Nano 108, Colorado Springs, CO

I am not a big drinker, though I do appreciate good alcohol.  As with all people in my youth a certain percentage of my time was spent attempting to drink in order to get drunk.  While this resulted in numerous interesting stories (of which I shall not go into detail at this time as I wish to retain some semblance of dignity), it did not provide me with a wide expanse of knowledge concerning what I loving refer to as "Booze."  As I have gotten older though I have taken a liking to the enjoyment, yes the actual taste, of alcohol in its many forms.

My go to has always been whisky, preferably aged and of Irish descent, strait.  Following that I will enjoy a good mixed drink.  Give me a Dark and Stormy, or a 77 with a twist (my mother of all people got me into this drink) and I am content.  It wasn't until I was married that my wife, and my father-in-law, showed me the finer aspects of beer as a beverage.  It is from my wife that I have found a love of Hefeweizens, or wheat beers, and blonds.  From my father-in-law I have sampled a variety of darker Mexican beers that have grown on me over time.  Perhaps it was San Diego, for upon moving there people would come out of the wood work to speak of and offer different flavors of beer.  Many popular brands I found I disliked (I'm still looking for a decent IPA), and some supposedly low class beers I found to enjoy immensely (a cold Budwiser is amazing after a night of dancing).  After moving to Colorado I held little hope of rediscovering the love I'd found for beer in San Diego, then I happened upon a little brewery named Nano 108.

I chanced upon it while out on a run, marked the spot in my mind, and came back later with my wife.  Down a long road just off a main street/highway and stuck between a strip mall and an industrial area the first thing you notice before you even see the sign for the brewery is an old derelict truck out front with a large sign stating "BEER", which for some reason made me smile.  Moving toward the front of the establishment is a sign hanging above it with the name.  There is an outdoor patio area with simplistic wooden chairs and tables, and then a door into a metal faced wall.  Not very inviting at first glance, never the less my wife and I entered the brewery.

The inside of Nano 108 is small but warm and welcoming.  There are a few tables in front of the bar, and a few off to the side.  When we entered the side tables were packed but there was room up at the bar.  We were quickly met with an easy going and patient bartender whose name I cannot remember at this moment, much to my loss.  Between checking on a delivery, serving beer, and talking to regulars he was what I pictured the ideal bartender to be.  This being our first time there my wife and I got a small flight, just four beers to taste.  We settled on: an Orange Wheat beer, a Hefeweizen, a Dunkelnweizen (not sure I spelled that right, but it is a dark version of a Hefeweizen), and a stout that caught my eye as it had some agave in it, and I love that stuff.

Here are my own impressions of the beer, and keep in mind that I am not a Cicerone (the beer equivalent of a wine expert).  The Orange Wheat beer was great, almost as good as the Hefeweizen for me, it fell in the same fruity vein in which I like my beer.  The Hefeweizen was my base, and I have to say Nano 108 made a pretty good one.  I especially liked that while there were notes of fruit it didn't overpower the beer with it.  The stout with agave was good but a little too stiff for my taste, my wife liked that one.  My favorite was the Dunkelweizen, which had all the slight fruit taste of the Hefeweizen but paired with a headier flavor that reminded me slightly of the Mexican beers I love.

As we drank our flight the bartender chatted us up between other duties.  He told us a bit about the brewery, and the one thing that got me was the pride he took in the beer.  He spoke to us of the owner, and the beers.  He even mentioned that if a batch didn't come out right they would dump the whole thing (which thankfully had only happened once that year).  There is something about an establishment that takes pride in what they serve to people that just elevates it in my eyes.  I would have liked to stay a bit longer and have a glass of the Dunkelweizen but my wife and I had other things to do that day.  Still I plan on coming back to Nano 108 in the near future, if not for the beer (which is amazing), then for the atmosphere.

And that completes probably my one and only brewery review.  For those of you who came to this site for the food there are food trucks that are scheduled to appear throughout the entire week.  So come on down to Nano 108 for a bite to eat and brew, you will not be disappointing.

Nano 108
2402 Waynoka Rd
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
719-596-BEER
http://nano108brewing.com/

Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que Tustin, Orange County, CA

I will start off with stating that I usually avoid chain restaurants. I have nothing against them, except for the fact that by the time they get big the cookie cutter economics and business style that comes with big chains will usually lower the quality of the food. Thankfully there are exceptions to this rule, and I'm happy to say the Lucille's is one of them.

So it was sunny Sunday around noon. I was visiting my folks up in the OC and trying to think of something that we all could eat. My parents have gotten more adventuresome as they've aged but getting them to go somewhere new can still be a bit of a hassle. For example, you will never find my mother in a little taqueria down in Santa Ana, no matter how great the food might be, a restaurant has to be clean looking both inside and out for her to approach it. My father on the other hand loves meat, so that takes out a lot of the places where meat is not the centerpiece of the meal, and don't you dare try to feed him tofu. My sister is still nursing a sensitive stomach so anything with too much heat is out, but she is flexible and not shy about asking the chef to change a dish to suit her tastes. So with this group I had to be sly and smart and practical. I finally settled on something very all American, simple, and tasty, Bar-B-Que.

