A while back, I attempted my first roasted chicken. It was a great success. Well, round two was even better.
A while back, I attempted my first roasted chicken. It was a great success. Well, round two was even better.
Posted at 10:43 PM in Chicken, Cooking, Fresh Ingredients, Meats, Potatoes, Recipes, Roasting | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I celebrated my iconic 30th birthday last October in Las Vegas. I woke up to filet mignon and red wine for breakfast in bed and finished my night at Hubert Keller's restaurant Fleur De Lys in Mandalay Bay.
This was an intense chef's tasting menu all paired around a beer for a change and not paired around wine. They offered it with wine at first, but also let us know once we chose beer, that they would be offering up a regular chef's tasting menu paired around beer as well as their wine course. Finally fine dining is starting to get it.
For those of you who don't know, the Las Vegas strip is a craft beer wasteland. That is until you visit the Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay, also owned by Hubert Keller. A fabulous, low-key burger joint where you can a glorious offering of craft beers, and just about any kind of burger you want. Including their famous $60 burger, The Rossini. It's made with Kobe beef, sauteed foie gras, shaved truffles, Madeira sauce on an onion bun.
Yeah, it's like that.
After deciding I wanted something rich and fabulous to eat for my 30th birthday dinner, we decided on Fleur De Lys. Having recently seen Hubert Keller on Top Chef, I really liked him a lot. He had amazing skills, and a general nice attitude. For once I didn't see a disgusting egomaniac celebrity chef. I know that sounds rude, but most celebrity chefs are so full of themselves. I liked watching Keller, and he seemed like a decent guy. Again his skills were unbelievable. I would love to sit and watch him cook.
This was their 6 course chef's tasting menu prepared by Chef Steve Wolf.
It didn't matter what glorious food was about to be presented to me. They had Tripel Karmeliet and paired my entire meal around this beer. It was a little funny when our waiter informed me that it as a bigger bottle of beer since Todd had ordered his own beer, a Sierra Nevada Torpedo. I informed him that I am a BeerAdvocate and to please bring it on!
Amuse Bouche: Lobster avocado roll in a watermelon bath.
Light, delicious, and refreshing. Clean and finished with a slight hint of salt contrasting the sweet watermelon. This was so refreshing with the crisp, sweet Tripel Karmeliet.
First: Ahi tuna on fennel salad with ponzu sauce.
Fresh, delicate taste, salty ponzu sauce was the right balance with the sweet ginger cracker. Soft tuna, earthy greens, and crunchy cracker made for a wonder mix of textures.
Second: Maui onion cream soup with black truffle and duck ragout wrapped in a crepe and red onion puree with bordeaux.
Sadly my second image was blurred, but that doesn't change how decadent and amazing this soup was. So rich and creamy. The duck fat added a nice flavor to the soup while the black truffle was potent and added a wonderful dirty and delicious earthy tasting pop. The red onion pure was the best part in my opinion adding a nice sweet and rich backbone to the soup. Did I mention that this soup was rich?
Third: Veal and Yukon Gold Potato raviolis with sweet English peas and sunchoke foam.
A wonderful sweet and rich broth balanced by the earthy greens, sweet peas. This is the kind of thing that makes me kick myself for eating veal, but secretly coveting it at the same time.
Two negatives to this course. This was the point where the richness started to become almost too much and it only gets more rich as the courses keep coming. Also I am not a fan of foams on fancy dishes anymore. It's a neat trick albeit an overused technique. I get that it adds the right hint of a flavor you want to add to a dish, but it looks sloppy by the time it gets served. If they could do table side service of adding the foam while it's being presented, I think that could make all the difference. Delicious course, but the foam doesn't exactly make it look all that appetizing.
Fourth: Hamachi with black trumpet mushrooms, ginger foam, and tempura scallions.
More foam but at least this one looked more appetizing than the veal raviolis. The foam was very salty, but the raw Hamachi helped tame it. Another super rich broth course but the unbelivable part was that I couldn't stop myself from eating it all. I was getting a little too full at this point but I had one more main course to go.
I know an American not entirely used to super rich French foods, but this was almost too much.
Fifth: Colorado rack of lamb with harissa, caramelized red onions and potato puree.
The lamb was fatty and perfectly cooked. The harissa was not too hot thankfully. I can't handle too much hot spice. The potatoes were rich and creamy and delicious loaded with pure butter. Despite the potatoes being so rich, they were a nice contrast to the plate and a break up of the rich sauce.
I think at this point you can see why I am beginning to get too full with these fabulously decadent and rich courses. It was just about too much. I was beginning to feel sick-full instead of satisfied.
This will get better though...
Intermezzo: Coconut soup with large tapioca pearls, kiwis, strawberries, and fried plantains, and mango and coconut sorbet.
Like any chef worth their salt, they know when the situation is getting a little precarious. After all the rich and super decadent food sent out, this course came and like magic it erased the sickeningly full feeling.
This course was so light and delicious and a perfect way to cut the richness out of the picture. It was after this course, I was able to sit back and relax feeling comfortably full. If it wasn't for this course, I don't think I would have made it.
Dessert: Sauterne poached pears with fall spices over pressed walnut sable with toasted cinnamon ice cream with sesame crisp. Compressed trio of pears marinated in fino, port, and banyals.
Sauces: Vanilla Sauterne gel
Port spice reduction
I had to have them write this course down. There was literally so much going on on this plate. Wonderful and light dessert course once again perfect and delicious after such an amazingly heavy meal. The pears were fantastic and simple. The walnut sable was a little bit odd and chewy, but flavor wise it was right on point and balanced.
This was a cool little culinary feat for a dessert. Simple tasting and refreshing, but a lot of techniques displayed.
But it didn't end there....
Homemade Madeleines with hot chocolate dipping sauce.
And with our check came a collection of nougat, pate de fruit, a chocolate financier, a lemon macaroon, and something I called a "Tower of awesomeness" in my notes about this dinner.
This was probably the single most expensive meal I have ever had with a check nearing $500 (I did buy two cook books on top of all of this food and it was my birthday), but without a doubt, one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. Everything was wonderful and expertly prepared. Even though I reached my limit with the rich foods, the coconut soup saved the day and reset everything leaving me completely satisfied with my meal.
Our waiter was delightful, helpful, and enthusiastic about beer and past beer dinners the restaurant has held before. I was thrilled to have heard about this place being open to and having hosted beer dinners before. It would be a dream of mine to host a BeerAdvocate sponsored beer dinner at Fleur De Lys. There would be nothing else that could even come close to something that awesome.
This was a fantastic culinary journey and well worth a visit if you happen to be in Las Vegas. And furthermore, they paired that whole amazing dinner around my beer. The beer worked with everything sat in front of me. It was incredible.
Posted at 06:48 PM in About Me, Beer, Beer Discussions, Beer Pairing, Beer Suggestions, Beverages/Drinks, Desserts, Dinner, Fine Dining, Fish, Food and Drink, French, Insanity, Las Vegas, Meats, Restaurants, Reviews, Seafood, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I went to the new opening for American Craft last night in Brookline, Ma. David Ciccolo who owns the Publick House and Monks Cell as well as the Publick House Provisions, decided to revamp and go in a whole different direction with his former restaurant the Roadhouse.
