If you are looking for a place for a holiday get-together, a reunion with friends, or a family neighborhood bar where everyone knows your name, get yourself to the Eau Claire Ale House at the corner of Clairemont and Menomonie on Eau Claire’s West Side. Formerly Ciciones/Empire Grill, it has a new and enthusiastic owner, Blake Handrick, a former UWEC football player. Home to the area’s first self-serve tap beer wall and 22 draft selections, it also has a full-service bar (happy hour is 3-6pm) with lunch and dinner service, The menu includes calzones, sandwiches, and pizza, and most dishes are made from scratch. There is a line out the door for its Friday night fish fry (although the line formed inside with the recent big chill). Patrons love the self-serve beer wall, where you can choose a craft beer and get up to 32 ounces with a wristband that “reads” the quantity with a computer chip.