I am really excited to introduce you to this Hidden Hop! I don't know what I love more, sharing these places with our dear readers, or finding them. As usual, I will share my initial introduction to this restaurant, then you're in for a special treat! I had the privilege of speaking with the promotional/ social media representative of J.Timothy's, Nikki, which means you will be the first to get the inside scoop on their history, as well as their beer scene.
We, The Barley Men, reside in Massachusetts, so we aren't always familiar with the local eateries in other states. Unfortunately, that means we either have to hunt for them, fall upon them by chance, or have friends recommend places. And we all know our friends our experts on everything... right?
A group of us went to see the premier of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Plainville, CT. It was a bit of a drive, but for a great movie and being with friends, we decided to make the trip.
We, The Barley Men, reside in Massachusetts, so we aren't always familiar with the local eateries in other states. Unfortunately, that means we either have to hunt for them, fall upon them by chance, or have friends recommend places. And we all know our friends our experts on everything... right?
A group of us went to see the premier of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Plainville, CT. It was a bit of a drive, but for a great movie and being with friends, we decided to make the trip.
So, after the movies, it's later in the evening what does everyone want to do? Get food! So then came the debate. My wife was ravenous, and most everybody else was indifferent. I was about to make the mistake of just driving across the street to Taco Bell (Grade D for Delicious), when I heard a friend say something about wings, and a restaurant with the name Timothy in it. Asking him to repeat it he mentioned J. Timothy's. A few of us heard of the place, some didn't, but the sound of wings just really hit that sweet spot you know?
It was settled, J. Timothy's it is. When we walked in, I was immediately impressed by the rustic style of the set up. Old-timey nick-nacs, fun quotes about wine, a soft lit ambiance, a large fireplace and ample seating. Yes, I was at home. Even the greeters made us feel welcome with their senses of humor. Even though our last minute party of 9 gave one of them the deer in the headlights look.
So we got settled in at our table almost immediately, maybe it was our quips to sit down, or the hunger in my wife's eyes, or just great service (I'll go with the latter). I looked at the menu and checked out the wings. As you can see in the link, they have a variety of meals, but since they are known for their wings, as I found out, I of course had to oblige. "Challenge Accepted," as one Barney Stinson might say.
Now, I know the waitress was going to ask what we wanted for drinks. And in anticipation I flipped the menu over to see what they had for beers. I guess a great cliche statement would be "I was like a kid in a candy store." Here's their two beer menus, Beer Menu & Featured Beers. I laughed at first because I said "Had it, Had it, Don't want it - OH, what's this?" I saw the word Relic. I checked my Untappd app, and saw I never had anything by them (yep, there's going to be a future post), so I ordered it. Funny, when I ordered it our waitress said "It's a farmhouse Ale is that OK?" I still laugh at that, but she didn't know me. It was very good, and just to reiterate I will be doing a post on Relic brewing and will include my thoughts on this beer too.
It was settled, J. Timothy's it is. When we walked in, I was immediately impressed by the rustic style of the set up. Old-timey nick-nacs, fun quotes about wine, a soft lit ambiance, a large fireplace and ample seating. Yes, I was at home. Even the greeters made us feel welcome with their senses of humor. Even though our last minute party of 9 gave one of them the deer in the headlights look.
So we got settled in at our table almost immediately, maybe it was our quips to sit down, or the hunger in my wife's eyes, or just great service (I'll go with the latter). I looked at the menu and checked out the wings. As you can see in the link, they have a variety of meals, but since they are known for their wings, as I found out, I of course had to oblige. "Challenge Accepted," as one Barney Stinson might say.
Now, I know the waitress was going to ask what we wanted for drinks. And in anticipation I flipped the menu over to see what they had for beers. I guess a great cliche statement would be "I was like a kid in a candy store." Here's their two beer menus, Beer Menu & Featured Beers. I laughed at first because I said "Had it, Had it, Don't want it - OH, what's this?" I saw the word Relic. I checked my Untappd app, and saw I never had anything by them (yep, there's going to be a future post), so I ordered it. Funny, when I ordered it our waitress said "It's a farmhouse Ale is that OK?" I still laugh at that, but she didn't know me. It was very good, and just to reiterate I will be doing a post on Relic brewing and will include my thoughts on this beer too.
