Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Laurelwood is Dead, Long Live Laurelwood!

I don't do well with change. The haircutter I've used for 15 years leaves town and I'm a mess for months. Good friends move to Santa Barbara and I pout and fuss, especially since it was only for a prestigious and high-paying job, for goodness sakes. I mean, didn't they consider how that would affect me?

And now, heaven help us, our beloved Laurelwood Pub and Brewery in Hollywood is closing after today. But this change has an up side. It's set to reopen in a couple of weeks as Laurelwood Pizza Company and will be featuring antibiotic- and hormone-free meats and organic tomatoes in their pies, as well as their usual fantastic beers.

And this weekend, just up Sandy at 51st, they're opening the latest and greatest in what is becoming a burgeoning brewpub empire. I haven't visited this location yet, but it's apparently going to more than double their seating capacity and feature not just one but two play areas for kids. At times the old location felt like a day care center with so many tykes running around screaming, but owner Mike deKalb says the new place has more separation between the bar and the kid-friendly areas, so we can hope for a bit of peace and quiet while we sip.

For those of us curious what to expect at the new place, they included an FAQ in their latest newsletter:
  • Will we still brew at the original location? YES
  • Can your new location not have a play area so the adults without kids can be away from the children? NO
  • Will your new location be family friendly with a play area like we've come to love? YES
  • Will you have outside dining? YES
  • Will the beer lineup change? YES
  • Can I still buy a keg at the original location? NO
So look for reports from your intrepid reporter soon on both these locations!

Details: Laurelwood Pizza Co., 1728 NE 40th Ave. Phone 503-282-0622.

4 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I went to Laurelwood Brew Pub for the first time a couple of weeks ago and didn't have a pleasant experience. Am looking forward to the new pizza place, though. Sounds like it is worth checking out.

Kathleen Bauer said...

Was it the kids, the staff, the food? We've gone there for years and have loved their fish'n'chips (the rest of the food is not worth it), but last weekend it was decidedly mediocre. But when I mentioned it, the staff person comped us our beer. Pretty nice. I'd encourage you to give them another chance, either at the new place or the pizza place, and see if you like it better.

Elizabeth said...

It was the kids (wildly running around w/o parental supervision) and the food and the service were exactly what you said - mediocre. I was there last weekend, too, so maybe it was just an off weekend! I will definitely check out the new place.

Kathleen Bauer said...

I haven't given up on them yet...their beers are great, I like the fries (and the fish that comes with), plus they're in the neighborhood. And the pizzas might actually be good...we'll see!