At Blue Heron Brewery, Tuesdays are for tacos and Wednesdays are for affordable date-night dining
By Ken McEntee
Wednesday may be thought of as the free agent among all the days of the week. It really doesn’t belong to last weekend, and Thursday tends to be the day when we start to get into the mood for next weekend.
So maybe Wednesday should be thought of as a celebration unto itself.
At least that’s the way it is at Blue Heron Brewery, where loving couples can enjoy Wednesday evening Date Night without blowing the weekend budget.
“Our Wednesday evening Date Night special is a phenomenal value,” emphasizes Ben Erjavec, executive chef and co-owner of the popular brewpub. “For just $49, you get a three-course dinner for two, including appetizers, entrees and dessert—plus, each person gets a complimentary draft beer or a glass of wine. When you add it all up, it’s a romantic way to break up the week.”
It’s also a nice follow-up to Taco Tuesdays, Blue Heron’s weekly tribute to inventive spins on south-of-the-border cuisine. If you think tacos are supposed to be flexible orange shells filled with a teaspoon of ground beef, covered with a handful of lettuce and a sprinkle of fire sauce poured from a cleverly inspirational packet, you’ve probably haven’t tried Ben’s renditions.
“We get very creative,” Ben promises. “We change it up with different tacos every week, which might include anything from pork bellies to shrimp ceviche.”
A recent Taco Tuesday, for example, featured soft shells loaded with:
• Barbecue shrimp with grilled squash and onions, and smoked bell pepper aioli
• Blue Heron Stout braised beef tenderloin with fresh arugula and crispy onions
• Cajun chicken with chorizo and pepper queso blanco
Yo quiero, Blue Heron.
The Taco Tuesday special includes three tacos—plus rice and beans—all for just $12.
And they pair nicely with the 16 varieties of in-house craft brew that flows from Blue Heron’s taps.
“For the winter, we’re now introducing some heartier beers with higher ABV (alcohol by volume) to help keep you warm and toasty,” says Mike Piazza, brew master and co-owner.
An interesting one to get you started might be Mike’s Bourbon Maple Imperial Brown Ale, which is aged in wooden barrels that not only once absorbed the essence of fine Buffalo Trace bourbon, but were then used to make maple syrup.
Always a stickler for perfection, Mike recently hired an additional full-time brewer—Josiah Beha—to join him and Ryan Borgschulte to oversee Blue Heron’s meticulous brewing process. Under a recently implemented sensory quality control process, Mike, Josiah and Ryan now sample each beer and grade it on a strict 38-category test to be sure that it is flawless, Mike says.
Whoa, I’ll take that job.
On a brisk winter evening, your well-crafted draft may go down well in the comfort one of Blue Heron’s heated igloo domes, which comfortably seat up to eight people.
Or, if you prefer a quiet evening at home—especially on Valentine’s Day—you can preorder Blue Heron’s Surf-n-Turf Take-n-Bake Valentine special, which includes a pair of filet mignon, six jumbo shrimp scampi, house salad, fresh-baked rolls with garlic compound butter, roasted red pepper risotto, roasted seasonal vegetables, chocolate-covered strawberries and a bottle of bubbly—all for just $79. And all you need to do is pick it up and heat it in the oven. A bouquet of fresh flowers—for just $30 more—may help to enhance the impact of the bubbly.
You can make reservations and learn more at BlueHeronMedina.com or by calling 330-870-BLUE. Blue Heron is located at 3227 Blue Heron Trace, in Medina. You can get the latest updates on parties and entertainment at Facebook: @blueheronmedina.