A few Fridays ago my parents asked if I wanted to meet them in Roxborough at the fairly new New Ridge Brewing Co. for dinner and drinks. Located on Ridge Avenue, this brewhouse and restaurant creates a variety of beers as well as tasty cocktails and food made with ingredients from local and sustainable vendors. I made my 20-minute drive from the city to meet them.

I arrived a little bit early, so I grabbed a table and ordered myself the Rhiannon (I’ll give you three guesses why) made with gin, lemon, simple syrup, aquafaba, bitters, rosemary and vigo amaro. Accompanying the name, this drink was delish, tangy from the lemon but smooth. My parents arrived shortly after and got their beverages, opting for New Ridge beers.

To start we ordered wings and the house-made pumpkin hummus, interesting and thankfully less pumpkin-y than expected. New Ridge has a constantly changing hummus choice which is pretty unique. For entrées, I was torn between the steak and the short rib pasta, ultimately going for the pasta. While the pasta was yummy, my dad ordered the steak, and I wish I went with that. I tried to go back to the menu to give you exact dish names, but it seems they already changed it in the few short weeks since I’ve been there. This new menu seems just as yummy as when I went, plus it’s great to see the constant flow of new options based on season and ingredients (however, not so great if you find one that is especially delicious.)

I grew up in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia; and while we moved when I was younger, my parents spent much of their lives there. While we were sitting at a table by the window, my parents were pointing out the changes in landmarks and how much the area has evolved since we left. It is nice to see these updates, with New Ridge Brewing Co. a great addition to the growing neighborhood.

— Aly Evans, business development and events coordinator