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Crackers’ summer 2008 menu first taste

Last night after the gym I decided to forgo cooking dinner and instead rode past my house and up the street a few blocks to Crackers to check out their summer menu.  For those of you that don't know, Crackers is a tapas bar and updates their menu with the changing of the seasons while also splitting their menu into "hot" and "cold" sections.  The "cold" section looked to be mostly unchanged, with the usual assortment of salads, hummus and pita, edamame, and the like. 

One thing that did catch my eye was their gazpacho offering.  Rather than a creamy consistency, the chefs went for a chunkier style with bits of cooked cornmeal and leaves of fresh basil that gave the soup a nice three-part contrast in mouthfeel.  The temperature was perfect for a post-workout starter - chilled, but not so cold as to make my teeth hurt or the bowl sweat.

On the hot side of things there were numerous changes and additions, but I was in the mood for something a bit more on the "comfort food" side of things and so ordered the "fondue" and bread.  Crackers rotates a few of their concoctions daily, to include butter, "fondue" and, new for summer, catsup nee ketchup.  The fondue - actually just hot/warm cheese that you dip your sliced and toasted bread it - was a goat cheese, chardonnay and blackberry mix that was tart with a hint of a sweet finish.

The beer that accompanied both of these dishes was Nectar Brews' Red Nectar offering.  This beer replaced Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA in Crackers' draught lineup and is a worthy successor to the Delaware brewery's flagship beer, giving a bit less intense flavor but still maintaining the refreshing qualities that make the 60 Minute a favorite.