NICK’S BLOG

So has anybody been to The Yardhouse at Legacy Place in Dedham MA?

This place is awesome! I can’t tell you how long I waited for a beer garden like this to open up around here. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always have an affinity for The Texas Roadhouse (where I get to throw peanut shells on the floor, sit on the saddle on my birthday, and watch the pretty waitresses do the Achy Breaky in the aisle) but it is NOT a beer garden. It does and will continue to have the best babyback ribs in the world. But The Yardhouse blows away all beer halls, except for the Hofbräuhaus in Munich—but that’s another story.

The Yardhouse is a Southern California based chain that is starting to branch out to other parts of the country. Well, I have a feeling that they are going to do well here in MA. In a story that I wrote called Samuel Adams Boston Lager®: Wine Country Versus Beer Country, I talk about how New England with its well over forty microbreweries is Beer Country as opposed to Napa or Sonoma Valleys being Wine Country. And now we have The Yardhouse to further solidify that position!

The place has 130 beers on tap! Beers from all over the country and abroad. The menu is a huge selection of classic American cuisine that compliments any style of beer that you’re drinking. There are beer samplers (a very economical and enjoyable experience) and foot and a half long beer steins topping out at 32 ounces!

This place is a beer lovers dream!

Also, there are tons of flat screen TVs about showing lots of sporting events (Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Patriots—yeah, I’m a New Englander). However, my favorite part of The Yardhouse is the outdoor patio with the open hearth flame. I am the ultimate “al fresco” king. I love eating and drinking outside in the warmer months.

Another great benefit of The Yardhouse’s location is the fact this it is literally steps away from the awesome new Showcase Cinema De Lux. I’ll write more on this sophisticated and elegant entertainment and dining experience later but suffice it to say that if you haven’t experienced the Lux Level of movie-going you haven’t gone to the movies lately!

And a few more steps down from The Yardhouse and the cinema is the killer new Kings Bowling and Entertainment Facility. This place puts all other bowling alleys to shame as it is a virtual night club, lounge, and social gathering emporium all in one.

So when in Dedham MA, come to Legacy Place: drink fine beer at The Yardhouse, see a movie in first class-style at the Cinema De Lux, and then bowl the night away at Kings.

Cheers,

Nick

Back in September of ’08 I attended the 8th Annual Samuel Adams Octoberfest at The Castle in Boston. It was a fine event. One and a half days of nothing but Sam Adams beer, music, food, and fun. This was a killer time, and I should know because I went to the 7th Annual Samuel Adams Octoberfest the year before.

Now I’ve been a big Sam Adams fan for many years. So much so, that I’ve written 5 Sam Adams beer advertorials about traveling around the country and enjoying the fine varieties of this great American beer. The first of these being a story about enjoying my favorite style: the Octoberfest. Named obviously for the fabulous 16-day annual festival in Munich Germany held since 1818 featuring the great Oktoberfestbiers from 6 of the largest breweries in Germany.

The Samuel Adams Octoberfest style of beer was a featured component at my incredible wedding to my truly amazing wife on 10/16/2004, and so it was the topic of the first story that I wrote celebrating the beer and that wonderful event in my life. I titled it, SAMUEL ADAMS OCTOBERFEST®: THE NECTAR OF THE GODS.

And “nectar of the gods” it is! A medium-bodied beer, more on the malty side, slightly fruity with a tinge of toffee and caramel flavorings. It is a wonderful seasonal beer that is a great transition from lighter Summer lagers to heavier Winter ales.

But getting back to my original story, at the 7th Sam Adams Octoberfest, I wanted to try to hand off my story to someone at the event who indeed worked for the Boston Beer Company. I’ve been trying for years to get into that great company in any capacity—especially as a writer. My hope was that it would get into the hands of the man helming their monthly news letter, Brian Lane. However, I had no idea that he would soon be leaving the company, nor did I stop to think of a bigger and bolder plan.

You see, Jim Koch, the founder and current chairman and clerk of the company was at that event during the VIP session. When he showed up, he was treated like a folk hero—and rightly so. I thought to myself, “oh my God, why don’t I try to get a copy of my story over to Mr. Koch?” Well, unfortunately he was totally inundated with fans, some of whom were passing business cards to him which kind of took the “wind out of my sails.” I didn’t think that a man such as that would want to be bothered by solicitors on such a festive occasion—so I ended up leaving him alone.

I proceeded to head over to the concession stand where I started looking over the bill of fare. As it turned out, I turned to my right and saw Mr. Koch coincidentally standing next to me pondering himself what to purchase. I was speechless. But fortune had smiled upon me and so I decided to strike up a conversation with him.

I told him that I had seen his stint on The History Channel’s program on brewing. I remarked that he had mentioned that when the founding fathers were planning The American Revolution they would throw a “kegger” as an incentive to get these patriots together to do the work that had to be done. He was totally amused by that. I was a hair’s breath away from tossing him a copy of my story, but fear and doubt got the better of me and I choked. I failed to promote myself and my love for his beer and an eager desire to work for his company.

I was very happy to have met him, but from that point forward I felt a pang of regret that I did not go the extra mile to make a real connection with this man and his organization. Regardless, the rest of the event for the evening and next day was absolutely incredibly awesome!

So I vowed to attend it again the following year.

As time went on throughout the year though the regret for not doing what I should have done loomed ever larger in my psyche. So I knew what I had to do.

By hook or by crook I had to get my story in the hands of Mr. Koch at the 8th Annual Samuel Adams Octoberfest!

Now I was on a mission. A whole year went by during which my wife and I went on a Californian odyssey, she got pregnant with our now wonderful daughter, and we bought a house. A very full year indeed. But still one thing remained unfinished.

September 5th, 2008 came rolling around and I was ready to attend to my task. I dined al fresco at P.F. Chang’s near Boston Common, and then showed up early at The Castle (across from the famed Park Plaza Hotel). I got in, got my complimentary stein and draught of Octoberfest (which that year’s batch was especially good by the way), and patiently waited hours for Jim to arrive.

And so he did. He gave a short speech about how great it was to be there, and then began to hang out with the crowd afterwards.

 

I tell you I simply could not relax all evening until I had completed my mission. I made my way through the crowd and finally after an entire year’s worth of recrimination and regret I got my chance for redemption.

I pulled out a folded up copy of my story and proceeded to hand it to this iconic figure.

“Mr. Koch, I meant to give this to you last year but didn’t get the chance; it is a story I wrote for this occasion.” I said.

Reading the title he replied with a smile, “The nectar of the gods. I love the title!”

Excitedly I added, “I really enjoyed your stint on The History Channel…”

“Oh yeah, you’re one of the few people who has actually seen that!” [I'm sure he was just being modest.]

I shook his hand and thanked him for giving the world a very fine beverage. And then I went on my merry way.

I was vindicated!

Mission Accomplished!

From that point forward I proceeded to have a most excellent time enjoying more Sam Adams varieties from the plucky Imperial Pilsner to the enigmatic Utopias. I spoke with many fellow beer aficionados about our favorite topic of the moment, and listened to the rompus oompah band, The Jolly Kopperschmidts, reminding me of my incredible 24 hours in Munich. But that is another story.

Whether or not Mr. Koch read the story is not as important as the fact that I had managed to summon up the guts to go back and give it to him. This was a lesson in life that everyone should learn from. Never be intimidated by your own fears and doubts, do what you set out to do and you will succeed in one way or another.

And then I proceeded to buy my yearly three cases of Octoberfest (to last me all Winter long), of which I’m drinking one right now as I write this…

See you at the 9th Annual Samuel Adams Octoberfest!