The Local Dish: Want to get warm on a cold day? Working Hands, man
By Charles Childs/ CCCNews Foodie
Working Hands offers customers some comfortable digs in this laid back brewery and cidery. Options abound and made to order pub grub gets some special attention.
When February gives you an end-of-the-month cold snap, sometimes you got to fight it with some antifreeze, preferably a hot mess and a great IPA.
So, that is just what I did on my first visit to Working Hands in Hood River.
The lively artwork in bright blue and black created by Chris Pothier of The Dalles on the exterior made the pub easy to find at 1021, 12th St., on the heights.
Once inside, the welcoming pounded copper bar beckoned a call for a pull on the draft taps - several actually.
And we narrowed it down to two favorites - Exit 69 and Night Shift.
Can’t decide on how to get toasted. That’s EZ - sampler tray!
What a great way to stay toasted on a cold day.
Exit 69 was as good a Cold IPA as I have had. I put it up there with Boneyard’s RPM. So good in fact, we bought the four-pack of 16-ouncers to share during the week.
It was a short week.
At 6.3 percent alcohol, it had a good kick and a lightness that led to a second pint.
Equally impressive was the Night Shift Schwarzbier. The dark lager didn’t push the edges but stood pat on a mellow solid tone that complimented the waffle fries and cheese sauce in front of me.
Purple slaw meet butter pickle. Crunchy chicken you best be fueled on rocket sauce. Lift off.
With the buzz of the beer, it became apparent that it was imperative to jump into a “hot mess” - a Nashville-style fried chicken sandwich that came with some incredible crunch.
The cook would not give up the recipe on the breading but said it was a three-ingredient recipe we quickly dubbed the holy trinity. Panko was assuredly the holy ghost in this mix. Buttermilk slaw added some bitter only to be sweetened by butter pickles lifted off with rocket sauce.
4, 3, 2, 1…
Oh, that’s smashing - like double smash. Two patties go head to head with American Cheese on the westerburger. An epic struggle that fights for the soul of your tasty buds.
On the other side of the universe, was the westerburger - a smasher smothered in American cheese. Oh yeah, big buddy - this boy was thick. Double thick. It also came on the same buns as that hot mess, a slightly sweet little guy. Bread and butter pickles topped that goo of cheese and crisp iceberg gave that hot beef a cool crunchy partner.
Ground control to major cheese.
All of it was mired in waffle fries, and we opted for the beer-cheese sauce, because who can freeze with beer and hot cheese?
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Dynamite duo.
Working Hands is open Wed-Fri 4-10 p.m., Sat & Sun 12-10 p.m.
