The Bowery is located in the heart of Hollywood around Sunset and Vine, accross the street from the newly updated Palladium. I went there with a "Belgian Beer" friend. I love the white ceramic tile facade in front. Inside, it is cramped and very cozy, where you would literally be rubbing elbows with the young trendy crowd, the shiny tin roof is a stand-out.
Moule Frites, Steamed mussels and French fries . The mussels are cooked with leeks, garlic, white wine, tomatoes and saffron. So I ordered some to pair with a Trappist Ale, Chimay Red. What a disappointment, the mussels were not fresh, there was a fishy sardine taste and smell to it. Mussels are not supposed to smell like that. And to make matters worse that the mussels were pathetically small, and the meat inside was shriveled. Well, at least I had a really good beer on hand and some really good Shoestring French fries.
Chimay Red is a Dubbel Trappist Ale 7.00% ABV, only a few Belgian beers can be called Trappist, meaning it is brewed within a Trappist monastery. A Dubbel is when double the normal amount of sugars is added to the beer making process, more sugars for the yeast means more alcoholic by products. The beer pours in the chalice a turbid coppery orange color with a creamy head that easily subsides. The nose is sweet malty, fruity apricot, and spicy with hints of cloves. The mouthfeel is light medium creamy, smooth on the tongue, with little carbonation. The taste is complex subtle malty sweetness, doughy yeastiness, fruity astringence with some floral undertones in the back, and light bitterness in the end. A very drinkable beer.
My friend got the Charcuterie Plate, two kinds of cheeses, chicken liver mousse, three types of cured meats, crusty baguette slices, preserved olives, and some almond nuts. Suffice to say, I was envious. Despite the outstanding service we got, I shant be back soon. The next day, it was on the news that, someone got shot a block away at past 2 am. Luckily, we were already home by then.
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2 comments:
Aww bummers about the food. The only thing I'd get (and recommend) there is their "The Works" burger (comes with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and your choice of cheese -- pick the roquefort if you're up for it), sweet potato fries or their braised short ribs.
For seafood you'd be WAY better off with the Hungry Cat at the opposite corner.
I may just go back and try their burger. I read burumun's post on "Nook" their mussels looks delish! I checked their site and they have a nice beer list too. I'm checking that one out and Hungry Cat, thanks for the rec.
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