#Tamarack tap room free#

More importantly, they have the opportunity to weigh in on the selections at their local watering hole by participating in a real-time, members-only discussion forum.

#Tamarack tap room free#

For a $250 annual fee, members get their name on the wall and one free beer at each visit. You want amazing pastries, you need to hire a pastry chef.” Designing and installing a stainless steel tap system that feeds 60 different taps took up most of their attention and resources, says Breen, who describes the result as “one of the coolest systems ever seen.”Īlso vital to Tamarack’s status as “more than your average tavern” is the 1,000-member “Founder’s Club,” which allows the managers to tap into the wisdom (and funding) of the masses. Breen says, “If you want to do things from scratch, you need lots of personnel. A 10-foot long charbroiler and a good number of deep fryers were removed to make way for additional burners, grills and the 22 individuals who now share the workspace. They modernized the equipment and refrigeration system, repaired the wood-burning stove and installed a higher quality grill. “The kitchen needed a lot more ,” Breen says. The pair also commissioned a large mural depicting the brew room at Stillwater’s Lift Bridge Brewing Company. “Once we took down all the posters and weird stuff, it looked really beautiful.” Rustic additions like reclaimed barn wood and corrugated metal enhance the natural brick, metal and glass elements that were already in place. “It was love at first sight,” Breen says. The pair explored locations in Minneapolis before finding their match in Woodbury in the former Champps Americana location. Breen declares Tamarack’s ground round “the best you’ve ever had in your life.” It tastes so much better that way.” Top quality is de rigueur in the meat department as well rather than processed meat, the menu features freshly butchered cuts. “Instead of making 20 gallon batches … you’re making one. “What I like best is craft: anything that requires time-that can’t be mass produced.” The tap room is a departure from his prior experience in large hotel kitchens, and he’s especially keen on the opportunity to ensure the quality of each and every plate. “I always wanted my own place,” Breen says. After years as a chef, Breen worked his way up to management and has now managed close to 20 restaurants over the course of his career, often as many as eight at a time. “He’s a chef behind the bar,” says Breen, the company’s president, who brings the culinary expertise to the endeavor. Berry, the location’s general manager, described the new restaurant as “a comfortable neighborhood gathering spot upscale bar food” with a focus on “fresh, local and seasonal products.” Their 72-tap system features craft domestic and international brews they also offer a wide variety of bourbons, craft cocktails and wine.īerry is a certified sommelier with the Guild of Master Sommeliers, and a certified wine and spirits specialist.

The pair began brewing a gastro pub concept back in 2012, and that shared vision became a reality in April with the opening of Tamarack Tap Room in Woodbury. Restaurant managers David Breen and Ben Berry have worked together at Tri-City Restaurant Management for over a decade.