Brew Pub Aims Upscale With Spotty Results

-------------------------- Restaurant review / Renton --------------------------

XX Cedar River Brewing Company, 201 Williams Ave. S., Renton, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday dinner only, 4-9 p.m. Major credit cards, no smoking, wheelchair accessible; 425-254-8155.

"Would you prefer to sit high or low?"

It's not exactly the first line of questioning you expect when walking into a restaurant. Usually, there are inquiries about smoking preferences, tables or booths, inside or outside. But altitude?

The hostess went on to explain. There is seating at the elevated tables near the bar, or at the standard, soles-on-the-floor variety. We opted for the high. Feet dangling from my stool, I gazed up at the giant stainless steel tanks of Fermenters 1 through 4 and wondered if I was still in Renton anymore.

Located on the fringe of the old downtown district, the slick, contemporary space of the Cedar River Brewing Company is just a quick boot scoot from the single-story cluster of antique knickknack shops and Western-wear outfitters. What a difference a few blocks makes - this two-year-old microbrewery, with its apricot-hued wood and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, injects a more urbane '90s sensibility into the historic shopping area.

Trying to propagate the Pyramid Alehouse or Gordon Biersch phenomenon in a town where most pints go for about a buck and a half is a daunting task. To complicate things, trying to push a pricier menu at a brew pub is another challenge altogether. First of all, the beer has to be really good. So does the food.

Attracting an older, Rockport-wearing set, the CRBC is the kind of civilized tavern where you wouldn't feel out of place with your kid, your co-workers or your grandma. The fact that they're in the business of producing good, interesting beers, however, somehow gets polished over in the process. Although by no means are my partner and I beer snobs, but we just weren't that charmed by many of the brews. There were no oohs or ahs, and we were somewhat disappointed by how similar in taste many of the special holiday beers were.

Lunch offerings don't stray too far from salads and sandwiches, but in the realm of pub fare, you gotta get the basics down. Although the food was fair, there's just no excuse for a brewery not being able to grill up a decent burger. CRBC's wasn't. The dinner menu is a little ambitious, too, with appetizers and pasta dishes bearing prices comparable to those of finer restaurants. The New York steak and grilled salmon go for around $15, and when you add a couple of pints, you just might take your bucks and dine someplace more special.

The CRBC is still a nice enough place, but for a beer without the hoo-ha, Snappy's Tavern pours a nice pint of Schmidt for $1.25 just a few blocks away.

Cedar River Brewing Company Itemized bill, meal for two Shiitake Chicken Salad # $4.50 Brewer's Burger # # $6.50 Fish and Chips $7.95 Taster Rack # # # $5.50 Tax $2.20 Total $26.65

# This salad's titular shiitake was nowhere in sight. But what is that garnish I spy? A smallish grilled cap, cut into quarters, accenting four corners of the plate. Otherwise, it was a pleasant salad, with grilled teriyaki chicken breast on a bed of spring greens and a fine tangy-sweet dressing.

# # A giant, untoasted kaiser roll totally overwhelms the patty, and melted Swiss, sauteed onions and mushrooms get lost in a crawful of raw bread.

# # # At first sight, you'll want to be tied to the rack. Six 8-ounce glasses of the CRBC's beers du jour are lined up in a special wooden rack that resembles something like a well-ventilated fraternity paddle. All of those little taster glasses in rank and file are so darn appealing, you can't wait to relieve them of their volume. Remember, don't taste and drive.