Thursday, June 13, 2013

the buzz at Hardywoood...

the place to be... Hardywood Craft Brewery Park




the picnic tables...




Singel Hoplar, Saison Rustica, Sidamo Coffee and Bourbon Cru made up our sampler...



the Red Chicken...




excellent lemonade and limeade...




Decadence... their specialty is cheesecakes of many flavors...




go to Da Farm for live plants, both flowers and spices, as well as wood for cooking or a craft project... 




all kinds of pops by the king of pops...



the Wandering Cow Farm... a variety of goat-related products...



two sweet baby goats...



though the evening was hot, the ovens were lit and pizzas were enjoyed...




my husband and I decided to eat from this food cart... delicious vegetarian options...



Night Soy Farm known for dairy products...




this is the new section of the brewery which is scheduled to open very soon... a work in progress...




On Wednesday night, Glenn and I travelled to the Hardywood Brewery on Ownby Lane for beer and dinner from the food carts.

Wednesday night isn't their big night, that's Thursday.  But my husband isn't one for crowds of people.  On Thursday, the second parking lot is filled with more carts and tents. And on Friday, there's music too.

As soon as we got out of the car, the smell of wonderful food hit our noses.  There were a good number of people sitting at the picnic tables.  The brewery itself sells only beer, but bring it outside, get some chow and have a seat.

We met a friend of Glenn's inside the brewery, who has been attending since it opened.  He happens to be from Ethiopia and shared information about the coffee flavored beer, Sidamo, that is made from beans that only grow there.  They are chosen because they release almost no oil in the brewing process.  We got a sampler, which is four beers and I definitely favored the Saison, the lightest of the brews.  Though the Sidamo has quite an interesting taste.  The Bourbon Cru has quite an alcoholic kick.

For dinner, we both ate from Goatacado, which has yummy mixes of vegetables with intriguing spices and sauces.  They are discussing opening a restaurant and I hope it happens.  I went to Decadence for dessert.  At first, the sound of cheesecake in a jar sounded unappealing, but I ordered a strawberry one from the chef and it was very good.  It's layered as usual, strawberries on top, cheesecake filling the middle and graham cracker crust underneath.  Get a spoon and dig in.

After finishing our food, we wandered through the parking lot, checking out the other carts and vendors with other green products.  When the new building opens up, it will double the size of the people they can accommodate.  So we will definitely take this short trip again as we enjoyed ourselves - drinking good beer, eating good food, meeting old friends and making new acquaintances.
Maybe we'll see you there...