The Public House by Evans Brewing Co (Huntington Beach, CA)

by guest blogger Bryan Tsunoda @discovering_LA

The Bella Terra Mall is an outdoor shopping mall in Huntington Beach. Because it is clean and well laid out, it is quite popular with OC residents. Popular retailers like REI and Costco bring in the crowds and their restaurants are good. The PublicHouse by Evans Brewing Company opened last month in the Bella Terra Mall  and nicely filled in a niche for innovative food and craft beer.

Parking in the Bella Terra Mall can be challenging, but I got lucky and found a space only steps away from their establishment. I found The Public House by Evans Brewing Company to be a warm and inviting venue featuring exposed brick and local artwork. Large screen TVs are present, but since they aren’t on each wall, diners can choose whether or not they wish to watch TV.

The Public House made a strategic decision to use their strong craft beer offerings as ingredients for many of their food and craft cocktails. As an example, their sausages are infused with their craft beer, their Moules (mussels) uses Hefeweizen as a key ingredient for the sauce and their caramelized onions are simmered in their KrHOPen IPA.

I was impressed that they had 14 of their craft beers on tap, but I instead veered towards their innovative cocktail list. Affordably priced at $10, each contained between 3-5 ingredients and is topped with a splash with one of their craft beers. An example of this is their Berry Wasted, made with silver tequila, fresh orange juice, lime juice and topped with their Triple Berry Wheat beer. This drink was both fruity and refreshing.

The Dandy Shandy is made with Sobieski Vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and fresh blackberries. It was both sweet and sour and I liked enjoyed the fresh blackberries on top - nice touch on the presentation!

Legend of the Wooden Monkey is a blend of three different single malts. Amaro Lucano gives the drink more complexity by adding some bitterness and sweetness to the scotch. Evans’ Oaklore Brown Ale adds a bit of vanilla to the taste. This drink is extremely smooth.

Duck Confit is one of my favorite proteins. It is full of flavor due to its preparation technique. The Public House customized Canadian poutine by topping it with duck confit and surrounding it with an amazing sage gravy. Combining this with an Evans’ craft brew is a no-brainer.

I also was able to sample their Coastal Ceviche, Kale & Beet Salad and their Fried Cauliflower. Of the three, I enjoyed the Kale & Beet Salad the most. It also contained candied walnuts and a delicious chia seed dressing.

Most of the better restaurants have become meticulous about sourcing their pizza ingredients. Toppings are becoming somewhat ubiquitous, allowing the crust to be a difference maker. The Pesto Pie pizza (roasted garlic, red pepper flakes, tomatoes and mozzarella) topped a crisp flatbread crust. The crust was crispy and was rich in flavor.

The Nashville Fried Chicken was comprised of crispy fried chicken that had a delicious coating. I also thought that the pretzel bun boosted the flavor. This chicken was not spicy and not indicative of a true Nashville fried chicken experience.

The Pub Burger is ground fresh with a mix of ribeye, brisket and short ribs. Caramelized onions that were simmered with their KrHOPen IPA, creamy coleslaw and bread pickles are added. The taste of the patty was amazing and it was nice and juicy on the inside. It was my favorite item on their menu.

For dessert, I tried the Chef’s Choice Bread Pudding. Warm bread pudding was topped with coffee ice cream and drizzled with a caramel sauce. It was a great way to end the evening.

The Public House by Evans Brewing company is open daily for lunch, dinner and late night. Live music will be featured Thursday - Saturday. They also have a food truck!

The Public House by Evans Brewing Company

7511 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

http://www.evansbrewco.com.