The Quarter Barrel Brew Pub
When: 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday; 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; closed Sunday
Where: 107 East Church St., Oxford
More information: (513) 523-2525; carry-out, reservations recommended for groups of 8 or more.
Critic’s choice: Cafe Claddagh latte, Stone Lucky Bastard Ale, spinach and artichoke lavosh with melted mozzarella, topped with balsamic glaze; butternut squash Napoleon with roasted tomatoes and arugula, topped with pumpkin seeds and a balsamic reduction.
OXFORD — Something new is brewing in Oxford, or “O” town, as the locals would say.
And it’s just what Oxford, a diverse college town, needs.
“It’s filling a void in town,” said co-owner Janet Sturgeon Holmes. “And it’s been my dream to have a cafe.”
It’s called The Quarter Barrel Brew Pub and it appears to becoming everyman’s dream.
This eclectic pub, which opened Oct. 18, is much more than a customer would expect: It’s a coffee specialty bar; it’s a micro brewery; it’s a full-service bar —and it’s an informal, casual restaurant that serves upscale food items for lunch and dinner.
“The coffee specialty bar serves a variety of lattes, coffees and cappuccinos, but it’s signature coffee is Cafe Claddagh,” said co-manager Teresa Tilton. “Cafe Claddagh is a latte made with caramel and butterscotch sauce because sauce is thicker than syrup and gives it a better flavor. And we make everything in regular or decaf. We also have sugar-free syrups, skim milk and soy milk.”
The Quarter Barrel got its name from its micro brewery.
“We call the pub The Quarter Barrel because the brewing system we use brews a quarter of a barrel. It’s not a big system, and it is onsite. It’s brewing right now,” said Holmes. “Brandon Ney does the brewing on Sundays. Each week he’ll make a different recipe. And the very first keg for the public will be tapped November 26.
“Our beers on tap are all microbrews,” added co-owner Ney.
For example, co-owner Chris Hennsey, who also owns Main St. Gourmet in Oxford, said the pub has The Stone Lucky Bastard Ale, which is one of only 15 kegs made available in the state of Ohio. So he feels very fortunate to be able to offer it to customers.
Hennsey, a wine expert, talked about pairing wines with the lunch- and dinner menus.
For example, he said the Flat Iron Steak entree on the evening menu is a nice, rich steak that the Duckhorn Decoy or Root: 1 Cabernet (wine) would go very well with.
The midday and evening menus are the same, except that the midday menu offers sandwiches and the evening menu offers entrees.
Both menus offer starters and light bites, salads and lavosh.
“We are kind of famous for our lavosh,” said Holmes. “Lavosh is a flatbread pizza, like a wafer-thin pizza, or like an Armenian cracker.”
On the menus, Chef Patrick Karousis offers three kinds of lavosh — all topped with a delicious balsamic glaze.
The unique spinach and artichoke lavosh with melted mozzarella, topped with the balsamic glaze was delicious. Lavosh can be eaten as an appetizer or as a meal.
At least four entrees — along with specials — are offered on the evening menu.
The Butternut squash Napoleon entree, with roasted tomatoes and arugula topped with pumpkin seeds and a balsamic reduction was a hit.
The restaurant, which seats 75 on the inside, includes the full-service bar that’s run by Niall Berr.
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