Beer is the new Wine

We celebrated a friend's birthday at Baltimore's Brewer's Art.  It's got four distinct spaces, giving me the initial impression that it just didn't know what it wanted to be.  Through the main entrance on Charles Street, it's a good-looking bar with cool woodwork and high ceilings.  The bright space then succumbs to its living room beatnik spill-over where philosophizing seems encouraged while lounging in comfortable and deep upholstered chairs.  That space meets up with the maitre d's stand which shields a gorgeously classic dining area where a jacket could have been required if we were still living in that kind of era.  But before entering that space, you could veer down the stairs to the left and find yourself in a completely different kind of divey dungeon where pub fare rules and the bathrooms are painted black and graffitied.  So can you blame me for wondering what was going on?

We found some cushy chairs in the lounge as we waited for the others in our party.  Eric got the sampler tray of everything they had on tap.  As I made my way around their lighter brews for the summer, I'm going to just say it straight out.  Despite the cool names like Ozzy, Resurrection, and Sublimation, they were disappointing.  I'm of the Ommegang and Chimay Blue ilk.  And if that's what you also like, you and I both would not be enjoying a pint of ANY of these.  

So I moved onto their extensive beer list to peruse their "Guest Beers."  They break them out by country, and the Belgians are broken out even by whether it's really made by the monks or not.  No doubt these guys know what they're talking about when it comes to beer.  It's just unfortunate that I couldn't get into their drafts.  But we shall revisit the discussion of "their beer" in just a moment.

I chose the satisfying Tripel Karmeliet with its golden color and refreshingly mild flavor. 

We were seated in that adoringly classic dining room with modern touches, and there was a sense of tentative hopefulness.  I've been skeptical about places that purport to have great beer AND great food.  In my broad experience of eating out, very, very rarely do the two meet in quality.  Either one or the other is the king of the owner's heart, and you can tell.  So we were hoping for the best, knowing that if it didn't work out, we'd have to celebrate that same birthday another weekend.  

Alas, the menu was creative and inspiring, driving much table discussion as to what would maximize gluttonous pleasure.  The appetizers were all winners.  The opulence of the Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly over cornbread and a rich sweet-savory Bourbon sauce, the freshness and vigor of the watermelon, feta and olive salad, but the knock-you-off-your-feet Ceviche was unfortunately, not mine.  The two glasses it was served in was combined en platter, and I don't recall ever having a ceviche with such a well balanced flavor.  Most times, it's way too acidic, but here, the flavor combination is impeccable, as is the generous portion of the seafood medley.

I dare say the appetizers may have upstaged the entrees.  Steak Frites was center stage with 75% of the carnivorous table ordering the dish.  We'd read much about how great the dish was and how the Rosemary Garlic Fries were out of this world.  I ordered the Pan-Seared Cobia, a nice, flaky mild fish that I would not hesitate to order again, but I'll admit that I was more intrigued with the Corn and Spring Onion Risotto.  Decadent, with a creamy mouthfeel, it did not disappoint.  The Steak, however, was met with less enthusiasm.  High expectations combined with the fact that we've got game with a steak cooked in our backyard, and this was a table of hard-to-please customers.  The fries, though, were pretty bangin'.  

But here was the ultimate finishing touch to the meal, and it gets back to the trade of the Brewer's Art, and then some.  Over the course of the meal, we enjoyed two of their brews in their liter bottles, in the same fashion as we would two bottles of wine.  Both were fantastic, but the Green Peppercorn Tripel took me to another space entirely.  Even upon sniffing the beer, you could smell it.  Then sipping it, it's such an unbelievably clear flavor of specifically green peppercorn, I just couldn't get over it.  And it was a KNOCKOUT pairing with the food!  

This meal changed my mind in a few different ways.  First, it's now my go-to example of a place that knows how to do both beer AND food well.  Second, I'm gamely and solidly a new Ambassador of Beer as the new Wine in fine dining.

A Little Belgian in Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach at Sunset in July

My parents live near one of the world's best beaches - Laguna Beach.  For several years, I didn't take advantage of it for a number of reasons.  I was there for Christmas.  The place kinda shuts down during the cold season, even though it's positively balmy compared to the East Coast.  Or I was visiting for only a few days, and everyone knows that when you only visit Mom & Dad for just a few days, every minute of every day shall be spent sitting at the table to eat Mom's home cooking with a face of rapture and plenty of "Mmm-ing," and to let them stare at you in wonderment that their long lost child has come home.

