Last Thursday night, my roomie and I squeezed our way into what is the societal melting pot of University City — the gastro pub, Local 44. Located on the corner of 44th and Spruce, the beer bar pleases hipsters, professionals, college students, and most importantly - beer lovers.

Local is famous for their inimitable and extensive list of draft beers (a decision made with the environment in mind: more draft beers means less bottles) from all over the country. 

Yet in the first week of March, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) began an investigation against Local 44, Resurrection Ale House in Grays Ferry and Memphis Taproom in Port Richmond all owned by Leigh Maida and Brendan Hartranft. The raids developed because of a complaint that beers the bars were serving had not been registered in Pennsylvania. Although Maida and Hartranft bought the beer legally, from licensed Pennsylvania distributors, the PLCB insisted that the beers were not properly registered and confiscated a number of Local 44’s tried and true brands. The diligent owners put on a happy face and created an all new list of twenty superb drafts that come from breweries both near and far, plus one bottled ale - the much loved, but never-available-on-draft, Orval Trappist. They also stock one gluten-free beer at a time, and encourage new suggestions.

On a return visit after the PLCB raid, with the bar super crowded, and only one bartender, Nice Guy Nate (his nickname prints out on the receipt, and he really is nice!), we had a few minutes to ponder what we wanted to throw back first. Being a lover of paler ales, I went with the Franziskanner Hefe-Weisse, $5 (try saying that after you’ve had a few too many), a wheat beer with a strong fruity flavor and creamy finish. My roomie ordered the deep golden colored St. Louis Gueuze, $8, a juggling act between sweet and sour, with hints of apricot and apple.

If the list intimidates you (which for novice beer drinkers, it may) have no fear, Local 44 has a little beer guide on their menu explaining the classification and flavor of the beers. Bartenders are friendly, knowledgeable and quick to make recommendations. And if bar seats aren’t your thing, there are a few high top tables and a large connected dining area with wooden booths and tables.

Giving Nice Guy Nate the I-need-food-now look, he promptly brought us menus. All pub grub, the menu isn’t huge - but when the beer is as good as it is at Local 44, it doesn’t need to be.

I started out with the herbed white bean dip sprinkled with parsley, oregano and rosemary ($6) accompanied by warm triangles of pita bread. The warm and zesty flavors paired well with my second beer, another Belgian pale ale, the Allagash White, $5. My roomie, a strict vegetarian, tried the slow-cooked collard green empanadas ($6) with a parsley cream dipping sauce. The empanadas were a bit too peppery and more fried than collard green-filled.

But, the carnivorous meal that I devour at almost every Local visit is a bigger-than-your-face ground sirloin burger ($8), with hand-cut French fries. With a list of 14 toppings that include the fried egg, thick-cut bacon, and sautéed spinach, there’s a burger for everyone.

Even for the vegetarians, who can enjoy the double-stacked veggie burger ($8) that lives up to its name. Unlike many veggie burgers, one can identify the puréed vegetables — tomatoes, carrots, and legumes. Her burger was gone before mine.

If burgers aren’t your thing, there are other perfect-for-beer options, from the falafel sandwich ($8) made with fresh arugula, tomato, and red onion, to Local’s large plate of fish and chips ($10) with hushpuppies, or the Banh Mi Steak Sandwich ($9), marinated hanger steak with mayo, cilantro, pickled daikon, carrots and jalapeno, and fresh cucumber.

And if you find yourself with a beer-induced hangover on a Saturday or Sunday morning, Local offers two Brunch-ish menu items between the hours of 11:30-3PM. An omelet served with whole roasted, crispy and golden potatoes ($8) or a breakfast BLT ($8). They also serve a Monday through Friday happy hour from 5-7pm when all beers are just $3, so you can enjoy craft beer for the price of a Miller Lite.

So rock a pencil skirt, skinny jeans, or your Phillies jersey; the staff is attentive, the beer is exceptional, and the crowd is undeniably local at Local 44.

Marisa McStravick studies journalism at Drexel University in Philadelphia and plans to attend law school in fall 2010. She has written for Philadelphia City Paper. Check out her blog at: http://imallergic.wordpress.com/.

Article photograph from acnatta, via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Eat Drink Philly" photograph from suvodeb, via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Philly" photograph from camardella, via Flickr (Creative Commons).