David suffered set back after set back when it came to the Roadhouse. There was no luck for that place at all. From the bad chef who opened the restaurant (admittedly that was David's mistake), to the typical Brookline residents who couldn't be bothered to go to the planning meetings when David planned on installing a 4600 pound smoker, only to have the same residents complain and have it shut down 6 months later because was spring time. Who cares that it had been going for 6 months and that they ignored the planning meetings. It's spring time and they wanted their windows open.
Then there was the issue of the smoker being set up with a Jewish Center for Asthmatics right behind his pork-filled, smoke monster (true story). Next it was the Boston Globe writing an unethical review of the Roadhouse highlighting the good food from the new chef but making no mention of phasing out the old chefs bad food and writing about it without any mention of the change over. A terrible review without telling the whole truth or painting an accurate picture. Kind of like the typical Yelp review. And lastly being forced to change his menu due to a lack of a smoker from Texas-Style BBQ to a Tex-Mex style menu. I think the fans were as exhausted as Mr. Ciccolo was.
Finally David has come up with a realistic change to his restaurant. A concept that I think hits all the right marks at the right time. American Craft featuring only American craft beer, wines, and spirits. The menu has been kicked up 20 notches and simplified. The restaurant itself has been tweaked to feel worlds more comfortable.
My husband Todd, wrote a good write up from his point of view for a BeerAdvocate review. You can read that here.
I mostly wanted to highlight some of the food we had last night. It was so good. The duck hash was awesome, and not pictured, was the buffalo mozzarella cheese bites in marinara sauce. Delicious! The Stout Braised short rib was massive and so soft and tender. The potatoes were soft and creamy. I usually don't like mashed potatoes at all, but these were great.
Pulled Duck Hash: duck confit, root vegetables, and Yukon potatoes.
Burger: On a Challah roll with bacon, fried egg, spinach, and cheddar with hand-cut fries.
Stout Braised Short Rib: short rib with wilted spinach and whipped potatoes.
The beer selection is good. Let's face it, whether you liked the food at the Roadhouse or not, finding good beer in one of David's places has never been an issue. Now there is good wine too.
As many bumps in the road as there have been for David in finally getting this restaurant situated, I think it's finally safe to say that he has found his niche. This is the right concept at the right time.
I don't expect to see glowing reviews on Yelp with all the back and forth changes the Roadhouse has been through. I don't expect much out of Yelp in general. Or those who are on average hard to please. But you should see it for yourselves. American Craft is a much more comfortable place to hang out at, much more laid back atmosphere, and the food has kicked up, simplified, and fantastic. I liked it and frankly I am all that matters around here. It is my blog after all.
Thanks to my friend Caitlin, for allowing me to borrow her camera for these pics.
Posted at 01:29 PM in Bars/Pubs, Beer, Craft Beer, Dinner, Food and Drink, Friends, Local, Meats, Restaurants, Reviews, Wine | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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[Gratuitous Moose shot for the Alaskans. ;>]
This was our first event after landing in Anchorage, Alaska. We literally flew into town, got showered up, and were back out for beer and food.
Billy Opinsky, the owner of Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House, owns and shares a kitchen with another bar called SubZero Micro Lounge. Anyone who know beer in Alaska, knows Billy O. He is a kind and generous proprietor of two Anchorage's mainstay's and is extremely knowledgeable about craft beer. After our week in Alaska, I can safely call Billy O, my pal!
SubZero was the scene for the "Break Into The Cage" beer dinner. Billy Opinsky broke into his stash of rare offerings of Belgian beers kicking off a week of beer events for the Great Alaskan Beer And Barely Wine Festival. There were some excellent surprises in store and some other offerings that were not so much.
Welcome Beer: Castelain 2001 Blonde Biere de Garde, 6.4%, France
This one came out a little chunky, but tasted amazing for nine year old beer. I felt like it held up well.
The French are known for their farmhouse style ales. Very classic, wild farmhouse ales. As pretty as Biere de Garde's are though, I am looking forward to France finally competing with the Italians and making more varieties of craft beer. But having said that, I have never been to France. There could be a beer revolution going on there right now.
First Course: Artisan greens with pomegranate, tossed with meyer lemon, olive oil, and geuze, topped with gorgonzola and crispy pancetta.
Beer: Boon Oude Geuze 2001 Gueze, 7% abv, Belgium
This was an excellent pairing. The sour gueze went right to work on the earthy greens and the blue cheese. The pomegranate seeds added a touch of sweet tart to the plate. And of course the pancetta, that's always a welcome guest to any dish.
I liked this course a lot because reinforces the power of a good pairing. I am not a fan of sour beers. If the ph is off, they become undrinkable to me. It's not the flavors of them despite how funky they can be, it's the physical effects they cause to my body. Like instant heart burn. If they are too funky, they wild bacterias cause instant bloating. An uncomfortable issue to talk about with beers, and in the middle of a beer dinner discussion, but it still happens. These aged beers were certainly funky but I was able to handle them okay with food.
It proves to me that food and beer really change one and other. Beers you may not like, end up being wonderful with the right food. And once you accept that factor that food changes the experience all together, it reinforces a mantra that I have been repeating over recent months: You don't not need to give a person "training wheel" beers in order to make them a convert. People think non beer drinkers should be weened into beer versus giving them the best beers no matter what style they are. All it takes is an expertly matched pairing. The same can be said about me who has professed a dislike towards sour beers. Food changes everything for the better.
Second Course: Seared Foie Gras resting on red cabbage braised in Hanssens Kriek with a blackberry compote and fresh berries.
Beer: Hanssens Oude Kriek 1999 Lambic, 6% abv, Belgium
This was an amazing dish. Huge pieces of wicked soft foie gras. Absolutely sinful and artery clogging. Just the way I like it! The red cabbage and the blackberry compute was fantastic.
The beer was not so much for me. Despite it's gorgeous red color and crisp carbonation still hanging on, there was a funk going on that I just couldn't get passed. It was little rough on my esophagus as well. All the other geeks at the table were going bonkers over it. This was one I just couldn't agree with. I wound up drinking the Boon Oude Geuze with it and it worked just as well. Same basic principles of the high acid content cutting through the rich fats as well as the carbonation.
Despite a super funky beer, this course was amazing.
Mystery Beer: Cantillon Fou' Foune Lambic, unknown year, 5% abv, Belgium
Amuse Bouche: Crostini with a gouda spread, spring onions and chutney.
Now this was a Cantillon I could handle. Cantillon is world renowned for their lambics and gueze's. But they are also know for being some of the most sour beers you can get. These are some of the worlds prettiest beers, but the some of the roughest on me. Luckily not this one thanks to aging rounding out all the dramatic sharp sour edges. Big lovely peaches and apricots in this muted sour beer.
It went perfectly with the little nosh of gouda crostinis.
Intermission Beer: Unibroue Edition 2005, 10% Abv, Dark Belgian Strong Ale, Quebec, Canada.
Sadly from this point on I can only post the picture from this beer dinner. I had to head back to the hotel and sleep. I had a headache so bad. We landed that afternoon and went right to the dinner. This was the kind of headache that wouldn't go away without a few hours darkness and sleep. Luckily I woke up feeling great the next and had a glorious breakfast of King Crab Leg Cakes Eggs Benedict. But bad luck for me, I missed the bread pudding dessert. Todd finished taking pictures for me.
Third Course: Deconstructed venison stew with root vegetables.
