Karben4 Brewing opened in late December in the former home of Ale Asylum, which re-opened in September in a much larger facility closer to the airport. Add One Barrel Brewing Co. to the mix, and you have a nice triangle of places to grab a beer on the east/north side of town.
On tap right now are LadyLuck Irish Red ($5), UnderCover Session Ale ($5), Silk Scorpion Black IPA ($6), NightCall Smoked Porter ($5), SamuRyePA Rye American Pale Ale ($5) and Block Party Amber Ale ($5).
I enjoyed the UnderCover for its light-yet-crisp finish and the Block Party for its hint of caramel and ease on the palate. The LadyLuck was surprising to me, as it was the darkest Red I’ve ever had, and it drew mixed reviews from my group.
Meanwhile, I appreciated the SamuRyePA for not being too bitter, and the Silk Scorpion for introducing me to the unique world of Black IPAs.
From L to R: Block Party, LadyLuck, SamuRyePA
In case you’re wondering, “Karben4” refers to carbon, the basis of life, and the four owners. The facility itself is decorated with some paintings hanging in front of the gray walls. While inside, you feel like you’re drinking in a warehouse during some pop-up, exclusive party in the middle of nowhere (not necessarily a bad thing).
I also want to mention that I was impressed by Karben4’s use of social media to build buzz, and it had more than 1,300 fans before its official grand opening, which was yesterday. It was good to see a lot of familiar faces last night, including Peter Gentry, the owner of One Barrel.
Karben4 Brewing is open Mon-Sat. Underground Food Collective currently supplies the limited food menu, which I’m told will soon expand.
I bought some oysters at Whole Foods the other day, and at home I took on the difficult task (for me) of shucking them. It got me thinking: who was the first person to actually pry (or smash) open an oyster and then proceed to eat its slimy contents?
I was actually happy to see The Continental close this past summer. In its final months, the service had greatly deteriorated, and I was never impressed by the menu. The succeeding establishment is 
There are numerous small plates on the menu, though I’m not sure how many you can order since they cost as much as $24 each. One that wasn’t satisfying was the bulgogi-style Grilled Short Ribs ($12), as there was barely any meat on the endless bones. Another was Rose Marie’s Original Spiedini ($14). The four tiny rolls of breaded sirloin and two pieces of mozzarella–while all very tasty–should have been half the price.
