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Walking from the El on a steamy sunny evening, Malcolm X Park looks like a postcard and is a welcome respite from the exhaust and loud music of 52nd street. It also lines my path perfectly as I make my way to the Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant, a Philadelphia tradition with a new home here on Baltimore Ave.

Ample outdoor seating has many takers tonight despite the heat. I prefer the air conditioning and look forward to crawling into a frosty glass for the next hour. The brick sidewalls and stark stone floor provide a look that is more brewery than restaurant. But the homebrewed beer and wood-burning-oven pizza are the real stars here. Besides the couches in the corner, the place has a decidedly unfinished appeal that reflects well on the West Philly neighborhood passing by the large front windows.

Always a sucker for an IPA, I immediately order the Rye IPA, an American pale brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops. My first reaction is that this pale has too tough a bite to be drinkable for the long haul. But, as I usually am, I am won over as the draught begins to lose its stiffness and gives way to a complex but thoroughly enjoyable richness. Beware: this is not a beer for the fearful of hoppy flavor.

Having heard great things about the pizza, I plan on it as a course of action and one look at the menu tells me the management agrees with my decision. Pizza makes up half the menu items. I order one with a name I can’t pronounce, the Flammenkuche (Flah-mehn-koo-kay) and hope for the best.

At the suggestion of the mohawked, t-shirted gentleman behind the counter, I order the Trio fries to tide me over. A hand-cut blend of white and sweet potatoes and leeks, they turn out to be rather garden-variety fare as I wait with baited breath for my pizza. The Flah-mehn-koo-kay turns out to be fantastic. The crust is clearly very fresh, hand thrown with stone-ground flour. And the gruyere and caramelized onion enhance the sweetness of the apple-smoked bacon. By the time you taste the thyme, you will be in love with this salty-sweet delight.

My second beer, to accompany my pizza-and-fries combo is the Gold Stock Ale. It comes with a citrusy bite that unfortunately reminds me of cleaning solution. But my mohawked, t-shirted friend (I come to find out his name is Roman) is all too kind and offers me something new. He suggests the Cuckoo’s Nest Red and provides a sample. Now this is a beer. Accessable and agreeable in all the ways a Yuingling might be. But as the brew is allowed to warm up a bit, the understated complexities begin to reveal themselves. But, amazingly, this red never looses its best quality: its drinkability. I could see buying a case of this stuff for an Eagles game and sharing it with friends.

Now completely full from gourmet pizza and a little drowsy from beer made a bit too well, I saunter back across Malcolm X park, amongst the beautiful porches and tree-lined streets of West Philadelphia, remembering my steps as I go, sure I will return.

Dock St
701 S. 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 726-2337
www.dockstreetbeer.com

Want to read up more on Dock St? Check out Alexis’ post and check it out in our University City vodcast!