Beer: Thomas Hardy's Ale 1996 Old Ale 11.7% abv, England (Retired)
Fourth Course: Pistachio crusted lamb resting in Duchess de Bourgogne demi glace with potatoes au gratin.
Beer: Trappistes Rochefort 8 2004, 9.2% abv, Dark Belgian Strong Ale, Belgium
Dessert: Bread pudding with Thomas Hardy glaze.
Beer: Goulden Carolus Noel, year unknown, Dark Belgian Strong Ale, Belgium.
I love bread pudding. What a shame I couldn't make it all the way to the end. But from everything I did have, it was an incredible meal. Todd said the rest of the meal was fantastic. I got to meet and hang out with some really great people. And I got to bad mouth Sarah Palin with some like minded Alaskans.
Thank you Billy O for kicking off our week in Alaska with an amazing beer dinner.
Posted at 08:31 AM in Alaska, Beer, Beer Dinner, Beer Discussions, Beer Pairing, Beverages/Drinks, Cheese, Cheese Pairings, Cooking With Beer, Desserts, Food and Drink, Fruit/Berries, Meats, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Back from a five day trip to Anchorage, Alaska. We were invited up for The Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival. Todd and Jason Alström were asked to be judges for the Barleywine competition. They were also invited to speak at The Great Northern Brewers Club. A massive group of homebrewers from the great state of Alaska.
There is a lot to say about Alaska. I really enjoyed visiting Anchorage even in January. It was pretty chilly outside but we missed the worst of it before we arrived and after we left.
Alaskans love their beer. They love big, bold flavors in their beers and they are not scared one bit of experimentation with their beers or styles be it professionally brewed, or concocted in their kitchens. Alaska has an an amazing beer culture. Everyone knows each other, everyone homebrews, and everyone supports their local beer scene with a protected pride in their home grown offerings.
They should be proud of what they have going on up there. I have never seen such a tight knit community of beer lovers. The people of Alaska are also some of the most generous, friendly, welcoming group of people I have ever met in my life. We were welcomed into their fold and treated like family members. I will forever be grateful for the way we were looked after and treated by the good people of Alaska.
The first thing we did when we landed in Alaska was attend a beer dinner at Sub Zero owned by Billy Opinsky. I am holding off on posting about that here in this post because it deserves it's own post.
The next morning we woke up refreshed and I, myself was finally free from a terrible jet lag induced headache, we decided we need a big hearty breakfast to set the mood right for our beer trek through Anchorage. I heard about this place down the road from where were staying called Snow City Cafe. I saw their menu online before we came up to visit. I had completely forgotten that Alaska is all about halibut, king crab, and salmon. When I saw that they have king crab cake eggs benedict, I would not stop until I tried them.
I had an excellent Almond Joy Mocha to wake myself up. And then I ordered the King Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. Picture came out a little dark, but it gets the message across.
These were awesome except for one thing. The poached eggs were hard boiled. I hate that. I want runny yolks with poached eggs. The king crab cakes made up for it. They were meaty with real king crab. That might sound strange to an Alaskan to say real bits of crab. Everywhere else you go it's faux crab meat. Or real crab meat that's mostly filled with more breading than actual crab meat.
Jason ordered an omelet and got a side of reindeer sausage. This is a very popular side dish for most breakfast joints in Anchorage. It tasted like smoked sausage but spicier and more rich in flavor. I haven't had reindeer meat before, but this was tasty.
We left this place very full and happy. It was snowing and the sun light doesn't come out until 10 or 11 am. It begins to set again around 2 or 3 pm. The best thing you can do for yourself if you are used to sunny situations is eat and drink yourself silly. It's a lot like Las Vegas. You never know what time it is, but who cares as long as there is beer?
We walked back to our hotel to get some last minute BA Magazine work done. While Todd and Jason were sorting that stuff out, I noticed that the hotel we were staying in was mentioned in some articles that it's haunted. Oh goody! Historic Anchorage Hotel.
The bottom picture are actual accounts that some of the guests have made about encounters with so-called spirits. One story reports that a couple came back to their room on the second floor and their door was blocked by a little kid sitting in the doorway. It turns out that there were no kids registered in the hotel at the time. Other stories say that the guests reported kids playing in the hotel when there were no kids registered. Apparently a little girl was shot in the hotel way back in the day and later died of a mysterious illness. Another little boy had drowned in a bathtub in the hotel.
Guest reports of seeing a man in a police uniform walking the hallways. The first police chief of Anchorage was murdered near the hotel in the 20's with his own gun and he refused to say who shot him in the back before he died.
The best story comes from the ghost hunters who came to the hotel armed with a tape recorder. The two ladies were talking in the recording, when you could hear loud breathing in the background. Then a creepy voice said "don't move that." Then it said "chocolate" and you could hear a chocolate bar wrapper being opened. Then the voice said "do her!"
Yeah, I am not quite sure what "do her!" meant either but it's pretty damn hilarious. Hilarious in the sense that it happened to them and not me. I did have a sheer moment of panic however, leaving my room when I saw two little boys in their pj's just staring me from the other end of the hallway. I found their parents down stairs in their pj's too eating a quiet breakfast. The boys came and joined them. I relaxed after that.
This is from the hotel's website:
Our Haunted Hotel – Where Ghosts Are More than Just Stories
Curtains rumbling, shower curtains swaying, pictures flying . . . it’s
all par for the course at the Historic Anchorage Hotel. Stories of
ghostly happenings have been circulating at the hotel for many years,
all thought to be related to the death of the first Chief of Police,
Jack Sturgus. On February 20, 1921 at 9:15 p.m., Anchorage's first
Police Chief John J. "Black Jack" Sturgus was found shot in the back
with a bullet from his own gun, steps away from the Historic Anchorage
Hotel. It is rumored that his ghost returns to the scene of the crime
each year, haunting the location of his untimely death, seeking justice
for a crime still unsolved to this day.
Sightings are so frequent that we keep a ghost log in which a number of our guests have shared their encounters. In addition to the ghost of Jack Sturgus, there are several different specters that past guests have seen make their way through our halls and facilities. A more detailed account of some of these ghosts were featured on Today MSNBC.com.
While an abundance of paranormal activity may scare some, we can assure you that the rich and interesting history of the Historic Anchorage Hotel will make for an unforgettable stay.
Awesome, but kind of not. Good thing the people who were working in the hotel were once again some of the kindest and friendliest people. If I had seen a ghost, I don't think they would have minded if I sat in their laps curled up in a ball, sucking my thumb and crying for my mommy.
Then we went out to Midnight Sun Brewing Co. for a quick pit stop and some beers.
We tried a ton of good beers here. I found and fell in love with Specialty XXX. A Black Double IPA brewed for their distributors 30th anniversary. It was so hoppy and good. Dry finish, roasted malts still fighting to hang on amidst the onslaught of big hops. The perfect beer for me. I took a couple of the bottles home with me, but the bottles are barrel-aged.
We also tried Gluttony, a triple IPA and theoretical 200 IBU beer. Theoretical in the fact that the human palate can't really taste more than 100 IBU's. But supposedly this beer is about 200 IBU's. I tried the Kodiak Brown Ale as well and many other beers that afternoon.
