Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drop by for Monday evening's cask night and you'll find a special-guest tipple on
offer, often a seasonal brew like winter ale or a springtime IPA. And if you're just not
sure what to order, ask for the four-glass tasting flight. The food is of the standard pub-
grub variety. Check the website to see what's on draft before you arrive: they have a
clever 'live' beer menu that shows how much of each brew is left.
BIERCRAFT TAP & TAPAS BAR
BAR
(
www.biercraft.com
;
1191 Commercial Dr; 10am-11:30pm Sun, 11am-11:30pm Mon & Tue, 11am-
midnight Wed & Thu, 11am-1am Fri, 10am-1am Sat; 20)
A pilgrimage spot for fans of great
Belgian brews - hence the astonishing menu of dozens of rare beers - Biercraft has also
jumped into the local craft-beer scene in recent years. Consider a taste-test of Belgian
versus BC brews and accompany it with a few plates of grub to keep yourself coherent
- the mussels are the way to go.
Belgian-wise, the brews here include fruity Mort Subite Kriek, coppery Chimay
Rouge, strong Golden Draak and dark X.O., a brooding, end-of-the-night beer made
with cognac. And if you wake the next morning with a head that feels like a medicine
ball on a toothpick, return for a hearty brunch (eggs Benedict recommended).
CHARLATAN
PUB
(
www.thecharlatanrestaurant.com
; 1447 Commercial Dr; 4pm-1am Mon-Thu, noon-2am Fri,
11am-2am Sat, 11am-midnight Sun; 20)
One of the Drive's most popular neighborhood
bars, the darkly lit Charlatan is a perfect rainy-day hunker spot if you want to head to
the wood-lined back room for beer specials and comfort pub grub. But in summer, it
becomes a different beast with its excellent and ever-popular patio plus open front win-
dows.
Brunch is also popular here: the $9.95 traditional breakfast with Caesar deal is argu-
ably the best hair-of-the-dog recovery solution in the area.
CAFE DEUX SOLEILS
CAFE
(
www.cafedeuxsoleils.com
;
2096 Commercial Dr; 8am-midnight; Commercial-Broadway)
This rambling bohemian cafe is a hip, healthy and child-friendly Drive landmark. On
sunny days, folks relax at the open windows with a beer, while acoustic musicians, per-
formance poets and open-mike wannabes often take the stage in the evenings. There are
