‘It’s About Community’: Brewery Nonic, Local Chef Cook Up Collaboration
chef Stacy Lang and Brewery Nonic craft diverse, delicious pairings – and they’re just getting started
McKenna Scherer, photos by Timothy Mather |
You will find no shortage of mouthwatering burger joints, spectacular pizza eateries, and unique craft beers in Menomonie, but there is one gem that is fusing food, beer, and community like no other.
Brewery Nonic has been bustling along since 2019 when owner Ryan Verdon converted the old Menomonie Railroad Station into a craft brewery, transformed with thoughtful care toward the historic building and breathing new life into the space with a community-gathering patio space and delicious brews.
Back then, Verdon envisioned working with local farmers, bakers, and food trucks to further round out patrons’ experience. Now, Brewery Nonic has its own food truck, hosts all kinds of events from outdoor movies to live music, and recently welcomed local chef Stacy Lang to its team full-time.
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IT’S ABOUT COMMUNITY AND IT’S ABOUT SUPPORTING LOCAL.
STACY LANG
CHEF AT BREWERY NONIC
Folks may recognize Lang and her outstanding flair for food from Stacked Eatery, her former late-night, from-scratch restaurant. Stacked opened nearly 10 years ago on Broadway Street in Menomonie, with Lang aiming to fill the late-night grub scene with beyond burgers and pizza. Locals loved it, and after about one year of service, Stacked expanded, offering lunch service and cocktails too. Then, COVID-19 struck.
After pushing along with curbside-pickup orders and difficulty managing mask protocols, the pandemic practically knocked out Stacked’s unique open-kitchen concept and customer-oriented atmosphere. By spring 2021, hours were very limited at Stacked, but Lang was getting more involved with the Eau Claire foodie scene and with Brewery Nonic.
“I started doing work in Eau Claire with Michelle Thiede backstage at Blue Ox (Music Festival) and in the kitchen at Banbury Place,” Lang recalled. “It was nice to just be with other people.”
Lang, who gained her chef experience by working through a number of restaurants beginning in her teenage years, had worked with Verdon before, offering pop-up food events over the years of the pandemic, and once Brewery Nonic acquired its food truck, Lang was even more involved.
“I was splitting my time between Eau Claire, Stacked, and the food truck. Things got so busy,” she said. “It was so nice to talk with people again, be outside, and it’s so beautiful at Nonic with the huge covered patio and fire pits. The brewery was getting so busy, it made sense to transition into that.”
What folks may remember from Stacked Eatery – its world-inspired fusion menu and seemingly endless offerings – is what Lang has brought to Nonic’s pop-up food events and food truck. Now officially transitioned into the Brewery Nonic team, the partnership between Lang’s cuisine and Verdon’s brews is flourishing.
Thursday evenings are “fusion nights” at Brewery Nonic, with Lang using whatever the farmers she sources from have available, dishing up plates from stunning curry-inspired dishes to Bulgogi beef burgers, pork belly fried rice, hand-pulled noodles, and more.
Sundays have turned into Summer Sundays at the brewery, when Lang often serves brunch and farm-fresh lunch dishes out of the food truck, while live music plays out on the patio. Some of Lang’s recent lunches have included bruschetta fried chicken sandwiches, fry bread fish tacos, the popular pho-rench drip (a play on pho and French dip), and chili verde chicken taquitos. Her brunch dishes have included peach cobbler stuffed French toast, chorizo Benedict, breakfast egg rolls, and more.
With such an expansive and flavor-bending menu, Lang said each week’s menus are nearly always one-offs, with no roundup of offerings offered twice (though popular individual dishes will make reappearances).
“I love making brunch but I cook a lot of Thai-fusion, Indian-fusion, or Japanese or Korean,” Lang said. “I think I prefer working with those palettes because of how light and fresh you can feel after eating them. For the area, ingredients can be hard to source and it’s hard to eat fresh, but food should be good and make you feel good.”
Perhaps what speaks most to the community-focused collaboration and space Brewery Nonic has crafted, is how many new people continue to show up at each week’s food pop-ups and events. Relying mostly on word-of-mouth and social media posts to let folks know about its events, Lang said the organic growth of it all adds to the true community feeling.
Brewery Nonic’s flavor-focused, English-style brews are vivid and unique, and Lang said it continues to be an honor to craft food that complements them. “I’ve done a beer dinner or two – which doesn’t seem like enough considering how good Ryan’s beer is – but I’m hoping to do more in the winter,” she said.
The duo is looking to expand the brewery’s kitchen, but for folks who can’t make it to the regular Thursday and Sunday food pop-ups, Lang has begun stocking snacks at the brewery too, including pastrami cups and hot pastrami sandwiches.
“One thing I do think is really important is, I feel like a lot of places feel they’re in competition. … I think if there was more collaboration, we would see more (businesses) blossom,” Lang said. “Everyone gets something out of it. It’s not just about making money: It becomes way more about the community, and that’s what’s been prevalent about (Ryan and I) working together at Nonic.”
“We’re not a carry-out or restaurant; We’re a collaboration,” Lang said. “It’s about community and it’s about supporting local.”
Keep up with Brewery Nonic's events on Facebook (@brewerynonic) and Stacy Lang on Instagram (@chef_stacylang), where she posts each week’s menus. Visit Brewery Nonic’s website to learn more and visit in person at 621 4th St. W, Menomonie.
