Hawthornes

For months, the Hawthornes Cafe facebook feed has been tempting us with pictures of their daily food specials. So we decided to take advantage of the below average temperatures and trip down to 11th and Fitzwater to experience the "Beer Boutique and Gourmet Eatery".

The atmosphere of Hawthornes is slightly more upscale than the Foodery but not as rigid as a traditional gastro pub. The diners are encouraged to browse the beer coolers to make a selection and you can either order out from the counter, or opt for table service.

Hawthornes has an extensive food menu with things ranging from super healthy vegan options to traditional american comfort food. We opted for one healthy dish and one not-so-healthy dish. The salad du jour had roasted carrots and parsnips over baby spinach leaves with a sprinkling of feta cheese. A perfect summer salad with just the right amount of balsamic vinaigarette mixed in.

The not-so-healthy choice was what Hawthornes calls "The French Quarter". A little bit of southern, a little bit of French. Chicken stuffed with ham and cheese (Cordon blue) sat atop a heaping mound of buttermilk mac and cheese. Three large pieces of southern biscuit sat on the side, not covered in country gravy as stated on the menu, but okay just the same for sopping up the leftover gooey cheese.

To accompany this our meal, we had a refreshing shandy, which is lemonade mixed with an american pale ale and a glass of Port Mongo, an IPA from the West Coast. The Shandy was what Bridget wished every beer tasted like, very sweet, with just a splash of the dreaded beer taste. Steve's Port Mongo was the perfect compliment to his French Quarter.

Our night at Hawthornes ended with a perusal of the beer coolers. Their selection isn't quite as extensive as the Foodery, but the method of labeling is much more clear and most importantly, all the bottles are marked with prices.

As we were checking out the owner, Christopher, told us that if we liked our dinner we'd definitely would have to come back for brunch, because its "insane". We'll definitely be taking his advice sometime soon.