The Ale House, Amesbury, MA

I love everything about The Ale House. This popular spot in the quickly developing town of Amesbury, MA achieves the bewilderingly rare brewpub combination of great beer AND great food. A place like the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth, NH boasts amazing beer, but what comes out of the kitchen is pretty terrible. I can't say much nicer things about nearby Redhook Brewery either. To be fair, these places make their own beer, while the Ale House does not. Instead, the Ale House keeps a rotating menu of carefully selected beers from around the world, and their choices are diverse and well-considered. I've tried some of the best beers of my life here, from spicy Belgians, to fruity west coast IPAs, to sour lambics and saisons. The list, quite literally, goes on and on. But on we move to the food. Three of the owners/operators of the Ale House are CIA graduates, and bring their culinary expertise to the menu. Sure, this is pub food, but the care and attention given to things as simple as meatloaf, club sandwiches, steak frites and wings is inspiring! I say you haven't lived 'til you've experienced belgian style french fries (frites) cooked in natural lard, or fried pickles with a good, hoppy IPA (the way the floral characteristics of the hops burst forth after the tangy bite of the pickle is downright transcendent, and I engage in a back and forth "bite, sip, bite, sip" until either the glass is empty, or the pickle basket is little more than flakes of fried batter). Indeed my love of the Ale House is a dangerous thing. Had I little concern for my health or waistline, or wallet, I would likely turn myself into a fat, red-nosed barfly, waxing philosophical, cynical and otherwise to the other patrons and barkeeps--take that Bukowski! A final word, and that's about the interior. The Ale House recently moved from right up the street and into a big, open space. Dark but clean, shiny wood is accented by warm, soft lighting, everywhere from the bar to the upper level dining, and all areas and levels of the space are visible from pretty much everywhere. This is not at all claustrophobic dining. The whole space is crackling with the hustle and bustle of all kinds of folks having a fantastic time, a real contemporary public house that makes you feel good about all the people sharing the Ale House experience with you.