This could become our favorite North Shore hangout. The hand-crafted beers are superb, and the food is interesting and offbeat enough to be worth a trip in its own right.

Salem Beer Works (formerly the Salem Brewery) was purchased by the same group who owns the fabulous Boston Beer Works (near Fenway Park). They have already put their expertise to work on the brews and menu and promise changes in the decor soon. And while they bring all the best of Boston, they have worked hard to make the Salem Beer Works unique in its own right. Their location on Salem's Derby Street puts them in the thick of things in this historic seaport: Pickering Wharf, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site are only steps away.

The restaurant is an attractive, wood-paneled room with an open kitchen and a small stage for live music. Although the place gets a little loud when things start hopping, niches and nooks around the room give a sense of intimacy to the dining experience.

The Beer
On a recent visit we sampled all of the fifteen tasty ales and lagers currently on tap (don't worry; they were tiny glasses!). This microbrewery does better than most with golden ales and pilsners. We found the North Shore Light to be crisp and clean, and not bland at all, while the Patriot Pilsner had an interesting finish. The Seven Gables Golden was a refreshing quaff, with just a hint of honey.

Our favorites were the Pumpkinhead Ale, a beautiful spicy brew with more than a hint of cinnamon and allspice, and the Witch City Red, an amber with handsome color and a delightful hoppiness. Generally, their bitters and pale ales are very hoppy, even for these hopheads!

The Devils Mark Porter was a rich, malty selection, while the Derby Street Nut Brown Ale was dark and creamy. We even enjoyed the Black Bat Stout, with its rich coffee overtones. Available for summer are a raspberry beer and blueberry ale, both very refreshing. (In fact, the essence of raspberries remained at our table even after the glass was empty.)

The Food
Salem Beer Works offers an extensive selection of soups and appetizers which are the perfect accompaniment to their beverages. The Witches Brew is a spicy melange of vegetables in a curried tomato broth, and the clam chowder is dense with clams and potatoes. Be warned: the small bowls are big and the large bowls are monumental!

The appetizers all have just a twist on the usual pub fare, whether it is boneless buffalo wings, jalapeno cheddar bits, the smoked salmon plate, or the sausage sampler plate. We enjoyed the smoky flavors of the latter, along with a bowl of black bean chili.

For entrees, there are pasta dishes such as the pumpkin ravioli (a unique treat), and black and white pasta. There are also steaks, burgers, and buttermilk fried chicken. We particularly enjoyed the fish and chips -- the batter had just the tiniest zing from cayenne pepper.

Details
The restaurant is open from 11:30 AM to 12:30 AM daily, and serves food until 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight Friday and Saturday.

By Judith Otto

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