revolution brewing co.

p.s. so... i wrote almost a full blog entry last week about paul kahan's big star and realized i don't have all the photos i needed :( i accidentally deleted it off my camera without checking if they were saved on my computer. so that post has to wait until my next visit to big star again :p so i had to recompose a whole new entry. #excuseforlateupdate

p.p.s. i've been slacking with updates since i was caught up with my new interests : k-pop (more specifically suju) and learning korean. but i will be working on updating my blog more often. 미안합니다 (mianhamnida - sorry in korean) #realexcuseforlateupdate

anywho, i digress way too much.

i haven't seen my friend for the longest time and planned a summer lunch (yeah i am playing catch up now) with him to catch up just a bit and decided to try out revolution brewing co located in logan square. revolution brewing company a gastrotavern that brews their own beer of up to 35 different styles throughout the year and also dish out interesting intepretation of american classic fare.

i thought the decor was interesting - in a good way. i loved the way the summer sun was streaming in through the ceiling high windows and the atmosphere was loud and crowded (which is a good sign) - what you would expect from a gastrotavern/brewery. 

the biggest intriguing item on their menu was their bacon popcorn. of course i had to try it - regardless how much food we ended up ordering. (it's bacon! how can you say no to it??)

appetizer :: bacon fat popcorn | bacon . crispy sage . shaved parmesan ($4)

it wasn't huge bowl of popcorn (thank goodness!) but it was satisfying portion. with fried smoky and salty bacon bits strewn generously over airy popcorn which is then covered with shavings of partially melted parmesan from the residual heat of the bacon. this was then garnished with fried sage leaves which imparted a subtle earthiness that i absolutely loved. so sinfully greasy but i liked it quite a bit actually to the extent that it was hard to stop munching.  

appetizer :: steamed PEI mussels, spanish | chorizo & and tomato saffron broth ($12)

mmm.. mussels. the last time i met up with this friend, we ordered mussels vindaloo from the gage. this faired pretty well in terms of flavor profile it was aiming for but the broth itself was a tad too salty. usually, i look forward to the toast that comes with the mussel dish to sop up all the awesome broth but i was greeted with disappointment.  it wasn't crispy, toasty nor buttered up enough. however, the redeeming quality was that the mussels were fresh and flavorful which i would have to attribute to the slightly overseasoned broth.

sandwiches & burgers :: farm burger | baby spinach . roasted beet . horseradish cream . fried organic egg ($12)

huge burger portion with a generous amount of fries - hand cut fries was my choice. oddly enough, although it was a burger, it gave me the impression that it was a healthy one with the beets and spinach. they got the cooking time right since i asked for medium which had pink in the middle - moist and had nice grilled marks. the toasted bun held its own, minor sweetness from the beets combined nicely with the slight bite from the spinach but very mild horseradish kick from the cream made me wish there were a bit more seasoning on the burger. overall, i thought it was a solid burger. 

brunch :: pork belly sandwich | smoked pork belly . two fried eggs . arugula . tomato . garlic aioli  with redskin potatoes ($10)

sd ordered this as his entree. instead of hand cut fries, he opted for mashed potatoes. he mentioned that it was fatty in a few bites but it was what made it good by alternating the fatty and the meaty of the smoked pork bely. mashed potatoes were creamy and smooth but with great substance - a melt in your mouth texture with an underlying garlic flavor. 

revolution brewing co. displayed some streaks of awesomeness in their food - injecting twists to american classics makes it a place worth trying.

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others

note: await for my entries SF dining experience from last month at some of food networks' celebrity chefs' restaurant including incanto and wayfare tavern. or a few new recipes that i tried recently  :)