With fifty weeks remaining until the next Philly Beer Week, Philadelphia’s perpetually beer-happy food scene thrives on with the grand opening of the HeadHouse Craft Beer Cafe in Society Hill. Owned by Bruce Nichols, a Beer Week co-founder, this dapperly painted restaurant wears its beer pedigree proudly with one of the most exciting draft lists in the city.
When it seems like every Philadelphia bartender worth his salt has an encyclopedic knowledge of craft brews, choosing what to drink can seem like a daunting task, but the approachable layout of The HeadHouse’s nearly twenty-deep on-tap offerings lets even the most fledgling of beer drinkers make a confident choice. The easy-to-read placement of genre and ABV on the left of the page, along with the friendly explanations of our server led us to some uncommonly found but delicious brews like the sweet and tart Unibroue Ephemere Apple white ale ($7) and the fragrantly malted Great Lakes Eliot Ness ($5).
My companion, a perennial cocktail drinker, was thrilled by the expertly hand-crafted cocktails, especially the spicy Dark & Stormy ($10), whose rum, ginger and molasses flavors were melded smoothly by the pressure of the bar’s unique on-tap dispensation system.
Chef Tom Pittakis, formerly of Alison Two, shows his global culinary chops in the wide range of The HeadHouse’s beer-friendly bar snacks. Shrimp Porcupines ($8) were the adorable favorite of the evening, with short vermicelli noodles studded in shumai-esque shrimp balls lending themselves to its crunchy namesake exterior. My companion and I couldn’t stop reaching for the fresh cut Sweet Potato Fries with Vietnamese Curry Mayo dipping sauce ($6), a pairing that seemed curious at first, but proved immensely addictive with the Saison-style Ommegang Hennepin ($6) on draft.
The tender marinated meat inside the Spicy Pork Carnitas ($7) gave an unabashed spice that was cooled with a pineapple, cilantro and lime crèmeand had us appreciating the chef’s ability to execute a wide range of genres with finesse.
The HeadHouse introduced lunch last week, with weekend brunch service, which would make a perfect Sunday morning of Bloody Marys before exploring the adjacent HeadHouse Farmers Market. Food and drink specials are sure to come, but I’d gladly return to sip a Spanish White Sangria ($10) and nosh on Belgian Mussels ($10) while watching Anothony Bourdain on the bar’s Travel Channel-tuned televisions. The spirit of excitement and beer innovation certainly lives on in Society Hill, and 20 drafts and 100 bottles regularly rotating, you can be sure you won’t have to wait a year to try something new.
