Colorado Brewery & Trading Co —

Former Newtown Resident Has Something Good On Tap in Danbury

By Jeff White

DANBURY — Before former longtime Newtown resident Mike Kondrat decided to go into the brew pub business, he spent three years making plans, and took a tour.

His travels took him to countless breweries, from Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire to Colorado, Utah and California. He researched different beer brewing styles, looked into kitchens and took note of what worked and what was lacking, and carefully sketched out a blueprint of how to marry the best qualities of cuisine and craft-brewed beer. Colorado Brewery and Trading Company, which opened this past September here in city-center Danbury, is the result of Mr ­­­Kondrat’s journey.

Everything about Colorado Brewery is big.

Take the brew pub itself. Fashioned out of an old department store, upon entering visitors first behold a large, cavernous barroom with ample sit-down seating, two big-screen TVs and a long countertop outfitted with stools. It would be an understandable mistake to assume this was the actual restaurant, one easily made if it weren’t for the searing sounds of the open kitchen beckoning you into an even larger dining area with so much room between tables it is impossible to feel claustrophobic.

Then there are the generous portions of chicken and ribs that require that servers use two hands to bring them to your table, complete with large helpings of vegetables and potatoes.

And at last, of course, there are the brews themselves, equally big and bold in their own right, from crisp tasting pilsners to thick, full-bodied porters and stouts.

Much goes into preparing the dinner and beer menu at Colorado Brewery, but for Mike Kondrat it all boils down to a simple goal: have a selection wide enough to appeal to a wide spectrum of customers. “I like things that are prepared with attention to detail, and our food and beer are like that,” he explains. “We want to appeal to the masses. We want to educate.”

And the beer reflects this. Mr Kondrat has assembled a beer menu that follows a common brewery symbol: the ladder. You can start with light-hued, crisp beers at Colorado Brewery and work your way up to beers that might be viewed as more of an “acquired taste.” For those unfamiliar with the hoppy taste of craft brewed beer, start out with a Sweet Time Pilsner, blended with moravial malt and Czechoslovakian hops, or a Gorgeous Blonde, brewed with pale German malt, hops and yeast. Both are light, clear, crisp, and compulsively drinkable.

Beer fans that prefer their pints on the darker side will appreciate the clean finish of the ruby-colored Red Rocks Ale and the smooth Rupert’s Big Nose Brown. Not dark enough? Try a pint of the brooding Trance Porter or the brewery’s Black Strap Stout.

Head brewer Paul Sayler, who once plied his trade at the Catamount Brewery in Vermont, brews his beers in small batches so that they are never compromised by sitting for long periods of time in kegs. Brewing temperatures are adhered to, proper sanitation is strictly carried out, and the result is a pint that is as fresh as possible.

A total of eight beers are poured at Colorado Brewery, with names like Olde Hand Ale, Wheat Me and Hat Trick IPA. A pint costs $3.50, or $4.00 for a stout. Not sure which beer to choose? Servers are more than happy to supply you with small samples for $1 each.

The trend in brewery fare is moving rapidly away from the staple beer burger and battered, seasoned French fries. Colorado Brewery does offer an eight-ounce bacon cheddar burger with a sizable side of fries ($7.95), but the brew pub is taking some chances with its selections, and the results are offerings that reflect the diversity of what’s on tap.

The restaurant’s nucleus is the open kitchen that fills the entire place with the flavors of whatever is cooking on the wood-fired grills. The chefs – led by Dan Quinn, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris – are clearly having a good time, talking with customers who often stop by to say hello.

Brie and wild mushroom quesadillas with horseradish and whole grain mustard sauce ($5.95), colorfully sprinkled with pico de gallo, is a uniquely tasty way to kick off your meal. As is the grilled marinated shrimp with Asian slaw and Thai glaze ($8.95), which will gear you up for the brewery’s other seafood offerings.

Pizzas are baked in large wood-fire ovens, and are a good value for the money. A tasty, slightly tangy sauce glazes each of the thin crust pizzas, sized large enough for an individual. Pizza lovers who prefer their pies simple can side with plum tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese ($8.50). Those who like unusual toppings on their pizza will love a pie covered in grilled shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions and fresh oregano ($9.95).

Entrees run the gamut at Colorado Brewery, from pasta dishes to steaks and seafood. Rigatoni pasta with roasted eggplant, prosciutto and fresh basil marinara ($10.95) are accompanied by fresh bread baked from the grain left over from the beer brewing process. For fish lovers, a grilled mahi mahi with a warm salad of haricot vert and fingerling potatoes ($17.95) or pan seared diver sea scalloops with vegetable spaghetti ($19.95) will satisfy. And the wood grills are incorporated into the New York sirloin with green pepper corn sauce ($20.95) and the herb-roasted or barbecued half chicken with horseradish whipped potatoes ($12.95).

In addition to the regular menu items, three to five dinner specials rotate on a nightly basis.

The kitchen is hopping for a reason. Still busy well beyond 10 pm on a weekend night, customers can watch as chefs prepare their meals to the beat of the live band performing in the bar area. Colorado Brewery boasts live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, which not only features well-known national acts but also offers a showcase for some of the best in local talent. Currently, Mike Kondrat is looking forward to bringing Clark Eno and his orchestra to the brew pub, along with blues guitarist John Paris. Patrons should expect a cover charge on music nights.

Listeners can take a seat in the pub section of the brewery, or play a couple of games of eight ball on the brewery’s two pool tables in the game room on the second floor.

The three main rooms of the Colorado Brewery can be rented out for birthday parties, office functions and wedding receptions, and can cater to upwards of 300 people.

By all accounts, things are going well for Mr Kondrat and his brewery. A lifetime spent in the restaurant business, which started out at Rock Ridge Country Club, has served the 1965 graduate of Newtown High School well by giving him a solid sense of how food and drink should complement one another. The eclectic menu and broad beer offerings promise to appeal to veteran brew publicans and new initiates alike.

And with the future opening of the NHL Ice Rink right across the street, it seems likely that more people will come to experience the big atmosphere of this restaurant.

“Our goal is to be [both] a great restaurant and a great night spot,” Mr Kondrat says.

Colorado Brewery is located at 6 Delay Street, Danbury, next to Zero Gravity Gymnastics and across from the new NHL ice arena. Hours of operation: Monday, closed; Tuesday, 5-10 pm; Wednesday, 5-12 pm, Thursday, 5 pm-1 am; Friday and Saturday, 5 pm-2 am; Sunday, 4-11 pm. The Kitchen is open to 10 pm weeknights, 11 pm weekends. Full lunch service will begin in April, and lunch will be available on St Patrick’s Day. For party reservations and brewery tours, call 203/791-1450.