Dean Biersch on the back deck of his new Hopmonk Tavern which opens Thursday in Sebastopol. That’s a pint of Hopmonk Kellerbier from Gordon Biersch. The tavern and beer garden is not connected to Gordon Biersch. It’s Dean’s first restaurant opening in 8 years.

FROM THE EARLY DAYS IN THE LATE 1980s in Palo Alto, the Gordon Biersch brewpub chain – guided by partner Dean Biersch – carved out a niche for comfortable, but posh digs, with clean-tasting, fresh beer from partner Dan Gordon, the German-trained, American brewer.

Over the next two decades, Gordon Biersch rose in splendor, spanning the nation with 25, uber-fancy establishments. The two partners sold the brewpub business to Big River Brewing, Chattanooga, TN and and raised money for a San Jose brewery by handing control of the busuiness to a Las Vegas investor. Dan Gordon’s happily brewing beer in San Jose. Dean Biersch moved to Sonoma. He’s divorced with three kids, one 13-year-old and twins, 10.

And tomorrow, (Thursday, April 17, 2008), Dean’s back in the restaurant business.

Eight years after he opened his last Gordon Biersch restaurant, he opens Hopmonk Tavern: A Beer Garden in Wine Country, 230 Petaluma Ave.
in Sebastopol, CA. (Don’t live in the Bay Area? Here’s a map.)

But don’t look for posh. The whole emphasis is comfort. It’s at the convergence of two state highways, on the edge of downtown Sebastapol, on the route to the Pacific Coast. The landmark, L-shaped building, built in 1903, was the power house for the Petaluma & Santa Rosa electric railroad that ran through Sebastapol. For a decade, it was a brewpub, Powerhouse Brewing, which closed in 2005. It became Sebastapol Brewing, which closed last year.

If you’ve visited either of the previous brewpubs, you’re in for a shock. The interior is totally changed. Biersch has covered the concrete floors with Douglas fir planks, recycled from a split pea factory in Idaho. When I visited last week the new booths, plush, 1950s-style naugahyde, I think, were still covered in plastic. There’s a new bar and a small brewplant, which, Dean said, will be used later.

In the meantime, there’s an extremely wide range of beer on tap, including a special pils: Hopmonk Kellerbier, brewed by Gordon Biersch. I found it crisp, malty, excellent. Also Dan Gordon’s wonderful new Dunkelweizen, intense and interesting. I’m posting my Beer of the Week column about it in a few minutes, because the link’s expired to our newspapers. Hopmonk’s also stocking about 75 Belgian beers in bottles, ranging in prices from $5 - $8. We’re making every effort to keep prices low, he said. All beers are served in the appropriate glassware.

Dean has brought in a beer sommelier, Anastasy Tynan, an ace homebrewer from Hawaii to select beers offered and to provide expert help to patrons. They both prefer to call the post, “Hop Monk.:” Great idea, not so pretentious.

More about the beer in a minute.

There’s also a beer garden now. Dean says they jackhammered out the concrete, covered the ground with decomposed granite, there’s even a firm path for wheelchairs and the whole place, including the outside beer garden, has wheelchair access. Most trees in the beer garden are just planted, but there’s lighting and tables and it’s already a pleasant spot It’s sheltered from the wind and might be hot in the sun, but very pleasant in the evening.

The other part of the building’s has been converted into a music hall, with seating, a bar and a stage. Dean hopes to bring in top and indie local and Bay Area musicians. He’s even added a “green room” for visiting musicians.

About the food, Dean has hired Lynn McCarthy, an outstanding young chef from Sun Valley, Idaho. He has rebuilt the kitchen for her. The idea, they both explained, is to produce rustic tavern food, very unpretentious, but very real food. “We use very heavy flatware, rustic plates, our mussels come in an iron pot and we have lots Belgian style dishes,” Dean says.

During a tour, McCcarthy set out some of her specialities. What grabbed me were the “small plates.” A charcuterie plate of cured meats, Prosciutto and a “tavern pate,” is $10.50. The pate is made from chicken livers in a reduced Calvados apple brandy, from California Cider Co., at the edge of Sebastopol. Wow. Another was an artisanal cheese plate, three local cheeses, including Carmody, a Munster-like cheese from nearby Bellwether Farms, served with fresh bread and fruit, $12.

This is a place to sit down, munch, enjoy the beer and the atmosphere and not spend a ton of money.

About the beer on tap right now…It’s a long list, Stone Brewing Smoked Porter, Anchor Liberty Ale, Belhaven Scottish Ale, Ducjhesse of Burgundy, Eel River Organic Porter, Fullers London Pride, Mendocino Spring Bockk, Moonlight Death & Taxes, New Belgium Mothership Wit, Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Sonoma Farmhouse Saison from Lagunitas. They also plan to have cask ales on hand pump.

Gee, I reckon I might find something here to drink. See you there.