Metro Detroit: Livonia’s Schoolcraft College Craft Grill
The Craft Grill, at Schoolcraft College, is a new and exciting Brew Pub featuring beers made in house by the Schoolcraft Brewing and Distilling program at the college. The Brew Pub has been there for a few years, but their recent multi-million dollar renovation has allowed them to expand from being open 1 day a week for 3 hours to being open 5 days a week for 10-12 hours 5 days a week. They now offer food as well. This is a great hidden gem in Livonia since no one would think to go to a school for lunch or dinner. The brew pub is located at the north end of campus in the Vista Tech Center and is attached to the American Harvest Restaurant.
The beers are good, really good, and have won numerous awards though the years. They usually have 8-10 beers on tap and their Flagship beers, “275” Kolsch, Haggerty IPA and College Pale Ale are all delicious and always available. The rest are a variety and can range from Reds, Germans, Saisons, Porters and Stouts. The prices are reasonable at $6 a pint or a 4 pour flight for $10. All their beers are available to go either in cans, crowlers or growlers.
They also offer wines (not yet made in house) and Mocktails like a Whiskey sour (minus the whiskey) or their Mock Mule.
On to the food. This is the part that is new. They aren’t serving microwave pizzas or deep fried mini tacos. This is a brew pub that is part of a culinary program and the food menu does not disappoint when it comes to flavor. It is not a big menu but it is the type of menu that best suits a brew pub. On their Sharables they offer a charcuterie and cheese plate, pretzel bites, roasted garlic fries and a Neapolitan pizza. They offer wings 4 ways, Traditional Buffalo but with garlic, Jamaican Jerk, Chipotle Maple and a dry rubbed Za’atar.
There are a couple salad for those of you that like a salad with your beer, for the vegans in the crowd they have roasted veggie Mediterranean Tacos, there is a blackened cod sandwich topped with a creamy cucumber salad and 2 burgers, a classic and the Porto In Paradise Burger which I have become addicted to. A ½ pounder cooked to order and topped with a grilled portobello mushroom, Boursin and provolone cheeses, and pesto mayo on a kaiser roll. All the sandwiches are served with Sage & Roasted Garlic Fries which almost steal the show…I said almost. They also have desserts that are made in house by their pastry class.
This place is a definite must go to place if you are in the area and are a fan of good food and beer.
Schoolcraft College is located at 18600 Haggerty Road between 6 Mile and 7 Mile. The Craft Grill is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11AM to 9PM and Friday and Saturday from 11AM till 10PM.
Until next week . . . live well, eat well and enjoy life!
-Keith & Teresa Becker