So imagine my chagrin when, after all these years, I actually spent a significant amount of time - all of 1 week - hanging loose in SoCal and being a bit of a beach bum, as much of a beach bum as a type-A business executive can be, that is, and discovered what I was missing.

Among the many decent stores, microbreweries and restaurants in the pristine beach town is Brussels Bistro.  It's modern with clean lines, decidedly more California than Belgium, but that's of little significance when one savors what it can offer so much more.

The beer list is impressive, and the servers are experts, and I mean it!  When someone can rap with Eric about beer and school him on a few things, the guy knows what he's talking about.

We were introduced to Kwak, and they have a special wooden beer holder for their beer.  The Leffe Blonde was refreshing and mildly sweet.  But you know, at a Belgian place, I expect that the beers will be stellar as long as they carry them in bottles.  And if the place is located in the middle of a popular beach town, I don't expect much from from the food.  I expect that it will be expensive and mediocre.  Surprisingly, though, the food was very good, albeit quite expensive.  I got the pot of mussels in the curry sauce.  I couldn't believe how huge and succulent the mussels, the quantity served, and how divine the sauce.  As someone who watches her intake of carbs, that curry nectar was so sumptuous that my intake of bread increased 4-fold to sop up that gold liquid.

The Steak Frites was excellent, as was the decadent gourmet Mac & Cheese.  Holy moly that was good and I had more than just a neighborly taste of my friend's dish.

This is one place that I will be sure to revisit on my next trip home.

The Alibi Room

Vancouver's Gastown District is charming with an old-town feel emanating from the brick sidewalks and boutique stores lining the quaint streets.

Tucked into a neighborhood just a little off the main drag is a hip little place called The Alibi Room.

In our quest for all things gastronomic, we came across this highly recommended restaurant known for an extensive beer list as well as for pretty good food.  Of all the great meals that we had during our week in Vancouver, this was toward the top of our list.  Extra points for their sustainable philosophy.  Of course, the top of the list is like the results of a 50m swim meet in which the difference between first and eighth place is still less than one second.

Items of note: Everything, including the stellar burger Eric ordered and that I failed to photo because I thought, it's just a burger.  But it's the Captain America (er, in Canada) of burgers.  Perhaps that smoky onion mayo?  Who knows...

The Wild Salmon dish was rich in mouthfeel and in Omega 3s, I'm sure.  The roasted vegetables were notable, but not as much as the black rice.  Black rice has been creating quite the buzz recently.  It's also known as "Forbidden Rice" because back in China's heyday, black rice was set aside for the Emperor, forbidden to anyone else.  High in nutrition, nutty in flavor, but still kinda expensive, I love the texture and the fact that my first actual eating experience was in this down-to-earth, progressive hangout for the hip and young in a developing area of Vancouver.  This town rocks!!

But the surprise and delight for me that evening was the Free-range Chicken WINGS.  That's right.  Admittedly, I expected some Buffalo Hot Wings, being that I'm so American and naturally ethnocentric.  These were crispy on the outside, piping hot, moist, and tender on the inside, and tossed in a honey, garlic, chili, and herb concoction that blew my mind in its utter simplicity.  I almost drank the sauciness at the bottom of the bowl, it was so good.

Finally, the molten chocolate cake was truly molten, which is surprisingly messed up 50% of the time, but it was also more voluptuous than others, and Eric threatened to lick the ramekin regardless of the fact that we were in public.  It was served with their homemade cashew brittle that was amazingly light and airy, yet solid and crunchy.

The Alibi Room - it's so good, it's criminal.

Portion Control Issues

I'll admit it.  I have serious portion control issues.  I am married to a man who is a foot taller than I am, and yet, I often find myself eating as much as he does.  And then I wonder why my pants are a little too tight...

It's also kinda hard for the mind to adjust with the slowing of one's metabolism as we age.  Not that I'm old or anything, mind you.  Anyway, Eric and I went to Iron Hill in West Chester for their Belgian Fest a few months ago, and I decided to do the sensible thing and get something off their Healthy Selections section of the menu.  Its tagline is "Big Taste, Smaller Portions, Under 600 Calories."  I felt an excited anticipation when I ordered the Char-Grilled Angus Top Sirloin with Garlic-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, sun-dried tomato portabella relish and a dark Belgian ale sauce.  And then, a rude awakening...

