As a gentleman without a full-time gig, I sometimes get bored. Okay, let’s face it, I always get bored. There is only so much that I can do around the house. Empty the dishwasher, wash clothes, vacuum floor, clean the cat litter, repeat… Always repeat. It’s the groundhog day of unemployment hell. But not this day, this day was different. I actually showered and put on underwear. I then followed it up with the rest of my clothes.(a rare feat this far along in the unemployment line.) It was a definitive moment in my day, in my week, in my year. A” daybeer”, all… by… myself…! ( Not a tribute to Eric Carmen, BTW.)
I have never reviewed a beer bar or maybe I would call it a” CraftRaunt”. A restaurant that is not afraid to invest in good craft beers, in addition to or instead of wine. (It almost qualifies as a Gastropub, but it’s more restaurant than pub.) I am sure that there are plenty of these CraftRaunts in larger cities, but there aren’t too many around Dayton, Ohio. Most of them tend to be pizza places or sandwich shops. I mean, you might find a couple of craft beers to compliment the macro brews, but nothing to the extent of The Caroline.
Now grabbing a beer by yourself on a Tuesday is an exciting and scary thing. It says, “I am my own man and I make my own rules!” It also says, “I don’t have any friends and I am going drinking alone.” My strategy is normally to pretend like I’m meeting someone. So I did. Well, not really. I didn’t have to. But I felt better knowing that I had a strategy.
I arrived between the lunch and dinner rush while the staff was prepping for the evening, so I had an opportunity to ask questions and check out the place. My first impression was that this was a very upscale, high-end place. I wasn’t too far off. This place has a beautiful bar, beautiful decor and a very nice menu. Portabello Mushroom Sandwich, Ahi Tuna, Fish and Chips, Filet Mignon and Grilled Maple-Glazed Atlantic Salmon are a few of the dinner menu items. They also have a very reasonable priced lunch menu and everything can be found on their website (www.thecarolineonthesquare.com).
Onto the Beer: There was plenty of it! This list was covered with Founders and had some Goose Island thrown in for good luck. There was even a list of beers that were limited supply at the restaurant. They have four taps that could go to better use, but they included Founders Porter, Bells Oktoberfest, Stella Artois and Guiness. ( I might suggest a good Pale Ale or IPA on the next tap change. Possibly Dark Horse, if available.) They didn’t include Miller Lite or Bud Light on the menu which was refreshing. (However, they may still carry it. I’m unsure.)
According to the bartender, they have a beer tasting once a month and this month it is a Belgian tasting. Also, every Tuesday is $1 off on Craft Beer. I had a Founders Breakfast Stout and the cost was only $3.50 for the twelve ounce bottle. (She even served it up with a tulip glass. Remarkable!) The staff was also very friendly and willing to discuss the restaurant while getting ready for their busy time. It’s been open only a couple of years, but has gathered a large following.
This type of “CraftRaunt” is just what this area needs. Unpretentious but respectful of the beers that we truly enjoy! Cheers!