I take a peek at the beer list. Sly Fox. Wells. Great Lakes. Victory. Dogfish Head. Yards.
It’s a tasteful selection and I’m excited to explore part of it during my Ruth’s Chris Steak House Pairing. No, that’s not a typo. Ruth’s is boasting a stellar craft list round the King of Prussia parts and, in fact, they have been for quite some time now.
Many Main Line diners already took advantage of the adult beverage offerings and were happy to see Ruth’s craft beer list evolve over time. Now regular “Ruthies” and unfamiliar faces have more to look forward to as special events are filling the Steak House’s upcoming schedule, like Thank Ruth It’s Friday Happy Hours, Oktoberfest Beer Pairings, and KOP Beerfest Royale, slated for October 5th and 6th in the King of Prussia Mall parking lot.
“We’ve probably been carrying craft beers for about three and a half to four years now. The first one we started with was Victory and their Hop Devil. We had a lot of success with that and found that we started to have a cult following for the local microbrew. We had a definite calling for more craft beer so we expanded at first with more Victory, like Golden Monkey and Storm King. Then we delved into the tri-state area, exploring places like Sly Fox and Dogfish Head,” shared Ruth’s King of Prussia Manager, Danielle Petty.
You can catch the Thank Ruth It’s Friday celebration every Friday, year round, and take advantage of their happy hour specials, half price bottles of wine, or a $99 date night menu for two. To add to their offerings, especially in honor of their KOP Beerfest involvement and Oktoberfest, Ruth’s is going to run Craft Beer Pairings each Friday throughout October. These pairings will not only extend their regular 4:30 to 6:30PM happy hour an extra 30 minutes, but they will feature a different microbrewery each week, plus include a take home glass and giveaways. The educational pairings are set to begin on October 5th with Great Lakes Brewing Company, who will also be available to sip on October 6th at KOP Beerfest Royale.
While the occasions looming in Ruth’s special events crystal ball sounded deliciously dandy, my attention couldn’t wander toward much else once the food started pouring from the kitchen. I sat with Danielle and Julia Devaney, Director of Private Dining, as we tasted our way through their Sizzle, Swizzle and Swirl Happy Hour menu, which includes a variety of $7 short plates Monday through Friday, perfect for your after work unwind. While I was graciously treated to a bite of each tasty dish, we opted to pair only four of them with appropriate craft beers so as to explore the available diversity but not overdo it. That turned out to be a wonderful idea since the plan of attack made way for more dessert, a course that shined brightly among all the cuisine.
Spicy Lobster & Victory Golden Monkey
We kicked things off with just that, a kick! The lobster carried a perfect hint of spice toward the end of each bite, balancing heat and flavor in a respectful fashion, thanks to the chile mayonnaise it was sauteed in. The complementing characteristics of the petite seafood bites were hard to imagine any better…until Golden Monkey came along. This belgian style ale from Victory pitched it’s fruity notes to the lobster treat and was welcomed with open arms, no bargaining needed.
Tenderloin Skewers & Wells Banana Bread Beer
I have to admit I was a little skeptical about pairing the Wells Banana Bread Beer with Tenderloin Skewers. This was mainly because of the sesame soy sauce which was used in flavoring the skewers. The meat and fruity beer combo turned out to be fantastic. As delicious as they were, it was wonderful to break up the tenderloin juices with a hearty bread flavor that reminded me of cozying up in a cottage and baking my heart out around this time of year.
Steak Sandwich with Fries & Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout
Ruth’s efforts to contend on the cheesesteak front are truly successful. They made the signature sammie their own with generous slices of tender and juicy, grilled steak presented on a plush roll with a crispy outside. My serving was topped off with a sliver of homemade béarnaise sauce. It was sliced into four sections, which I noted is convenient if you plan to share with a happy hour crew, and served with a side of seasoned hand cut fries. I could tell they were hand cut at first glance and the taste was very reassuring of that.
Apple Tart & Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald
Although not much of a sweets person, there’s something about Apple Pie that inhabits itself deeply in my food loving heart. Pop those apples in a flaky tart, top them with vanilla bean ice cream and a swirl of caramel, how can you say no? Like the items on the Sizzle, Swizzle and Swirl menu I had just finished noshing my way through, the dessert was served in the most generous of sizes and the porter paired so smoothly I hardly noticed it wasn’t my normal dessert beverage of coffee. If you’re looking for the coziest and tastiest dessert-beer pairing out there, Ruth’s seems to have it right now. More, please!
On top of the many dishes mentioned above, I also thoroughly enjoyed the Seared Ahi Tuna and was smitten over the Spirited Ginger Mustard Beer that came with it. Really, the entire menu was not only versatile, it struck me as practical for several dining occasions. I shy away from ordering entire entrees and would rather taste my way through a variety of flavors in tiny bites. Whether dining with a significant other or the usual happy hour gang, Ruth’s short plate menu and available craft beers will get the job done.
And even for those of you who’d rather dig in to a full juicy steak, something tells me they have a good selection waiting for you. Just don’t forget to save room for the craft beer! We know there will be plenty of it at KOP Beerfest Royale to pair with Ruth’s day of offerings.
