A pub with fresh greens....

Let me make something perfectly clear: I don't think that televisions have any place in restaurants. It's not because of the dissoultion of the American family, nor due to any concern about some technology over-saturation....no, it's just DISTRACTING. The flickering lights in ALL Of my peripheral vision makes me feel all twittery...and not relaxed.

However, I do recognize that there are some places that rely on televisions for the cultivation of a certain....well it's not quite ambiance....perhaps energy? If ever we should overlook at television, it is at a brew pub. And a pub with fresh greens? I am willing to overlook quite a bit.

I know that Upland Brewery is a bit of an institution in Bloomington, but I was not overly excited about it the first time I tried it. It can be noisy, and, well, there's all those televisions, and whatever I had there on my first visit was decidely un-memorable (see, I can't even remember what it was). But then....we went back, proving once again that it's always good to keep an open mind.

Have you TRIED the house salad at Upland? There are honest-to-goodness VEGETABLES in there, lots of them, nice and fresh, and beautiful greens, and what is absolutely, positively, my most favorite salad dressing ever. Ever. Sesame ginger--can I eat it with a spoon? I have to admit that I was so taken with my salad that I didn't attend quite as closely to my entree, but overall, I was thrilled with the general freshness, non-greasyness, and non-"we have a corporate kitchen filled with people who are just clocking in" style of food. I appreciated the creativity of the curried vegetables that were on special, and I was especially thrilled that all this could be had at a BREW PUB, where I was getting extra bonus points for being a good partner just for showing up. If this is what I can expect from Upland Brewery, I will definitely be back--and I promise to complain only a LITTLE about the televisions.

Overall rating: 8.8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Pricing: 10/10
Ambiance: 8/10

Rating scale: Food: 1=inedible, 10=unforgettable Pricing: 1=totally unresonable, 10=worth every penny Ambiance: 1=I'd better bring this home, 10=I want this to BE my new home

Location: 350 W. 11th Street Bloomington, IN