Hilltop Ale House

Rather than relying on microwave ovens, heat lamps, and deep fryers, chef Kathy Christopher and her culinary team craft all of Hilltop Ale House's pub favorites right on the grill. Cooks create each item on her weekly menu entirely by hand, roasting cashews dusted with curry spices and stacking Reuben sandwiches with Boar's Head corned beef braised in Blackthorn hard cider. Meanwhile, barkeeps work the taps, helping wash down meals with a selection of wine, ports, bubbly, spirits, and more than 15 microbrews including a rotating selection of handcrafted suds from small, local breweries and cask-conditioned beers in kegs powered by hand-pulled engines that use no CO2. A 55-inch high-definition LCD television bathes diners in the light of major-league matchups, while the English-style pub's back room–adorned with French doors and windows looking out over a garden–sets the stage for special lunches, dinners, and paintball matches.