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Restaurant Sat Jun 09 2007
Goose Island Grub
Even though the Goose Island Brew Pub on Clybourn does not have an outdoor patio, it's not a bad place to go for lunch on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. The best deal by far is the beer flight, a selection of 4 5-oz. servings of many of the brewery's beers (some cost extra) for just 6 bucks. My dining partner chose Dead Goat Porter, Smoked Maibock, Summertime Kolsch Bier, and Pennant Race Red Ale. I was a big fan of the Summertime (recently voted a reader's choice beer of the week at Chicagoist). It was light and refreshing, perfect for hot summer days. My dining partner preferred the porter, however, because it was rich without a chalky aftertaste. The Pennant Race Red, which was our least favorite, was overly smoky, while the Smoked Maibock was similar to Fat Tire but not quite as sweet.
And as for the food, it was also quite satisfying. I appreciated an inventive special, the Farmer's Market Salad, because it contained an unusual combination of prosciutto, feta cheese, spiced nuts and cannelloni beans over fresh spinach. We also ordered BBQ chicken tenders and a baked pretzel.
A trio of dipping sauces - Düsseldorf mustard, garlic cheese spread and marinara sauce - accompanied the pretzel. I'd never considered dipping a pretzel in tomato sauce, and the combination was delicious, almost pizza-like. One could do a lot worse than this for a lazy weekend lunch.
