Restaurant Review: The Alchemist Pub and Brewery, Waterbury, VT

In the interest of full disclosure, the Alchemist is my "local." It's about 2 miles from my house, and the place I go when I want a beer. That said, I'm pretty into food, and I'm REALLY into beer, being a prolific brewer myself - I can look at the place pretty objectively when I'm not sitting at the bar.

The Alchemist sits prominently on Main Street in Waterbury, Vermont. Only 20 minutes or so from the resort town of Stowe, the place seasonally hosts scores of après ski folks, looking for a meal or a drink before turning in for the night in their chalets and condos up on the mountain. Even in the "off season," though, The Alchemist is a hopping place. As you walk through the door, you'll encounter a comfy-looking place, decorated primarily in dark, earthy colors. Nearly every available surface sports a slowly-changing selection of art from local artists - one such addition, that's been around rather longer than I might like - is a giant metal gorilla of some sort, dominating the main dining area.

The establishment offers a full dinner menu, a number of regular brews, and a few seasonal and experimental beers at any given time. While the restaurant makes up a sizeable portion of the place, they don't take reservations - walk-in only. Plan to eat early - around 5:30 - or else quite late - say after 8:00, if you don't want to wait. It's not uncommon to wait an hour for a table during peak season, but the mood is always good, and the bar-staff is top-notch. You'll wait with a drink, at the very least. There's a pool table available just past the bar, as well. I've heard it commented that the space would be better utilized by adding a few more tables, thus cutting down on wait time, but the patrons who use the table really enjoy it, and it's clear that the management prefers this to a little gain in efficiency.

The menu is pretty broad, offering pub food with a few gourmet and specialty offerings. There's always a selection of mussels, prepared to the chef's whim, and if you're a fan of shellfish, you can't go wrong there. The burgers are quite tasty, as are the pizzas, but if you really want a treat, try a Panini - they're delicious. You might also try my personal favorite, the mixed sauerkraut plate - two kinds of German sausage, sauerkraut, applesauce, sour cream, and some wonderful 'tater tot-like baby potato pancakes. Heaven on a plate, I swear. The Alchemist is family friendly - indeed, if you hang around during slow times, the owner's own spawn may delight you by running about and generally acting like they own the place, which they do, really, so that's just fine. Again, though, if you bring kids, be aware of the wait. Prices, both for food and for drinks, are pretty reasonable, and certainly not on par with the high prices in Stowe. Also, it's dinner only, so popping by for lunch would be disappointing, to say the least.

A review of a brew-pub would be nothing without a comment on the beer. John, the brewer, likes hops - a lot. For the most part, he finds a good balance, and most of the regular brews on the menu are extremely palatable. The red is incredibly popular among just about everyone, so you'll never go wrong there. Others worth mention are the Holy Cow - an IPA with a pretty impressive hops character - and my personal favorite, Pappy's Porter. Dark and rich, Pappy's will satisfy the hops lover and the malt lover alike. Very well balanced. Every Friday, the cask is filled with whatever John's decided to play with, and it's almost always pleasing, or at the very least interesting and worth a shot. They like to play around with some wild yeast, too, and a Brett-lover should try one of the wild ales when they pop up. Personally, I love them. If you don't know what Brett means, don't order one - you'll likely think it tastes like armpit. The Alchemist isn't afraid to experiment and push it a little, which is refreshing. There's a lot of good beer being made in Vermont right now, but with the exception of the Rock Art Brewery, I don't think anyone's so willing to make beers that lack mainstream appeal, just for the few hardcore beer-nuts they can find. There's a full and well-stocked bar, and very knowledgeable bartenders, too, so if beer's not your thing, you'll be well taken care of.

Overall you'll find the Alchemist to be friendly, comfortable, and clean, with the very best staff in the area. John, Kenny, Ian, Jenn, Joel, Ashley, and the whole damn crew work hard to make customers feel welcome, and to provide folks with the best food and freshest beer in the area. Highly recommended by this local yokel.