When I drink beer in Chicago, I drink Goose Island beer. And that is how it's been for quite some time.

When it comes to brewing fine beer, Goose Island falls into the vintage wine category (especially so with the toasty flavor of Honker's Ale and the higher-octane Belgian-style Pere Jacques).

The fact is the beer always trumped the food at Goose Island. But recently that has all changed, and praise be. When I took a gander at what chef John Manion (formerly at Mas on West Division) had done with the menu, I was impressed; he certainly did breathe new life into what had been bordering on comatose. We are now talking grub that goes far beyond standard pub fare (in fact, the name has morphed from Goose Island Brewing to Goose Island Brew Pub).

The selection of charcuterie and cheeses, while not as impressive as, say, that at Quartino or Avec, fits in quite nicely with, well, beer drinking. But then so do Goose Island's pork sliders (yes, more sliders), which were impressively stacked and insanely delicious. Three to an order for $12 (yes, that's four bucks apiece, but these are really great and stacked with meat), the sweet-tasting pork, piled high inside the sturdy mini buns, got a double flavor whammy from the pickled cabbage and the sriracha aioli (sriracha is chile-based sauce with a peppery kick).

Under the heading "Beer Food," I tried a couple of dishes, the tilapia po' boy and the name-dropping wonder called "ham" burger. The po' boy was excellent. The pillow roll (aka ciabatta) looked like it had been made to handle the likes of an impressive amount of nicely cooked, sweet-tasting strips of tilapia. The fish got a gentle wash of remoulade sauce (an ideal pairing) along with peppery arugula and slices of tomato. This was a big sandwich for $10 and totally worth the price, which includes some really good fries.

The "ham" burger, besides being a whimsical play on words, was a winner in every way. Layers of flavor rose up and around the Tallgrass beef patty, on top of which the rillettes (slow-cooked pork paste) were smeared. Smoked ham and Cheddar cheese were part of the mix, and atop it all was a fried duck egg. I would have no problem whatsoever eating this creation for breakfast.

Goose Island always did a decent burger, so it appears that not too much tinkering went on there. The "Cabot Cheddar burger" was a fine example. The meat was juicy and flavorful, it was cooked as requested (medium-rare), the bun sturdy enough to hold up to the meat and cheese. The cheese, from Cabot, Vt., is one of the best Cheddars (sharp and velvety) around. I went to school in Vermont and worked as a waiter in a restaurant there, so I know about the goodness of Vermont cheeses.

Desserts need to be a little more pub-grubby. I am not too keen on ice cream floats after, say, a burger and a couple of beers.

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