So THIS is the right portion size, huh?  3 asparagus, 2 fingerling potatoes, and oh yes, that IS about the size of a deck of cards.  Ever since my Weight Watcher friends told me about the card trick, I never quite understood how that could possibly be.  It just didn't seem like it could be enough.  It was a good lesson and I was thankful because I had to do something to offset all the BEER we drank!  *Sigh*  It's hopeless...

Ommegang Brewfest

The Ommegang Brewfest can be summed up in one picture, and here it is...

Gorgeous day, gorgeous campus, gorgeous Belgian beers.  This is the Tripel Perfection, an Ommegang Limited Edition.  Once I found this, I dabbled with a few other Belgian lovers, but I came back to this one.  It was my true love...

The Big Top scene where there seemed to be hundreds of beers waiting to be imbibed.  I can't see how anyone could get through every single one of them.  Eric claims he got through 70%.  I'm rather doubtful.  Me?  I probably tried 10%, then stuck with the one I liked the most.

Of course, if this was your lodging set up, just a short stroll from the Big Top, then one might be able to get through all that beer safely.  A good idea, but I'm not sure I can do it.  I've never understood the concept of driving somewhere to willingly sleep on the ground...

One of my favorite "booths."  Three Philosophers was the first Ommegang beer that captured my attention so completely at Stoudt's brewfest.  Here, they had vintages from 2004 - 2010.  Yes, they all taste differently, with subtle nuances, but unlike others who could claim a favorite, I would be happy if someone handed me a glass of any one of them.

The Ommegang lineup in their tasting room.  A sight of happiness!

I'm looking forward to next year's Brewfest, and will be sure to have a few other friends in tow.  I may or may not have drunk dialed one or two of them.  I may have been influenced by too much beer or simply giddy on the atmosphere.  Regardless, I'm ready to pounce on those tickets the moment the opportunity arises.

EARTH Bread & Brewery

As part of my hubby's 40brews40days tour, we headed to a place called EARTH Bread & Brewery, a microbrewery that focuses on flatbreads for their food and is into the local sustainability movement.  What's there not to like?

Turns out that they have some nice brews on tap, but the one that I liked the most??  The Philadelphia Brewing Company's Pharmhouse Arrest.  Okay, so I might like the name most, but it is quite arresting.  Admittedly, it was quite a while ago, so it's hard for me to remember, but I'm solidly in the Belgian Ale camp, and I do remember thinking that it had characteristics of a Belgian brew, and there was a bite to it that was, indeed, Arresting...

We started with some appetizers - the Cheese plate and Olives.  There were three types of cheese, but the one I remember the most was the one on the far left - a Pesto Gouda, I believe.  It was creamy with a brilliantly potent pesto flavor.  Quite amazing.  My only beef with the Cheese Plate is that it's not a very good value.  There were little slivers of cheese, barely enough for 4 people to have a good, accurate tasting.  The olives were quite good, with a good variety.

We ordered three kinds of flatbreads - A Chicken Mole, White Cheese, and Mushroom & Turkey Sausage.  Of them all, I thought the White Cheese, below, was the tastiest.  It had an acute simplicity that was perfect.  The Mushroom was decent, but nothing to salivate profusely over, and the mole?  Well, it was rather disappointing, I must say.  I had just come back from Mexico and had had my fair share of Mole, and this did not have the sweetness or the chocolateyness I would expect. 

But the surprise of the evening?  We asked for red pepper flakes or anything with some heat, and they brought over Sriracha sauce, and I was blown away at how well it went with pizza!  Man, I gotta cross cuisines more often!!  What a find.  I'm going to start using that heated goodness with more impunity from now on and see where it takes me.

Earth Bread + Brewery

7136 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia (Mt. Airy)
215.242.MOON(6666)

Beers of a Perfect Summer Friday

Which photo is more inviting?  This one?

Or this one?

Either way, there are solid microbrews at Dock Street Brewery.  Eric got the sampler of everything on tap, and there were two that I deemed to be perfect for a sunny Friday afternoon - the Bubbly Wit and the Summer Session.

The Summer Session had a great refreshing taste - more than a hint of ginger and lemongrass.  Delicious. 

