BEER

Birreria Paradiso

Say you like beer.  No – say beer brings you joy.  It sates you in a way no other beverage does.  Then you’re in luck – establishments flaunting their Belgian[-style] beer list are popping up like Starbucks all over town.  In some cases a token Chimay and Hoegaarden are mixed in with less lofty drafts, and in other establishments the length of the beer list appears to be a point of honor.  Or insecurity? 

Enter Birreria, the cozy basement bar of Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown (I know) that couples 18 odd beers on tap (one on cask) and countless bottles with service.  It’s a rare thing in the Nation’s capital when customer service blows you away (in a good way).  This happened to me last Thursday at Birreria Paradiso.  I have a witness.

The wait staff that night was young.  Very young.  Very young, attentive, and knowledgable without being being preachy or coolly aloof.  When I asked my server to pick the fourth beer in the flight I selected, he did so gamely and introduced us graciously.  When I asked our other server to tell me what she likes in a beer, she took the time to chat.  And when I asked the bartender for a recommendation for a crisp, tart, and palate-cleansing beer to finish off my meal, he gave me exactly that.  I mean he nailed it.  I woke up the next morning dreaming of that beer.  Do I remember what is was?  Of course not.  Guess that means I’ll have to work my may way through Birerria’s beer list to find it….

~ by donteatwithyourmouthfull on June 23, 2008.