Reporter Food: Bastone Brewery in Royal Oak Soup, Salad, Fish & Chips
CLOSED
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 24, 2016)
Royal Oak, MI – Part of the fun of reporter-work is meeting up with important sources, breaking bread and getting scoops. Recently an attorney and I had a meal at Bastone Brewery at 419 South Main St. Royal Oak.
There was nothing fishy about the meeting, unless you count the entrees.
The attorney had the Hazelnut Scallops which were served with pea and pancetta risotto. Her critique, which I promised to include, was that the risotto was a little dry. Everything else she liked.
I had the Fish and Chips which is what I tend to get because I know it is delicious. It’s Alaskan cod in a crisp ale batter served with fries, cabbage slaw and artichoke tartar sauce. In case you didn’t catch that, the tartar sauce has artichoke in it. That is such a great idea.
We both started out with potato leek soup and the green salad. The soup was good. But the green salad was completely new and wonderful to me. It was mixed greens, candied pecans, poached pears and balsamic vinaigrette. I had blue cheese dressing with mine which paired perfectly with those poached pears. I had never had poached pears before so I ended up making some for myself at home later. (Maybe I will post the final recipe. They were good).
I hope no one is too disappointed when I write about places with great beer but don’t mention it. It is just not my thing. Bastone is known for theirs, so if beer is your thing this could be a good spot for you. I went with a mixed drink called an Orange Blossom.
According to their website, Bastone opened in 2004 and is inspired by the similarly named famous Belgian city. The restaurant is in a 1930’s style building with many historical features in tact. It’s a great place to go for dates or for meetings, and they do have wireless.
They offer a variety of brunch, lunch and dinner items. Next time I go I will try something new, I promise. Learn more at http://bastone.net/br/bastone-brewery.