Brunch at The Craftsman by Two Brothers

I've been watching with great interest over the last few years as Two Brothers Brewing Company grew from a Chicagoland based microbrewery into a nation conquering empire, with not only an army of uniquely crafted beers under their belts, but an amazing coffee line, an artisan spirit collection, and several fine restaurants. I'd been to their flagship restaurant, The Roundhouse, once before when some friends and I attended the Two Brother's Summer Fest, but we didn't really get to sit down and enjoy a proper meal that day (though both the carnival-style food being cooked outside and the buffet offerings inside the complex were amazing). That's why when I was offered the chance to stop into The Craftsman, Two Brother's locally focused craft pub in Naperville,  I jumped at the opportunity, despite the 90 minute drive.

I managed to rope a friend with an actual motor vehicle into driving us out there one Saturday morning. I hadn't been to Naperville in about 10 years, so I was really impressed to see how much change had taken place around the river walk area, with lots of sweet little independent shops and restaurants instead of the chain stores and fast food joints I remembered. The Craftsman itself cuts an imposing figure on the quaint avenue; it's multilevel facade housing not only the restaurant, but also a buzzing coffee shop and a cocktail bar. We were taken up to the second floor of the building and given a cozy seat by the window, where we happily watched a giant group of dogs causing adorable havoc on the patio below as their owners brunched.

I was a little perplexed that the variety of coffee cocktails we saw advertised downstairs in the cafe were not also being offered upstairs, as that seemed to be to be a perfect opportunity for Two Brothers to showcase two of their signature product lines. Instead, we ordered a couple of smoothies, both of which were very fresh tasting and not overly sweet.

Speaking of sweets, we decided to kick things off with a couple of their more sugary options: The French Toast with bananas and coffee rum sauce and the Bacon Waffle with apricot jam. The French Toast was pretty good, though the highlight was definitely the coffee rum sauce (I'm assuming it was made with Two Brother's coffee), which we nearly licked off the plate. I do wish they had brûléed the bananas a little, or maybe cooked them in that awesome sauce, just to dress the dish up a little. The waffle was really fun. Not only did it have bits of bacon mixed into the batter, it came topped with more candied bacon as well as apricot jam. It was light and crisp with a very subtle sweetness. The bacon, though, was some standout stuff. This is going to sound really stupid, but the bacon had a heavy pork flavor to it, rather than a more typically smokey flavor.

Moving onto savory dishes, we picked three to share (mostly because I couldn't decide between two of them). Firstly was the Cuban Benedict, which came with shredded pork, Swiss cheese, mustard hollandaise, and ham on an English muffin. The pork was a nice touch and very tender, so I wasn't really sure if the ham was necessary.  The mustard hollandaise, though, was amazing and turned everything it touched into gold.

Next was the New England Lobster Roll. I'm not normally a huge lobster fan, but a rash of lobster rolls being posted to Instagram had put me in the mood for this summer time favorite. There was a decent amount of lobster meat on the roll, but it had been cut with a bit too much celery for my liking. The bun had actually been toasted and buttered in proper New England style, a step some restaurants sometimes forget.

Lastly was the Butcher's Burger, topped with bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion, and cheddar. This was the perfect kind of pub burger; simple, well put together, well prepared, and recognizable. As an admitted big fan of overly complicated gastro pub burgers, it was actually kind of refreshing to see just as much care and thought put into this classic burger as others put into more outlandish fare.

All in all, we spent a very pleasant afternoon at The Craftsman. Our server was very chipper and sweet despite being saddled with waiting on both the main dining room and the patio. The food was approachable and didn't take a whole lot of crazy twists and turns in an attempt to appeal to passing gourmands. But I do wish Two Brothers had put a bit more of themselves into the menu. Beer battered something would have been nice. Or the aforementioned coffee infused cocktails. Maybe even a beer mimosa, just to remind people of the restaurant's parent company. But I get that the goal may have been to carve out a niche in the dining scene that was more independent. I thought that the modern industrial decor made for a very relaxing atmosphere, and all the prices were extremely reasonable, especially when taking into consideration the quality of the ingredients.  Would I drive 90 minutes to go there for brunch again? Maybe not every weekend. But if I was in the area, it would definitely be on my list of stops to make.

I was invited to dine at this restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review of my experience.

