The Cambridge House Brewpub, 357 Salmon Brook St., Granby; 860-653-2739
October 27, 2005
By LINDA GIUCA, Courant Food Editor
"Everyone tells you that seven out of 10 restaurants fail but that seven out of 10 brewpubs succeed," says Steve Boucino, co-owner with Scott Scanlon of the Cambridge House Brewpub in Granby.
With a background in the corporate world - Boucino was in the insurance business, and Scanlon still works for The Hartford - the two needed some favorable odds. Those odds just received a boost in the form of a gold medal at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival Competition for the restaurant's Copper Hill Kolsch. Not a bad way to celebrate six months in business.
"Our philosophy is: Surround yourself with good people," Boucino says, starting with the brew master. Stephen Schmidt was director of brewery operations for Empire Brewing Co. in western New York until his wife was transferred to a new job in Farmington. Boucino and Scanlon heard that Schmidt, an award-winning brew master, had moved to the area and had their first meeting with him on the day they bought the land and building for the restaurant.
Schmidt recently became the lead brewer for Redhook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth, N.H., but "this is really his laboratory," Boucino says. "Here he gets to experiment and put together things that win at the [festival competition]" - such as the Kolsch. The traditional German-style beer is made with German malts and Noble hops. The beer took the gold medal in the cellar or unfiltered beer-style category and was one of three gold medal winners in a field of 2,016 entries.
The brewpub offers six of its own beers in addition to other labels, wines and spirits. The house stout finds its way into not only glasses but also food. The house salad dressing is a stout vinaigrette, while beef marinades include the beer.
The menu, overseen by chefs James Bryan and Rich Accetura, who have worked in Hartford-area restaurants, is "casual upscale - a traditional American grill with a splash of comfort food," Boucino says.
The best seller is fish and chips (in beer batter, of course), but there are ample beef choices, from half-pound Angus burgers to barbecued ribs. Spent grains from the brewing process boost the flavor of the pizza dough, which is char-grilled before toppings are added.
Other menu items include chicken pot pie; braised demi-glaze pork shank with sweet potato strips and garlic mashed potatoes; barbecued ribs and pasta primavera.
Prices: appetizers, $3.99 to $11.99; salads, $3.25 to $10.99; entrees, $9.99 to $20.99; pizzas, $9.99 to $10.99; burgers and sandwiches, $7.99 to $14.99; desserts, $2.99 to $5.49; children's menu, $3.25 to $3.75.
Hours: lunch, Tuesday to Friday, 11:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.; dinner: Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m.
The Cambridge House Brewpub is at 357 Salmon Brook St., Granby. Phone: 860-653-2739.
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