All A's & B's at Princeton Pub--So Far

Until today, The PubScout's experience with beer in Princeton has been limited to quaffing at the state's second oldest brewpub--Triumph Brewpub on Nassau St. My man Emmett--above--has been to this place more than I have.

But one of my wrestlers who will attend Princeton in the fall advised me that, according to what she had heard through the Tiger Grapevine, "The A-and-B" is a very cool place to go. Not that she'll be old enough to drink there in September, but her recommendation was enough to send me to The Alchemist and Barrister on Witherspoon St. after an excellent MC ride on a beautiful riding day.

Having parked my steel steed somewhat illegally directly in front of the place (hey, it's Princeton...parking stinks), I took a strategic seat at the bar that would allow me to keep an eye on it in the event a constable took umbrage. Fortunately for me (unfortunately for them), my line of sight had to go directly through three young sirens seated at the end of the bar. I notified them that if they saw me looking over at them too often, they should not be alarmed, as I was just watching my bike.

They were very nice about it, and not at all worried. But they all were examples of such supreme feminine pulchritude that I would have stared at them often, even if I parked my Hoveround out front.

Justin, the barman, handed me the food menu and the rather impressive beer menu, which was as impressively made as the Stone Delicious IPA I ordered. And that beer complemented perfectly my Caesar's Salad and wonderful Gazpacho soup. Clearly Executive Chef and part owner Arthur Kukoda knows his way around the scullery in the same way Mike, the (absent today) bar manager, knows his beer.

So the beer, the food, the staff and the clientele all get an "A." But what gets the "B?"

The darned Glycol Tap Rack Chiller. If you sit at the bar, the main pipe is directly between you and the barkeep, and you either have to stand up in your seat to look over it or drop your head down kind of sideways-like to look under it. I mean, it's not bad if your bartender looks like Quasimodo. But if she looks like Jennifer Aniston--as Kim does below--I don't want a pipe blocking my view.

It's certainly not a game changer, though. in terms of visiting this place. I will definitely be returning with the missus to sample a full dinner, hopefully complementing some wonderful food with those excellent beers.