Uh-Oh! Bob's Quoting The Bible!

Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. 
-  Isaiah 43:18

I've been spending the past several posts writing about when I used to cover The Hill for the Bugle Newspaper.  So this week, we did not "ponder on things of the past..."  Instead, Mel and I went to what has to be the newest restaurant on The Hill.

Up until very recently our increasingly shorter list of places to eat had Leonardo's Kitchen and Wine Bar.  Well that establishment closed some time ago and, in it's place, popped up J. Smugs GastroPit.

  So Mel and I went this past week to try the place out.

The "pit" in GastroPit referrs to a barbeque pit.  To view the menu click here.

The restuarant is located in a former gas station on the corner of  Bischoff and Mackland.

There are quite a few reminders of the building's past history.

As well as some new additions to give the pleasant outside dining area some flair. They have covered dining under the old pumping station....and even several indoor seats - in the air conditioning- in a counter style seating arangement.

We were told by Kerri Smugala that J. Smugs GastroPit opened only three weekends ago.  It was a new adventure for the Smugala family with brothers Joe and John along with their wives Kerri and Linda.

She mentioned that they were still working out some kinks, but we couldn't tell.  Service was prompt and very freindly.  In fact the entire place had a real family, neighborhood feel to it.  Folks were driving by and honking and waving.  And everyone seemed to know each other.  This is one of the things about The Hill that impresses me.  It is a stable neighborhood that supports its businesses, and because of this, everyone knows one another.


Mel and I each had the pulled pork.  I got a pretzel bun for mine (very pleased with this choice)...Mel got hers sans bread.  It was a lot of meat.  I got slaw with mine...and Mel got a side of vegtable medley something or other.

They had a very interesting sauce selection.  It was a choose your own sauce selection, so I tried a few. 

For the most part, I had the Dr. Pepper sauce, but also tried the Memphis and the Bianca -white barbeque sauce.  This was interesting and worth trying again on other dishes.

What really impressed me, though, was the beer menu.  Very extensive.

This is only side one of their extensive beer menu.

They seem to already have a thriving carryout business going.  And much to our delight, they did not have pastics, styrofoam or throwaway cups for dining in.  They had real glasses for our beers, and the take out boxes were heavy paper.  They get our eco-stamp of approval.

Beer! Glorious Beer!

2^nd Shift Brewing and Tasting Room on the Hill. Hallelujah!

As you may know by now, my beverage choice comes before food. So when 2^nd Shift relocated their brewery from New Haven I was thrilled. The move stopped just a block into the Hill boundaries. It’s also in the middle of an industrial area, and it can be difficult to find. You’re going to have to figure it out all by yourself just like we did. www.2ndshiftbrewing.com/

Bob and I stopped by 2^nd Shift to check it out earlier this year. Since they didn’t serve food yet, we didn’t include 2^nd Shift. I guess we do have some rules in this endeavor. (However, we can change them whenever we want.)

Bob and I drank our way through many of the beers. Getting through the 30 or so will take a few more visits. My favorite of the night was Katy, an American Brett saison. Bob liked Art of Neurosis, an India pale ale. Yes, microbreweries often go crazy with beer names, maybe to mirror some of the unique beer styles. The beverage menu also contains guest beers and several wines. I guess soft drinks are available.

2^nd Shift has a small kitchen which was operated by Mission Taco Joint. We had pub pretzels, a duck quesadilla and brisket nachos – all quite tasty. (No photo, so use your imagination.)

While the space itself is like a warehouse; the arrangement of various tables, a wall of barrels and some quality tunes make for a pleasant tasting room.

Like many bars, 2^nd Shift offers shelves of games, magazines and books; probably to keep patrons occupied so they drink more beer. Smart trend.

We enjoyed a fun surprise when Meg and Pat joined in our festivities. We listened to some diverse tunes (Blondie, Beatles, Bruce, Beach Boys…) and drank more beer.

Through the barrel wall, I spied some employees standing around a table just chatting. I couldn’t help myself, so I barged in on their conversation. I introduced myself and found I was talking with the owner and head brewer, Steve Crider, as well other employees and friends. Most were new to town and wanted to know just about everything – mainly restaurants and bars. I helped them out as much as I could. I didn’t take the beer they offered. I know, shocking. Even I have a limit.

Of course, we will visit 2^nd Shift Brewing again. After we finish the rest of our Hill of a Year…

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For...Gelato

Gelato vs Ice Cream, what’s the difference?  Both are made with a base of milk, cream, and sugar, and flavored with fruit and nut purees.

The difference – Fat.

Ice cream legally has a minimum of 10 percent fat. Gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it contains more like five to seven percent fat.

Keep that in mind for your next Trivia Night.

We visited Gelato di Riso after lunch at Milo’s. Click here for our post about Milo's. I chose coffee chocolate chip from the 16 flavors offered. It was quite tasty. Not sure what Bob ordered.

As it turns out, Gelato di Riso is a café with as many coffee drinks as gelato flavors. Scones and coffee may warrant another visit. Inside seats about 30 and a few wrought iron provide outside seating.

Gelato di Riso sits at the SW corner of Marconi and Wilson - quite a location. It shares the intersection with Hill stalwarts: Milo’s, Amighetti’s and Saint Ambrose Church.

http://gelatodiriso.com/