In December, on a day taken off for Christmas shopping, I popped into the new Granite City Food and Brewery at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst. 

Opened in November in the space formerly inhabited by Joseph-Beth Booksellers, the restaurant is part of a 30-location chain that started in St. Cloud, Minn., and now has a presence in 13 states. 

It was mid-afternoon, and I had eaten lunch not that long before, so I just bellied up to the appealing bar to try one of their beers, settling on the Broad Axe Stout. Described as having notes of chocolate and coffee, the oatmeal stout sounded great on the blustery day. I enjoyed the mellow atmosphere in the big, open place and did peek at the menu, so I was interested in coming back for a meal.

That opportunity presented itself on the first real day of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, aka March Madness. A buddy and I took a break from binge watching to fill up on food and, of course, a little beer.

Read more in Entertainment Editor Mark Meszoros' review Dining Out: Granite City Food & Brewery at Legacy Village pairs good beer, food for fine time.