Mystery Diner in DeKalb: Flavors pop at Keg & Kernel

Restaurant-made pestos can be bland, tame or, in some other way, a letdown. But at Keg & Kernel in downtown DeKalb, the homemade pesto carries the show on the Detroit-style pizza, and is emblematic of a restaurant that knows about flavor.

The Margherita pizza features a generous portion of the pesto drizzled on top of Margherita toppings, on a classic pan-style Detroit crust with the traditional crispy cheese along the edges. It’s big enough for two to share. The manager told us that surprisingly the pesto is made without any tree nuts, something that caught us completely off guard. Couldn’t even tell the pine nuts, walnuts or whatever nut of choice was missing. It’s only offered on one other item, a pasta dish, which is too bad. A chicken sandwich with it would be pretty amazing. The menu notes dairy- and gluten-free pizza options are offered.

The flavor also pops brightly on the “everything” pretzel. Our table got two of the appetizers to share: one salted and one with the “everything” flavoring. And that everything was terrific, blending together the garlic, poppy, sesame and other choices into an appealing taste, all complemented by a silky smooth Obatzda cheese spread. The German mustard was a little intense for us, but the cheese spread was perfect.

The Brewmaster BBQ Burger blended together a lot of elements – sauce, bacon, cheese, pickles, onions and aioli – into a perfectly balanced bite every time. The bacon was particularly thick-cut and flavorful, and did a lot of heavy lifting. There was an ever-so-subtle spicy kick, too. It didn’t overpower anything, and added to a top-notch burger.

The kids meals were also solid, coming with sides and a drink for eight bucks or less. On the kids burger, they let the child choose what he wanted on it, always fun. We kept it simple, asking for lettuce and tomato. It arrived with fancy arugula on top as a nice touch.

The kids mac and cheese that accompanied the golden chicken was the basic variety. The chicken had a beautiful texture and was very tasty. It is featured in some grown-up sandwiches, and probably does good work there, too.

The children’s pizza is also Detroit-style, but without the crispy cheese, which is again a good call on a kids menu. It got devoured by an elementary-aged, somewhat picky eater fairly quickly.

Keg & Kernel is a creation of the Tangled Roots Brewing Company, so craft beers are a specialty. They are brewed from hops and barley grown on its own farm in Starved Rock Country.

The flavors of every one of the adult entrees we selected were beyond amazing, making Keg & Kernel a great choice for dining in downtown DeKalb.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Keg & Kernel by Tangled Roots Brewing Company

WHERE: 106 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb

PHONE: 815-526-0285

INFORMATION: tangledrootsbrewingco.com/keg-and-kernel