Since Leland Brewing Co. opened at 2115 Ale Ave. in 2023, the owners have been working on adding a kitchen. And really, even longer. Original plans for the brewery included a taco stand.
In recent months, they've been working with Chef Patrick Quinn. He started as a teenaged dishwasher and has since worked in restaurants all over the country -- Colorado, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.
Now based in Wilmington, he connected with the owners of Leland Brewing for their shipping container kitchen, the All Good Kitchen. He also took what was a loose idea for the menu and is making it his own.
What's on the menu?
One of the first priorities was a good smash burger.
"And I just wanted to make
it a little more interesting," Quinn said.
In this case, it was the sauce. Instead of a typical burger sauce and Quinn uses spicy mustard and a little red pepper relish. He also got creative with condiments for the fish tacos, which are served with a pineapple-pico coleslaw and a Chamoy remoulade that adds a pink zing to the dish.
"It's similar to a tartar, but it's got that kind of little spice, little sweet, little tang and it's a little bit fruity," he said. "And it looks kind of cool."
Of course, beer-and-food fusions were also a must. His take on classic beer cheese is a pimento beer cheese, which uses the brewery's Yonder New Zealand Pale Ale. Look for it as a side with grilled sourdough, or on loaded fries with grilled onions and bacon.
There are also beer brats with the Brunswick Brown ale and a spicy ground mustard. The opening menu is a simple one that includes four handhelds and four appetizers.
What's ahead?
As the kitchen gets established, he's hoping to add new options, like crab fritters with roasted corn and Fresno chilies. Quinn also wants to add salad bowls and rice bowls to appeal to the nearby lunch crowd.
"As we release new beers, I'm going to try some different specials with those releases," he said. "And I've done beer tasting dinners, and that's something that we plan to do in the future."
Look for that to begin, possibly, in the winter months.
"Right now, we're figuring out what we can do in this space and what people want," Quinn said. "It'll evolve."
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Leland brewery adds long-awaited kitchen with burgers, tacos
