Belgian beers, natural wine take root in new underground spot. Here’s where
A new bar serving Belgian beers and natural wines quietly opened in Old Sacramento this past weekend.
The Bier Projekt has landed at 900 2nd St. in Pioneer Square. It’s chef-owner Carlos Morales’s first solo project.
“I always wanted to have a place that kind of revolved around beer and food, and I was waiting for the right opportunity. I saw the space, and I was like, this looks like it might be kind of what I’ve been looking for. I called the landlord, and as soon as I saw the space, I knew this had to be it. It’s underground, it’s brick, it’s got history, so we signed the lease in January,” he said.
Morales has always been interested in Belgian brewing for its deep roots, and also wants to appeal to a different kind of beer drinker.
“I wanted to kind of steer away from the IPAs and the 805s and the Blue Moons and the Sierra Nevadas that everyone else has on tap. I always loved the history of brewing. Monastic brewing is to me the oldest and purest brewing culture that the world has to offer,” he said.
Monastic brews fall into two categories. Trappist beers are brewed on monastery ground by monks, and Abbey beers are commercial beers licensed by or named after religious orders.
Among the selections The Bier Projekt offerings include Trappist beers Westmalle, Chimay, Rochefort and Orval. For non-beer drinkers, the restaurant is offering natural wines from Los Angeles-based Wonderwerk.
The space’s kitchen lacks ventilation, so Morales has to craft a menu that can be executed with countertop appliances. He’s still waiting on the green light from the county in order to be able to offer food.
“We plan on doing a duck confit grilled cheese sandwich and beef short rib grilled cheese sandwich, and I plan on having European style sausages beer-poached in a slow cooker, and then pretzels and raclette cheese on the broiler,” he said.
Morales has worked in the industry for 15 years, starting in the Bay Area. He opened both (now-defunct) Michael Mina concepts in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. He went on to be executive chef of Austrian restaurant Naschmarkt in Campbell, where he fell in love with beer. Most recently he was executive sous chef at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc in Yountville.
The Bier Projekt is the latest in a rash of openings in Old Sacramento. The restaurant will be sharing a courtyard with upcoming cocktail bar The 1920s Bookstore, and the former Rio City Cafe will soon be the home of a second location of midtown’s Der Biergarten.
