256 Helmer Road NorthOne of our favorite things to do with L in the summer is go to zoo’s. The summer after she was born, we signed up for a membership at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. In addition to the multiple trips there every summer, our membership gets us half off at a number of zoos around the country.
We hadn’t been able to get over to the zoo yet this year and all three of us were missing the giraffes. I only had one day off last week and I had a lot to fit in to that one day, but when J said, “Let’s go to the zoo” there was no way I could say no.
After a couple of hours of doing all of L’s favorite things, we were ready to head home. I asked J if she wanted to pick up a pizza or stop at a brewery for dinner. She picked brewery. Man, I love her.
We made the short trip back to Springfield where Territorial Brewing Company has set up shop across the street from the WMU College of Aviation and the W.K. Kellogg Airport.
The brewery took over the building that used to be Bill’s Pizza Factory on Helmer Road at 6th Avenue. I was never in Bill’s, but I’m guessing they had to do some work to turn it in to a German pub.
The small dining room and small bar were both pretty full when we dropped in just before 5:00 on a Friday night. We were met by a waiter who took us to a table and left drink and food menus.
I wanted to stop to check out the beer and what better way to do that than to order a flight. Most of the beers are of German inspiration so there’s no IPA’s or Pale Ale’s on the menu right now.
I started with Hey Guys It’s Doin’ It. This is their Altbier offering. It’s on the lighter side with a crisp finish.
Beer number two was Penetrator. This doppelbock has a pretty high ABV at over 10%. It’s a smooth beer with kind of a wheaty finish.
Beer number three I enjoyed once our dinner came. This is one of the few beers that is not German. It’s actually called Oops Not German. It’s an ESB that isn’t really extra bitter. It’s a delicious ale with a lot of hoppiness.
The last beer of the flight was kind of my dessert beer. It’s a porter that is named after WWMT Meteorologist Jeff Porter. Yeah, it’s actually called Jeff Porter. The beer is a nice, smooth porter with that strong malty flavor you only get with this style of beer. I don’t always like porter’s, but I enjoyed this one and could have drank a whole pint.
As with most good brewpubs nowadays, the food at Territorial was just as exciting as the beer. They don’t have a huge menu, but they do have a delicious one.
I ordered the Territorial Burger. The patty is a flame grilled mix of ground chuck, brisket, and short rib meat. I had mine topped with White Cheddar cheese and served alongside Pom Fritz. The burger was magnificent. It had that slightly cool, juicy pink center that makes burgers taste so much better. I would have like some bacon to go with the burger, but as it was, it was incredibly delicious.
The Pom Fritz, which don’t come with the burger, they were ordered as an extra, were more like chips that fries. The closest thing I could compare them to are Buffalo Wild Wings’ Buffalo Chips although Territorial version is much better. They are sliced in house and cooked with a crispy, golden brown outside, and a soft, chewy inside.
J’s pick was The Patricia. She loved this thing even if it was a little tough to eat. The sandwich is a grilled chicken breast topped with apple, baby spinach, white cheddar, and cherry chutney. There was so much going on with this sandwich that it made it difficult to pick up, but she soldiered through and enjoyed every last bite. She said the chutney reminded her of Thanksgiving and the chicken breast was moist and juicy. She also added on a side of the Pom Fritz to go with her sandwich.
We had a little bit harder time finding something for L. There’s no kid’s menu and really not a whole lot on the regular menu for her. They have flatbreads, but they were all way to fancy. We ended up ordering her. the Mac-n-Cheese. This delicious German take on everybody’s favorite pasta is made with fresh house-made spatzle that is mixed with a sauce containing Gruyere and Jarlsberg cheese. The only downside was that it came with carmelized onions and we weren’t sure how L would react, so I meticulously picked through the pasta to get as many of the onions out as I could. Along the way, I ended up eating about a quarter of the large portion of the soft, cheesy noodles. Quite honestly, I loved it and I loved the home made noodles. L ate about half of the dish then I think she got an onion and that turned her off. Still, she ate quite a bit and didn’t leave hungry.
Our bill before tip was just over $34 and, once again, we all left a brewery stuffed and happy. Territorial Brewing is just another fabulous piece of the puzzle that is the Southwest Michigan craft beer scene.
Beer Flight – Jeff Porter, Oops Not German, Penetrator, Hey Guys It’s Doin’ It
Hey Guys It’s Doin’ It
Penetrator
Oops Not German
Jeff Porter
Territorial Burger w/White Cheddar
Pom Fritz
The Patricia
Mac-N-Cheese
