Beer Snob Visits Blue and Gray Bar and Grill

Granted, the main square in downtown Gettysburg can be very difficult to navigate if you've never driven in a town circle before. Aside from that, if you can get yourself a decent parking place you can just walk to the northernmost corner of Baltimore Street and the circle to one of Gettysburg's newest bar/food additions.

After noticing that it was new as I arrived in town last week I did a bit of research on what this place was. Since the establishment is so new there isn't a completed website yet, but I did come across a feature story on it in Hanover's The Evening Sun.

It was then that I noticed two key things that Blue and Gray literally brought to the table. Its menu features 12 "Battlefield Burgers" that are named after generals that participated in the Battle of Gettysburg and 25 wing sauces/rubs named after certain military units that also fought in the battle.

The burgers are designed to emulate the general that it's named for and where they're from. A few good examples are that the General George Meade is a burger that's have burger and half cheesesteak as he is from Phiadelphia. The General Lewis A. Armistead gives your burger a helping of Carolina BBQ pulled pork as he is from North Carolina. The General John Fulton Reynolds puts a corn fritter on top of your beef patty since he was born in Lancaster. Get the drift?

I was coaxed into getting the General James Longstreet. Longstreet is from South Carolina, where apparently peanut butter and bacon is pretty popular. If you put two and two together you can see where I'm going with this one.Also, each burger comes out with a flag stuck in it. The version of the flag depends on what side your general falls on.

The caramelized onions were a perfect compliment. Awesome burger.

The Blue and Gray Bar and Grill also features a decent beer list that provides you with a taste of local brewing. Multiple Troegs, Roy Pitz and Lancaster beers can be found here to help you wash down whatever you choose from this fruitful menu.'

I can't forget about the aforementioned wings. The battle theme continues with wing flavors named 20th Maine (blueberry chipotle), Peach Orchard (peach habanero) and Irish Brigade (raspberry jalapeno). According to the bar's Twitter feed, there is also a Yuengling and chicken wing special ($5 pitchers and $.50 wings) that we are very accustomed to seeing around here.

The Beer Snob Visits Fat Head's Saloon

Other than The Library for the draft and wing specials, the other joint I've frequented the most on Carson Street is Fat Head's Saloon. This place has one of the more numerous and one of the most diverse beer selections (42 brews on-tap at a time) of any bar or pub in the South Side.

When you step up to the bar, you have to make your selection from one of the more creative tap lists in the Pittsburgh area. It's pretty unique and informative. Not only is each beer named on the board, it's style, alcohol-by-volume and its native state are right alongside it to clear up any questions you might have. Each time I've came into Fat Head's, I've also found the beer lists easily accessible. There are many at the bar and appear to be on each table. This comes in handy for people that want to know exactly what they're drinking.

The atmosphere is pretty relaxing. The outside is brick as well as the inside and this gives Fat Head's plenty of character. The brick walls inside have assorted artworks strewn about and make it seem that you're hanging out in a street alley.

If you decide to hang out in the bar area you can see the 42 beers on tap. The wall behind the tap handles appears to be stainless steel. As for the actual bar, its grey color compliments the metal behind the taps and blends the entire area together. One of the more relaxing and aesthetically-pleasing pubs I've come across.

Don't forget that Fat Head's also has a cask system, in which it usually features one beer at a time. From time to time there are assorted wines on the hand pumps as well. The beer selection is fantastic. I've never visited and not found something I didn't want to try. If you're curious as for what to look for, Fat Heads always has brewed some of their own beers and usually features some on tap.

Head Hunter IPA (7.4 percent ABV) and Caveman Keller Bier (5.7 percent ABV) were the only two tapped for this visit. Both were very good brews. I can honestly say that from all of the house brews I've tried, I haven't been disappointed a single time. Keep an eye out for what's on tap.

Fat Head's is arguably more famous for its food. The most notable thing on the menu is the South Side Slopes sandwich which features kielbasa, fried pierogies, onions and horseradish sauce. I didn't get a chance to try it during this trip, but its definitely something on my bucket list. I'm sure it's a lot better than the disappointing pulled pork and fried pierogie sandwich at PNC Park was.

Since Beer Snob Sr. made the trip too, we decided that we couldn't go wrong with the usual delicacy of a bar hopper: chicken wings. My aforementioned friend went with the homemade Fat Head's sauce, which is a regular hot sauce, but with some sweet undertones.

