Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 4, 1995                   TAG: 9510040087
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TAMMY POOLE THE DAILY PROGRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

PUB SPECIALIZS IN HOME BREW AND HOME COOKING

It's the food.

With the abundance of restaurants in Charlottesville, success depends on the quality of the food, he said. ``Customers may come for the beer a couple of times, but if the food's no good, they'll go somewhere else.''

The most popular item on the menu is from Summers' mom's recipe - Caribbean Marinated Chicken, a grilled, boneless chicken breast marinated in Jamaican rum, lime juice, brown sugar and island spices. It is served with fresh bread, salad, potato and a vegetable.

Blue Ridge Brewing Co. mainly focuses on American and regional dishes and uses local ingredients, Summers said. Tourists frequently comment on the unusual offerings - smoked trout wontons, country ham-mustard wontons and Romano artichoke dip, to name a few. There are daily specials.

The food is approximately 65 percent of the pub brewery's business, he said. But it's not the food that made the pub brewery famous.

Blue Ridge Brewing Co., founded by Summers, 35, and his brother, Paul Summers, 39, opened in 1987 in the historic Starr Hill section of downtown Charlottesville. Housed in a 125-year-old building, the brewery pub has an oak bar, brick walls, a tin ceiling and hardwood floors. The brewery equipment - giant stainless steel vats in a spotless environment - is visible from the street.

The finished product is stored in the basement of the building, where it flows to taps at the bar. The brothers - grandsons of author William Faulkner, who taught briefly at the University of Virginia - wanted to return to Charlottesville and open their own business, Bok Summers said. The presence of the university also influenced their decision.

``Back then, things were a lot different. People drank more. Now most people are more health-conscious and will have a beer or two with dinner,'' Summers said.

Paul Summers, Blue Ridge Brewing Co.'s chef, was a merchant seaman for 10 years. Having dabbled briefly with a similar establishment in San Francisco, he correctly predicted the trend would spread to the East Coast.

Bok Summers, who had experience with home brewing, is the brewer. He begins mixing the brew at around 7 a.m. two or three times each week. Blue Ridge Brewing Co. brews its beers with hops, malted barley, yeast and water from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The entire operation is on the premises.

In addition to specialty brews, the pub brewery always sells four of its own mixtures: Hawksbill Lager, described as a crisp, golden Pilsner-style lager; Piney River Lager, an amber, malty lager with ``Vollmundigkeit'' (mouth-feel); Afton Ale, an amber, hoppy ale - sharp but not bitter; and Humpback Stout, a rich, dark stout with a mild sweetness balanced by a touch of hops. The beer is aged for up to 30 days before it is served, Paul Summers said.

In addition to their own brew, Blue Ridge Brewing Co. sells commercial beers.

``It's purely an economic decision. I don't want someone to not come here because they cannot get a Budweiser,'' Bok Summers said.

But he is not concerned about competition from the big beer manufacturers. ``People like to drink the beer where it is made,'' he said.

CUBAN PORK CHOPS

2 butterfly pork chops

1 15-ounce can of black beans

2 oz. dark rum

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 diced chipotle chili (smoke-dried jalapenos that can be found in many gourmet or Latin markets)

2 seeded and diced serrano chilies

Juice of 2 limes

2 teaspoons cumin

1 bay leaf

3 to 4 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Mark the pork chops on hot grill, searing both sides. Transfer to an oven-proof casserole and add remaining ingredients. The chops should be completely covered with the black bean mixture and cooked at 325 degrees until tender.

Serves 2.

Recipe supplied by restaurant; tested by members of the junior element of the Tidewater Chef's Association, American Culinary Federation and Johnson and Wales University College of Culinary Arts.