Tied House is a local Bay Area microbrewery. They operate two pubs, one just off Castro Street in Mountain View (and very walkable from somewhere Kevin and I used to live) and one in San Jose. They also do very good food in extremely large quantities. I remember one weekend when Kevin was away and I couldn't be bothered to cook for just me, going down the pub to watch the 49ers game and have lunch. Both the 49ers and I were defeated, the former by the Atlanta Falcons (hiss, boo) and the latter by the largest plate of nachos I have ever seen. And that was an appetiser.

Since then we have eaten at both Tied House locations on several occasions and have never been disappointed. The food is traditional American (which of course means Mexican, Cajun, Italian and so on) and always done and plentiful. It isn't gourmet food, but it isn't expensive either.

The beer is good too (well, I think so anyway, but British readers should be warned that I don't like the warm, bitter stuff). There are normally around 8 beers on offer, through the exact selection is subject to change. It is locally brewed too. At both pubs there are windows onto the brewery. I happen to like the wheat beer best.

On this particular visit I was very tempted by the sandwich of portabello mushroom marinated in balsamic vinegar. However, the starter of pesto calamari also sounded good, and again I got foolishly tempted. The dish is deep fried calamari in a parmesan and pesto crust. It is an interesting idea and I liked the combination of flavour. However, the result was a little on the dry side. Maybe a little work needed on the recipe, but no complaints at all about the quantity.

I should add that Tied House also gets you by offering very good bread. You get a little loaf that is half dark and half white, and very tasty. I'm not too sure about the spread they provide, which looks distinctly like whipped cream, but the bread is great and I always eat too much. So, after a mountain of calamari and a loaf of bread, I was well stuffed. So much for my portabello sandwich. But then I was well fed, so I can't complain.

The grub is what you’d expect from a beer hall: burgers, ribs, pastas and several appetizers suitable for munching while at the bar. Get to know the bartenders and you might get a free round every so often.

The San Jose Arena is right around the corner and this place is jammed before every San Jose Sharks game, the fans in their teal-blue regalia drinking loudly. It can be a great place to people-watch and eavesdrop on conversations, as the entire establishment is elbow-to-elbow people, but at soon as 7:15 pm rolls around, everyone empties out and heads to the game. Fun stuff.