The Femme Fermental

Bub's BBQ in Western Mass

2011-09-23T15:20:00.008-04:00

Well, it's been a while. It's not that I haven't been dining out, or traveling. Rather, thinking about my blog has become like thinking about revising my dissertation proposal, or thinking about emailing that adviser I really should email; it's too overwhelming to even begin. And so, here I am, back at it. The only way to get something done is to do it, right? Deep thoughts right there. Take it in.

Anyway, back in June before I left Western Mass for the summer, I went to a restaurant that I have passed daily for the last two years: Bub's BBQ in Sunderland, MA. I know what you're thinking: BBQ? Massachusetts? Don't worry, I'm with you. This is why I never stopped there. Additionally, I'm incredibly reluctant to try new places in my area. Most ventures, beyond the three establishments I frequent, are huge disappointments.

Bub's ended up being worth the stop. The restaurant is a good distance from Amherst and the UMass campus. As such, the clientele seems a weird mix. Mostly biker dudes on day trips from I have no idea where.

For between $10 and $16 you pick some sort of meat, or meat combo, and get unlimited hot and cold sides. We went with the baby back ribs and pulled pork + kielbasa link. The baby back ribs were not as moist as I would have liked, nor did the meat easily fall off the bone. The pulled pork was a much better choice. Neither sauce was terribly memorable, but they were still enjoyable.

Quite possibly the best part of Bub's was the aforementioned unlimited hot and cold sides. These sides were bangin'. They weren't throw away sides, or "eat these while you wait for your number to be called because you're really hungry, but they aren't even good" sides. No way. They were awesome. Collards, peas, corn, mashed potatoes, rice, sweet potato something. Awesome.

We decided to get the hush puppies as well. For $3.95, sure, why not. Sadly, they were dry and tough to get through. Many went uneaten. After my recent trip to Charleston, SC, Bub's has no business even thinking about making hush puppies (foreshadowing future blog post).

In the end, Bub's was absolutely worth a visit. I wish I had managed to get there sooner. I used to wonder about Bub's as I'd drive by on my way to and from Bikram yoga. Now, I think about whether or not I want to ruin the 1.5 hr workout I just endured by stopping at Bub's for some pulled pork.

Bub's BBQ
676 Amherst Road
Sunderland, MA 01375
(413) 548-9630

The Pacific Northwest, Finally

2011-03-17T15:46:00.009-04:00

This past December, which yeah, I know, was last year by this point, I went to Washington and Oregon for a little fun. Again, football brought me there, but I managed to parlay the trip to Spokane (which is 5 hours from Seattle) into a little drinking and eating time in the oft-romanticized locals of Seattle and Portland.

Even though I visited during the worst month of the year, I still managed to fall in love. But as an East Coast person at heart, I don't know if I could ever forsake our hurried, irritable and incessantly driven lifestyle for one of idyllic beauty, coffee and beer heaven and ever-so politeness. But, for now, I'm tied to Massachusetts (3 years to go) and must simply debate the prospects of a westward move with every one I know.

My stay in Seattle was short. The day after a perfect dinner, at the home of my welcoming hosts (pâté, cheese, king salmon, sugar snap peas, steamed rice and wine), we all went to brunch at Spring Hill in West Seattle. I had Saimin for the first time ever: smoked pork belly, six‐minute egg, pork & ham broth, ﬁsh cake, scallion. It was a distinctive form of almost-Pho heaven. This bowl was huge and I did my best to kill it all. The meat was awesomely tender and the broth was spicy and tastily developed.

After this short stay in Seattle, I took Amtrak down to Portland, OR. All of us in Philly know the hype about this alleged "beertopia." I've been known to refer to it as the "other Portland." Portland, ME being first and foremost in my heart. But, this Portland was awesome too.

The foodcarts were perhaps the MOST glorious thing I've ever seen, and my mouth is watering just writing this sentence. I wish that this was something Philly could really embrace (I think I understand the licensing issues that exist in Philly). Some might say that Philly does have foodcarts; certain places around Penn's campus and the other hospitals do have them. But that is not the same thing. Also, a food truck by one of Philly's most famous chefs doesn't count either. Whole blocks are devoted to pods of foodcarts, 20 or so in one place. Complete awesomeness. The one cart I went to offered one sandwich: porchetta, local arugula, and lemon on a hearty roll. Done. Perfection. Purity. Heaven.

Anyway, enough gushing. For simplicity sake, I'm just going to do a photo rundown of my trip:

Deschutes Brewery

BridgePort Brewing Company

VooDoo Doughnut

The People's Pig Foodcart

Horse Brass Pub

Belmont Station Beer Store

Also, the first night I had dinner at Higgins. The second night I ate at LePigeon. Both locations were too dark to take photos. I'm seriously against using flash in restaurants. I draw the blogging-line right there. Both meals were good, but dinner at Higgins was really spectacular. Thanks to Dr. Joel and S&V for this one. The bartender was friendly, and the charcuterie plate was probably the best I've ever had. All of it done in-house.

