Is it even possible to chill when the air is being tossed and turned by the snarl of vintage race cars?
If you are at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – or any track event, for that matter – the answer is a definite yes. Part of the paddock area, you see, has been leased to chef Todd Fisher and his crew of Bear + Flag Roadside fame. And the presence of a second Bear + Flag – this one trackside – turns the space into a beer garden, with benefits.
The Laguna Seca location focuses on a few craft beer options, with selections from Russian River, Discretion, Firestone Walker and Monterey County’s Alvarado Street Brewery (“Because we’re big fans,” Fisher explains). But this is Car Week, so the place also pours fine wines. Which one pairs with screeching rubber and exhaust fumes? We’d suggest a Riesling.
It gets better. Unlike a traditional beer garden, Bear + Flag serves its juice-dripping burgers, arguably the best in the county, as well as the area’s very best brisket – no arguing that one. There are also lighter items, such as salads. For big events such as the Reunion, the team staffs a walk-up stand on each side of the building. “Not everyone wants to wait in line for a beer,” Fisher points out. Either way, with a beer and a sandwich, the picnic tables in the paddock around Bear + Flag become a haven of relaxation in the middle of hurtling machines.