GOLDEN ROAD DTLA
NEW LOCATION FOR BEERS & PIEROGIS

To the delight of many beer lovers around town, Golden Road Brewery now has a shop at downtown’s Grand Central Market where they’re serving their popular craft beer with fine pierogi (think stuffed dumplings). The Golden Road DTLA booth was an immediate hit serving 20 taps of craft beer brewed in Los Angeles.

As the first brewery to set up shop in the market, the new booth features an array of Golden Road’s hop-forward brews. Plus, Golden Road’s head chef designed a unique pairing menu to complement the brews featuring a creative (primarily vegan) menu of Eastern European inspired pierogi and other tasty treats.

During our recent Friday night visit, we found Grand Central Market to be quite the scene, especially the Golden Road booth. It’s definitely a fun spot to sit, chill, people watch and enjoy a cold brew and tasty fare.

“Grand Central Market has become a central hub for Los Angeles’ artisans featuring a curated collection of the best food and drink that Los Angeles has to offer, and it’s a huge point of pride for Golden Road to be welcomed so warmly into a place that celebrates craft businesses of all sorts,” said Golden Road Brewery president Meg Gill. “It’s an honor to bring our craft beer to this iconic Los Angeles location, and we look forward to sharing a beer with our new friends and neighbors.”

The menu ranges from pierogi to hot sides, cold salads and parfaits. An order of pierogi costs $5 for three of the same kind (no mixing). Pierogi include Yam and Kale with brown sugar, horseradish and black Tuscan kale; Wild Mushroom with onions, spinach, potato with pesto sauce; Bacon Cheddar with bacon, onion, aged cheddar, potato with cumin sour cream; Al Pastor with pineapple, queso fresco, onion, potato with pineapple habanero slaw; and Curried Shrimp with curried kobucha puree, peas and carrots.

I found the pierogi to be very tasty and delightful. These Eastern European dumplings, which look like potstickers, are very flavorful, in particular the curried shrimp, and bacon cheddar. While I’m not a very big beer drinker, I let the staff pair my pierogi with a beer of their choice and they did a wonderful job as the beer they suggested paired spot on with the pierogi, really bringing the taste of both to life.

Other items we enjoyed included the Spring Squash with roasted baby zucchini and squash, and Brussel Sprouts with garlic, onions, almonds, bacon, and feta cheese. The curried quinoa cold salad with mango, walnuts, cucumber, cilantro, dried currants, and arugula was very nice, as was the Coconut “Noodle” Salad with Thai coconut “noodles”, julienned vegetables, fresh herbs, cabbage, spiced cashews, and almond chili dressing.

While the Downtown LA location is tiny in comparison to the Golden Road Brewery pub in Atwater Village, which has become a mecca for local beer enthusiasts, the Grand Central Market booth is a fun spot to grab a beer and a bite. I like that you can hangout, take in the energetic if not chaotic surroundings and enjoy a drink and meal. The Golden Road founders actually discovered their love for all things pierogi during a trip to the Czech Republic.

“Our Grand Central menu was inspired by a recent trip to the Czech Republic where I fell in love with Eastern European culinary traditions, especially their pierogi,” said Adam Levoe, head chef for Golden Road. “Grand Central Market is a true melting pot of culinary traditions, and we’re excited to contribute to this cultural fusion with our creative take on pierogi. And most importantly, nothing pairs better with a plate of fresh pierogi than a pint of beer brewed right here in LA.”

While I wasn’t really familiar with the term “pierogi”, I was game to try and so should most visitors. “Eighty percent of [guests] love pierogis and twenty percent don’t know what they are. Who doesn’t love a good pierogi?” the founders ask. And I don’t see why anyone trying a hot pierogi with a cold beer wouldn’t become an instant fan.

Golden Road DTLA is located at 317 S. Broadway at Grand Central Market. Hours: Mon-Wed 10am to 6pm; Thurs-Fri 10am to 9pm; Sat 9am to 9pm; Sun 9am to 6pm. Call 213-628-3170.

Story by Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy Of: Golden Road DTLA