Any way you spell it barbeque is the cornerstone of American eating. Good barbeque takes time and passion to create. Finding barbeque is easy, everybody has their little hole in the wall, or style they like, but finding something everyone can agree on is hard at the best of times. Thankfully a good friend of mine introduced me to Lucille's at one, or two or three of his birthday parties. I was instantly intrigued by the premise, and the giant smoker kept onside, inside the main eating hall, but I digress.

We made our way to the Lucille's in Tustin. The place had the feel of a slightly upscale TGIF, but underneath that there was something more. I didn't notice it until we sat down but the people were happy. After taking our drink orders our server said, "If you need anything just stop somebody we all share the (workload or tips)". I've heard of the idea before, even been to a restaurant that did it in theory, but I saw here that they really meant it, and that smile. It wasn't the regular, "Hey I got to work here, I'll do my best, what can I get you?" It was more, I am surprised by the fact I enjoy working here. The food is pretty good and I really do hope you enjoy yourself smile. Then came the biscuits.

Big, really big, buttermilk biscuits with a side of maple butter. It took all my willpower to only wolf down one biscuit. Everyone else had at least two. My fiance who loves biscuits, gets them every time we go anywhere that offers them, said they are the best she has ever had, and that wasn't even an appetizer. That is just what they offer when you first sit down. We did wind up getting three appetizers, a half order of Onion Straws. These are basically incredibly thin strips of onion deep fried in buttermilk. Perfect if you don't really like onions, because they are 90% batter anyway, so of course they were delicious. We also ordered some Fried Green Tomatoes because, well you have to order that in a southern restaurant. They were thick, breaded slabs of tomato battered in corn meal and deep fried, atop a slightly spicy red pepper cream sauce. Not hot but with just a hint of kick and a lot of flavor (sorry about the picture, everyone grabbed some before I could get a good picture of it, which just goes to show how tasty they are). Finally my sister and fiance split a plate of Flame Roasted Artichoke. Not my favorite dish, but I managed to snag a piece of artichoke heart and dip it in the very garlicky dip, which turned out to be pretty tasty. The piece of artichoke heart, I should add, was all that was left when they were done.

Trying not to gorge myself on the Onion Straws I waited and watched as the rest of my family ordered a second round of biscuits. You see I'd been to Lucille's before so I knew just how much food we were going to be getting. A short time later the food arrived. Giant slabs of food brought out by three people and gingerly placed before us. I had ordered the Beef Ribs, seven gigantic meat covered pieces of bone and some of the best Beef Ribs I've ever had short of Phil's, but believe me it is close. Of course that came with two sides so I got a little thing of Mac and Cheese and after a few moments of hesitation decided on the Fresh Vegetables. The vegetables were you basic fair (carrots, squash, a corn or two, and bits of red pepper) sounds healthy, but then slather it in oil, butter, and pepper and it is slightly less so, but still delicious. The Mac and Cheese were gooey concoctions of cheese and macaroni heaped into a bowl. Steering away from creamy this Mac and cheese is a bit on the heavy side, and just a bit chewy but only with the cheese, not the mac. The macaroni was cooked perfectly. Definitely one of the better bowls of Mac and Cheese I've ever gotten.

My dad surprised me by ordering the Jambalaya. I thought for sure he would order a rack of something. Still I understand as the Jambalaya has a nice little kick to it, and he does love a bit of spice in his food. I stole a bit and remembered just how much I liked the Jambalaya when I'd gotten it. It is definitely my go to if I don't feel up to having mounds of meat at Lucille's. The rice was cooked just right though I've had better "dirty" rice before, the chicken, hot links, and shrimp were also good, and I think Lucille's does a pretty good job with the piquante tomato sauce they pour over everything. Could do without the garnish though, looked a bit like a toupee made of grass to me.




My mom got a lunch special, the Ribs and Tri-Tip, she also got a side of roasted Vegetables. She settled on the pork ribs, which while I do enjoy them I prefer Phil's. As for the Tri-Tip it they are one of my mom's favorites. I've had them before and while I will always prefer ribs those of you who like slow cooked meat that comes as soft and flavorful then you will not be disappointed.

My sister, the one with the somewhat sensitive stomach, also got a lunch special, the BBQ Chicken Sandwich, hold the BBQ, which blew my mind a bit. I took a small bite, and while I think the Chicken could have been more flavorful, even without the BBQ sauce it was still moist. It also didn't hurt that it was covered in melted cheddar and stacked high with onion straws.



My fiance, and soon to be wife, also got a sandwich. Being a lover of tri-tip she ordered the BBQ Tri-Tip Sandwich with a side of cheese grits. She really loved the sandwich, enough so that I didn't even get to steal a bite, but the cheese grits were a bit below what she was expecting. I managed to sneak a taste and while good they weren't as smooth as the ones her family makes, though they certainly were cheesy.

After a 20-30 minutes of contented eating we were all stuffed. I, having exercised a good two hours before coming so I could eat my fill, managed to make my way to the smoker, where the chef working it was nice enough to let me have a peak inside. Yes, there is an entire smoker inside of the restaurant.















We left, after grabbing a lollipop or two from the Flying Pig Lounge, and stumbled out to our car to go home and do what all great families do after eating tons of BBQ, take a nap. As for Lucille's the place feels comforting, the people are happy, and the food is plentiful. I would go back there any time.

Lucille's (Multiple Locations)
The District at Tustin
2550 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 259-1227
http://www.lucillesbbq.com/