Thursday, December 23, 2010

Eating out in Long Valley: Long Valley Pub and Brewery



You know what goes well with German food? Beer. And if you're looking for some of the best beer (and food) in town, go no farther than the Long Valley Pub & Brewery. It's a great stop if your palate is in the mood for anything Deutschland.

"'The Best of the Wurst' is probably our best seller," says Brad Lowmaster, general manager. He's referring to a knockwurst, bratwurst and weisswurst combo served with sauerkraut, German potato salad and whole-grain mustard. "It's one of the main German entrees that goes well with the restaurant."

The building, which was once a barn, has been in the same spot since 1771, so it's historic. It also happens to serve some excellent burgers.

"We'll have busy Saturdays and Sundays where we'll sell hundreds of burgers to go along with our main German entrees," Lowmaster says.

There are three types of burgers here: regular, Kobe beef and bison, any of which can be used to make the most popular burger here, the Cajun Bleu.

"It's a burger that comes with bleu cheese and chipotle mayo," Lowmaster says. "That one sells very well. Anybody can get any particular burger set up anyway they want it."

And if you're familiar with Long Valley Pub & Brewery, you'll notice a few extras added to the menu.

"We have different salads," Lowmaster says. "We have an orchard salad and a grilled vegetable Focaccia. We brought back a few things that were on an old menu."

The reason for this change is that a chef from the restaurant's past has returned, and with him come some of his specialties.

"He's brought back the Buffalo chicken sandwich, for instance," Lowmaster says. "And he changed up some of the appetizers. We have more choices as far as chili goes. He also put a spinach dip on the menu."

If you're a really big fan of the food here and would like to share it with a large party, that can be arranged as well.

"We have a lot of holiday parties set up for the next couple of weeks," Lowmaster says. "We have a catering menu that gives a few more options than we'd normally have on our regular menu."

Such as?

"There are a lot more pasta dishes," Lowmaster says, "like chicken entrees. They're items that are better for a buffet instead of just ordering individually."

But let us not forget the aforementioned beer: Beer is one of the specialties here, too. This holiday season brings two great beers, both of which are sure to get you salivating.

"We'll have Celebration Ale that will be up for Christmas," Lowmaster says. "And we'll also have an oatmeal stout beer."

LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY
WHERE: 1 Fairmount Road, Long Valley
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 908-876-1122
HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday (bar closes at midnight); 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday (bar closes 1 a.m.); 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday (bar closes 11 p.m.); happy hour 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
CUISINE: German food, burgers, pasta and great beer. Does life get any better?
LIQUOR: Full bar
PAYMENT: Major credit cards accepted
THE SCENE: This old barn has a lot of new tricks, including a new outside area that will be put to great use when spring returns
ATMOSPHERE: With great beer and local bands playing on Fridays, this is the place to be
DRESS: Casual
PARKING: Large lot
MANAGER: Brad Lowmaster

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