Ultimately, though, I chose the Bubbly Wit, a great Belgian-style beer.  But Warning-Will-Robinson - it's flush with alcohol.  8%, if you must know, and you should, because after half of the beer, I had never felt so great.  I was talking about how I would make a difference in the world, and how I would do it from that exact seat, as long as the weather remained just so.  From Eric's point of view, it was utter babble.  Perhaps it should be better named - Babbly Wit?  But it didn't matter, because just a pintfull of it makes everything okay...  But I'm not sure the thin, elderly woman sitting at another outside table thought so.  I looked up when I heard her fall from her chair and crumple to the ground.  What the heck?!?  And then I saw it.  I saw the empty Belgian glass, and I just knew she got in over her head. 

Respect the Bubbly Wit.

Dock Street Brewing Company

701 South 50th Street

West Philly, PA 19143

Bully's Bistro

It was a busy week, what with Eric graduating from his doctoral program and what not.  So we ate out with much more impunity than usual.  Right after spending an evening at Trio Bar and Grill, we paid another visit to Bully's in Columbia.  We've always liked Bully's since moving to the area.  Great little European Bistro atmosphere, and now there's such an extensive beer collection that they have a Beer Bible!  Rockin'.

I opted for the Sea Dog on draft.  I was delighted by that lovely blueberry-infused beer while out with my good friend Anne Nye.  Upon discovering there was Sea Dog at the bar where we were taking in some live tunes, she did not hesitate to make her decision.  I'm not so much a fruity beer person, but like Magic Hat #9 and its subtle and delicate apricot flavor, so is the Sea Dog with the blueberry.  I took a sip of her pint, and I was converted.

Eric opted to go with the Ommegang Rare Vos, which is never a wrong thing to do, except that we have a lot of it at the house.  After the sure thing, he went rogue and enjoyed a Stoudt's Tripel Abbey, which I also have to say, is quite a good-tasting beer. 

For dinner, we both started with a bowl of the Basil and Tomato bisque.  Sorry for the dark pics here, folks, but the iPhone doesn't have a flash, and Bully's has enough ambience that it doesn't do so well for photos...

The bisque was absolutely lovely.  Smooth in texture, slight creaminess, light bite of tomato tartness, yet with a natural sweetness all around.  It didn't need a single thing added to it.

Tuesday night was Tex Mex night, so Eric opted for the Steak Taco Salad.  That shell is banging.  Beautifully fried - they managed to dance along the line of "too fried" without crossing it, and we were well rewarded.  It was crunchy and greasy and delicious.  And you can't go wrong when it's filled with fresh greens, cheese, red onions, croutons, steak tenderloin grilled to medium rare, and then drenched in Blue Cheese dressing.  I mean, come on...

I went with the regular Steak Salad.  I wanted to compare it with the one I had the night before, and it was always my standby at Bully's anyway.  This dish used to have this rich, lightly sweetened gravy.  But now, the gravy is gone, baby, gone, and in its place was pretty medallions of medium rare steak.  There was a lot more steak here than at Trio, but this may have been a few dollars more expensive.  I liked the simplicity of the salad here.  Trio's was great, but there almost seemed to be too many side shows, what with the cranberries and walnuts.  Here?  Nothing but fresh, beefy goodness. 

Bully's Restaurant & Pub

http://www.bullys-restaurant.com/

647 Union Street

Columbia, PA 17512-2211
(717) 684-2854

Trio Bar & Grill

Just a few minutes through the cornfields, and you'll find yourself in front of Trio Bar & Grill.  When we first moved into the area, it was Ye Olde Springhouse.  It was a bit of a divey bar with tons of smoke, but it was well frequented by the locals.  A few years later, it was purchased and turned into Rugantino's.  It was to have an Italian flair, and Eric and I visited in quick order - it would be great to have a good go-to place so close to us in Mountville.  We were sorely disappointed.  It seemed way overpriced for what you got, and unfortunately, you can change the name of the place, but not what it is; it still smacked of a good ol' neighborhood bar.

Rugantino's didn't last long, and soon after, a new sign was erected.  Trio, it was called, with three glasses of beer.  Alright, I thought, at least it seems to be getting back to its roots.  We promised we would visit soon enough.

Just last week, we finally made our sojourn to Trio.  It stayed true to what the building was made for, and it was very much a beer and bar fare kind of place.  I appreciated that.  Then we looked at the specials that day.  Microbrews for $2.75 on Mondays.  Yeah, but they probably only have one microbrew... Actually, they have a nice, extensive list of micros that were on tap, and it was impressive.  Eric got the Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA - for $2.75!  I got the Franziskaner Weissbier, which was a wonderful summer beer.  I do love the beers of that region. 

