Stagecoach Saloon at Hubbel House (Mantorville, MN)

Stagecoach Saloon @ Hubbel House

6/29/12

After touring Mantorville Brewing Co (MBC), I felt a need for a draft of the local brew and walked a block to the Stagecoach Saloon inside of the Hubbel House in historic downtown Mantorville.  

The place was full on a Friday night--the bar and a line for the main dining room.  The popularity was in anticipation of the Old Tyme Days happening on Saturday and Sunday.  I should have waited for the Saturday tour of MBC, but tonight was my only option.  Another time for Old Tyme Days.  Mantorville's twelve block downtown is a nationally recognized historic place, which is easy to see with a short stroll, but I think the walking tour with explanations would give a better feel for the history.

Stagecoach Amber Ale at Stagecoach Saloon

I sat at the bar and ordered a Stagecoach Amber Ale.  From the tour, Mantorville Brewing has been doing some maintenance and was a bit behind in the brewing, so the amber was the only MBC on tap.  Sadly, I was looking for the Smoked Porter--next time.  Chilled glass, which the haze can be seen slightly in the photo.  Perfectly fine draft, but it didn't live up to my expectations from the sample at the brewery.  For my second draft, I tested the bar with a beer I know a bit beer--Alaskan Amber.  In both cases, it didn't seem that the beer was 100%.

Pleasantly surprised, there were several veggie options on the menu--including a veggie burger substitute, a portabella mushroom club with fries and a veggie lasagna.  I went for the shroom sandwich with grilled peppers and onions.  In the dim light of the bar, the portabella was so thick I briefly panicked that they brought me a burger by accident. Good sandwich, though the fries needed ketchup--a personal criteria that fries should be good enough without a condiment of any type, whether or not I chose to dip.   In retrospect, I maybe should have tried the wild rice plate--maybe next time.

The Stagecoach Saloon is clearly not a beer bar, but they aren't trying to be.  It's a good hotel watering hole that's serving the folks that are more interested in old west re-enactments than the six taps at the bar.  My purpose for a local pint was to get a fresh, perfectly served draft of MBC beer.  Unfortunately, I will have to keep searching to give their beer a proper tasting.

Newt's North (Rochester, MN)

 

5/27/12

For years, I've driven by Newt's on Hwy 52 through Rochester and never took the opportunity to stop.  In reality, it was vegetarian bias since it looks like a local meat-centric burger joint. In this case, it seems to have been a mistake. 

Some teacher friends (thanks Scott and Heather!) are regulars (after school happy hour), so when several coaches got together here for some Sunday afternoon out-of-season socializing, Newt's feel like our local.  Newt's is a fine pub with a very friendly feel and a solid beer list to keep you entertained.

Let's start with beer. Not recognizing what the 21st Amendment Dark could be, I asked and the server wasn't impressed with the beer.  It turned out to be Brew Free or Die IPA, one of my favorites (I'm drinking it at home right now!) and not Dark at all.  The beer list is respectable, especially for Rochester, so that's fine, but the staff doesn't seem to be overly knowledgeable of craft beer.  But I'm use to Al at the Blue Nile as a guide, so maybe I'm spoiled.  But the staff made up for it in friendliness, even joining in our group photo.

It doesn't say it on the menu, but Heather said she knew of others that ask for a Boca Burger on any of the main burger combos.  So, I ordered the Shroom Burger with a veggie substitute, which was good and reheated well as left overs.  While just a Boca Burger, it was still very good and something I couldn't make as well at home (an eating out food criteria for me).  However, it would be great if that was listed on the menu so I wouldn't have to feel so high maintenance by ordering off the menu.

Ended with after lunch drafts of Alaskan Amber and Lagunitas IPA.  Both were well served and the beer is taken care of well at Newt's.  Inside information--a member of our group is related to the line cleaner of Newt's, so we know that it's done by someone we trust.  And, it shows in clean pints that taste fresh. Taking a closer look at my list, I evidently visited Newt's back in 2001 and had a Mantorville Stagecoach Ale.  My memory of this stop is vague, but it doesn't seem to mesh with Newt's North so I'm guessing I was at the downtown location (and the pictures online do seem to mesh with my memory).  Newt's is not a beer destination for those out of state, but it is a great local bastion of craft beer.