As any dedicated hops hound and malt maven will tell you, we have seen an enormous change in America’s relationship with beer and ale since those not-so-distant days when imports such as Heineken and Lowenbrau were regarded as hallowed quaffs to be imbibed from a chalice.
Such is the state of the nation’s microbrew revolution that Europeans come to our nation on beer tours. So with the Red Sox having won two recent World Series, we’re just one winged pig away from the miracle trifecta.
In a country that enjoys doing things on a large scale, is the emergence of Yard House — a growing chain offering 130 draft beers — any surprise? The California-based outfit is in Eastward Ho! mode, with 29 restaurants and more to come.
It has two area locations, at Colorado Mills and in downtown Denver. I recently spent time at its newest outlet on the 16th Street Mall, which opened Dec. 19 in the space that once housed Bravo! restaurant.
The new Yard House bears no resemblance to its predecessor, having undergone a literal top-to-bottom makeover. The result is a mix of sleek steel-and-wood style and ultimate man-cave.
Anchoring the room is a vast circular bar ringed with the colorful tap pulls of those 130 beers. The brews run the global gamut, and are delivered from an overhead cooling room via a snaking series of pipes that would do credit to a gulf-state refinery.
The choices are nearly overwhelming. There are a dozen Belgian strong ales alone. They range from Avery the Reverend and Ommegang Abbey Ale to Delirium Tremens and Russian River Damnation, so you get the gamut of ecclesiastical leanings in an ale that originated in monasteries.
Despite its size, the beer roster is easy to navigate. Oddly, beer prices aren’t listed, although the waiter can advise you on the cost. (No beer tops $8, and most are far less.) Still, be forewarned: You can rack up a fat tab quickly here.
Food options also range across the map. The menu is four pages long. It centers mainly on all-American and Asian-influenced food, though with considerable nods to Mexican and Mediterranean fare. There are a few twists in the finishing touches, some of them clever, others overly so.
Menus of this size and scope are a challege to their kitchens.
Thai chicken noodle was an entree salad composed of slender noodles, grilled chicken and a slaw of slivered broccoli, carrots, sprouts, cabbage and cilantro. Topped with a spicy peanut vinaigrette and priced at $13.55, it made for a filling but virtuous meal, even if the noodles could have used another minute in the pot.
Korean barbecue beef short ribs, a $12.25 appetizer, arrived in a dark soy gloss, the meat flensed from the bones and piled atop a mound of jasmine rice, then finished with scallions and sesame seeds. Flanking all this were slivered carrots and a dollop of slightly chilled spinach seasoned with sesame oil that provided a good color and temperature contrast to the warm beef.
A roasted turkey Cobb salad, served as an entree for $13.65, was composed in the classic striated style and blended with buttermilk dressing. It wasn’t a monument to culinary imagination, but the formula was well executed.
Yard House has drawn kudos for its sliders, the mini-burgers that have become standard in many restaurants during the past few years. Here they arrive five to a $9.95 appetizer plate in several iterations: classic beef, bearnaise, turkey burger, pastrami, veggie and, for $13.95, ahi.
The surf-and-turf burger was less successful. Buttered lobster meat was piled atop a hefty beef patty, but the combo lacked the contrarian refinement of the old-school whole-tail and filet mignon version. Most baffling was the fact that the patty sat atop a bundle of asparagus spears, pencil-thin and properly cooked but too busy by half.
This being an American bar of a certain type, flat-screen TVs are visible from most seats in the restaurant. But there are more chic touches, too, including contemporary paintings on the wall and a metallic-gray bartop.
Service is friendly and knowledgeable, and one of the managers, a native of Cape Town, is happy to talk about South Africa and his pride in how it acquitted itself as host of the 2010 World Cup.
The crowd is a mix. Daytime brings families and a somewhat older demographic; evenings bring younger folks. The place fills up, even with a capacity for 565 people.
While Yard House is a chain, it’s a welcome addition to the upper 16th Street restaurant scene. Founder Steele Platt, who years ago ran the Boiler Room at the old Tivoli before decamping to his native California, should feel proud.
Platt can raise a glass of beer to this venture. Heaven knows he has some options.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
YARD HOUSE
Mega-bar 1555 Court Place, 303-572-9273
* 1/2 (Good/Very Good)
Atmosphere: A blend of sleek, cool style and ultimate man-cave
Service: Friendly, knowledgeable
Beverages: 130 beers on draft, plus wine and cocktails
Plates: Eclectic mix that brings together Asian- influenced and all- American dishes, plus nods to Mexico and the Mediterranean
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.- 1 a.m.
Details: A lively room with nearly overwhelming drink/dining options
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
