Kneel Before the Pint
Beer people tend to be a religious bunch, says Michael Stiglitz. They might not be church-goers in the traditional sense, but their reverence for beer borders on pious. “Every beer drinker has their mug, their favorite bottles. I drink every beer out of a New England Imperial glass. There’s a lot of reverence.”
Stiglitz, the corporate chef behind Pig + Fish Restaurant and the Pickled Pig Pub in Rehoboth Beach, opened his ode to craft beer this spring. Two Stones Pub (2 Chesmar Plaza, Newark, 294-1890, twostonespub.com) takes over the spot previously occupied by Piece of Ireland. Stiglitz and his team installed a new stained mahogany bar, hightops, plus signs and doodads devoted to beer. A four-and-a-half-foot Buddha statue, posed beneath stained-glass lighting, greets customers at the entrance.
The chef they call “Stigz” built a temple to craft beers. Two Stones boasts 24 craft brews on draft, another 100 or so bottles, a cask beer engine, plus all the fun one-offs and reserve bottles that beer fanatics go, well, fanatical for. “I want to make this place a destination for beer drinkers,” he says. “When I go to Boston I know I’m going to Lord Hobo or ChurchKey when I go to Washington, D.C.”
Two Stones (not a euphemism, Stiglitz swears) also features an eclectic mix of pub grub. Food and beer pairings are a huge part of the program, as are monthly beer dinners. The pub also has a relaxing, 28-seat dining room away from the bar for lunches and dinners. A wine list rotates four reds and four whites.
“But, specifically,” Stiglitz says, “we will be focused on craft brew as it sweeps the nation.” —Matt Amis
