Brewpub Grub: Reuben Sandwich, Prodigal Son Brewing and Pub, Pendleton OR

In Pendleton, home of the Pendleton Round-Up, my wife and I are inside a funky and historical old brick building that houses the Prodigal Son Brewpub.It's sandwich time for me and so I order the Prodigal Reuben, a luscious concoction of house-made corned beef and house fermented sauerkraut. Add Swiss cheese, the classic Russian dressing all inside lightly toasted rye bread, and you have a righteous deli delight in the heart of cattle country. Instead of a choice of fries or mixed greens, I chose onion rings. Biting into the Reuben, the salty corned beef complemented nicely with the sauerkraut, cheese and dressing. Chomp on an onion ring, and it's a good lunch today.

Prodigal Reuben

But the star of the show was a surprise for me: an experimental Belgian Ale! The Sun Ra Belgian is fermented with Forbidden Fruit yeast strain from Belgian, along with other wild yeasts. It's a different brew from what you would expect from the Great Pacific Northwest craft beer scene. The Sun Ra drank down smoothly and sweet to my taste, not sour tasting as I expected. I lift my glass in toast to the brewer-good job.

For you numbers people: ABV 7.3%, 15 IBU.