*For the Midnight Sun crew: Hot Peach Cobbler is the winner for a food pairing with this beer. Peaches braised in tons of butter and brown sugar, a nice crumble on top of the peaches.... Pure vanilla ice cream with it. There is more that can be done. We came up with a few combinations, but I thought I would elaborate on the "I am thinking peaches" comment. I had it in the bottle after we got back and roasted malts were more apparent. Much bigger flavors than when I tasted Kodiak with a shot palate after drinking Specialty XXX.
Visit Midnight Sun's website and scroll through their profile of beers. It's a pretty stunning line up and some of the most creative beers from any brewery I have seen in a long time. Their beers are not just a couple of one off's that don't fit a certain mold. Their whole profile is off the chains.
One of the highlights was Bathtub Gin. A gruit style ale with juniper berries, grains of paradise, and other herbs. This beer was made by lead brewer Ben Johnson in honor of the Phish song Bathtub GIn.
Ben, I didn't know you were such a dirty hippy! That changes everything about our friendship.
If you haven't guessed, that's Ben on the label. Bathtub Gin was very cool. Crisp, dry finish, and big spicy nose and flavor. Again, very Alaskan with big, full flavor and a complete distortion of what is considered to be classic styles. I love it. They do what they want, make whatever beer they want, they don't give a shit about traditionalism because they don't have too.
Alaskans are living in their own quiet little world up there... Only it's not so quiet. They are making some noise up there and when you come into town, you either get on board or get out of town. It isn't hard to get on board with the delicious beers being produced up there. I love that kind of mentality. Who says you have to play by the same old boring rules? Midnight Sun is a perfect example of do what you want. Make the beer you intended to make no matter how big, or obscure, or undefined and the masses will follow you. It's so American, and I love it.
Later that day we made our way back to Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse. Owned by Billy Opinsky and shares the same kitchen with Sub Zero. Billy O had taken such good care of us during the whole time we were there. Taxiing us around, piling good food unto us to try. Like the amazing halibut fish and chips appetizer at Humpy's, and later treating us to sushi where we experienced White King salmon for the first time.
[Image via Food, Not Filler.]
When we got to Humpy's we were in the mood for some beers we have never tried before and appetizers. Smoked Salmon spread, Alaskan oysters, and King Crab bites.
All of these choices were great choices for an afternoon snack. I will say that the salmon spread needed more salmon chunks in it to balance out the cream cheese, but it was very smokey and tasty. And Hallelujah they give you a good amount of bread to go with it. I can't stand places that give you dips or pate and only two pieces of bread or toast points.
The crab bites had good pieces of crab in it. Served piping hot and great with some squeezed lemon. Perfect Alaskan bar food.
Upon further inspection of their menu, we saw this little note on it.
I would like to see someone take this challenge on up close. You can see the challenge on Man v. Food here.
Later that night we went over to the Sleeping Lady Brewery for the Great Northern Homebrewers meeting. Todd and Jason were invited to be guest speakers at their meeting. Todd thought it would be around 40 people. More like 120 people were there. Armed with their homebrews, and fresh imperial stouts pouring from Sleeping lady Brewery, we had a good old drunken night.
Getting a little Double Wit Bier from the tanks at Sleeping Lady. Dennis Sessler, President of the Great Northern Homebrewers Club kicking things off with Dr. Fermento ("Dr. Fermento is the alter ego of Anchorage Press and The Celebrator Beer News beer columnist James Roberts.")
What are those two weirdos doing? Jason and Todd Alström.
That was our downfall right there. Jason and his multiple trips to get the Sleeping Lady Imperial Stout and Smoked Porter from Alaskan Brewing Co. The homemade meads certainly contributed a fair amount to our downfall as well.
Jamie Floyd from Ninkasi Brewing Co. in Eugene, Oregon with his geek tattoo of a D&D dice. You had to be there and hear Jason's reaction when Jamie mentioned his geek passion for D&D.
Uh oh. Here comes trouble. I am just kidding that is Barb Miller of Midnight Sun. She is the main reason we came to Alaska in the first place.
People were getting down to Tom Dalldorf's band the Rolling Boil Blues Band. The older gentleman in the picture was having himself a good old time. He was fun to watch.
There were a lot of homemade meads being tasted out and many homebrews being passed around. All I can say is that it is probably good for everyone including myself that I didn't take anymore pictures after this point. Alaskans throw down. We'll just leave it at that.
Here are a few pictures of the judging for the first round of the Barleywine Competition and the Winter Seasonal category.
Day one, first round Barleywines and Winter Seasonals.
Second day, round two, two tables one for Winter Seasonals and one for Barleywines.
The winner for Winter Seasonals: Glacier Brewhouse, Eisbock
The Winners for the Barleywine: 1st Place Lagunitas, Gnarleywine
2nd Place Midnight Sun, Arctic Devil
3rd Place Pizza Port, Blonde Bombshell Barleywine.
I did not take pictures of the festival itself for the two sessions I attended. It was quite a good time. A bit too crowded (much more room in the connoisseur session) and a bit too much puke on the sidewalks after the fact. But still a good a time. As I said, Alaskans like big, full beers. These people like to get crunked. It's my kind of town.
I also didn't get pictures of the incredible sushi we had at Sushi & Sushi or the tasting of all 18 beers at Moose's Tooth Pizza. That was certainly a good moment. Enjoying 18 different beers with Thai pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, and a McKinley meat pizza. That was heaven.
We ended our 5 day excursion back at Midnight Sun for a relaxing afternoon that spanned into the evening. We drank Good Mojo, Specialty XXX, more Gluttony, and Earth. We drank awesome beers, had good food, and said good-bye to our new found friends of Alaska.
I didn't get pictures with some of my new good friends in Alaska. Julie and Tim McDonald, Billy Opinsky (Humpy's, Sub Zero), Dena and Dennis Sessler, Ken and Shauna Pajak (Cafe Amsterdam), Barb, Mark, Ben, Gabe, Jeremiah, Gary, and Seth (Midnight Sun). All of these people made our trip to Alaska fantastic. The Generosity, the laid back and cool attitudes, the welcoming nature into their worlds. I have said it over and over again, I will forever be grateful for their tremendous hospitality.
Edit: I don't want to forget what a gem Tom Dalldorf is and what a terrific sense of humor he has. I knew we would get along good when he brought up the idea of prank calling Lisa Morrison!
Posted at 04:25 AM in About Me, Alaska, Appetizers, Bars/Pubs, Beer, Beer Advocate, Beer Dinner, Beer Discussions, Beverages/Drinks, Breakfast, Craft Beer, Dinner, Food and Drink, Friends, Meats, Restaurants, Seafood, Travel | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
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Cambridge Brewing Co.'s Autumn Brewers dinner from November 2009.
This was a fabulous beer dinner I went to last minute at CBC back in November. I wasn't sure if we were going to end up going or not and then two friends called saying they really wanted to go too so off we went.
Amuse Bouche:
Double Happiness Cocktail. Tangerine twist with duck crackling and apple cider caviar.
Double Happiness- strong golden ale refermented in chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces and lychee fruit. Bright with perfumed tropical fruit and a lightly tart finish. 10.4%
This was an awesome little opening. The caviar was solely made from apple cider. The duck crackling added an odd but oddly necessary hit of grease to the whole tasting. It seemed strange but it worked.
The brettanomyces was low and not dominating in this beer, and the fruit flavors were crisp and fresh, not cloying as it would seem with something sweet and sticky like lychees. Very refreshing and unique.
