Volume 2, Issue 19 August 31 -September 13, 2000

Bar Guide

There is a certain mystique surrounding an underground bar. The descent down into a darker environment creates an ambiance that is at times so thick that you sense you can touch it, brush it aside like a silken black curtain upon entering. It's these kind of watering holes that are often sung about in revelry,thriving just under the skin of the city, beneath the depersonalized theme bars that run rampant on the surface. After a brief hiatus, Round Midnight is again such a place. It reopened as many failed music joints do, with green felts taking the place of white tablecloths, a Max Roach inspired snare exchange swapped out for the sound of someone's 75 cents sliding in to release a line of caged pool balls.

Seemingly, Boulder had lost another compatriot of the music scene, when actually, the bar was only biding its time. With the help of those quarters lined up along the rail, Round Midnight was able to eventually get back into booking bands, knocking down the north wall in 1994 to make room for a new stage and dance floor. Now, proprietor Nobu gives in a little to what works on West Pearl. By booking acts of all genres from Judge Roughneck to Fat Mama and Yo Flaco! on Thursday and Friday nights. Wednesdays and Saturdays are reserved for the DJs, not necessarily the battlestyle scratcher variety but more laid back spinners of hiphop, Latin and soul. The structural renovation gives the bar the muchneeded elbow room on the crowded nights, and since the enactment of Planet Boulder's thinskinned smoking laws, I should mention that Round Midnight has a fairly cool, well-ventilated windowed smoking room. With the radical changes made to the establishment over the years, a few necessary aspects have remained untouched. At Round Midnight, you get good bar and wait service and will imbibe the strongest cocktails in town, bartender Aaron's Bloody Mary being especially enticing.

Westcor developers like to throw around the phrase "shopping experience" when referring to FlatIron Crossing, their $220 million community concept. This goes over well with those that have waited so long for the grand opening that their tightly gripped VISA has left account numbers imprinted on their palm. Be that as it may, pick up another review if you want a synopsis on another mall. This is just little nibble off the whole enchilada, concerning a brewery that sits in The Village, on a furthest corner of this economic beast.

Gordon Biersch encompasses the last names of the two founders. Dan Gordon owns a Ph. D. from a prestigious Munich brewing institute and has tapped into his lagering expertise to create an excellent variety of traditional German beers. Dean Biersch, former food and beverage director of the Beverly Hills Hilton, contributes not only an eclectic American cuisine, but also a nice supplement of international flavoring from Chinese to Moroccan dishes.

Influenced by the upscale feel of the mall, the interior is more refined than most breweries. A large bar runs across the front of the establishment and is flanked by six muted TVs and walls of windows that let in a bright wash of daylight. The dining area extends beyond the highlighted polished brewing system to the back where an open kitchen exposes chefs as they doll up the dishes in swashes of colorful, flavorful sauces. Speakers hang like beehives from the highceilings throughout the establishment, playing a decent variety of tunes that are turned up a few clicks above the norm. During the meal, what stood out most of all was the knowledgeable and wellorchestrated staff. Greg, our order taker, not only knew the menu, but quite a bit of beer lore as well. And when the server, who knew where to put the plates without asking, set the meals in front of us, I got the rare feeling that here's a chain that really gives a damn about what they're doing.

The beers featured are a Pilsner, a Marzen, the original Oktoberfest brew, a Dunkles, another darker Bavarian style and a Maibock, normally served in the spring and the strongest on the tap line at 8% alcohol content. They were all quite good with extra props going to the crisp refreshing Pilsner. GB also has an ample wine list ranging from the affordable to the ridiculous and an after dinner coffee menu that looks quite interesting. Representing the 15th restaurant in the Gordon Biersch expansion, the food is delicious and the portions are more than adequate. The beers are tasty as well-- however it won't be until the next snow melt when the brewery gains full utilization of their outdoor patio and begins booking live music on the weekends. Presently, the mountain views lose a little luster over the parking lot and construction clutter of the yet to be opened neighbors. But overall, Gordon Biersch adds a quality setting to soothe the area's lingering thirst for good beer and far too many years of hunger pangs.
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