Fun Fact: J. Timothy's has the only permanent tap for Relic in the state; beers rotate based on the brewer's choice.
Fun Fact: Locally, J. Timothy's has had Ten Penny on tap for years and have also featured Thomas Hooker (Bloomfield) and other CT breweries.
They also have a permanent tap for New England Brewing (Woodbridge) and Olde Burnside. This summer they'll feature Back East Brewing (Bloomfield) with a tap line. We also have 2 rotating taps that we like to use to feature local beer.
A friend had 668 The Neighbor of the Beast by New England Brewing Co. Judging by the size of his glass, I gathered it was a higher ABV. So of course I mooched a sip of that. This too was delicious, and quite crisp.
The food was great too. I tried the regular buffalo wings "Dirty" style, which basically means "sauced, fried, and sauced again for for for for a caramelized, crispier wing." They weren't lying, crisp and succulent. The sauce had flavor and a good burn. Next time I will try the other flavors. Their nachos are like a molten mountain of deliciousness, and their other meals are so picture perfect and appetizing, I feel like riding down their right now to eat. Never mind, I don't feel like changing.
I asked Nikki at J. Timothy's where they got their name. Is J. Timothy the name of the owner? How was the name chosen? Come to find out, "there are two owners, J. Timothy's is a combination of their names."
Here are a few more questions and answers.
TBM: What lead in the decision to choose Cooke's Tavern as the ideal place for this marvelous restaurant?
J. Timothy's: The owners loved the location and the building so when Cooke's Tavern was for sale, they decided to go for it. They had been in the restaurant industry for years, but this was the first restaurant they owned. They purchased Cooke's in 1980 and changed the name to J. Timothy's in 1985. So, the same owners for almost 35 years!
TBM: GO LOCAL! I hope they are here for many years to come. Looking at your menu, I noticed a really neat feature, Beer Blending. What got you into blending beer, this has been a new fascination of mine?
J. Timothy's: We started beer blends years ago, probably around 2001 or 2002. Our General Manager, Greg Gardner, had tried one on a vacation trip and came back and decided to experiment some with some of the beers we had on tap. Our most popular is probably the Dirty Penny: Guinness and Olde Burnside Ten Penny (local).
TBM: Check out our last post for some other recipe's on beer blends. What drew you to craft beer selections, as opposed to predominately other "corporate" beers (Yes they have Bud and Blue Moon)?
J. Timothy's: We were one of the first restaurants in CT to offer Sam Adams Boston Lager waaaay back when it was first available in CT (probably around 27-29 years ago, as Boston Lager is celebrating it's 30th Anniversary this year). So we've always loved to offer/feature craft beer. Though Sam Adams (Boston Beer) is certainly not a small business any longer, 1) they certainly started out that way, and 2) they are very small compared to the nation's largest brewers.
Obviously there is a craft beer explosion going on around the country now. As a small business we also love to offer/feature other small businesses.
In the past few years there has been massive growth in CT beer production. These numbers are approximate: about 5 years ago there were maybe 9 or 10 breweries in CT, today there are about 23 with several more planning to open this year. And then Relic Brewing opened here in Plainville. Yes!
Generally, craft beer (here in CT and nationwide) is gaining popularity as more craft beer becomes available; people's taste is expanding. We are a fairly large restaurant with almost 500 seats available Thursday-Sunday so we get a great variety of guests. We love to suggest craft beer and we are seeing more and more guests who want to try it and discover new flavors. Just last week we had a cask from Back East Brewing: http://www.jtimothys.com/NightManager/userfiles/image/BackEastCask.jpg
TBM: Of course, being a restaurant that features beer there will have to be some food pairings. Any meal suggestions or beer food pairings that you would recommend?
J. Timothy's: We've won many awards for our Dirty wings and though the tradition of wings and beer is nothing new, dirt wings with craft beer is awesome! Obviously it depends on the palate; some people love a strong, bitter, DIPA with the buffalo wings, others love a more malty beer to balance the mild heat. We celebrated Relic's 2nd Anniversary with a beer/wing pairing. You can see the menu and pics here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.757487734262123.1073741829.210239255653643&
Well Nikki, we love your enthusiasm! That was a refreshing interview. And honestly, we can talk beer all day long too. By all means drop us a line or several.