Apple cider caviar? At first I thought it was actual caviar in apple cider. But it was apple cider in small pearls like caviar. It even had that little bursting effect when you eat caviar. Very interesting and cool.
For those of you who haven't been to a CBC dinner before, the way they offer the courses is to have a few selections from each course to choose from. When the waiter comes to take your order you generally order the whole meal in one shot. I am going to post the menu and and then talk about the courses I myself had and some of the folks at our table had.
CBC Autumn Brewers Dinner
November 14, 2009
Amuse:
Double Happiness Cocktail
Tangerine Twist, Apple Cider Caviar, Duck Crackling
First:
Island Creek Oyster Bisque
Butter Poached Yukon Gold Potato, Leeks, Fried Salsify
Blackout Stout
Local Celeriac Soup
Beer Brown Bread Croutons, Crispy Carrot-Celery Salad, Raisin Jus
Cambridge Amber
Second:
Long Island Duck Rillette
Cerise Cassee Cherry, Clear Flour Sourdough, Beer Mustard, Micro Green Salad
Cerise Cassèe
General Gau's Frogs Legs
Steamed White Rice, Broccolini
Biere de Gourde
Maine Lobster Pierogies
Local Spinach, Porcini Cream, Amaretto Crumb
Om
Warm New England Vegetable Timbale
Spaghetti Squash, Glazed Root Vegetables, Aged Gouda,
Braised Greens, Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Red God
Third:
North East Family Farms Venison Loin
Sweet Potato and Chestnut Puree, Swiss Chard, Sweet Ginger Salt, Natural Jus
2008 Bannatyne's Scotch Ale
Wild Mushroom Cannelloni
Autumn Squash Bolognese, Toasted Pumpkin Seed, Parsnip Béchamel, Crispy Kale
Great Pumpkin Ale
Braised Rabbit Stew
Gnocchi, Tomato Confit, Hen of the Woods, Local Spinach, Butternut Squash,
Piave Cheese
Sgt. Pepper
Nantucket Bay Scallops
Brown Butter Fried Cauliflower, Fingerling Potato, Candied Kumquats,
Toasted Pinenuts
St. Alphonso
Dessert:
Vintage Blunderbuss Barleywine Flight
Stilton, EVOO Fried Almonds, Heirloom Apple Compote
2009 Port Finish, 2008 Bourbon finish, 2007 Dryhop finish Blunderbuss Barleywines
Benevolence Bread Pudding
Barleywined Fruits, Apricot Caramel, Pumpkin Ale Ice Cream
Benevolence
Gingersnap Napoleon
Sweet Pumpkin Custard, Cinnamon Cream, Bittersweet Ganache,
Candied Ginger
Olde Pumpkin Porter
Second Course:
Local Celeriac Soup
Beer Brown Bread Croutons, Crispy Carrot-Celery Salad, Raisin Jus
Beer: Cambridge Amber
Cambridge Amber- Well balanced, medium-bodied, deep amber-red. Malty caramel notes, hints of chocolate, slightly roasty finish, complemented by a touch of fruity, spicy hops. 4.7%
This was an excellent pairing. The soup was creamy and rich. The amber was a perfect match. The soup actually brought out a lot more of the complex characters of the Amber like the roasted finish. The only negative to this course was that I finished it all the way through and it was more filling that it sounds. We had a whole evening to get through....
Sadly my shot of the amber was blurred, but I got a somewhat decent shot of Todd's beer. He had the Island Creek oyster bisque paired with the Black out Stout. I did not however, get a shot of his soup. Todd gets annoyed when I take foodie pictures while we're trying to eat. Boo Todd.
Third course:
Long Island Duck Rillette
Cerise Cassee Cherry, Clear Flour Sourdough, Beer Mustard, Micro Green Salad
Beer: Cerise Cassèe
Cerise Cassèe- sour ale spontaneously fermented along with 300 pounds of tart red cherries and aged in a Solera system of wine barrels. Aggressively tart with flavors of sour cherries, malt, vanilla and oak tannin, and a finish that defies description in its funky-yet-balanced uniqueness. 8.5%
Another great course. The Cerise cherries were so delicious and sweet. The duck was simple, flavorful and fatty. This batch of Cerise Cassèe was more acidic and tart than normal. Usually Cerise is a sour beer with a decent level of acidity that doesn't burn the throat when drinking. so people live for that burn I do not. Having said that, the fatty duck helped tone down the acid. The acid in turn helped cut the fats and oils and allowed the flavors of the mustard, sweet cherries, and duck to add their own pop. Lots of different tastes, but very tasty.
Sadly my pictures of the beer are not doing them any justice to get the full effects of their rich colors.
Warm New England Vegetable Timbale
Spaghetti Squash, Glazed Root Vegetables, Aged Gouda,Braised Greens, Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Beer: Red God
Red God- Featuring Simcoe, Amarillo, and Columbus hops at a rate of over three pounds per barrel, with American pale and Belgian caramel malts providing a malty but dry pedestal upon which this hop fest rides to its long, lingering, hop-bittered finish. Beware this vengeful god.8.5%
My
friend Courtney went with this course. She suffered the same fate I did
with the soup. It doesn't look like it from the picture, but this course was huge. And she weighs all of 90 pounds soaking wet. But from what I gathered it was hard to stop eating this course. And it was paired with Red God which is one of my all time favorite beers from CBC. Courtney is a hop head too. So this course was hard to not gorge on.
And Todd had the lobster pierogies.
Maine Lobster Pierogies
Local Spinach, Porcini Cream, Amaretto Crumb
Beer: Om
OM- Strong golden ale aged in French oak chardonnay barrels. Brettanomyces exresses with flavors and aromas of pineapple and peach fruit, creating a harmonious balance of honeyed malt and hop, yeast and flora, and oak character. 9.4%
Fourth Course:
Wild Mushroom Cannelloni
Autumn Squash Bolognese, Toasted Pumpkin Seed, Parsnip Béchamel, Crispy Kale
Beer: Great Pumpkin Ale
Great Pumpkin Ale- 150 pounds of fresh, locally grown, organic sugar pumpkins are hand-carved and added to each batch, along with a touch of cinnamon and allspice. An appropriately orange beer with subtle pumpkin flavor, enhanced by a touch of traditional autumn spices. 4.2%
I didn't get a shot of the beer because I jumped right into this course. This thing was fabulous. And it paired really well with the Great Pumpkin. GPA from CBC is one of my all time favorites. They have really mastered making a pumpkin ale that tastes like squash and not over-spiced. It's so tasty. It went amazingly well with the cream sauce and rich mushroom cannelloni. I loved this meal. And unusual for me is getting a vegetarian course when there are meat options. This sounded terrific and it was. Very rich and filling. Noticing a pattern here?
This was our other friend at the table Mark's course. Originally it was supposed to be be scallops, but he ended up with monk fish instead. I am not sure if they had run out of scallops, or if it was requested to be different. Mark was happy with his course.
