Snack Shack Now Serving Fun and Flavor at Other Brother

April 18, 2023 – Snack Shack: Where the love’s at.

OK, that’s not the motto for the new occupant at Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside, now that its partner-in-yeast Ad Astra Bread Co. is taking its talents to Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey. (Fear not: AABC loaves will continue to occupy a rack at Other Brother.)

But Snack Shack will pulse with unbridled affection for food that works well with the main attraction. 

Snack Shack chef Josie Lewis says eaters can anticipate a few sandwiches and a couple salads to start, with vegetarian and vegan options. The menu will expand as the kitchen is built out to do more.

“Light and simple eats,” she says, “with heartier main courses on the way.”

A motto-of-sorts laid out on OBBC’s Instagram echoes that: “Excellent bites designed to pair perfectly with our tasty suds.”

Some specifics currently on the seasonal menu: a smoked BLT, a spicy capicola sandwich, a kale caesar, a broccolini-and-burrata salad, and a beet and whipped goat cheese toast with watermelon radish, edible flowers, sea salt, and Like Family olive oil (formerly Other Brother EVOO).

While Snack Shack is a new imprint, it’s not a dry run. 

Lewis, who’s also a cook at Loulou’s Griddle in the Middle, and Kevin Brown, OBBC brewer, co-founder and food enthusiast, have directed Vinny’s Drive-In, a twice weekly in-house pop-up, for months.

Some hits from Vinny’s—namely chicken wings brined and smoked in house, gourmet grilled cheeses and the featured act, burgers—will persist. 

So will specials, including hamburgers with a proprietary grind from small wholesale outfit West Coast Prime Meats. Lewis digs inventing one-offs like a recent bulgogi burger with an egg and Korean marinade. 

“I get crazy with specials,” she says, “seeing what combination I can put on a burger.”

Lewis will direct the action at Snack Shack, but adds that Brown’s input remains vital.

“He’s one of the most fun and creative people I know, and his opinion is important to me,” she says. “He’s the beer guy. I’m the food gal.”

Taproom manager Justin Dimauro will support Lewis, keeping an eye on customer experience and making sure bartenders know what food is on offer and what modifications are in play. (Dishes will run $7-$14 to start.)

“It’s a limited space but constraints force you to be resourceful,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the creativity it generates, doing healthy but delicious, less greasy—though more greasy foods will come later.”

When initial word came in September that Other Brother would take over for Ad Astra, co-owner Michael Nevares took Edible time-warping back to when OBBC and AABC debuted, pre-pandemic. 

“We were a little intimidated opening a brewery not knowing what we were doing and a kitchen not knowing what we were doing,” he said. “We’ve got a little more confidence now, so we’re going to take a whack at it.”

Flash forward a half year, and he likes how the plan is materializing. 

“I’m looking forward to watching Josie continue to blossom and grow as a chef,” he says. “I’m also pretty jazzed about the opportunity to see what resonates with our guests, and how we can tell the story of our beer and now our food.”

More at Other Brother Beer Co.’s website and Instagram page.