Iechyd Da

As you drive North on Main in Elkhart you will see a sign with a dragon that says Iechyd Da, and you will no doubt ask yourself, "how do you say that?" Well, you say "yacky da," but you drink Iechyd Da; it is an old Welsh toast which means "good health!" Owners Chip and Summer Lewis have been brewing their beer at home, and just this last year decided to share their goods with the community, and in came Iechyd Da Brewery. First thing you will notice, is that parking isn't great, but I presume, for the location, there wasn't much parking space to work with, therefore, you will probably end up parking behind the restaurant in an open lot. Past the parking lot and in the door, you will find a wonderfully decorated bar that put me in mind of a modern Pub, with some large rustic tables, and walls covered with pictures of old England. You will find a simple chalk board menu of pub snacks, pizza, and sandwiches, you'll order at the bar where they have 8 beer taps, and two hand pulls, and have a seat in their unique dining room while your food is made fresh. As two people who don't drink beer we ordered the house brewed ginger beer and root beer, neither of us loved the ginger beer, but I have to say if I should ever be pregnant again, this brew will be my best friend if battling morning sickness, because it is definitely teeming with ginger! Now, on the other hand, the on tap root beer was delicious, not made with sarsaparilla, but still delicious none the less, and for a couple bucks, you will never drink root beer from any other tap again; I mean, how can you go back to commercially manufactured after you have had homemade?

What you may or may not know about me, is that I love pizza, well, I love GOOD pizza, and Iechyd Da definitely delivered. The crust was the thinnest, crispest I have ever had which is exactly how I like it, the red sauce was fairly simple, but I like that it wasn't overpowering or over seasoned,  the toppings were great quality; the bacon was smokey, ham was salty, sausage a little spicy, and the pepperoni perfectly seasoned (yes, I love a little cholesterol on my pizza!), and the mozzarella was just delicious. For $9-10 this was definitely well worth the price!

Iechyd Da is perfect for my Hubby and I, because while I hold a deep fondness for pizza, he is a lover of sandwiches, and that is precisely what he got tonight; salty ham, sweet honey roasted turkey, crispy bacon, mild cheddar cheese, juicy tomatoes, fresh lettuce and creamy mayo on a crusty toasted roll, paired with salt and pepper kettle chips, and my husband's true love, a pickle. Despite the fact that husband is not a fan of honey smoked meats, he still loved the Conway Club, and at around $8 it was a good deal.

We may not be fans of beer, but we are fans of Iechyd Da; the dining room and atmosphere are fantastic and unique, the food is delicious, and the brews are fresh. Next time you think Elkhart has nothing to offer on the big cities, get yourself down to main street, and try one of the Lewis Family's house made brews.