Nantucket Bay Scallops (Monk Fish)
Brown Butter Fried Cauliflower, Fingerling Potato, Candied Kumquats,
Toasted Pinenuts
Beer: St. Alphonso
St. Alphonso- Our American take on the Belgian single, or table beer, with our house Belgian yeast strain and bucketloads of American hops. Well-attenuated, super-dry, light-bodied beer with tons of fresh hop flavor. 4.5%
Dessert:
Gingersnap Napoleon
Sweet Pumpkin Custard, Cinnamon Cream, Bittersweet Ganache,
Candied Ginger
Beer: Olde Pumpkin Porter
Olde Pumpkin Porter- After one year of age in bourbon oak with Brett., this porter was blended with fresh pumpkin, crystallized ginger, whole cinnamon, and new toasted oak. Very complex yet drinkable, with smooth blending of subtle spices and roasted malts. A great dessert porter! 6.5%
This was amazing but messy! This was by far the worst thing I could have done to myself ater having this insanely rich meal before and finish it off with a decadent and super rich dessert like this. The cookies were weird though. They tasted amazing and were soft, yet you couldn't just cut into the dessert. It smashed and squished all the insides out. So while it was delicious and awesome, it was incredibly messy.
This dessert paired awesomely with the pumpkin porter. Another brett beer that didn't overwhelm me with funk. Brett beers are an interesting thing for me. My body will either respond well to them or not. This was one of those days where the funk just added some flavor and didn't make me ill. It wasn't overwhelming to the beer either. Sometimes when working with brettanomyces it has a propensity to completely overtake a beer and all other flavors there may have been in the beer.
I had a hard time noticing the ginger in the beer with ginger cookies and crystallized ginger on the plate, but the pumpkin spices, and the rich notes of the porter were enough to come through and make this a flavorful and yet again, super rich course.
Todd got the cheese plate and flight of barleywines.
Vintage Blunderbuss Barleywine Flight
Stilton, EVOO Fried Almonds, Heirloom Apple Compote
Beer: 2009 Port Finish, 2008 Bourbon finish, 2007 Dryhop finish Blunderbuss Barleywines
2009 Blunderbuss Barleywine, Port barrel finish- A delightful sneak preview of this year's unreleased expression of Blunderbuss. Aged in vintage port wine barrels, which provide a touch of fruit and oak to this massive, malty brew. 13.2% sherry glass
2008 Blunderbuss Barleywine, Bourbon barrel finish- Last year's expression spent time in barrels from the Buffalo Trace distillery, where it picked up notes of caramel, vanilla, hints of cotton candy, and toasty oak. Super smooth. 11% sherry glass
2007 Blunderbuss Barleywine, Dry Hop finish- heavily dry-hopped with Simcoe and Ahtanum hops before its annual release. This extraordinarily complex ale boasts flavors and aromas of caramel, dried fruits, toffee, lots of spicy, resiny, and floral hops, and a very warming alcohol finish. 11.5% sherry glass
This is generally how CBC rolls when they do a beer event. Their pairings are spot on and the food is always creative, good, and really filling.
*Beer course descriptions via CBC menu courtesy of Will Meyers, Brewmaster.
Posted at 08:49 PM in Beer, Beer Dinner, Beer Discussions, Beer Pairing, Beer Suggestions, Beverages/Drinks, Brewery/ Brewpub, Cheese, Craft Beer, Desserts, Dinner, Drinks, Fresh Ingredients, Local, Meats, Reviews | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Lord Hobo has been open for a week now and it has been getting nothing but big praise for the most part from those who have visited the new restaurant so far. I happen to agree with the praise.
Lord Hobo is the new restaurant in Cambridge, Ma. in place of the once famed B-Side Lounge. A former bartender of the B-Side gave the best description of the new bar and restaurant. "If there was a movie made about the B-Side, Lord Hobo would be the Hollywood version of the bar." That's because it's been brightened up, walls painted a muted rustic red, the floor was completely redone, the bar widened and finished with new, beautiful wood, and finished with 30 taps in the middle, and the layout of the room has opened up with the removal of oddly placed dividers and booths from the old B-Side. It's really nice and sterile inside.
We went to Lord Hobo last Monday for the soft opening and had a wonderful time just drinking and sampling the über fresh beers. The Spezial Rauchbier Lager was pouring so good. I drank that pretty much all night on Monday and hung out with some good friends from the neighborhood.
Saturday night we went in for dinner.
A tip for those wanting to try Lord Hobo, go early. Get there early or there will be a line to contend with just to even get in. It's not a huge line or anything to be intimidated by, but getting there early gets you a table right away. The worst I heard anyone has had to wait is 20 minutes. Turn over is good and while you wait, you have 30 beers or a good cocktail list to choose from.
Another good tip is that their wine list offers all choices by the glass with the exception of their reserve list. I find that awesome.
We started with the Truffle Chips. They come with a variety of sauces which we were told change every day. These are perfectly cooked hand cut fries. I usually hate hand cut fries. They are usually too soggy, or cut too fat and big. These were right in the middle of soft, not soggy and crispy. The sauces were a garlic aioli, a vinaigrette, and a sweet and garlicky ketchup. I was more a fan of the ketchup.
The fries also tasted so good with the Spezial Rauchbier Lager. Man that beer is so good and so fresh tasting at Lord Hobo right now. And they give you big mugs of it.
We also ordered a charcuterie plate. It wasn't big or grandiose in it's offerings which happened to be a good thing. It's small but if it were any bigger, ordering dinner might have become a problem.
A simple offering of mustards, Pȃte de Compagne (country pȃte) and duck liver mousse. Simple and delicious.
Then we ordered dinner. Todd ordered the gnocchi with oxtail in parma cream sauce.
I had the Shepherd's pie with braised lamb, root veg, and colcannon.
I have to admit I had a hard time with my entree. Todd's was fantastic. It was super rich, hearty, and delicious. Mine on the other hand tasted amazing, but there were some issues with the meal. It wasn't fresh it was reheated. It's a little too expensive for a reheated meal. The lamb was the key. It wasn't hot. It was served warm, and the braised lamb was not soft because of this, it was stiff. The reason I am so torn about it though was because despite being reheated, it still tasted so good. The flavors were excellent. Next time they should make sure it's so hot and have a warning on the skillet. If it comes in a skillet like that, it should be a dead giveaway that this meal is super hot. Sadly it was luke warm. I can't complain too much though because I ate nearly all of it despite my observations about this meal.
Lord Hobo is a really great new place for Cambridge. Lot's of fresh beer, good food, and the way the room is laid out, it's a comfortable place to hang out.
Honorable mentions for the food are the deviled eggs. I tried them on Monday and they were pretty good. The Maine lobster mac'n'cheese on the appetizers has been a huge hit for a lot of patrons so far. I saw the Seared Local Cod, mahogany clams, potato "risotto", leek, trumpet mushrooms being served to a customer right next to me on Monday. It smelled terrific and looked fantastic. The woman who ordered said it was delicious. And I hear the burger is quite fantastic.
After dinner we tried two Nordic beers we have not tired before courtesy of Daniel Lanigan, the owner of Lord Hobo.
Haandbryggeriet Odin's Tipple. A big 11% abv strong dark ale from Norway. This beer is basically an Imperial Stout. It's so big and strong with rich complex flavors like coffee, molasses, tart cherries, and toasted malts. Yet this thing is so drinkable it's almost like a session beer. It drinks real easy, for something so big. Delicious beer and drank like dessert.
Nørrebro Bryghus North Bridge Extreme. An Imperial IPA from Denmark. This too was a tasty beer. Slightly soapy and reserved on it's hops, Euro-style hop characters meaning more hop flavor than bitterness, compared to giant DIPA's from America. Big sweet malts that were not steel-y that is usually the trademark of a DIPA. I don't have too much depth for this beer though. I ruined my pour of it by mistake. My glass had some weird extra bit of a glass shard hanging from the lip of the glass on the inside of the glass. It looked like a chip and naturally I touched and it broke off super fine shards of glass into my beer. Strange. Just a weird side effect from when the glass was made.
