LIBRARY ALEHOUSE
A SANTA MONICA FAVE FOR BEERS & BITES IS NOW SERVING BRUNCH!

While we’ve long been fans of Library Alehouse, a favorite Santa Monica gastro pub that offers loads of brews, wine and hearty fare, we recently went on a weekend morning for brunch.

Like any visit to the trusted library on Main Street, we started with a couple of rounds of very satisfying chips and salsa. They’re a favorite and the faithful clientele just won’t hear of not being served some of the best chips and salsa in the area. While mimosas are a brunch staple, Library Alehouse does serve a very tasty White Sangria, to go with a very extensive beer selection, which is what most people tend to opt for here.

Breakfast items come with our choice of home potatoes, fruit or greens. We decided to order family style so as to try as many selections as possible. While there are plenty of tempting and hearty choices, the one dish that just demanded my attention was The Porker. This bad boy, served with two sunny side up eggs, house pork sausage, bacon, pulled pork, arugula, roasted garlic aioli, gruyere, and served open-faced on sourdough is a must-have if  you’re sharing. If you’re flying solo, it will probably be way too much food, but then again, you can have it again for lunch and dinner and maybe even breakfast the next morning. This dish is filling and delicious and probably my new favorite brunch item on the Westside.

I really have to hand it to Executive chef-partner Tom Hugenberger for coming up with this hearty favorite. Talk about combining all your favorite meats into one rousing dish. Well done, Chef! In fact, Chef Hugenberger’s trademark is pairing different versions of the same ingredient in one dish to add depth and texture.

Not to be too outdone, the Short Rib Benedict, prepared with two poached eggs, caramelized onions, gorgonzola, hollandaise, on an house English muffin, is a very satisfying and tasty brunch alternative. It is way less filling than the mighty Porker but still equally tasty.

Another brunch favorite is the beefy Alehouse Burrito made with bacon, avocado, potatoes, cheese, scrambles, served wet with salsa verde and chipotle creama. This bad ass breakfast burrito is another filling dish—have this for brunch and you’ll probably not eat the rest of the day. But you’ll definitely have a smile on your face.

The Alehouse Pancakes, served a la carte with butter, syrup and seasonal fruit is a nice stack of really fluffy and pleasing flap jacks. I always think of pancakes as a breakfast and brunch must, and they’re great to share, otherwise they’ll be a meal on their own.

If you’re like me and not a big fan or at least not so well versed in all the IPA and micro brew labels, then trust in Certified Cicerone Alex Davis (a self described beer geek) to pair the right beer with whatever you’re having. He even found beers that I either didn’t mind or actually liked. Now that’s a guy who knows his beers.

While I always enjoy hanging out at Library Alehouse for dinner, the vibe is so energetic, I really enjoyed my experience at brunch where it is more relaxed and feels like a nice, lazy day at the beach. 

Library Alehouse is located at 2911 Main St. in Santa Monica. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Call 310-314-4855.

By: Jose Martinez.

Some Photography courtesy of: Library Alehouse