Walnut Brewery, Boulder

Somewhere there’s a secret rulebook for brewpub designers that says that the tanks must be on display. It’s true. Walk into just about any brewpub in any corner of the known universe, and somewhere you’ll see giant tanks with pipes and tubes and gauges, like giant versions of Bender on Futurama.

Now, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Big shiny tanks are often more interesting to look at than what hangs the average restaurant wall. And it gives some reassurance that you’ve found a real brewpub rather than a place that sells a lot of someone else’s beer.

The Walnut brewery didn’t disappoint. There, behind glass, were shiny tanks peeking out high above the bar. There was also a lot of dark shiny wood which might or might not have been walnut. There were no edible walnuts in evidence, however.

No sooner had we been seated than our server appeared. I asked about dark beers, and she quickly offered to bring a sample. In the blink of an eye, I had a small sample glass in my hand. No doubt about it, she moved fast.

She waited while I tasted and quickly offered to bring another if I wanted to try something different. I like that. It takes the risk out of ordering microbrews, but the first one was just fine. I finished the sample (free beer!) and we ordered our beers.

Full size beers arrived just as fast as the sample; a stout for me and a white ale for my dining companion. The white ale was exactly as the server described it, with hints of citrus and cardamom. My companion liked his selection and I liked mine.

The menu was typical – salads, steaks, burgers, sandwiches. I was looking for something unique, and then the Lobster and Shrimp Tacos ($16) caught my eye and my mind was made up. Inexplicably, my companion also chose a Mexican-themed item – Lucatero’s Guadalajara Enchiladas ($13).

I’m not going to say that the food arrived as fast as the beer, but it was suitably snappy. The tacos were a thing of beauty. The outside layer was a very thin white flour tortilla, recently warmed, with a few toasty spots from the griddle. Inside was a blue corn tortilla which provided a dark backdrop for the light seafood and light citrus sauce inside. Without that blue corn tortilla it would have been a monochromatic dish. The blue corn tortilla was a genius idea.

The sauce was suitably mild to complement the mildness of the shrimp and lobster and lettuce added some crunch. Pico de gallo was added with a light touch, adding just a little heat without overpowering everything else.

Dark, spicy black beans came with the tacos and they had just enough cumin – too much can be overbearing, but this was just enough. They were topped with some sliced scallions and cilantro, adding color and flavor. It also came with Red Ale rice, subtly flavored with the brewery’s Red Ale and red in color as well.

The enchiladas didn’t present as pretty a picture, but flavor was another matter. Filled with shredded chicken, corn kernels, black beans and roasted peppers, they were topped with a fresh-tasting tomatillo salsa and pico de gallo. A dollop of sour cream on one side and black beans on the other completed the dish.

My companion’s comment was most telling – if a Mexican restaurant we used to go to could have made enchiladas like this, we’d probably still be going there regularly. That’s a big compliment.

We finished the meal with the Pint Glass Sundae ($5.50), which was – no surprise – a sundae in a pint glass. The ice cream was espresso chip and it was layered with candied walnuts (Score! I found walnuts!) But what intrigued me most was the stout hot fudge.

I wondered if I would be able to detect the stout in the hot fudge and whether I would like that combination. In the end, it was a good sundae, but I couldn’t taste the stout in the fudge. I have no doubt it was there; maybe it’s a good thing I couldn’t taste it.