Brewpub Grub: Tuna Tango Melt, Old Ivy Brewery and Taproom, Vancouver WA

Lunch time: Out the front gate, turn right, turn right again, then a left, and in 10 easy minutes walking I'm at Old Ivy Brewery and Taproom. Neighborhood brewpubs mean civilization at its finest.

For lunch I choose the appealing It Takes Tuna to Tango Melt. Old Ivy's offering is Oregon coast line caught albacore and melted fontina cheese served between two toasty slices of pane di como style bread. For the side, I chose the cole slaw.

It Takes Tuna to Tango Melt

Biting into this delightful concoction of a sandwich begs the question: Is this a tuna melt or is this a magnificent grilled cheese sandwich? I'll take both because it is both.

This is a really good sandwich. Real tuna chunks along with bits of crispy onion awards the taste buds with a true tuna experience. However, the real star of this show is the fontina: the melted gooey cheese packs the sandwich with a robust creamy goodness that says "Grilled Cheese" to the palate. All this sandwiched between buttery grilled bread makes for a memorable-and rewarding-lunch.

For my beer, I had Old Ivy's Red Ale. With a mild sweet malt taste and low hop bitterness, the Red drank down smooth and easy. The Red played nicely with the tuna, not overwhelming the flavors of the sandwich.

And next door to the brewpub is the exciting and brew-eye-candy beer shop, By The Bottle. With a beer lover's selection of beers ranging from the Pacific Northwest's finest to the rest of the world's greatest, The By The Bottle beer shop offers the beer drinker plenty of commendable brews. Whenever I'm invited to a party, I stop first at By The Bottle for my beer purchases.

The Old Ivy Brewery and Taproom is located in a cozy building in the downtown Vancouver, Washington. The pub has pleasant outdoor seating during the warm summer and fall months. Next time you're in the area, check out Old Ivy in the 'Couv.

And with a reminder: Support your local brewpub.

Tuesday-Saturday 12 - 11pm