So, I hope you out there in beer land have enjoyed the news on J. Timothy's and I truly hope you get the chance to visit and enjoy the atmosphere, the food, and the craft beer.
As always Tweet us @thebarleymen or leave a comment.
Nick
The food was great too. I tried the regular buffalo wings "Dirty" style, which basically means "sauced, fried, and sauced again for for for for a caramelized, crispier wing." They weren't lying, crisp and succulent. The sauce had flavor and a good burn. Next time I will try the other flavors. Their nachos are like a molten mountain of deliciousness, and their other meals are so picture perfect and appetizing, I feel like riding down their right now to eat. Never mind, I don't feel like changing.
I asked Nikki at J. Timothy's where they got their name. Is J. Timothy the name of the owner? How was the name chosen? Come to find out, "there are two owners, J. Timothy's is a combination of their names."
Here are a few more questions and answers.
TBM: What lead in the decision to choose Cooke's Tavern as the ideal place for this marvelous restaurant?
J. Timothy's: The owners loved the location and the building so when Cooke's Tavern was for sale, they decided to go for it. They had been in the restaurant industry for years, but this was the first restaurant they owned. They purchased Cooke's in 1980 and changed the name to J. Timothy's in 1985. So, the same owners for almost 35 years!
TBM: GO LOCAL! I hope they are here for many years to come. Looking at your menu, I noticed a really neat feature, Beer Blending. What got you into blending beer, this has been a new fascination of mine?
J. Timothy's: We started beer blends years ago, probably around 2001 or 2002. Our General Manager, Greg Gardner, had tried one on a vacation trip and came back and decided to experiment some with some of the beers we had on tap. Our most popular is probably the Dirty Penny: Guinness and Olde Burnside Ten Penny (local).
TBM: Check out our last post for some other recipe's on beer blends. What drew you to craft beer selections, as opposed to predominately other "corporate" beers (Yes they have Bud and Blue Moon)?
J. Timothy's: We were one of the first restaurants in CT to offer Sam Adams Boston Lager waaaay back when it was first available in CT (probably around 27-29 years ago, as Boston Lager is celebrating it's 30th Anniversary this year). So we've always loved to offer/feature craft beer. Though Sam Adams (Boston Beer) is certainly not a small business any longer, 1) they certainly started out that way, and 2) they are very small compared to the nation's largest brewers.
Obviously there is a craft beer explosion going on around the country now. As a small business we also love to offer/feature other small businesses.
In the past few years there has been massive growth in CT beer production. These numbers are approximate: about 5 years ago there were maybe 9 or 10 breweries in CT, today there are about 23 with several more planning to open this year. And then Relic Brewing opened here in Plainville. Yes!
Generally, craft beer (here in CT and nationwide) is gaining popularity as more craft beer becomes available; people's taste is expanding. We are a fairly large restaurant with almost 500 seats available Thursday-Sunday so we get a great variety of guests. We love to suggest craft beer and we are seeing more and more guests who want to try it and discover new flavors. Just last week we had a cask from Back East Brewing: http://www.jtimothys.com/NightManager/userfiles/image/BackEastCask.jpg
TBM: Of course, being a restaurant that features beer there will have to be some food pairings. Any meal suggestions or beer food pairings that you would recommend?
J. Timothy's: We've won many awards for our Dirty wings and though the tradition of wings and beer is nothing new, dirt wings with craft beer is awesome! Obviously it depends on the palate; some people love a strong, bitter, DIPA with the buffalo wings, others love a more malty beer to balance the mild heat. We celebrated Relic's 2nd Anniversary with a beer/wing pairing. You can see the menu and pics here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.757487734262123.1073741829.210239255653643&
Well Nikki, we love your enthusiasm! That was a refreshing interview. And honestly, we can talk beer all day long too. By all means drop us a line or several.
So, I hope you out there in beer land have enjoyed the news on J. Timothy's and I truly hope you get the chance to visit and enjoy the atmosphere, the food, and the craft beer.
As always Tweet us @thebarleymen or leave a comment.
Nick