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Have you been to the Iron Horse Brewery pub in downtown Ellensburg? It’s a friendly little place where the kind and handsome people of Ellensburg gather to enjoy many happy beers. Located on the main drag in the heart of town, The Pub is impossible to miss, so don’t try to use that as an excuse.

Until now, The Pub has been a beer-only joint, save for popcorn and people eating it. The alarming rate at which people were consuming popcorn set the great minds at Iron Horse to thinking. That didn’t accomplish anything, so they turned to their customers for ideas. Although popcorn is one of the four main food groups, and ranks very high on the FDA’s list of beer-friendly snacks, the wise villagers at The Pub yearned for something more. So Iron Horse is adding a kitchen to The Pub.

Iron Horse [The Pub]

412 N Main Street

Ellensburg, WA 98926

Map

Here’s the story in their own words:

Iron Horse Brewery Announces Food at The Pub, Making [ the pub ] an Actual Pub.

Because the beer is looking for a friend.

ELLENSBURG, WA (January 7, 2016)- After 11 years of operating as tasting room, Iron Horse Brewery is announcing that food service will soon be available at [ the pub ]. The time is now, according to a bunch of customers who have been asking for in house food to be available. Chef Kevin “KC” Camarillo has joined the Iron Horse Brewery cousinhood to ensure the new food options parallel the high quality they expect from their brews. In his 25.5 years of foodservice experience KC has helped start over 15 restaurants and was the executive chef at two separate universities. His culinary expertise is the perfect match up to Iron Horse’s raw enthusiasm for great tasting food.

“If there is one thing to understand about our food, it is that we see a gap between diversity of options and focused beer and food pairing. Our goal is to close that gap”, said Greg Parker owner and general manager of Iron Horse Brewery. “Food that is specifically made with our beer in mind ensures that we better get it right, like, all of the time”, commented Parker.

Why Now?

The decision to put food on the menu came after several years of deliberation, but they chose 2016 because of demand, a desire to create distinct food & beer pairing options, and in part, because of the recent survey conducted by Arnett Muldrow, commissioned by the EDA and Chamber of Commerce which identified food service as driver for greater tourism numbers.

“Our focus has been and continues to be one that helps drive new and repeat customers to Ellensburg”, said Jared Vallejo, director of marketing. “We want to do our part in making Ellensburg a real tourist destination, where all businesses and community members benefit from a prosperous core”, added Vallejo. “Also, we know that quaffing and masticating go hand in hand, so there’s that” commented Vallejo.

Details

The kitchen start date is tentatively set for the first week of March. [the pub] will add to the culinary cultural richness of Ellensburg by integrating styles, ingredients, and concepts from all regions and mindspaces.

“We have waited to take this big step into food until we were sure that we were capable of doing it right. We are ready and excited to share it.” Retail manager Suzanne Vargas managed to say.

“Much like our beer, food at [ the pub ] will include risks and break rules in ingredients as well as pairings.” Retail Manager, Vargas added. Operating Hours and age restrictions (21 and over) will remain unchanged. The menu will feature vague, unique-to-Ellensburg options that they have yet to fully realize.

ABOUT THE CHEF IN LABEL:

ANSWER FORM

Name: Kevin “KC” Camarillo

DOB: Disco Era

Birthplace: Bellflower, Ca

Experience: Sweating in the kitchen since the early 90’s

Education: Survivor of 12 years of Catholic school and Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Favorite Artists: Tim McGraw, Foo Fighters, Sinatra, AC/DC, Elvis, and Tool

Favorite Movie: “Tortilla Soup”

Favorite Book: “Life, on the Line” by Grant Achatz

Favorite Beer: Mountain Avenue Wheat by CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing

Hobbies: Outdoorsy shit

Guilty Pleasure: Britney Spears and Dr. Pepper on ice

Bucket List: Mountain bike the Pacific Crest Trail