Bullseye Pubcrawl

Posted August 13th, 2007 by rockfish
in

My buddy Scott and I set out from his midtown apartment in search of 3 things - beer, darts and the best fish & chips in Atlanta. What we found were some great places to eat, drink and be merry.

The Kitchen Pass:

There wasn't anything special about this particularly hot, Georgia summer Saturday, but we both had what I like to call, "the kitchen pass". This means the guys get to go out and be guys. Our significant others were pre-occupied with a lunch date for the afternoon, and it was our goal to spend the day jumping around from pub to pub. The best part--we could do it on foot.

As the girls drove off to meet an old college girlfriend, Scott and I were left standing in the parking deck of his building with nothing but smiles on our faces and the afternoon to waste. Ahhhh, what bliss! No responsibilities, no rushing around and no driving.

The Beginning of Bliss:

First stop - nourishment. We needed to lay down a barrier for the coming day's onslaught of malty goodness. We moseyed on down to one of our favorite food joints the Front Page News. A regular hangout for Scott and Amy, the Front Page News has a wide menu selection and a great "French Quarter" atmosphere. The patio is what I like most about it. Brick pavers and a surrounding wall enclose the foliage-laden dinning area nicely without being crowded.

Note to self - step up your bloody mary skills for next visit. This way you won't be tempted to ask your buddy to mix one for you: A faux pas if there ever was one.

Walking in the front door we realized the bloody mary bar, usually only offered on Sundays, was set up and calling our names. I'm no expert on mixing up a good bloody mary so I did my best to follow Scott's lead. I must say, it was quite a refreshing drink despite the hot weather.

With Smithwick's on tap I couldn't resist a pint. I ordered the Crescent City Chicken Sandwich that promised to be rich with a chipotle-honey glaze and andouille sausage. It did not disappoint. Smithwick's (pronounced Smid-ick's) is one of my new favorites as it has become easier to find on tap and goes down smooth. Scott had his usual chicken sandwich, plain and low calorie. His beer was Guinness. Another low calorie option.

With our bellies full and our tongues loosened, we were off to the next stop.


A bit of background: Scott and I have been known to challenge each other at darts. Only because I'm an honest person will I say this, but he's shut me down every time we've played. It hurts my pride but does not deter me. He claims he throws his best darts after the third beer. He's right! But today, was going to be different!

Chall'ange:

It was imperative that we find a dart board before it became a dangerous proposition to throw sharp objects 7+ feet with other patrons standing in the general area. Scott had a hunch the Prince of Whales pub could accommodate our needs. A short walk northwest and we were golden.

My Ongoing Beer Survey:
I often like to ask what the popular beer choice is in different beer oriented establishments. Sometimes the waiter/bartender will oblige you with interesting information and the bartender at Prince of Whales was one of those friendly faces. She described a range of patrons that frequent the pub. Located across the street from Piedmont Park, it makes sense that this place would be a great pub to come to after a walk, bike ride or organized sporting activity. The rotating draft menu somewhat directs patrons choices but it was interesting to learn that Stella Artois was the popular choice. After the bartender explained that it was the one light beer available in pitchers it began to make more sense. I was just happy to know that domestic light wasn't the best seller. Although Stella wouldn't be my choice, it proves that when available people will try new things.

The Prince of Whales had a great pub atmosphere. The dart boards were situated right near the bar and the bathroom so you didn't have to go far to fill up or empty out. I decided to go with the Fuller's ESB on tap, and was happy I did. Fuller's ESB is a popular beer and a good choice if you like slightly malty-sweet beers with a little edge. It was my first time to try one and was so good it led to a second. I took 2 out of 3 matches of which I can only attribute to Scott drinking Michelob Ultra. The beer gods were not impressed with his selection and showed their disappointment by directing his darts off-line. After text messaging my wife of my victory and a few questions to the bartender about beer choices from the regulars (see side note) we were off to find some fish and chips.

Teach a Man to Fish:

Now, Scott is from Boston and knows what good fish and chips should taste like. He discovered a place called O'Terrills and was ranting and raving about having to go. I wasn't hungry after a filling lunch, a bloody mary and 3 or 4 pints, but who can pass up fish and chips? Actually, we would need to walk about a mile and a half to get there, so we said goodbye to the Prince of Whales and made our way through Piedmont Park. Next stop crispy battered haddock and homemade potato chips.

O'Terril's is quickly becoming a favorite hang for Atlantan's. I was concerend to see a woman drinking a Corona in what was suppose to be an Irish pub. What I quickly realized was that the only thing Irish about O'Terril's was the name and the menu, both food and beer. If the fish and chips are as good as people say, then fine by me. We parked our butts out on the covered deck and quickly ordered up two plates of fish and chips, a bottle of malt vinegar and a pitcher of Harp.

Soon I find myself with a plate of fish large enough to feed two people and hand cut potato chips that are golden brown and delicious. I only took one bite before I realized it didn't matter how full I was and how misserable I was going to be. I couldn't stop eating the crispy filets of white fleshy fish fried to perfection and the chips were outstanding. Washing it all down with a pint of Harp was the perfect finishing touch.

We looked at our watches to discover it was nearing dinner time, and I was stuffed to the gills. We knew the girls would show up soon to taxi us on over to Brickstore for....you guessed it, dinner!

90 or More Beers to Choose From - What to do?:

Scott and I have been trying to get to Brickstore for quite some time and it was a great way to cap off the perfect guy's day. This place has an enormous selection of beer to choose from and not just the typical stuff either. With a wide selection of American Micro brews and an impressive line-up of Belgian, German and English beer, you can't go wrong at Brickstore. Unfortunately for me, I can't objectively comment on the food. I took one bite of the chicken salad sandwich I ordered and had to stop I was so full. The Terrapin Indian Brown Ale somehow found it's way to my belly and it was delicous. A nice hoppy beer with a strong roasty malt background. We were happy to have the girls back with us, our bellies were full and our day of pub hopping was coming to an end. No matter though there is always next Saturday.