Ron and I were in the neighborhood checking something else out. He raved about a beer he loved and said it was served right next door at NWIPA. They also served hard ciders to accommodate my taste. He opened the door and I walked in and so glad I did.
The bartender/owner greeted us right away. Ron's fave beer was not available at the time, so the bartender spent quite a bit of time helping us make some good choices. He gave us each samples of the good stuff and once satisfied pulled those drinks. Ron had a beer pretty close in taste to his favorite (very hoppy), and I had a cider called X-17 that was a beautiful pale gold and had a character and taste a little close to champagne that made me very hoppy. We then ordered food from the menu at the bar. There were about five or six menu items (with a special on burgers to come at 6 p.m.), and Ron recommended the meatball sandwich. You will soon find out if it was a good choice!
When we first walked in and fueled by the need for beer and cider, neither one of us had taken much notice of the spare interior, but once we looked, we were impressed. Of course, the bar is the centerpiece and there are a few tables scattered around it. This place is clean within an inch of its life and sparingly decorated with a few well-chosen pieces of artwork. I liked the simplicity a lot, very relaxing really, and we also noticed not only the cleanliness but also the care with which everything in the bar was placed and taken care of. For example, they use picnic tables for some of the seating, but these aren't your mama's picnic tables and seemed more like fine furniture. They had been sanded down, sealed, and beautifully finished.
By the time we were ready to receive our sandwiches, a crowd had gathered at the bar and having a lot of fun. I appreciated they were having fun AND being courteous of the rest of us already there. Good choices of music were in evidence and not too loud. Those of us at the tables could converse easily. Now to the sandwiches. I almost never order meatball sandwiches because to me they are most of the time big and sloppy and heartburn inducing. Not these, no sir. They were served on some substantive and delicious french bread with not a drop of tomato sauce in sight to be dropped on my blouse. The meatballs were more like Swedish meatballs, a little smaller and sliced, and never once flew out of the sandwiches. Seasoning was perfect. Some sliced, not-too-hot pickled peppers were placed on the sandwich and added the perfect punch. I'm still thinking about that sandwich even while writing this review.
I hadn't been over to this neighborhood for years, even though I have several cousins who live in the area. The FoPo neighborhood is coming right along as evidenced by establishments such as NWIPA. If you haven't been over in that neck of the woods for awhile, head on over to NWIPA, visit, have a beer, and try one of their delicious items on the menu. I have a feeling you just might like it. read more