CHICAGO VICINITY, ILLINOIS
Opened 1995, Lincolnshire-based freestanding sportsbar-family restaurant, FLATLANDER’S BREWING, is situated in a modern red brick mini-mall visited August ‘06. Pristine outdoor deck welcomes patrons to enormous dining space leading into large bar equipped with pool table, brew tanks, small stage, and framed pix of ‘60s cultural icons. Colossal fireplace gives warmth to back dining section and pub fare included salad, ribs, fish, chicken, and crab cakes.
Light-grained dry-hopped grape-fig-soured Lincolnshire Lager, styptic Scotch-like caramel-dipped Harvest Amber Ale, hop-prickled lemon-peeled orange-bruised banana-clove-scurried Hefeweizen, and mildly medicinal grass-hopped lemon-dropped orange-peeled coriander-teased Belgian Wit suit softer palates. Heartier thirsts will lean towards mildly creamy coffee bean-fronted espresso-backed grape-soured walnut-charred tar-embittered Locomotive Stout and stubbornly red-fruited herbal-spiced dry-hopped Abe’s Honest Ale.