26 | March 30, 2017 | The orland park prairie Orland Park opprairie.com
opprairie.com Dining Out the orland park prairie | March 30, 2017 | 27 The Dish College nostalgia fuels menu, mentality of 350 Brewing Company F. Amanda Tugade Contributing Editor Todd Randall, co-founder of 350 Brewing Company, lives and dies by this motto, “Beer is good; serious is stupid.” In fact, at his Tinley Park brewery, that saying is treated like the golden rule. It is the key to having a good time — and no one knows more about that than Randall, whose nonchalant attitude and love for punk rock guide him to his menu and his unique beer creations. Randall, who blames his “weird brain” for 350 Brewing’s specialties, points to his college days as the start of it. He recalled being a student at Northern Illinois University and rooming with friends in a house that was off campus. That house — which was located at 350 Augusta Avenue — along with its memories, served as inspiration for his growing business. “It was just a fun, creative time in our lives,” he said. “It was our first time away from home.” The shenanigans, which Randall openly recounts on 350 Brewing’s website, includes “[spending] more time on projects like way below average punk rock bands in the attic and a hardcore wrestling federation called WCVF (this took place in our kitchen) instead of focusing on classes like Humanities 227 in DuSable Hall.” While he jokes that those days are behind him — Randall is now a father of three and has been married for the last 12 years — the spirit of that particular house lives on through his southwest suburban establishment. “Even though it was a long time ago that we lived there, it’s something that we’ve always talked about as friends,” Randall said, adding their memories can be summed up as “pure stupidity for sure.” But 350 Brewing bleeds for that lifestyle. He looks to his Sunday Detention series as a prime example of his brewery’s culture, as well as his 350 Brewing Company 7144 183rd St. in Tinley Park Hours • Noon-10 p.m. Monday- Thursday • Noon-12 a.m. Friday- Saturday • Noon-8 p.m. Sunday For more information ... Web: 350brewing.com Phone: (708) 825-7339 willingness to try, mix and explore different ingredient combination and create unique batches of beer. The Tragedy Blaster, a chocolate hazel stout; Koko Beware, a Russian Imperial Stout with raspberries; Reply All Warning, a guava pilsner; and Wildwood Childhood, a black cherry pale ale; are just a few of Randall’s concoctions. When asked how he comes up with all of these ideas, Randall kept his answer simple. “That’s the fun part about it,” he said. “I’m pretty good with figuring out different flavors.” But when it comes to food, Randall sticks to the classics, and he credits his kitchen staff for its success. Randall’s menu kicks off with a list of appetizers, with the Dekalb Militia Beer Nuggets ($6.99) ranked at the top. He explained how the beer nuggets, which are a bite-size pieces of fried dough, were always an NIU staple snack for post-partiers — “something that I used to eat all the time, go out at night [at] 2 a.m. and get a bag of beer nuggets from Lukulo’s.” His version is a little “fancier,” as they are sprinkled with a Parmesan and Romano cheese blend. Other favorites include Not Your Fathers cheese sticks ($7.99); a six-piece brewhouse wing basket ($5.99), served with housemade sauces ranging from ghost pepper ranch to spicy barbecue; and Crooked Dough ($6.99), three soft pretzel breads that can be ripped and shared among friends, and dipped in Crook County IPA cheese. Featured are the Dekalb Militia Beer Nuggets ($7.99), a popular appetizer at 350 Brewing Company in Tinley Park. F. Amanda Tugade/22nd Century Media As for entrées, Randall’s burgers — which vary from the Dude Ranch ($12.99), a half-pounder that is topped with aged cheddar, crispy red onion straws, thick-cut bacon and barbecue sauce to the Latino Heat (also $12.99), another half-pounder that features chorizo crumbles, fried egg, roasted poblano peppers and Chihuahua cheese — mean business. These items come with a choice of fries, tots or house chips. Another option to which customers can turn are his tacos. Seafood lovers can stick to Reel Big Shrimp ($11.49) and vegetarians can rely on the Green Monster ($10.99), featuring beer-battered avocados, paired with citrus slaw, sprinkled with Chihuahua cheese, onion, cilantro and doused in chipotle crema. “When we started almost three years ago, we started with a microwave and a little pizza oven, and we would make dips and do pretzels,” he said. “And then we moved on from there to little individual pizzas, and then making our own barbecue sauce and pulled pork. “Now, we’re smoking our own pork shoulders. We’re grilling. We’ve got fryers with wings. We’ve grown like crazy.” Beyond the booze and the grub Another aspect of 350 Brewing is its annual festival. Reel Big Fish, Face to Face, Bigwig, The Stereo and Lights Over Bridgeport are set to perform in this year’s event, which is to take place on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Tinley Park Convention Center. In light of the company’s third anniversary, Randall said he decided to not bring out other local breweries and just stick with showcasing 350’s beers. The theme for the 2017 festival, after all, is fitting: “Back in Training, A Celebration of Insanity.” “We got wrestling this year,” Randall exclaimed, noting another change with the festivities. Tickets for 350 Fest 3 can be purchased at 350brewing.com. The company also runs Laugh Riot, a monthly comedy show that brings out local acts and offers dinner and a couple of drink specials for customers. Taking a closer look at his journey so far, Randall said he knows that his brewery is still in its early stages. He has plans for expansion, which include building another location, adding new menu items and distributing his products elsewhere. All in all, he still adheres to pushing his mission forward: creating a place where people can enjoy life and let loose once in awhile. “You got to pinch yourself every once in awhile and remember what you used to do,” he said. “I used to jump on a train when it’s freezing out and commute downtown two hours and sit in a cubicle all day. Sometimes, I forget that that’s what I used to do. “That really sucks, and this is much better. Even on my worst day here, it’s amazing like how far we’ve come since we’ve opened. It’s still surreal.” “I’m here to maybe make it easier for some people who have to go to the cubicle every day,” he continued. “Hopefully, they can come here, and we’ll make it easier on them to make it through their week.”
Change language