ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN

In suburban Detroit vicinity, LILY’S SEAFOOD & BREWHOUSE,first visited August ’04, featured beautiful carved wood bar, sundry fish tanks, and patio dining. Calamari, blackened catfish, and exquisite mussels (with Chardonnay sauce and blue-cheddar cheese) are recommended alongside sharp-hopped red-fruited spice-tingled Reggie’s French River Red, cereal-grained orange-kissed perfume-hopped Harvest Ale, and buttery grapefruit-peeled lemon rind-embittered Maddie’s Best Bitter.

Washed-out banana-clove-bubblegum-influenced lemon-soured Whitefish Bat Wheat and diacetyl yellow-fruited softie Lily’s Light Pilsner fared fair. After dinner, sedate wood-burnt oatmeal-induced black cherry-like Strange Stout proved elegant.

During August ’06 sojourn, tested diacetyl cereal-grained woody-hopped bark-tinged citric-depleted Sven & Ollies IPA and buttery rye-pumpernickel-fronted, lemon-seeded, perfume-hopped Rutgers Rye.

www.lilysseafood.com

ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN

The newest of three Royal Oak brewpubs, 4^th and Main restaurant, BASTONE (opened ’02), offered French-styled Belgian food on ground level and former head brewer Sean Brennan’s Belgian-styled ales at downstairs European Industrial setting, August 04.

Exposed pipes, cinderblock walls, widescreen TV’s, and fittingly lounge-y exotic music complemented gently spiced warmth of wispy cherry-fronted orange-peach-pear-aided Cognac-like Dubbel Ale, prominent orange-bruised quince-grapefruit-dried Summer Ale, seductive coriander-spiced orange peel-embittered grape-tannic Wit, prickly-hopped lemony mandarin orange-embittered Belgian Pale Ale, and buttery yellow-fruited wheat-honeyed Continental-styled Pilsner.

By 2005, former Dragonmead brewer Kim Schneider had come aboard. In ’06, quaffed creamy banana split-like Hefeweizen, with its mild vanilla-dipped peach-mango tang opposing hop-embittered bite.

www.bastone.net

ROYAL OAK, MICHIGAN

Two blocks from Lily’s Seafood (off Main Street) lies freestanding blue-collar red-bricked column-roofed ROYAL OAK BREWERY (originally perused August ’04). Great bottled Belgian beer selection (Chimay-Corsendonk-Delirium-Lindeman’s-Boon) complemented good on-tap assortment at wood-tabled slate-floored joint.

American food fare (brick oven pizza/ pasta/ sandwiches) included tasty Beer Co. Beef Tips (with blue cheese-horseradish dip) while discounted $4 growler refills were available on Tuesdays.

 Tried black cherry-influenced nut-charred espresso-roasted coffee-dried Wanna Stout, spice-hopped citric-tinged Royal Oak Red Ale, hop-bitten apple-peach-pear-imbued Brewhouse ESB, and diacetyl grapefruit-mellowed Northern Light Pilsner. Crown jewel: alcohol-burnt Scotch-malted prune-strewn Anniversary Ale #9, with its piney nectar-bruised orange-soured cherry-ripened floral-hop bitterness.

During ’06 stop, tried essential chocolate-roasted earthen-hopped maple-tarred walnut-chestnut-hazelnut-charred Pappy’s Porter and red licorice-like grape-soured fig-dried Belgian-styled Dubbel Trubbel.

www.royaloakbrewery.com