Hot off the Panini Press:

Ghost Runners Brewery now has food, deemed "Really good."

Ghost Runners is my favorite brewery in Vancouver. I go there because the beers are good, the staff is friendly, and the owners, Jeff and Amy, treat everyone like family. GRB has a loyal following which makes the taproom feel welcoming. 

This brewery isn't easy to find. It's located in an industrial park off N.E. Minnehaha St., tucked in the back. It's worth the effort, though. They have ping pong, darts, and cornhole (in the summer), trivia on Thursdays*, and double-punch Tuesdays**. And, now, they have food.

Each beer has a running-based name to celebrate the fun, joy, and excitement of running - their words, not mine. "Fun, joy, and excitement" describe Christmas, not running. But, hey, I'm not a runner. I will point out this, however: the more you run, the more beer you can drink and that's something anyone can celebrate.

Until now, Ghost Runners has offered small snacks for sale (packaged chips) and over the last year, they sporadically attracted a number of food trucks. Food delivery was always welcome. Finally, they've opened their own kitchen which makes going to Ghost Runners even better because now there's good, consistent food to go along with their award winning beers. It makes the brewery more of a destination and provides one more reason to linger longer.

My on-the-spot reviewer, a retired chef, sampled the Pesto Turkey Bacon Panini with avocado and warm tomatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! His verdict? "Really good." From a man who knows food, that's good enough for me. I can't wait to get over there and sample the menu myself.

I suggest you do the same. If you've never been to Ghost Runners, you don't know what you've been missing. Now, you have even more really good reasons to seek them out.

*The prize for the winning team is a $10 gift certificate per participant, up to $40.

**GRB has a beer loyalty program. Much like coffee establishments, they offer a punch card: Buy 10 pints, get the 11th free. Tuesdays, each pint earns two punches on your card.