Spoken like a true beer geek.
This is a guy who met his wife at a backyard beer olympics competition, who brewed his own beer for their wedding.
Fry makes no excuses about his single-minded passion. This is his first bar and, so far, he's making no compromises on its big-time, 16-tap draft beer list.
Fantome de Noel, Victory Old Horizontal and Breckenridge 471 greeted me on a visit earlier this month, but the kegs are kicking so quickly, it's impossible to say what'll fill your pint.
The only place you'll find a macrobrew is in the corner of a long row of coolers left over from the building's former life as a deli. My guess is the boxes could hold 400 different beers, which makes it an excellent option for those who prefer to bring sixpacks home to their own cul de sac.
But don't leave without a bite to eat. With chef Steve Howells (formerly of Center City's James restaurant) in the kitchen, the menu already features some curious delights.
My bowl of creamy winter squash soup was topped with a generous portion of herbed crabmeat. It paired beautifully with a glass of Hoffman Helles from New Jersey's Climax Brewing.
And about the wait staff - I didn't see any Quasimodos.
Alison two (424 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington) is not a beer joint with good food, it's an excellent restaurant with a superb beer list. It's chef Alison Barshak's second Montco spot (Alison at Blue Bell is a nearby BYOB), featuring international cuisine leaning toward Asian/Indian.
At a recent lunch, I tasted a verdant mix of brussels sprouts and root veggies, and a Vietnamese-style pork hoagie with pickled vegetables and homemade potato chips. Both were deceptively simple dishes, like something you'd whip up with fresh ingredients from Reading Terminal Market - if you had a clue in the kitchen.