If you haven't been in, make sure you check it out. The waitstaff is super friendly and helpful, the beers are very fresh, the cocktails are good, and the food is fantastic. It's a comfortable place to hang out and will make for a great neighborhood bar and restaurant. All the people who were worried about their precious B-Side can relax. I loved the B-Side and will miss that gouda skillet forever, but this will never be the B-Side and they are not trying to be that. They are a totally different entity and in my opinion for the better. I now have a 30 tap bar around the corner from my house.
Admittedly some of the food and beer prices will shock patrons. Those who are craft beer lovers and fans of Daniel's former establishments such as The Moan and Dove and The Dirty Truth, will understand how amazing the line up of beers are and why they are priced the way they are. A couple of offerings of beers on tap are $10 bucks. But what you are not being told by a tiny handful of hater reviews I have read on Yelp, is that you get a 20 oz. mug of rare beer for $10 bucks. For example Spezial Rauchbier on draft in 20 oz mugs that you will never see on tap anywhere else and the bar doesn't even make money on it at that price. Any other bar would charge the maximum mark up to make the money back and still brag that they have an amazing rare beer. Daniel has it because he loves it. It would be one thing if you were being gouged like Bukowskis, where they charge whatever they want on their beers because they can. And they have admitted to doing so from people who have worked there and still work there now. But no one says you HAVE to go to Lord Hobo and order a $10 dollar beer. It's not like every beer in there costs that. Also none of these complainers made mention of a huge line up of Cantillon on tap which is a pretty amazing feat. Some of these beers are not cheap. But the line up is impressive. And the average cost for beers is more like $6 to $7 bucks a pop. More than the price of Highlife, but it's craft beer people. Not all the beers are priced at $10. A lot of people who were expecting this to be the B-Side revamped will be the top complainers about prices. The folks who love Miller Highlife and a shot of bourbon. Nothing is wrong with that, but you can tell they were expecting the same thing when they walked in to Lord Hobo. Get used to it being a craft beer bar. And they also carry a decent line up of Bourbons too! Boston and Cambridge need more of these kinds of places and bar owners who actually give a fuck about their beers and the quality of beer you are getting.
Something else I noticed in a few reviews on Yelp is that people were saying "Lord Hobo is no Publick House." This is an unfair remark in that Lord Hobo isn't trying to be the Publick House. Just a bar with a solid offering of craft beers, cocktails, wine, and food. Also what is unfair is that most people do not realize that David Ciccolo of TPH also went through the exact same amount of scrutiny in the beginning. When he changed Anam Cara, an Irish bar to a Belgian beer bar. The gripes and complaints about the prices on the beer were the exact same. Now it's revered as one of Boston's best beer bars. It just takes a little bit of interest and knowledge in craft beer to understand what it takes to be a great beer bar in Boston.
Thankfully for once, the majority of Yelp users give Lord Hobo high praise. I happen to agree that it deserves good praise. And seeing as how it just opened, like any new establishment, it will take time to work out any kinks they may have even if there are only few. I have to remind myself to avoid shit like Yelp and Chowhound on a regular basis. It's less and less about being helpful sites for tips and reviews on places and more and more about being a place for people to bitch and complain about the tiniest of details when going out. When one person reviews the Maine Lobster Mac'n'cheese as a disappointing amount of food and not make mention that it's an appetizer course, I have to close the book on that. Toss yourself off a bridge, because you are just looking to complain and take it out on these restaurants and businesses the bitter miserable life you lead thanks to Yelp giving you a place to cry and complain. No one says you can't have an opinion but shouldn't it at least be honest?
Edit: I made a mistake with the number of draft lines Lord Hobo actually has. There are 40 draft lines not just 30 as I made mention twice in this review. Plus a few cask engines and a gravity served cask.
I also went back for the burger, and it was pretty damn good as others have expressed.
Posted at 05:15 PM in Appetizers, Beer, Craft Beer, Dinner, Food and Drink, Local, Meats, Opinions, Restaurants, Reviews | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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Just a quick post from dinner last night at Green Street. Wednesday nights are $4 dollar taco night at Green Street. And not just your average tacos either. Braised duck and oxtail tacos. Yeah, it's like that.
We started with their chicken and bacon croquettes and one of my favorites, their cheese plate with homemade chutneys and preserves.
The cheese plate comes with toasted cinnamon bread, apple chutney with rosemary, Jasper Hill Farm cheddar and Brebirousse d'Argental, a soft sheeps milk.
I greedily began to eat my tacos before I could take a picture of the whole presentation. But luckily I ordered two carnitas tacos. But Todd had a skirt steak taco which I missed. The taco in the very first picture is a carnitas. And this second picture is a grilled fish and carnitas.
Remember folks, these are only $4 bones a piece. Pretty sweet deal.
Green Street is also known for their awesome cocktails.
Flora Vieja, Fort Washington Flip, and The Corazón. Tequila drink, applejack, and rum drink.
This is how Wednesdays go at Green Street.
Posted at 11:06 PM in Appetizers, Beverages/Drinks, Cheese, Cocktails, Dinner, Drinks, Fish, Food and Drink, Fresh Ingredients, Local, Meats, Restaurants | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Lunch with the The Duo Dishes. WORD!
I arrived in San Francisco for the FoodBuzz Bloggers Festival a day early. Checked out the beer scene a little bit and laid low. The next day Chrystal and Amir came in from LA. They run the affable food blog The Duo Dishes. They also happen to be some of my favorite people. Especially after the weekend.
They called me when they got into to town and we were all starving. I got wind on a great Dim Sum place at Rincon Center in SOMA (South of Market st.). The place was called Yank Sing. This came recommended by my friend Anat Baron.
As soon as we got in, the whole place was rocking. We sat down and started ordering before our coats were off.
Immediately they put down in front of us sticky shrimp and candied walnuts.
Then we ordered some stuffed mushrooms.
Fried crab claws with minced shrimp filling.
Spring rolls and pan fried raviolis.
These were probably some of the best sticky BBQ pork buns I have ever had. They were not like traditional Chow Shao Bao with the sticky, steamed dough. But the center was traditional and amazing. These were coated in honey too.
What you need to know about Yank SIng. Its amazing food. And the rounds of food do not stop coming. But you need to caution yourself. It's rich food and you will fill up fast. Also Yank Sing is expensive. We didn't order all that much for 3 starving people and got slapped with a $100 dollar check. But having said that, it was worth it. Best Dim Sum I have had in ages.
After we left Yank Sing we saw a guy named T-Dub right next door at a Taqueria demoing his famous ribs.
Strange place for some ribs at a taqueria. But who cares these ribs were the effing bomb! T-Dub you know what you are talking about!
And that's how you do lunch with The Duo Dishes.
Posted at 01:56 PM in About Me, Appetizers, BBQ, Bloggers, Chinese, Dim Sum, Food and Drink, Food Porn, Fried, Friends, Lunch, Meats, Restaurants, Shrimp, Soul Food, Southern Food, Travel | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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I was in San Francisco for the 1st Annual FoodBuzz Bloggers Festival. I have decided to begin my San Francisco recaps with the end of the trip at the Life & Limb beer dinner at Ana Mandara which I was lucky enough to have attended.
