Wolf ’s Ridge boasts a dynamic carryout menu
Wolf ’s Ridge Brewing has been upping its carryout and delivery game to reach the largest number of palates while satisfying the rigorous standards of executive chef Seth Lassak.
Although the main dining room menu is available, the food doesn’t travel well. The taproom bill of fare, strongly recommended for transport, has chefdriven touches and is priced for the average diner with a hearty appetite, Lassak said.
The Big Kahuna burger ($10), named from a scene in the movie “Pulp Fiction,” reflects Lassak’s desire to locally source as many ingredients as possible.
The ground beef is sourced from RL Valley Ranch near Athens. A single with a 4-ounce patty (two patties for $10 and three for $12) are sizzled on the flattop for a nice exterior crust.
Wolf ’s Ridge uses a fluffy bun from Lucky Cat, a Granville purveyor, and piles on pepper jack, a grilled pineapple slice and zesty homemade barbecue sauce.
“It’s a fun burger,” Lassak said. “It’s got good-quality products — good bun,
ground beef and caramelized onions drenched in a pleasant, tangy-sweet tomato sauce and garnished with fiery jalapeno rings and shredded dairy-free cheddar. It’s a large sandwich, but if you’re sharing or are seriously famished, several sides are available.
These include the highly recommended Red Skinned Potato Salad ($4) — a zippy-yet-hearty dish enhanced by diced red peppers, celery and onions; the Butcher’s Greens ($7) — a kalebased salad with smoky plant-based bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, napa cabbage strands, toasty house croutons and a bright house lemon vinaigrette; Beans and Franks ($4) — a comforting and fairly believable riff on Beanie Weenies; plus Mac-n-cheese ($5) — glutenfree elbow pasta in a somewhat spicy, smoky and brothy sauce.
The Hot Ham And Cheese ($9) was another sandwich highlight. Good toasted sourdough (Vida’s wisely features bread from Lucky Cat Bakery), brown mustard, “sweet heat” pickles and house “mayonnaise” brought a lot to a party that starred plenty of decent smoky sham ham and pretend provolone.
I also enjoyed the piled-high Smokey Club ($12). Likewise arriving on toasted sourdough dressed with house mayo and brown mustard, it deserved its embers-evoking description — mine was thickly layered with a vegan trio of smoked turkey, peppered bacon and ham. The combo comes with lettuce and tomato, and is the way to go if you’re really hungry and want something from the menu section titled “The Cold Corner.”
The “meat” in Vida’s Reuben ($11) seemed more like bologna to me than corned beef, albeit somewhat peppery bologna. I like bologna, so I didn’t really mind. And besides, grilled kraut, fine house Thousand Island dressing, dairyfree mozzarella and griddle-crisped marbled rye helped carry the sandwich over the finish line.
If you don’t want to have a cow but you want a Philly Cheesesteak ($12), Vida’s has a solution: A toasted hoagie roll packed with sizable hunks of soyflavored “beef” and gently sauteed onions and peppers, plus nutty-andcreamy notes from house mayo and dairy-free provolone. Although the result won’t fool anyone that it’s the real Mccoy, it’s a reasonable facsimile that tastes pretty good, is filling and far more healthful than the cholesterolladen original.
Actually, that description is a fair assessment of Vida’s fare in general. In a nutshell, this niche-filling eatery makes it easy for people to pig-out on beloved sandwiches without the pig — or any animal-derived product. All you have to do is show up, order an old favorite and act naturally.
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