I chose an odd flavor for wing sauce: jalapeno cheddar. It just jumped out at me. I couldn't refuse it. It was one of the oddest, but most intriguing experiences I've had with a chicken wing. The jalapenos added a hot flavor that was pretty damn near perfect. It's not too often that you come across a texture in a wing sauce like this was.

As I said earlier, this place is one of my favorites on the South Side. Always a great brew selection, great and aesthetic atmosphere and some awesome grub. I was able to try four new beers while on this visit. I've mentioned two of them. I plan on reviewing those and the two others in good time.

Make sure you're following the Beer Snob on Twitter! 

1,250 Wing Flavors. You Read That Correctly

A friend of mine took a trip to Johnstown over the weekend and sent me a link to a small place that produced more chicken wing flavors than your typical wing pub with a weekly wing special.

Your average place has anywhere from four to eight flavors to choose from. CK's Wings-n-Things has 1,250 wing flavors to choose from. It's been well documented that my favorite wing special and wings belong to The Library on Pittsburgh's South Side, but their selection of flavors and sauces in no way compare to what I found on CK's website.

Flavors such as "Hot Honey Garlic Ranch," Hot Sweet and Sour" and "Lemon Pepper Honey Mustard Ranch" make my mouth water just by reading them. I thought I was the genius when started mixing honey mustard sauce with ranch just a few months ago. Apparently someone has beaten me to it and went public already.

From what the website says there's just one stipulation at CK's. The food there is take-out and delivery only.

This place was immediately put on my bucket list. If any of you have been there or eventually get there before I do let me know. I'm definitely interested in seeing how good some of these flavors are.

The Beer Snob's Top-Five Wing Specials

Throughout the course of time, one food item has gone hand-in-hand with a man's beer: a saucy plate of chicken wings. Everyone has a particular place where they indulge in a wing special on a weekly basis. Being on the side of the fence that believes eating a decent wing is better than most recreational activities, I've participated in my fair share of wing nights.

Thus, here is a quick list of the top wing specials that I've come across. Note: this obviously isn't a compilation of the best wing specials around as I can't make it to every one around Pittsburgh. That being said, I'm always open for a new wing trip.

1. The Library's AYCE Wing Nights: In a previous post I wrote of a trip to The Library on the South Side. As time has gone on, I've had more and more of this place's chicken wings. Not only are these wings the best I've ever tried, the deal is even better. The Library has AYCE (all you can eat) on both Monday and Tuesdays, all day. It costs a measly eight bills out of your wallet. These wings are on steroids, thickly breaded and are drenched in a pool of sauce. Make sure you get there around 9 p.m. to partake in the draft special.

2. Sunny Jim's Tavern: I go to Sunny Jim's just off of the Camp Horne Road exit on Interstate-279 North whenever I have a craving for the perfect hot wing. I must warn you though. These hot wings aren't for the faint of heart. If you don't like spicy foods that leave you wiping snot from your nose and tears from your eyes, move down the list. The next day isn't that fun either. On Mondays you can head to Sunny Jim's, buy a drink and get the option to get a pound of wings for $2.99.

3. North Country Brewing: Nearby where I attend college, this local microbrewery has a wing special on Wednesday nights. For $6.99 you get a pound of whole wings. What makes this wing night special is the fact that North Country makes every sauce in-house and sometimes comes up with a brand new one. The last time I attended this special I had the choice of Spicy Thai Peanut sauce. Get the picture?

The black dots appeared to be olives.

4 Mulligan's Sports Bar and Grill: Every Tuesday you can stop at Mulligan's in West Mifflin and get as many whole wings as you wish for just 50 cents a piece (the website still says 40 cents). Mulligan's tends to follow in the footsteps as the previous special and develops a few of their own sauces such as the creative Black n' Gold sauce which seems to be a concoction of honey mustard and black olives. The only downside is the lack of craft beers on tap.

5. Quaker Steak and Lube: No wing list would be complete without Quaker's AYCE night on Tuesdays. For most of us this was our first wing night we attended consistently in our high school years. Quaker has more flavors to choose from than anyone with choices like Arizona Ranch and Louisiana Lickers. The downside is the price. One trip ends up costing around $18. If you get a chance to try this at the original restaurant in Sharon, do it. It's set up buffet style and includes other amenities such as pretzels, nachos and funnel cakes.