From the beginning of its launch amid the Presidio’s idyllic woods and Bay views, Fort Point Beer Company nailed crowd-pleasing beers. They focused on quality kolsch, IPAs, pilsner and the like, quickly becoming a beloved local beer. They moved on to broader popularity, now at the likes of Target and Trader Joe’s, although it is still only distributed in California, minimally in Arizona and in Japan. In the last couple years, they release standout seasonal specials, like a killer yuzu KSA radler, thankfully now part of the main line (my Time Out cover story on local breweries, including a chat with brothers/co-founders Tyler and Justin Catalana here).
In October 2019, they opened their first taproom/restaurant in the heart of the Mission: Fort Point Valencia. From the beginning, it was an unusual brewpub/beer restaurant that category needed. Instead of yet another industrial brewery space or wood and brass pub cliché, electric blue walls and skylights meet neon signage by artist Shawna Peterson and minimalist white lines and lighting along the bar. Designed by Fort Point’s chief brand officer Dina Dobkin, executed by creative studio Medium Small, a mixture of long wood booth tables and bar-height tables line the lofty, narrow space, flanked by a white-on-white mural by local sign painters, New Bohemia Signs. Bold color meets almost Zen-like neutrality, making the space feel forward-thinking and soothing at the same time.
They closed during the pandemic, less than a year after opening, and I wasn’t sure if they’d return. Thankfully, Fort Point Valencia reopened on February 9th, 2022. I was impressed from day one with chef Eric Ehler’s (formerly Mister Jiu’s, Black Sands) utensil-free dishes beyond the usual brewpub fare, from yeast-leavened “party bread” to vegan yuba club or pork chop sandwiches. With Ehlers gone post-reopening, I wasn’t sure if it would hold up on the food side, much as I never questioned the drink.
A warm welcome from host to servers kept up throughout the meal, as our server was well informed on flavor profiles of the draft beers and dishes, mastering unobtrusive but “there when you need them” attentiveness. Samples of drafts helped us narrow downpours and the only wish is that they offered flights or smaller pours for those of us who prefer or need to try more can sample a cross-section without waste or over-drinking.
Chef Andrew Farr (formerly Berkeley’s Gather), working with culinary director Ryan Fowler (formerly Che Fico, Absinthe), developed a short-but-sweet menu that succeeded enough times it almost feels like it doesn’t need more. French fries with house-made “Heinz” and garlic mayo/aioli obviously work, but a $5 bowl of spicy nuts — peanuts, walnuts, ginger, Fresno chilies, furikake seasoning and the salty-goodness of anchovies — is the winning (and more unique) bar snack.
On the more robust starter side, sunchoke dip starts to run a little sweet as you keep eating the generous portion, but a crisp round of crudités, from Romanesco to radishes, dusted in pistachios, is garden-fresh happiness and the right contrat. Crispy veggies sing not just with beers but with a tight wine selection that includes pours to please natural and local wine lovers, like a balanced Edmunds St. John’s 2020 Heart of Gold Grenache Blanc/ Vermentino from California’s Sierra Foothills, or a zippy 2020 Pequenos Rebentos Loureiro Pet Nat from Minho, Portugal. On the lighter ABV side, Flying Embers pineapple chili hard kombucha on draft also pairs buoyantly with a few dishes.
I long ago wearied of fancy deviled eggs — a great snack but so overdone it threatens to equal ubiquitous fried brussels sprouts or other such overdone starters of the past 20 years. But in our blessed Dungeness crab season, it’s hard to be mad at crab deviled eggs, especially with the pop of trout roe, Meyer lemon and tarragon.
Ehler’s fry bread is back, recalling native American fry bread in ethos and body, here with Farr and Fowler’s unique toppings and contrast of smoked speck, caper mayo, celery, fennel and Fresno chilies.
The black pepper and ginger scallion kick of the pork sandwich remains, but if you like funky cheese and a juicy, tender burger, their cheeseburger gains unctuous depth from Cypress Grove’s Bermuda Triangle Cheese with onion jam and Dijon mayo.
I promise I’m not avoiding the beer. The 22 tap system includes Fort Point classics and specials — from NorCal Beer Hall of Famer KSA Kölsch Style Ale to Sfizio Italian Pilsner, as well as their monthly Limited Beer Series and — a big win for Ft. Point. fans — draft-only R+D (research and development) beers from experimental recipes by head brewer/director of innovation Mike Schnebeck.
What makes this a stellar brewpub, however, is that they don’t just feature their own beers. The robust guest beer program ensures there are sours and styles not made by Ft. Point from favorites like North Coast Brewing great Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (silky-frothy on nitro draft) to Oklahoma’s tart, playful Prairie Artisan Ales Rainbow Sherbet kettle sour. More gems on the rotating list on my February visit: Temescal Brewing’s Double Guava Boat, Woods Beer & Wine Co.’s herbal yerba mate, and hibiscus Morpho, and Fieldwork Brewing’s fascinating Blackberry Parfait Kettle Sour tart yet creamy, even meaty, with blackberry, lactose, and vanilla.
With all that beer, we didn’t have room for dessert, but that Blackberry Parfait beer worked beautifully as a finish. The neon Fort Point sign cast its glow across the dining room as we got up to leave.
Much as I love classic, I can’t help but wish more beer-centric restaurants would push boundaries the way Fort Point has, daring to try a fresh feel. Partnering with the right designers, chefs, fellow brewers and other drink makers, Fort Point exemplifies a new style of brewpub, as forward-reaching as it is relaxed, savvy on all fronts well beyond “just” the beer.
// 742 Valencia Street, https://fortpointbeer.com/locations/fort-point-valencia
