beer, of course. If you’re still equating Bottleworks with only barley and hops, it’s time to load everyone into the family truckster and see what else you’ve been missing.
Bottleworks’ clear commitment to the community and the environment was evident as soon as we sat down. On one wall, a chalkboard listed all of the regional suppliers and their wares; we could look at the menu, then look at the wall to see where the various ingredients came from. The paper placemats the boys were given to color on showed in simple drawings how Bottleworks composts its scraps, then puts that compost to work in its community garden, from which veggies are harvested for the menu. The boys were having fun AND learning … and we hadn’t even ordered yet.
Now, while I readily admit to regular cravings of fish and fries from Schlafly’s premier brewpub, The Tap Room, I appreciate Bottleworks’ healthier approach to food. There’s no deep-fried anything here and enough vegetables to please even the most finger-wagging of moms. Better still, the menu offers a broad selection of kid-sized portions from Bottleworks’ menu of comfort-food standards and unique favorites. There isn’t a kids’ menu per se, but your brood should have no problem finding something to its liking.
For our boys, that something was cheese. On our first visit, Duncan ordered the half-size Three-Cheese Pizza, and Brendan ordered the half-size Mac and Cheese. Apparently each was jealous enough of the other’s food that when we came back for a second visit, they announced even before we’d arrived that each was getting what the other had ordered the time before. On both occasions, we ordered a side of sautéed veggies also – a mix of cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. They all but fought over who was going to get to finish the carrots. When was the last time your kids nearly came to blows over wanting to eat more vegetables?
From the bites Kathy and I were able to steal, we understood why the boys were so protective; this was good chow. The macaroni was coated in a wonderfully unctuous sauce that will turn your kids against that noxious blue-box stuff forever. The pizza, on a yeasty crust about the size of a luncheon plate, was just enough for a toddler; order a couple of extra toppings and it’s perfect for bigger kids or a lighter meal for grown-ups.
The full-size entrées, by comparison, are huge. While some of the menu prices may seem steep on first glance, have no doubt that you’re paying for both quality – local meats and produce, often raised organically – and quantity. On our first visit, I had the pulled-pork sandwich, most of which I had to eat with my fork, as there was no realistic way I could have either picked the thing up or fit it in my mouth. The pork was tender and smoky, accented with just enough of the pale ale-based barbecue sauce to give it some extra zing. In the mood for meat again on our next visit, I got a bison burger, cooked to a perfect pink and topped with blue cheese and bacon. On a burger like that, you don’t need condiments; in my mind, it ranks among the best burgers St. Louis has to offer.
Kathy, ever the figure of moderation, split the difference, going for a little bit of meat and a whole bunch of everything else. First she got the Bottleworks Curry, with chicken added in. The curry sauce was flavorful but not too spicy, letting the flavor of the vegetables come through. Ask for some bread on the side, too, so you can sop up the sauce once you’ve eaten everything else. For the follow-up, Kathy had the cornflake-coated trout, a crunchy palm-sized fillet served with pan-fried corn and mashed potatoes. As comfort food goes, this is a nearly perfect combination.
Though a brewpub wouldn’t seem to be an ideal place for kids, the Schlafly folks have gone out of their way to make Bottleworks more than just a restaurant. If there’s a bit of a wait for an open table, you can browse a fascinating exhibit on the history of beer-making, or you can peek through the windows at the bottleworks itself; depending on when you’re there you may see the bottling line in action or one of the gleaming tanks being emptied out, something that our boys found fascinating. And if your kids are a bit older, there’s foosball and a pool table (and even a few board games) in the open-to-everyone bar area.
This article appears in May 1-31, 2008.