In the end, I ate as much as one person could possibly eat on this trip. I had to keep the drinking to a minimum, as navigating a city by yourself isn't the easiest/safest thing to do while drunk. And yes, the good beer was plentiful. I searched hard for all the beer spots to hit, but I couldn't make them all on foot or by public transportation. Next time, a car might really be worth it in Portland. And obviously, I shorted Seattle. But with my new found intense love of the Pacific Northwest, I'm most certainly making a trip back.

The Lobster Roll

2010-11-16T19:07:00.009-05:00

Alright, if for no other reason that to prove that I'm still alive, I need to make a blog post. And, I don't want to become a part of those statistics about defunct blogs. I was approaching the 6 month mark, and that is unacceptable. I will say that I have been training for a marathon for three months. This has seriously cut into my eating lifestyle.

Anyway, what has brought me back is the Lobster Roll. I have been in love with lobster since I was about 13. Prior to this point I only ate Oodles of Noodles, blue-box mac & cheese, and double-stuff Oreos. Ask my parents, they can attest to these atrocities. At some point I started to become a more adventurous eater, and lobster became a crucial part of the dinner of my dreams; something for special occasions only.

Typically, I eat my Lobster Rolls in Maine. (There's no way to say that without sounding like a snob.) I have, sort of, a problem. An addiction really. Moving to MA has been beneficial for me, if for no other reason, in that I am closer to Maine. When in Maine, I've been known to stop for Lobster Rolls as much as possible. At times, to the detriment of my ability to eat anything else. The "best Lobster Roll of my life" was consumed in July 2008 at Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, ME. At a "world-famous" beer bar, this food find was unexpected. I also recommend the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, ME, just outside Portland. Between trips to Maine I fill my need for Lobster Rolls at a place that shall not be named.

Almost two weeks ago I had an amazing Lobster Roll. I was in Newport, RI for a football game. Ahem, no comment. But, the day before the game my Godfather (wow that's a pretty fun term to use for real) took my parents and I to the Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant. A Newport mainstay for 30 years, my Godfather has known the owners for quite sometime.

On a Friday lunch, during the off-season, this place was packed. People were on a wait for at least an hour. The inside of the place is charming; the walls are adorned with random and/or local memorabilia and antiques. And, as someone who has worked at a very, very clean restaurant in Philly, I have to say, this place was potentially cleaner. (That one's for you Johnny Tria)

But I digress. Naturally, I had the "Overstuffed Lobster Salad Roll." I was told that the crab cakes are great, but that's not for me.

Mostly, I was shocked by the quantity of lobster. The mixture itself was pretty good; claw meat was interspersed with smaller pieces of shaved lobster, and there wasn't too much mayo. The style, admittedly, varied with my Maine mainstays; this Lobster Roll was larger and there was less discernible knuckle meat.

As a gluten-freak, I adore the Lobster Roll bun, or "New England-style hot dog bun," if you will. I saw a bag of these rolls at the football game and nearly lost my mind. Maybe I've been hiding under a rock, or shopping at Whole Foods too much, but this made my day. Yeah, I love Martin's potato rolls, but there's something special about a Lobster Roll bun toasted with butter.

And so, my Lobster Roll need was satisfied. As much as restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic attempt to emulate this lobster treat, it's never the same as what you can find up here. It's just a New England thing.

Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant
140 Thames St.
Newport, RI 02840
401-849-6334

Cogito Ergo (Ad)Sum

2010-07-21T22:20:00.005-04:00

Last night I had a chance to get to Matt Levin's new restaurant, Adsum. While I don't like to go to restaurants in their first week, sometimes you have to take the days off and the opportunities as they come. Having heard so much buzz about the place, I had somewhat high expectations.

The menu itself is intriguing. At times the wording is reminiscent of Daniel Stern. "Green sauce." Uh, okay sure! Almost everything sounds good. So, we went with:

Grilled Rock Octopus, Black Pepper Caramel

Salt and Vinegar Chicharron

Kool-aid Pickled Watermelon

The octopus was well cooked. The sauce itself was more BBQ than black pepper caramel, but whatever. It was spicy and generally enjoyable.

The chicharrones were pretty ah-mazing! I think that they made the vinegar into a powder. They were certainly salty and delicious. I wanted to take an order home and eat them as a midnight snack.

The pickled watermelon, for 3 dollars, was also pretty good. The Kool-Aid flavor really came out in the few pieces of pickled rind that were on the plate. Additionally, the basil on the dish was really fresh and actually not overwhelming.

For our main course, we went with:

KFC Sweetbreads, Peas, Risotto, Mustard

Fried Chicken, Collards, Ham Hocks, Hot Sauce

The sweetbreads were per-fect-ly cooked. The risotto, on the other hand, was not great. It was undersalted and too watery; as if they used water instead of stock. The peas were also unevenly cooked. But hey, that can happen with a new restaurant.

