Crooked Run and Pizza Serata is a new, collaborative concept from Crooked Run Fermentation owners/brew masters Jake Endres and Lee Rogan, Michelin-starred Chef Chris Morgan, and “Pizza Czar” Anthony Falco. We attended the friends and family event Monday and got to sample their food and beer.

We sampled four brews: Raspberry Empress (a sour), and three Pilsners, New Zealand, Italian, and German. All four were great, with my favorite being the Italian-style Pilsner, while my guest’s favorite was the New Zealand-style Pilsner.

We tried the Arugula Salad (Lemon Vin, Pickled Peppers, Whipped Ricotta, Roasted Beets, Red Onions Jam, Crushed Pistachios), Steak Sandwich (Skirt Steak, Salsa Verde, Calabrian Aioli, House-Made Bread), Sicilian Anchovy Pizza (Anchovies, Tomato, Garlic, Pecorino, Roasted Onions, Breadcrumbs), and Reading Terminal Pizza (Porchetta, Mozzarella, Broccoli Rabe, Provolone, Long Hots, Vodka Sauce).

As far as the food, the absolute standout was the Arugula Salad, with delicious pickled peppers, roasted beets, and crushed pistachios. A nearby table raved about the Italian Chop Salad, and there is also a third salad on the menu (Grilled Treviso). The pizzas were good as well, with a thick focaccia-like crust, as was the Steak Sandwich. While we did try their Sticky Garlic Chicken Wings and were not crazy about them (the texture and level of saltiness), it was the first day of service, so they can still work on that one.

We definitely need to go back, since there are salads, brews, and pizzas we didn’t get to try.

-JAY

Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still our own.