::The Back Abbey:: Compliments to B&A

Ahh, Friday, my favorite day of the week. What better way to welcome the weekend than to enjoy a burger and beer(s)? We decided to finally try The Back Abbey--a gastropub in downtown Claremont recommended by friends (Bret and Annie--who also joined us this evening). When we arrived, the place was packed so getting a seat wasn't easy (no hostess, more like a "lurk on the side and swoop in when something opens up" seating-style). B&A shared some advice having been to the Back Abbey a few times: if possible, get a seat at the bar otherwise expect slow service. We didn't get seats at the bar but got a seat soon enough. Service was slow, likely because it was very busy and I didn't see many servers working. Then again, our server was suddenly highly attentive when it came time for the bill. Hmm.. Anyway, service was fair but the food and drink more than made up for it. We loved the industrial/rustic decor of this tiny place and I thought the community-style sink outside the restrooms was an interesting way to maximize restroom-use efficiency.

I don't usually order appetizers but the boyfriend knows I love crab cakes and my extremely hungry belly couldn't resist them. The pan seared crab cakes were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside--all balanced wonderfully by the creole creme fraiche which added a tangy freshness. The crab meat actually tasted like crab (not imitation crab puree) and was chunky enough in texture to set it apart from any generic fried appetizer.  

 

Time for THE BURGER. I ordered The Back Abbey Burger (I really wanted the Seasonal Burger but felt the need to order the BA Burger since it was my first time there and it sounded quite tasty in its own right).

The BA burger comes on a brioche bun filled with Gouda, mustard aioli, caramelized onion, bacon, and micro greens. The bun was buttery, tender, and lightly toasted.  The creaminess of the Gouda and the sweetness of the caramelized onion complemented the crisp saltiness of the bacon and fresh flavor of the micro greens. The beef was flavorful, juicy, and cooked perfectly. Overall it was a great burger BUT much too salty for my liking. 

Good thing the boyfriend ordered the Seasonal Burger (we shared the second halves of our burgers with one another) because I enjoyed this one so much more (not pictured). The Seasonal Burger has heirloom tomatoes, anaheim and poblano peppers, swiss chard, manchego cheese, and red chili aioli. I love heirloom tomatoes because they are more flavorful and juicy (without too much acidity) compared to other tomatoes. Spicy food almost always wins me over and this had just the right amount of heat to it without being overpowering or offensive. The sweet, buttery bun in combination with the manchego cheese and mayonnaise (in the red chili ailoi) helped temper the peppers and red chili flavor. I'm not too familiar with the various types of cheese out there and what flavors they provide so I felt this required some food research. According to Gourmet Sleuth, manchego cheese is made from sheep's milk (from my experience, these tend to be creamier and a bit more subtle) and has a salty, nutty flavor.  

Oh..and the burgers also came with a side salad which, as a dietitian, I definitely appreciate. However, I wanted to enjoy everything else we ordered AND my beer so I took a few bites of the salad but nothing more. My lunch that day was packed full of fiber and nutrients so there was no guilt in skipping the salad.  I wasn't a big fan of their side salad anyway; the dressing was nearly absent and too bitter for my taste. 

Mmm..fries. Err..I mean, "pommes frites"..  These are no ordinary potatoes. These are Kennebec potatoes (I had no idea what these were as well or what makes them so delicious but apparently they are one of the best potatoes to use when cooking). Unfortunately, they are difficult to find in grocery stores..ah, well, so much for adding a new key ingredient to my kitchen! This breed of potatoes are not too starchy, not too earthy, and are just nutty enough in taste to have a great flavor. 

They are also fried twice (must admit that makes me cringe) but cannot recall the oil details. I was already enjoying my beer at this point but I seem to remember the first oil being duck oil (???) which I had never heard of so it stood out. I searched for it online and came up with this....

Hmm..maybe the searches that popped up on "duck fat" are more accurate.

Beer!!! Beer seems to taste even better on two occasions: Fridays and when at baseball games. I had to switch drinks with the boyfriend because, once again, he made the better choice. I ordered some brown ale which I hated and he ordered a cream stout which I loved. Reject beers for the boyfriend. I love stouts, particularly oatmeal stouts, and this cream stout was smooth, rich, and had a good coffee and chocolate flavor. I was also supposed to try and save the cool bottle but failed on that one. :( 

Since they ran out of the cream stout, I next ordered this Buffalo stout which was good but a little too sweet. It also had a mild bitter aftertaste when I first switched over from the cream stout... or maybe I was still upset about not keeping the bottle before the server took it away. 

 

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THE SCORE:

  Nutrition: 3

  Taste: 4

  Ambiance: 4

  Overall: 4