Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Restaurant

I live in Chico, California. There are a few things that I believe make Chico a unique  small town. They are Bidwell Park, which is one of the largest municipal parks in the entire United States and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Taproom and Restaurant.

I get to visit the taproom a few times a year. The last two boyfriends I have had (or still have, as in the case of my current beau) enjoyed a visit to the brewery when they came to town and my mom takes me every year for my birthday. This year my actual birthday fell on a Tuesday (as in today), so we went to lunch on Sunday. 

I took a few pictures so that you could get a feel for the restaurant. We like to sit on the beautiful patio. It has a covered area with lots of vines and lovely landscaping. The wait staff is friendly and they had some great ideas for  beers to try as well as pairings with food.

Mom and I tried the Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale, the Torpedo IPA, the Brown, and the Porter. Usually we go with the Crystal Wheat, and I do still love it, but it was so much fun to try something new and I’ll definitely order the Brown when I return. They serve a simple starter of their rustic bread with a olive oil/balsamic vinegar plate for dipping. This is very easy to do at home.

For lunch we skipped the specials, went for a couple of their classic sandwiches with fries. Mom ordered a Turkey Melt with Applewood Bacon and I ordered a Portabello Mushroom with Basil Aioli. We split the sandwiches – half each, which is another part of our tradition. The french fries are good with the Sierra Nevada Mustards which are available in supermarkets all over.

I told our server that the restaurant should jump into the App business with a food and beer pairing application for the iPhones. I’ve seen them for wine, but not for beer. In the meantime, here’s a tasty pairing that was suggested to Mom and me – try the Brown with a Brownie. The chocolate in the Brown really adds to the Brownie.

One of the great things about Sierra Nevada is that they work closely with the CSUC university farm. I love the way they are involved in the community in terms of the food that they serve and the community events that they sponsor. If you are ever in this part of California, be sure to visit the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and take one of the brewery tours.

Image credit: Michelle Smith