Dig in With Graver: The Brinery Reopens, Tapas Tuesdays at Alberta’s

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The Brinery is back in business in Sharpsburg after a month-long kitchen renovation and menu overhaul.

My daughter and I were the first customers to patronize the Main Street spot during its grand re-opening on Jan. 16 and we ordered like it was our last meal: a cheeseburger and fries, three gigantic chicken wings with Never Ending Hot Sauce, pickle tots and a honey butter cornbread biscuit served in a cast-iron skillet.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

I would’ve ordered the fried chicken skins as well but I was too busy chewing the fat with Joe Bardakos, who co-owns the eatery with his partner, Madi Donaldson. If the couple’s adorably chatty kids had been on site, I’d still be there talking with my mouth full.

If you’ve never been to The Brinery, the scratch-made menu still boasts some bangers from its beginnings as a food truck, including The Graceland sandwich, pickle-brined fried chicken thigh, chili peanut sauce, napa cabbage, pickles and banana ketchup on homemade bread.

There’s a lot to love at The Brinery (which is located a few doors down from Love, Katie Distilling), so it’s appropriate that the BYOB-establishment is hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner for two on Feb. 15, complete with a “chicken skin flight.”

I’d take that over a box of chocolates any day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBERTA’S PIZZERIA

If deep-fried finger foods aren’t romantic enough for you, try Tapas Tuesdays at Alberta’s Pizzeria.

From 5 to 9 p.m. each week, chef/owner Beau Mitall serves up a rotating variety of small, savory dishes to share and pair with thoughtfully curated glasses of wine. No reservations are accepted and it’s bar-service only, but I think it makes the evening feel more intimate.

During a December visit, my date and I enjoyed Manchego cheese, potato paprika soup, smoked fish and prawn pintxos, pimientos fritos, pan de tomate and gildas, skewers stacked with green olives, anchovy and pickled pepper. A gilda is my favorite flavor combination and my favorite “Saturday Night Live” cast member.

If you visit Alberta’s on a Tuesday, tell ‘em Roseanne Roseannadanna sent you. And then order the gildas.