Between work and the commute, some Mondays wipe me out...and when 5 pm rolls around, I don't have a creative cell left in me. Some weeks that means pasta with a quick sauce, but tonight it meant going out. Monday night dining isn't easy in a town this size, at least half of my go-to restaurants are closed. We needed quick, close and casual tonight, and 8th Street Ale Haus fit the bill.
8th Street has always been an amazing pub, with at least thirty craft beers on tap....tonight, seven of them were their own. Within the last year-ish, they became an amazing restaurant as well. They hired a new chef...do pubs have chefs? Can I call it a pub if they have a chef? Should I just say restaurant? idk....
The chef's menu takes German-American pub fare, adds locally sourced ingredients and a hefty dash of innovation. I was craving comfort food with the impending 2-4 inches of snow tonight (yes, it is April in Sheboygan), so I ordered the meatloaf sandwich, which I have considered the past six times I have eaten at 8th Street but found other equally delicious options. I ordered a side salad to balance my dinner. A side salad wasn't an optional side with my meal, but they happily offered me one for a slight charge. Okay get this... one slice marble rye, topped with smashed red potatoes, topped with meatloaf, topped with crispy onion slivers, topped with a tomato cognac sauce. YES, it was at least as delicious as it sounds. I couldn't finish the meal, but the heavens know I tried.
Along with burgers, appetizers, sandwiches and comfort food, 8th Street Ale Haus has a bunch of fabulous salads. I am not talking iceberg lettuce either. They top fresh assorted greens with very interesting combinations of other veggies and proteins. My current favorite is the "Parisian Tuna Salad." I still haven't tried the "Cauliflower and Crispy Tofu"...but I will soon!
8th Street Ale Haus has a solid local following, and tonight they were gearing up for trivia as we were leaving. They bring in live music several-to-many times a month. There are four (I think) televisions in the bar for watching games. The staff is friendly and quick for converation. It is a very comfortable place to be...great beer, drinks, people and most recently great food. I would talk about the cheese curds, but they alone are worth an entire blog post. We'll save them for another time. Prost!