Rustico

Dinner at Rustico with a couple of friends last night. With a perfect combination of creative new cuisine and bar favorites and a beer list that makes the Brickskeller seem old and dusty, it has become one of my favorite restaurants in the area a while ago, and last night only reinforced it. Though I was very tempted by the curry and sweet potato soup, it was a cold and rainy night, and I was in the mood for comfort food, so I opted for pizza. I had had Rustico's pizza before, but for some reason it tasted particularly good last night – the crust had a perfect yeasty chewiness to it, and the anchovies seemed extra plump. Against my better judgment, I ate the entire thing. An even bigger highlight, however, was Gouden Carolus Noël – a Belgian Christmas seasonal ale which I had never had before. Belgian Christmas ales, as much as I like them, can get a little syrupy, but this one was perfectly balanced and far less sweet than I expected. It had a slightly resiny quality and a pronounced flavor of black liquorice. Delicious; strong at 10.5% ABV, but Rustico gave me a sensibly-sized portion in a genuine Gouden Carolus glass. Next winter, I will have to try to find it in a bottle.