My
good friend Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in
Delaware collaborated with Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada in California to create two
new craft beers. Life & Limb and Limb & Life.
A brief description of the beers from press release for the dinner at Ana Mandara.
Life & Limb is dedicated to the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community.
After
a long weekend of nonstop imbibing on good food and good beers from
around the city, this was a great way to end my trip. I left from this
dinner to the airport for a red eye back to Boston. It ended up working
out perfectly though. After the food and beers I was so tired and
exhausted but I caught my flight with an emergency row, isle seat and
no one in the middle. Lots of room, full belly, and a slight buzz.
Content and ready for a nap.
Let's get to the food!
I
arrived at Ana Mandara just in time to drop my 60 pound luggage off
with the hostess stand. I made my way up stairs and talked to Ken
Grossman and Bill Manley of Sierra Nevada for a few minutes before it
was time to ceremoniously tap the firkens.
Ken Grossman tapping Limb & Life.
Sam Calagione tapping Life & Limb.
For the record, it only took Ken one or two good whacks at it to tap it. Sam took 3 or 4 girly taps. I am just saying....
Sam and Ken gathered everyone to talk about the collaboration and welcome everyone to the event and dinner.
We were
treated to passed appetizers and Limb & Life. Crispy Lobster
Ravioli with Mango-Coconut Sauce. Apparently there was supposed to be
or there was and I never saw it, Seared Rare Beef with Tamarind. Didn't
matter anyway as the Lobster Raviolis were pretty excellent on their
own. They paired really well with the Limb & Life.
*I didn't geek out and write down notes for the new beers. It was a social engagement with many people I have never met before. I would much rather sit back and relax and enjoy them with new company rather than be anti-social with my head in a note pad. So you will have to excuse my lack of character description on these beers.
Then it was time for the sit down dinner. I has happy to be seated next to Jay Brooks of Brookston Beer Bulletin and another cool guy named Jay (whose last name escapes me) who used to work for the Rogues Gallery which created the beer Squall IPA with Dogfish Head. The first collaboration of beer and fashion.
Jay now works for Levis which couldn't have been more perfect as my nick name for pretty boy Sam is Levis. He used to be a model for Levis and now I tell everyone to say what's up to Levis over at DFH! I thought Sam was kidding with me when put me next to Jay. Or maybe Sam just forgot I am evil. Either there was great joy and laughter at the dinner. And Jay is a fantastic guy.
As we were seated, we were greeted with Seared Rare Ahi Tuna with Hearts of Palm, Jicama Salsa, and Orange Vinaigrette.
This was paired in tandem with DFH Festina Pêche. A 4.5% sour, peach "Neo-Berliner Weissbier." And the Kellerweis by Sierra Nevada. A 4.8% abv Hefeweizen.
The beer in the wine glass in this picture was the Life & Limb. Sam got me a pour of it before the dinner started.
This was a tough call as to which beer worked better. At first I thought the festina Pêche was the clear winner with flavor profiles and complexities but as the course went on the Kellerweis really stood out too. The Kellerweis needed to open up a bit and warm up to reveal all of her secrets. The Festina Pêche was crisp, tart, and refreshing whereas the Kellerweis was soft and subdued. Both good pairings. Both stood up to the tuna while allowing the hearts of palm and jicama salsa to be present as well and not be trumped by the sour notes of the Festina Pêche or the cloudy wheat characters of the Kellerweis.
Up next was the Five-Spiced Crispy Skin Poussin, Sugar Snap Peas, White Corn Pilaf, and Sweet and Sour Sauce.
This was paired with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Midas Touch from DFH.
The SNPA being the countries most recognizable and most classic Americanized hoppy pale ales. Cascade hops with a 5.6% abv.
The Midas Touch is a big 9.0%. From the DFh website:
This recipe is the actual oldest-known fermented beverage in the world! It is an ancient Turkish recipe using the original ingredients from the 2700 year old drinking vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. Somewhere between wine & mead; this smooth, sweet, yet dry ale will please the Chardonnay of beer drinker alike.
I have to say that the Midas Touch was too big for the pairing. Too strong. When you taste nothing but alcohol with your pairing, it's obviously the wrong match. Sadly this happened with the Midas Touch. Although Midas Touch is recommended for Asian and Pan-Asian dishes, I think the big, giant, sweet alcoholic characters and malts in this beer needed to be paired with something spicy and hot.
The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on the other hand was excellent for this course. The hops and sugar snap peas gave for an interesting lingering taste on the palate. Bitter and sweet yet fresh all rolled into one.
The second main course was Wokked Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Onions, and Peppery Cress served with steamed white rice.
This course was paired with SN Celebration Ale and Palo Santo Marron from DFH.
Palo Santo is a big old 12% abv brown ale aged in wooden brewing vessels. Big caramel and vanilla notes.
SN Celebration is an American IPA about 6.8% abv but has the notes of Christmas on this beer. Citrus, piney resins, and spices.
This is a reverse case of the first main course. Where the SN worked better than the DFH. The Palo Santo from DFH worked much better in this case than the SN. Celebration Ale is a big holiday ham kind of beer. Think of all the rich foods at Christmas time and then you will understand where to go with pairing Celebration.
The Palo Santo almost didn't work either. It's giant 12% abv was borderline. But the rich brown ale notes pulled this together with the meat. Despite being 12%, it is the kind of 12% that you don't really notice. You end surprised when you find out just how big it really it. But with the white rice served with meal cleaning the palate constantly, you are reminded a bit more than you probably would be. The earthy greens also helped keep this pairing in line.
Lastly, dessert. A choice of desserts was presented. Valhrona Dark Chocolate Semifredo, or Flourless Coconut Rum Cake.
This was paired with the Life & Limb. I do not have a fantastic shot of the beer that ended the night. But you can see it with the beers in the first pairing, the Seared Ahi Tuna course.
I clearly chose wrong for this course. I went with the Flourless coconut cake. It was delicious and delicate on the coconut, but the beer was a tad too big. I only chose it because everyone went for the chocolate dessert. It was very rich and cocoa-y. It held up a lot better with the Life & Limb.
And lastly Sam and Ken wrapped up our evening with some final thoughts and a toast.
Thank you to Bill Manley for setting this dinner up and working really hard on these pairings. And working to get me in on this dinner. Thanks to Ana Mandara for a really great meal. The restaurant is gorgeous and the hospitality was fantastic.
This was exactly the right way to end my long weekend in San Francisco. A long weekend of food pairings and beer. More on the weekend to come. I was able to get home nice and comfortable and not have to buy shitty airline food.
Over all I liked the Limb & Life better. I am not sure if that was because I needed a session beer after the hard weekend of 21st Amendment's Back In Black IPA and Pliny The Elder from Russian River. Both Life & Limb and Limb & Life were pretty amazing. The Life & Limb will no doubt be the hit of the party when they make their rounds. Especially when it gets to the Extreme Beer Festival in Boston Barrel Aged!!
Posted at 07:11 PM in Appetizers, Beer, Beer Dinner, Beer Discussions, Beer Pairing, Beer Suggestions, Beverages/Drinks, Brewery/ Brewpub, Chocolate, Craft Beer, Desserts, Dinner, Food and Drink, Meats, Restaurants, Reviews, Travel | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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