Plus 44

Local 44

by Trey Popp

Age may be a high price to pay for maturity, as Tom Stoppard put it, but then he probably never had to wrestle through a scrum of drunk undergrads to order a pint. That's a memory that surfaces with some regularity at Local 44, which supplanted Kelliann's at 44th and Spruce — and the people who voice it seem plenty pleased that the replacement is pitched at the older selves they've become.

Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida, part of the team behind Memphis Taproom, overhauled this spot from floor studs to pressed-tin ceiling. Out went the cigarette vending machine, in came 18 taps plus two spouts for cask ales. Out went the frat-boy vibe, in came local moms who sip lunchtime suds at the "Baby/Momma Happy Hour" the first Monday of the month.

The crowd can get thick come evening, and it's easy to see why. My pub loyalties lie on the other side of the Schuylkill, but Local 44's beer service is bound to test them. There's little point in running down a list of names that will change from month to month. Suffice it to say that Local 44 scored one of the first of a half-dozen kegs of Sinebrychoff Porter ever to leave Finland for the U.S. And talk about a well-rounded, adventurous list: At the moment, there's a schwarzbier on tap, an English bitter, a dunkel weisse and an ale made from sorghum and millet. Add the cask ales — a little warmer, and packed with flavors that aren't always evident in other containers — and 44 is in a league of its own.

The food doesn't achieve the same heights, but the kitchen's reach is also more modest. Enrique Oliva, who used to brew at Nodding Head, does best with the simplest dishes. Perfectly respectable burgers come with options ranging from double-smoked bacon to cabbage and jicama slaw. Hand-cut potato chips, dusted with big grains of salt and served with a horseradish-spiked dip, are close to perfection.

Oliva makes his own corn tortillas, which is a welcome touch, but the fried hunk of mahi mahi on top was a little too McDonald's-hash-brown, and seemed like a fish taco cop-out. The mustardy innards of Reuben fritters were a luscious blend of pastrami and sauerkraut, but the rye-flour batter lacked that crucial crunch. Oh well — nothing a half-glass of IPA can't fix. The menu leans a bit too heavily on the deep fryer overall, but a decent roster of vegetarian dishes helps to make up for it. The "Oyster (Mushroom) Po' Boy" is next on my list.

That sounds like something a grown-up might eat.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Local 44 | 4333 Spruce St., 215-222-BEER, local44beerbar.com

Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m.

Appetizers, $4-$7 Sandwiches, $8-$9