Festival Report: Two Brothers Brewing Company Summer Festival

Nothing says summer like live music, good food, and great beer, but sadly two of those things are not normally a part of Brandy's brunch routine.  "I know the young people like having beer with their brunch, but we just don't do things like that in England," Brandy says, "Beer is only for lunch, after lunch, tea time, before dinner, during dinner, and after dinner.  But definitely not for brunch."  But when Brandy heard that Two Brothers Brewing Company was hosting their annual Summer Festival last weekend, she decided to make an exception.

Bringing along with her Bailey and Hawk from The Cider Press, the trio arrived early in the day in order to get a lay of the land.  The festival was being held on the grounds of The Roundhouse, Two Brothers' historic figurehead tavern.  Outside the building, a series of tents had been set up, boasting some fine festival food offerings, some of Two Brothers' own signature beers, and also selections from other local breweries, all leading to the mainstage, which was set to host a number of amazing local bands.  General admission allowed one access to the festival and concerts, with tickets for food and beer available for separate purchase, but the VIP passes afforded one not only five complimentary beers, but all the food you could eat and access to the inside of the Roundhouse, which was hosting even more beer tastings, food, and even an art show.  Being a VIP wherever she goes, Brandy naturally took the latter option.

 Diving straight into the food and drink, Brandy and company picked up some choice tidbits from the booths first.  The cheerful people working the tents were quick and efficiant all day long, providing the crowds with fresh grilled corn on the cob, burgers, hot dogs, short rib or pulled pork sandwiches, and more creative offerings like tater tots topped with beer flavored cheese and sweet fried bread rounds, coated in an orange zest syrup.  Typical festival food, to be sure, but done so brilliantly right that Brandy didn't even miss her usual brunch time favorites.

As Bailey was the designated driver for the day, she started off with some Cinnamon Root Beer, a wonderfully flavored beverage that went not only with the BBQ style food, but with the relaxed atmosphere. Hawk and Brandy, on the other hand, started their day with the Dog Days Lager and the Hop Black respectively.  The Dog Days proved to be light and crisp, the perfect thing to start off a summer afternoon, while the Hop Black was strong, a little bitter, and boasted an almost coffee like flavor, which Brandy liked very much.  Because the Hop Black was so strong, it was served in a smaller portion, meaning Brandy was soon moving onto her next beer, the Ebel's Weiss, a more mild, full bodied beer with an almost bread like after taste.

After watching the first band play, Brandy and friends moved inside the Roundhouse to get a look at the other goings on.  The main tavern had been opened up for people to sit and enjoy a broadcast of the music outside, while still in air conditioned comfort.  There were food demos from local companies like Bee's Knee's Bar Snacks and Wagner Farms Honey in the main lobby, a roaming string band performing in different areas of the building, and each of the other smaller bars throughout the Roundhouse carried a myriad of seasonal and specialty beers from Two Brothers Brewery.  The center of the building opened out into a circular beer garden with a beautiful pagoda like gazebo at its center, from which smaller concerts and performances are hosted all throughout the summer months.  Buffet tables (another perk of the VIP tickets) had been set up both inside and out, serving more BBQ favorites like cole slaw and potato salad along side more burgers, hot dogs, and the like for lunch, and Mexican themed dishes like vegan enchiladas and chicken verde for dinner.

After a few more plates of food from the buffet, Hawk and Brandy once again sampled some of Two Brothers' wears (while Bailey sipped on iced tea and enjoyed their giggling and general loss of balance).  Brandy was intrigued by a brew called the Laughing Panda, which was an IPA flavored with green tea.  Not usually a fan of light beers, Brandy was more than a little skeptical about this particular one, but it turned out to be rather refreshing, a little bitter, and truly unique as it actually did taste like a perfect hybrid of beer and tea!  Hawk opted for the Resistance, another IPA, but this one aged in oak.  This beer had a lovely smoothness that matched its woody flavor, but was sadly not a great sipping beer, as it became very sour as it warmed.

Brandy managed to grab one last beer (a heady and rich cocoa stout) as they headed back out to the main festival to watch a lively reggae band.  Though not wont to join in with the masses dancing on the pavement, Brandy did have to admit admiration for those who had planned ahead and brought their own chairs to make for nice little picnic encampments on the grass.  "This is certainly not like the festivals in Chicago," Brandy mused, sighting that the laid back, happy atmosphere is something rare at a lot of bigger festivals, where slow moving tourists can lead to pushy locals, and the emphasis often tends to be on sales and promotions, rather than creating a genuinely good time for the attendees.  So although it may not have been a typical brunch for Brandy, she had to admit that there was no better way to spend an afternoon than with good friends, good food, good music, and of course some truly great beer.

*Brandy and friends were given free passes to this event by Two Brothers Brewing Company as members of the press