The other night I went out to a little Italian Bistro in of all places Clarkston, Washington. For those of you that know Clarkston you know that comparing it to Venice, Italy is like comparing apples to race cars. You can’t get farther away from the spirit of Italy than the small town of Clarkston, but tucked away in this rural Washington town is a gem of a restaurant called the Sycamore Street Grill. Sycamore is a touch of sophistication in a resolutely blue collar town. Well when we got there we had an absolutely incredible bottle of Washington wine. I haven’t been a big fan of washington wines until now, but I have always said that a good vintner makes all the difference. But I digress, the beer was all Italian and all good…
This beer paired perfectly with the steak and garlic mashed potatoes and the Caesar Salad with Anchovy I had, along with the toasted bread with Olive Tepenade that were served along with the meal. As you can see the beer poured a clear light golden color with a wispy white head. The nose was pure bread. I smelled like a home baked dinner roll.
The flavor was biscuity to begin, but finished sweet and crisp. There was a slight citrus flavor that reminded me of lemons. The interesting thing here is that there was an iced lager quality, but the beer had a great overall flavor. It was like Icehouse beer, but with a ton of flavor.
All in all it was a good beer pairing, but I probably wouldn’t drink this brew alone. It had great qualities for food pairing, but on its own it might be a little light. This would be a great beer for a barbecue.
The night was great, and it is always nice to find a great restaurant in the middle of a small town. The fare here is mostly Italian, but it also has great steaks and lamb chops. If you are ever in Clarkston, Washington, or Lewiston, Idaho I highly recommend taking a trip to the Sycamore Street Grill. You will be glad you did.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Isn’t that the Budweiser of Italy?
I don’t know, but it was pretty tasty after a long week of public meetings.
Don, I’m a big fan of Peroni, even if it’s the Bud of Italy (a term that your brother robbed from me) while it’s nothing ground-breaking, it is sitll enjoyable. Crisp, light, nice taste, not to watered down…
Ha ha! I did steal it from you Steve. It’s from that conversation we had about beers, where you copped to loving the “budweiser” of every country across Europe.
Yes, it was just what I needed after a long day at work, and wanted to relax and enjoy a good Italian meal.