Orr New owners of The Front Door arent planning big changes
February 9th, 2008, 2:57 am Hobbies And Interests
The new owners of Boise’s best beer bar - The Front Door - say they don’t plan on making any major changes to the funky pizza/beer pub that has become the destination place for local beer enthusiasts.This is good news for Boise’s burgeoning beer culture. Yes, we have four different brewpubs in the city limits. Fresh beer is key. But a good brew scene also requires a killer taproom with multiple handles so we can also luxuriate in the rich craft-beer culture of the left coast. Such a bar can’t be a meat market or too fancy, either.Ever since former manager Shane Randel decided to turn the Front Door (105 S. 6th St.) from a regular pizza joint into a craft beer haven with 15 taps in May 2006, there has been no better place in the Treasure Valley to drink a draught. Yes, the food is good. But the beer selection and the staff’s dedication in securing the best and most interesting kegs available in the marketplace - like the 2008 version of Deschutes’ “The Abyss” imperial stout patrons enjoyed last week, for instance - is what has made the Front Door awesome.The previous management at the Front Door also started a series of brewer nights for Treasure Valley imbibers, bringing in representatives from such regional breweries as Lagunitas, Stone, Full Sail and Oskar Blues for meet and greets. Or more accurately, meet, greet and drinks.The Front Door was also the destination for a series of craft beer/food pairing dinners, like the awesome Lagunitas beer dinner in January that was so popular it was expanded to two nights. (More on that later).So when Boise restaurateur Dave Krick sold the Front Door and Reef last week to new owners Kristi and Chad Johnson, who already own Legends Sports Pub and Grill in Boise, and when Randel left suddenly following the ownership change, there was some concern among Boise beer nuts they were going to lose their favorite bar. But those people shouldn’t worry, said Whitney Hall, now the general manager of both Reef and the Front Door. Hall said it was inefficient having two general managers in the same building but promises the vibe of the Front Door will remain the same.”We are not changing anything with the beer - why fix something that is working?” she said. “The Front Door is still going to bring beer no one in the Treasure Valley has seen before. We are going to keep bringing in the best beer possible and will continue to work with the same beer reps Shane did. That is not going to change.”"We want to cater to people who really love craft beer - our goal is to listen to our customers,” said new owner Chad Johnson, adding that he plans to add more food to the menu for beer pairing purposes.Hall said the brewer nights and beer/food pairing dinners will remain, with the next dinner tentatively scheduled with Full Sail in March. Everyone agrees the current version of the Front Door was Shane Randel’s vision and Hall said she is committed to craft beer as the enduring theme. Hall said Randel left the Front Door because of “management differences.” Randel said he wanted to stay but it didn’t work out. These things happen in businesses and I do not want to get into any kind of value judgement. My concern is the beer, and I like what I am hearing from the new owners. But I do want to give Randel some props here, because under his watch the Front Door hosted some great events that showed a real dedication to craft beer culture. That should be lauded. It isn’t just bringing in good taps. Atmosphere and events are equally important. Last year’s Oktoberfest was a great example - Randel brought in 14 authentic German beers on tap, including five genuine Oktoberfests, reasonably priced at $4.50 a litre. I spent the day there drinking German beers, eating sausage, and doing German cheers with the rest of the packed bar. It was a blast and pretty much unprecedented - the kind of event only a real beer nut could pull off.Another example of that vision was last month’s Lagunitas beer dinner, which was totally awesome. Lagunitas makes some very flavorful beers and Randel and his cooking staff came up with some great recipes to match. I really enjoyed the pairing of spare ribs, doused in a barbecue sauce infused with Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, which was paired with the Lagunitas Censored Ale, a malty amber ale that complimented the sweetness of the BBQ.Matching a sharp cheddar cheese soup (made with the Lagunitas Pilsner) with the “Kill Ugly Radio” American-style double IPA was another inspired pairing, where the hops of the IPA melded well with the sharp cheddar flavors.And I still salivate at the memory of a tiramisu made with and paired with the Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout. When I asked Randel where the recipes came from, he said they were created by trial and error by himself and the cooking staff. That is the kind of knowledge of beer and attention to detail that made the Front Door the place to go.When I relayed those stories to Hall, she told me not to worry.”We are not changing anything - we are dedicated to beer,” Hall said. “We hope to make the whole experience even better.”Well, cheers to that. Patrick Orr’s beer column (usually) runs the first Friday of the month.
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