EL, you mentioned that the place was pretty crowded and that there's not much to dampen the noise. Was it as loud as the Hamilton Tavern?

No. We could talk. EL

I noticed that you do not mention anything about the prices of the dishes discussed in your review. I think that you used to include such information, but I could be wrong. Either way, I'm curious as to why the exclusion? This would be helpful, as price is obviously pretty important nowadays.

The format now is to give the range of appetizer and entree prices in the info box instead, maybe just because prices go out of date quickly, but the review stays on the 'net. EL

Jack's Bistro compliments good food with a great beer list

The part you should reconsider is not the question of whether there is another restaurant like it (there's not) but why there is even a question that beer drinkers deserve fine food in the first place. Ah, well, whatever, we know we're second-class citizens. That's why we love BA so much.

Good point. Maybe because beer has gotten too associated with German food while wine is associated with French? EL

OK, as a beer-drinking German, that's two strikes, Large... :) We don't get a lot of well-made German food around here any more, but I'll put it up against French any day.

Oops. EL

I'm beginning to think that if someone asked where to have an artisinal soda pop while solving world peace, someone would pop up and say the only place for saving the world while becoming carbonated was Jack's Bistro.

Best selling beers in the U.S.:
1. Bud Light
2. Budweiser
3. Miller Lite
4. Coors Light
5. Corona Extra
6. Natural Light
7. Heineken
8. Michelob Ultra Light
9. Busch Light
10. Miller High Life

All garbage. Yes Heineken too. Yes I've had it in Amsterdam and it still smells like wet beagle.

Did you know that “Beers like Michelob Light or Michelob Ultra pair best with appetizers, salads, fruits, and spicy foods.” (According to their web site.)

Most beer drinkers wouldn't touch the excellent beers at BA. I think most people have some crappy beer that they drink with everything.

I'm a little unfocussed today, but I think you know where I'm going with this. Help me out.

... beer has gotten too associated with German food while wine is associated with French? EL

And not Italian or Spanish or Portuguese or Californian or Minoan?

Does its acceptance of beer drinking qualify it as a gastropub?

Jack's Bistro has the best carbonation in the world, you should check it out. And their food and beer menu is the best too.

What's Minoan cuisine?

Minoan? Oh it's the best but I bet Jack's Bistro has something equally good. I love when the blog turns on shills.

OMG, don't you mean Cretan?

I know there is a Jack's Bistro in Canton, but what about this one

Speaking of gastro pubs, Victoria's in Columbia has a very nice beer list, both bottled and draft. Food is good too.

awww, poor John Ritter!

When DuClaw's opened in Bel Air I was pretty happy with the menu that not only featured beer as an ingredient but also interesting things that paired well with the brews they served. I have not been back since they rebuilt after the fire, but the DuClaw's at the outlets in Anne Arundel county seems to have a less interesting menu.

An observation from the west coast: it is really hard to find the smaller, locally owned places in a world where nothing is more than 20 years old, and everything is a strip mall or an office park. One of the joys of living in an old, east coast city is the funkiness of old neighborhoods as they ebb and flow and the migration of restaurants to promising places.

I asked the desk clerk for a recommendation for authentic, local Chinese tonight, and at first glance it looked promising -- size of a typical sushi joint, with seats at a bar looking into the stir fry station. The time for my Kung Pao to make it from wok to my seat at the bar: 30 seconds. Only as I grabbed a take out menu to share with other folks at the seminar this week did I notice that Pei Wei Asian Diner is an offshoot of P.F.Chang's! Oh well ...

Mahaffee's in Canton offers good, "upscale" beer selections, and the list rotates often. Some of them, (ie Resurrection) are the same as Brewer's Art though.

Dear credible unbiased commenter with no vested interest,

I don't have any vested interest, and I hate when people do fill the comment area with great stuff regarding their restaurant. Jack's has a great beer selection. Ask someone who knows. I go there to see what they have on tap and in bottles. I dont know much about food, but know that I always have a really good meal and haven't heard many complaints against it. So please if you dont like it, tell us why, but dont insult my comment.

MD - there's a Pei Wei in Towson.

Eve: Thanks!

1) I'm glad to know that because it was terrific here in the OC.
2) I really gotta pay more attention to what goes on near home than I do.