The Tiedhouse and Kite and Key

This weekend Kelleigh and I and made it back to our old Philadelphia stomping grounds. After spending an early afternoon at the new Please Touch Museum with our niece, nephew and Kelleigh's mom we said good-bye to the family and headed over to Fairmount to find a late lunch. When we lived in the area Belgian Cafe, Bridget's, Jack's Firehouse, Bishops Collar and Rembrandt's were some of the places we loved walking to, to grab a bite. Since moving to the burbs our choice of quality nearby eating establishments has taken a serious down turn. It's almost too painful to think about it but Applebee's, Qudoba, Arby's and Longhorn are now our neighbors. Excuse me while I take a moment to wipe away the tears. Sad but true great food, drink and atmosphere are no longer just a quick stroll away. When we get the chance to head to the city we enjoy hitting the old hood and now we have even more reason to return. Two places have recently opened to add to an already cool restaurant line up.

The Kite and Key at 1836 Callowhill Street across from the Rose Tattoo Cafe has been open since July yet somehow I have managed to wait this long before stopping in. The front of the place has folding French doors and two large side windows that allows the bar to have a great open, bring the outside in feel. The dark wood and brick creates a typical pub look but the light and breeze from the front keep it from being too stuffy. I kept thinking if I were a bartender I would love to work here instead of being stuck in the back of some claustrophobic room with only small glimpses of occasional sunlight. We were late for brunch and 20 minutes early for dinner so we hit the beer list. The draft line up is fairly strong. Anytime I have to choose between Bear Republic's Racer 5 and Bells Two Hearted Ale it's a good thing. There were 15 beers on draft; 4 Belgians, one was Stella, a cider, Spaten Oktoberfest and the rest were craft beers. A nice mix. Once the kitchen opened we chose appetizers. I grabbed the hummus plate with flat bread, olives and peppers and Kelleigh had chicken orzo soup and grilled corn. The soup was standard but the grilled corn was the flavor standout. The combination of cilantro lime butter with chipotle mayo on the corn is our new favorite. I only wish the actual piece of corn was adult size. My hummus plate was what I expected; plenty of hummus, soft warm pita and just enough peepers and olives. Kite & Key is a cool room to grab a great beer and relax on a breezy afternoon. The flat screens will comfort any sports fans and the cafe seating is perfect for those who enjoy eating under blue skies. I will definitely make it back here after the work day is done.

After our quick bite we headed over to The Tiedhouse @ 2001 Hamilton Street in the Cityview condo building. I have been eagerly awaiting the opening since hearing about it early in the year. The General Lafayette Inn and Brewery was the first brewpub I stumbled upon after moving to Philly. I can remember smoking cigars at the bar and enjoying the old Greatful Dead nights when people would bring in their classic bootleg concert tapes. A bookshelf in my office is still dedicated to a collection of mugs from my mug club days. So the idea of having a place in the city to get the General's beers sounded perfect. The Tiedhouse is not a brewery they do serve the General Lafayette's beers along with guest drafts and bottles. The restaurant is spacious. The dinning area is in the front of the room and the bar runs the full length of the back wall. We grabbed seats at the bar and I ordered a Le Marquis De Lafayette. This beer is an easy drinking mildly hoppy Belgian dark ale with hints of cherry, plum and dates. Even though it's not truly a session beer at 5.4% abv I could easily sit back and enjoy a few of these. The bar has four standard house beers, eight G. Lafayette "Brewmaster Special" beers, Abbey Blonde and Brune in bottles and a Lager brewed exclusively for the Tiedhouse. To accompany my beer I went with tandoori wings and Kelleigh ordered my favorite comfort food, fish and chips. The dry rub wings had a side of cucumber and yogurt sauce for dipping. The tandoori spice was mild and the wings were meaty and perfectly crisp. The fish and chips came with two large pieces of fish that were moist with a flavorful crispy, crunchy outer coating and a side of tartar sauce. For the final beer of the day my taste buds were screaming for pumpkin so I went with the Elysian Night Owl. This is one of the better balanced pumpkin beers of the season. The cinnamon, nutmeg and other pumpkin pie spices never over power the senses. Fresh pumpkin comes across in the aroma and the taste remains smooth all the way through. The Tiedhouse gives more people the opportunity to enjoy the best of the General Lafayette. It would be great if some of the other area breweries took the hint and did the same type of pub, brewery arrangement.

The two new restaurant additions fit perfectly into Fairmount's already beer centric bar scene. If new places continue to open I may have to rent a place back in the Art Museum area just so I can retreat from the tasteless, cookie cutter establishments that dominate my suburban surroundings.