Blind Tiger Ale House

Way before I became The Beer Boor, I was a regular at the Blind Tiger Ale House. In its first incarnation on Hudson, it did not have a kitchen, so one was forced, kicking and screaming, to drink and perhaps order food in. Its current location serves a wide variety of appetizers (“Small Plates”), small sandwiches, and other quick, easy foods (“Plates and Sandwiches”). I had an opportunity to take an extended lunch to meet up with a beer-centric friend, so I suggested the Blind Tiger, and we met up for some quick bites — okay, and beer, too.

Benny and Ms. Benny ordered the Yo Mama’s Deviled Eggs to start. The piped filling is obviously very yolky, but the mustard bite is tasty, and of course the presentation is pretty. I’ve had better, but only because I have friends who pride themselves on perfected deviled eggs.

The requisite “drinking beer by the fireplace” photo. Pictured are a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (hers) and a Full Sail IPA (me). As I mentioned recently, I’m quite pleased Full Sail is in New York (legally) now. The IPA is a solid IPA, reasonable alcohol levels, very straightforward citrus and pine notes from the hops, and well worth my $6.50.

I ordered the Banh Mi Mini for my lunch. “Purists” are recoiling in horror as they look at that picture. Sure, it’s not the classic Vietnamese sandwich; for starters, that’s shredded braised pork shoulder on a smallish round non-baguette bun. At least the pork isn’t sauced as if it were a pulled pork sandwich with different toppings.

The thin strips of radish and carrot provided the requisite crunch; the sweetness of the carrot was quite welcome. There’s not much cilantro, and no jalapeno, but leaving aside the name that it’s given, this is one delicious sandwich.

Benny ordered the Classic Grilled Cheese, but with bacon, apple, and onion. I’m sure they tally sales somewhere, but how many boring, normal grilled cheeses can they sell? What pork-eater wouldn’t want to dress up their grilled cheese with such an awesome lineup of fillings? I’ve had this a few times and it is phenomenal as grilled cheeses go; I’ve replicated it at home to a degree of success, but if you’re at a bar drinking and this is placed in front of you, it’s actually not easy to go back to drinking until you’ve demolished this sandwich.

There are so many other wonderful sandwiches here, from the Bloody Beast — a roast beef sandwich with a dip made from the Bloody Mary mix — to the Reuben, the Cubano Mini, and the gigantic Quesadilla. With all the strong beer on the 28 taps and 3 casks, it’s an excellent idea to enjoy some quality food in between beers, right?