Matt Diamond is a wine wonk through and through, a cork dork who’s worked with three of the most well-known wine guys in the Valley — namely, Craig DeMarco, Peter Kasperski and Tom Kaufman at Postino, Cowboy Ciao/Kazimierz and Humble Pie respectively.
So it seems odd that he and his wife Courtney would decide to open an ale house (think cozy neighborhood hangout minus sloppy-drunk college crowd) and not some la-ti-da wine bar with bruschetta on the menu. Not that I don’t love bruschetta, just sayin’ . . .
But they did, and now that I’ve seen it, I’m thinking they’re pretty damned smart. The place is called The Main Ingredient Ale House & Café, and it’s housed in the former Lisa G. location — a charming red brick bungalow they’ve furnished comfortably and decorated with vintage music posters plus cool pix of the surrounding Coronado neighborhood. The upgraded back bar looks great (check out the Schlitz lamp), as does the front porch vignette I intend to inhabit soon — a couple of comfy chairs with a table between: just perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Diamond told me that he and Courtney had decided the wine bar theme had been done to death (so true). They knew they wanted to have a fun, cool, inexpensive place that had a relaxed wine bar vibe but seemed a bit more “off the beaten path.” A beer bar, specializing in craft beers, seemed just the ticket.
Of course, you can get wine if you want to. The California-heavy list has 14 offerings by the glass or bottle, seven other selections sold by the bottle only. As you might imagine, it’s hardly mainstream.
But beer is the big thing. The menu features some 20 of them in can or bottle, including Sam Adams, Bud, Miller High Life and Schlitz because nobody around here plans to be a beer snob. Diamond says other local places (The Parlor and The Roosevelt, for example) are carrying Pabst Blue Ribbon, so he figured they’d go with Schlitz. After all, they’ve got the lamp!
Four of the eight draft beers are Arizona-made: Four Peaks The Main Ale (a pale gold and refreshing Kölsch made specifically for The Main Ingredient), Four Peaks Hop Knot, Four Peaks Hefeweizen and Oak Creek Nut Brown. Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Oskar Blues Gordon are also on tap, which, I’m told, is very rare. With few exceptions, most of the beers here are revered regional favorites.
My pal and I nibbled around on a few things, but our visit was just for fun, not full-fledged reviewing.
I can’t wait to come back. This is my kind of hangout — especially when I can drink beer on the patio or belly up to the cozy bar.
The Main Ingredient
2337 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix, 602-THE-MAIN, 602-843-6246.
