The Beer's Great, But;

 

Let me start with a confession. Years ago, when I served a short stint as one of Boston's restaurant critics, I had one ironclad rule -- review in secret.

The reason was simple. I figured that if the manager and staff knew I was there to give them a report card they'd treat me differently. Rather than seeing the service and food they'd give to the average patron, I'd see them at their atypical best.

But at Sieben's my cover was blown. When I went in for dinner, pad and pen in hand, I had already spent a day talking with a general manager Laurel Hanson. When I sat down, she alerted the kitchen and put the wait staff on notice.

It didn't seem to matter, though. The service was inept, the food mediocre.

First, the good news. The beers were great -- rich, full flavored, lightly carbonated, and fresh. The lager was smooth and clean, the Amber ale bitter and almost British in style. There were clearly the products of a master brewer, magic created from just water, yeast, malted barley, and hops. The heavily malted stout, served cold, was as good a glass as you can get this side of Dublin, and would be reason enough to draw me back to Sieben's if I lived in Chicago.

But I'd go for the beer, not for the food. I'd had a terrific bratwurst at lunch, along with a lager-and-cheddar soup that was thick and flavorful. But the dinner was a disaster. Peel-and-eat shrimp were steamed in ale -- for about two minutes too long. The fish of the day, a Hawaiian aluha, was overcooked as well. The chicken wings were sweet enough to seem candied, with a burning aftertaste that speaks of too heavy a hand at the spice rack. "A great beer deserves a great steak," the menu promised, but the centercut sirloin strip the kitchen delivered didn't match the hype. Ordered rare, it arrived well done. So I sent it back -- and waited 45 minutes for a piece of meat that was dry and flavorless.

The service wasn't any better. It took my guest and me more than two hours to order, eat, and pay for our meal. One empty water glass was filled, the other left empty. The staff was friendly but confused. Much of the time we were just ignored.

Unfortunately for Sieben's, I was not the only reviewer to be less than dazzled. The Chicago Sun-Times called the operation "a go-for-the-gusto . . . kind of place," serving "good suds-buster stuff that goes well with the different styles of beer." But while its reviewer had kind words for the pork chops and chili, he too complained about soggy fish, mediocre chicken, and vegetables that were tough and stringy.

"Excellent beer and passable food" was the verdict according to the Chicago Tribune, which called the kitchen, charitably, "uneven." The critic slammed the decor, too, saying it has "the allure of a well-thought-out tourist attraction," and "gives off a feeling of sterility even when bustling with customers." The Tribune also compared Sieben's with Tap & Growler -- the first local brewpub to open in competition -- and gave its nod to T&G. The competitor, the Tribune's critic wrote, takes "the edge" for food and "wins the ambience category hands down." More important, the Tribune liked T&G's beers better, if only because T&G offers a wider selection.

On my way out the door after my dinner, I discovered the other advantage of reviewing in secret. General manager Hanson was standing by the bar, eager for my verdict.

My honesty got the better of my tact.

Hanson was mortified, as was her chef, who came over to apologize. This is his first big restaurant kitchen, the chef explained, he's working an average of 60 hours per week, and he hasn't yet found a competent assistant. He should have been at the stove, he admitted, but he'd been downstairs in the office, working on his costs.