Happy Thirsty Thursday!

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I’ve written about Devil’s Advocate before… but it certainly needs an update. It’s one of our favorite places to go on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when there are no in-town sporting events and crowds are scarce.

That is… until we discovered BRUNCH!

Rob has done a 180 on brunch. He used to hate going out to brunch on a Sunday morning. In fact, we would never dine out until after Sunday brunch was over, unless he knew that a restaurant would offer up their lunch menu during brunch hours.

So what has changed? He has finally realized that Brunch does not = Buffet. Many restaurants offer menus with lots of breakfast-y items as well as lunch fare. The brunch menu at Devil’s Advocate {offered Saturday AND Sunday from 10a to 2p} is nothing short of spectacular!

During these hours, we can still order our favorites: the Holy Grail made with pork meatballs, mushroom, sunday gravy {on a pretzel bun!} and the Philly Cheesesteak which is considered the best and most authentic in all of the Twin Cities.

And while I find it quite annoying that Devil’s Advocate does not display their menu on their website, I did find the brunch menu in their Twitter feed. You can find that tweet here.

As you can see, there’s a good mix of breakfast and brunch optinons! But let’s zoom in on something in particular…

Ahhh, yes! For one, I am a sucker for a good grilled cheese and tomato soup. And although we usually go to DA because they have one of the best tap selections in the Twin Cities, the basil-infused vodka intrigued both of us!

While you are waiting for your Drunken Dunkers to be prepared, the bartender pours you a shot of their house-infused basil vodka. I am not really a vodka fan. I generally only consume it in Bloody Marys. But this basil-infused vodka has such a wonderful aroma that I could sit and smell it all day.

When your celery-salted rim bowl {Yes!} of tomato-y goodness arrives, you get to pour that boozy liquid basil right into your soup!

And boy is it boozy! It’s warm and comforting and maybe a little bit too boozy for your liking. I’d suggest pouring in a little at the time and keeping the remainder at bay for aromatherapy purposes. 🙂 In fact, the two times that Rob and I have each order this, we’ve said, “Whoa! That is some boozy soup!”, after pouring the entire shot into the soup and not at all learning from our previous indulgence. Neither of us could finish our bowls on either occasion.

But don’t be fooled by that simple-looking Grilled Cheese! It is packed with ooey-gooey cheesy goodness. I’m talking the amount of cheese that would content a girl from Wisconsin. It’s seared to perfection, too. There’s nothing fancy here; but it just goes to show that a simple grilled cheese doesn’t have to be boring and can still make me swoon!

Rob and I decided that if we come back for the Drunken Dunkers again, we’d aim to order one to split, but request an additional grilled cheese. There is just not enough to sop up that soup!

And if you like Bloody Marys, but grilled cheese and tomato soup is not your bag, they make some over-the-top bloodies:

• The Devil’s Fork can rival any basic bloody with fixings including, but not limited to, deep fried somethings, a bacon wrapped wienie, shrimp, olives and a deviled egg {haha!}.
• But then there is the Beer Bucket Bloody served in a plastic pitcher and topped with all those goodies that adorn the Devil’s Fork plus a cheesburger, a grilled cheese and more! I can’t remember the exact price, but it’s spendy. Still, it’s a meal in itself. So if you want to share with a friend and you are on a pilgrimmage to discover the best or most outrageous bloody mary, this is definitely worth a stop. Check out a photo here.

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Winter is one of the best times of year for Rob and I to find beer on tap because that’s when we’ll find the bulk of the specialty porters, stouts and bourbon barrel beers. On our last visit to Devil’s Advocate, I did what I imagine most bartenders hate…

I ordered a flight.

Truthfully, I knew it was okay for a few reasons:

• They expressly state on their menu that they will serve five 4-ounce pours of any beer on tap for $15. {Make it count!}
• It wasn’t crazy busy or packed – they had the time.
• I actually asked, “Can I be a pain and order a flight?” {I know, who would say, “no?”!}

Normally, I can narrow my choices down to one or two beers on their extensive menu. But on this day, not only could I not decide, I was very unsure if I’d like any of the beers I was considering if I ordered an entire glass.

Here is the flight I built:

And here is what they built for me.

Those of you who know me, might be surprised by this flight. Sure, it’s mostly darker beers; but there a lot Belgian-styles in this flight as well as a – say, what? – a Dopplebock. {And, yes, they had me at barrel-aged.}

And here is the most interesting part…

I loved all of them!

In fact, despite Rob’s disdaine for Belgian beers, he loved them all, too!

If I had to put them in order, they’d go like this:

#1) Brassserie D’Abbaye Des Rocs Grand Cru and #2) Val-Dieu Grand Cru, both listed under “Secessionists”, despite their high alcohol content!

#3) Hinterland Bourbon Barrel Aged Dopplebock – Hinterland, I’m so proud of you!

#4) Unibroue La Resolution – Québec, here we come! {Did I tell you that’s where we are traveling internationally this year?}

#5) Bauhaus Brew Labs Winterloper – Yes, I had to give a little local love!

I am so happy that I did this flight. It’s one of the best I can ever remember having! I know now that if I would have ordered any one of these beers by the glass, I would have loved them.

Speaking of flights, Devil’s Advocate might even be home of the flight. They do Mimosa Flights during brunch! I wonder what other kinds of flights they do?

What’s the best flight you’ve ever had?

 

Cheers~
Carrie