We chatted with our server, who said it had opened almost 3 years ago.  Did I hear that right?  3 years?  I would have said it opened up last year, and I felt an immediate pang of sadness - where has the time gone?  It speeds by and steals the "carpe diem" of one's youth.  Thank goodness I had a great German beer to drown my sorrows...

The menu at Trio, as I mentioned, focuses on bar fare.  But then they put a slightly gourmet twist on some of it, and they do it very well.  We ordered a dozen hot wings, and they were moist and all together flavorful.  Very well done.

I ordered the Black & Bleu Tenderloin salad, which comes with walnuts, dried cranberries, and french fried onions on top, sitting on a bed of mixed greens.  The medallions of steak tenderloin were exactly medium rare and they were moist and tender.  I needed very little of the house dressing, given the sweetness of the cranberries, the crunch of the walnuts, the pungence of the gorgonzola - the salad was a flavor bomb!  But watch out with the "I'm being good and eating a salad" bit.  This thing is large and highly caloric, and after having downed so many wings, I was full to the gills.  The only thing that didn't quite measure up was that there were a few wilting leaves in the salad.  You know, when one leaf has almost decomposed to a liquified state and clings to a fresher leaf?  Grossity, Grossity, Gross.  To be fair, it may have been the wilted greens from the heat of the steak, but I wasn't taking any chances, so I flicked those bits right out of there...

Eric ordered the Southwestern burger, and this thing was a monster in size, and in delectability.  There was a fresh pico de gallo type salsa on top with fresh jalapenos that my spicy-loving husband greatly appreciated.  A really lovely, nicely done burger.

Trio has specials all throughout the week, and they're definitely worth checking out.  They also have a back patio, which I'm definitely looking forward to visiting.  It's a shame, really, to have found Trio after so long...

Trio Bar & Grill

3707 Marietta Avenue

Columbia, PA

(717) 285-0888

Beer & Chocolate - the NEW pairing

I love my job.  There are days when I love it more than others, and this was one of those days.  The company put on a Chocolate Pairing Event.  You could choose between a wine or beer pairing.  I've done a lot of wine pairing in the last few years, so I was really excited about partaking in something new and exciting - the beer & chocolate pairing.  

Even more palatable was the fact that the Trogner Brothers, of Troegs Brewery in Harrisburg, PA, were in the house, unveiling their latest "scratch" beer, which is akin to their Limited Edition line.  This beer was a Chocolate Stout, developed with the Hershey R&D team.  Here's what you missed:

•       Whoppers with Troegs Pale Ale - Wow, Whoppers?  Really? Never would have thought to pair this together, but I'm glad they did.  The bitterness of the Pale Ale and the cloying sweetness of Whoppers offset each other really, really well.  This was one of my favorite pairings of the evening.

•       Hershey's Extra Dark with Pomegranate with Magic Hat #9 Almost Pale Ale - Ambivalent.  I love the apricot aroma of Magic Hat, and it was overcome by the Pomegranate Dark Chocolate

•       Bliss Meltaway Milk Chocolate with Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter - First of all, I'm not a fan of the Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter.  There was a strong overroasted taste to it that was all-pervasive.  An overroasting flavor with even one of my favorite chocolates?  Ended up being a bit odd.

•       Bliss Dark Chocolate with Wells Banana Bread Beer - I kept hearing a lot of amped chatter about the surprising flavor of a banana bread beer.  Me?  I thought it was delicious, and I thought this was a really interesting pairing, bringing in the dark chocolate aspect (Bliss is one of the best dark chocolates, imho) into an already interesting beer.  

•       Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao) with Troegs/Scharffen Berger Chocolate Stout - This was the beer of the evening.  Made with the Hershey team and integrating lots and lots of some of the best nibs in the market - Scharffen Berger - this was like drinking smooth jazz.  It's so good, it's hard to put anything else in your mouth, and I thought the 70% Cacao chocolate was a bit too overpowering, as if there was a fast-paced and jarring refrain during the jazz jam, just to see if everyone was awake.

Now, this pairing was not officially on the menu, but I deemed it to be the BEST PAIRING of the evening.  This is the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Stout in its very hip and rustic-looking bottle.  It was paired with milk chocolate covered strawberries from the wine pairing, and it was utterly, orgasmically divine.

And for beer lovers everywhere, I couldn't help but take a picture of the lineup.  Beer labels are, to me, the new art.  Beauty...