“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Benjamin Franklin
If you’re a beer-lover like good ol’ Ben and the idea of beer with breakfast gets you buzzed, then you’ll want to head to Square One Brewery. Located in Lafayette Square, Square One Brewery sits at the northeast corner of 18th Street and Park Avenue, a location some may remember as Ronayne’s in the ’80s, Kilabrew’s in the ’90s, then later Lafayette Pub, which was destroyed by a fire in 2004. After the fire, owner Steve Neukomm decided to begin again, hence the name of his latest venture. Open just six months, Square One Brewery began serving brunch in early August.
As the weather begins to cool off, the shady brick courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy brunch. The primo table is the one next to the gorgeous massive stone and marble fountain, and I’m told in the evening there’s an extra wait for this coveted spot.
If you prefer to dine inside, the bar is bright and breezy and a casual, comfortable alternative on Sundays when it’s quiet enough to actually hear the smooth jazz playing in the background. A wood bar stretches the length of the room with a built-in arched window. The dining room is also light-filled, thanks to lots of windows and a skylight.
Square One Brewery offers at least a dozen hand-crafted beers, with the selection continually revolving. From ales to lagers, stouts to pilsners, there’s a beer for everyone. Its signature Light Squared proved a good breakfast beer. Pale gold in color and very aromatic, it was light, refreshing and a bit tongue-tingling. Just reading the descriptions of the other beers is a mouthwatering experience. The Square One Wit is an unfiltered Belgian wheat ale spiced with orange peel and ginger, while the Grand Cru has the scent of apples and pears. Beer never sounded so good.
Maybe a classic Bloody Mary is more your style (I like to count it as a vegetable). Square One’s is big on tomato flavor, but not particularly spicy or tangy. The triple garnish of a celery stick, pickle and olive was a winning touch, though.
The food side of the menu is focused on eggs. Omelets are made with four eggs and served with a side of fried sliced potatoes (these needed some extra seasoning), as well as an English muffin. The sausage omelet ($6.95) featured mildly flavored house-made sausage, Chihuahua and Cheddar cheeses. The seafood omelet ($8.95) included a generous amount of fresh crabmeat and shrimp with Chihuahua and Cheddar cheeses. It was finished with a hollandaise sauce that had thickened too much, although it tasted fine.
Kalamata olives, spinach, roasted tomatoes and feta cheese made for a nice Tuscan frittata ($6.95). The saltiness of the olives, creamy texture of the cheese and sweetness of the tomato were a well-balanced combination.
I was told the blueberry pancakes ($5.95) were a favorite from the Ronayne’s days. And, as promised, the two large pancakes were delicious and thick, tangy with buttermilk and bursting with blueberries. Covered in maple syrup, they were devoured along with the two patties of house-made sausage.
My friend proclaimed the basic breakfast – two eggs, country potatoes with choice of sausage or hickory-smoked bacon and a croissant – to be “above-average standard fare.” And, at $5.95, it’s a good value, too.
If you’re leaning more toward the lunch side, the menu offers several sandwiches including a smoked salmon BLT, grilled portabella melt, house-made crab cake and beer-battered grouper.
Service was friendly and accommodating. Since my visits were early in Square One’s foray into brunch, I noticed some inconsistencies in the food (bacon on one visit was thick and had achieved that just-right cross between limp and crispy; the next, it was disappointingly shriveled and overcooked), but I expect it to improve.
Square One Brewery feels like a great neighborhood spot, and it’s the perfect place to spend a sunny September afternoon and walk your buzz off in Lafayette Park.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2006.