The chicken, while yes, kind of a lame choice on my part, was amazing! I have never had such tender and juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, chicken before. I don't know what they do to it, but it was perfect. The collard greens with the ham hocks were also enjoyable. Oh, and the biscuit you see on the plate: the most joyous gluten treat I have ever put in my mouth. Yet, fully admitting my gluten fetish, the biscuit was on the undercooked side. That didn't bother me, it was heaven.

For dessert we went with Ricotta Doughnuts and chocolate. I have to say, it was a good try. The outside was nicely crisp. Yet the inside was too soft. I'm not sure if it was undercooked, or simply the fact that it was ricotta. The chocolate sauce was also broken and did not stick to the doughnuts as you might like. Yet, it was still a nice dessert.

Beverage-wise, there is a nice list of cocktails. I had the "Unholy Water." I love ginger beer, so it was alright. I went with a cocktail because the beer menu was annoyingly marked up for import bottles. I know how much Petrus Pale Ale costs and I'm not about to pay more than I should for it. Perhaps they will re-think their list and/or the markup.

All in all though, this place has enormous potential. The menu is interesting, the proteins were solidly prepared, and the service was friendly. All of these small missteps can be attributed to the fact that Adsum just opened a week ago. I know that I will be back for a second go around. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Adsum Restaurant
700 South 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
267-888-7002

Zavino - Pizza in Philly!

2010-06-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

Allllllright. So the Femme is back in town! (And back to blogging, my apologies for the lengthy interlude) Yes, I have returned to my fair city for the summer. This also means that I'm back working at Tria. (Say hello if you ever stop in)

And, of course, I'm also back in time for PBW 2010. Even though I wasn't a fan of moving beer week to June, it happens to work out for me personally.

While not my first dinner back in Philly, I recently went to Zavino wine bar pizzeria. And I have to say, it was awesome. I wasn't expecting much, as I hadn't heard (just read) a ton about the place.

We started out with a Yellowtail Crudo with radish, orange and basil oil. It was a solid dish. It all worked together, and I can't argue with that.

Next we had the Greens and Radish with Bagna Càuda. Naturally, the anchovy flavor was prominent. But in a very good way. Greens and radishes aren't exactly exciting, but the bagna càuda really made it an enjoyable salad.

For pizza we went with the Sausage with tomato, homemade sausage, roasted fennel and sweet peppers. As pizza far as pizza goes, I have learned that my pizza preferences don't really fall with the general public. But, since it's a divisive topic anyway, I'm okay with that.

So essentially, I love dough of all kinds. I don't want crispy crust, I want doughy crust that I can savor and chew easily. While the bottom of the pizza was perfectly firm, the crust was also enjoyable and soft enough for me. The sauce, well, there could have been more of it. The toppings were a naturally nice combination and perfectly distributed.

In fact, the pizza was so good that we decided to order another one to go. The pizza is a good size to share if you get three appetizers. But after two smaller appetizers, for some healthy eaters, one pizza just wasn't enough. For the second pizza, to be enjoyed later at home, we chose the Polpettini with tomato sauce, provolone, and mini veal meatballs. It was also delicious.

And dessert, as many restaurants in Philly know, is a useless enterprise with Capogiro directly across the street. Sorry Zavino, that's just how it goes.

But all in all, I'd go back very soon. I have no complaints (except the service, but I'll overlook it for now). I'm generally very psyched to have this pizza option in Philly.

Zavino
1125 S. 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-732-2400

Craigie on Main: Cambridge, MA

2010-03-13T22:29:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago I went to Boston (oh so far away from Western Mass, seriously, it's 2 hours) for Beer Advocate's Extreme Beer Fest, Night of the Barrels. While the beer event brought me to Boston, I parlayed it into a foodie weekend.

The highlight was a 10-course tasting menu at Craigie on Main in Cambridge. I had been told about this restaurant by the only person I know who is, perhaps, more picky about restaurants than I am. A restaurateur himself, he told me this food was so good it made him want to cry. Obviously, I had to go.

I did my research and made my reservation about a month in advance. The chef is Tony Maws, 2010 James Beard Semi-finalist (Northeast) and 2009 James Beard Best Chef Finalist (Northeast), amongst many other awards. All about the seasonal and the local, the menu is printed daily with a time stamp based upon their last delivery.

So I'll let the 10-course menu begin, with descriptions as best as I can remember.

Seafood trio

Salad of Hiramasa Sashimi: red onion-shiso salsa, avocado, harissa-rose vinaigrette

Seared Scallop with Maine Sweet Shrimp and some crazy broth...juniper is all I remember

Grilled Spanish Octopus: grilled cipollini onions, fresh hearts of palm and lemon salad, garbanzo bean purée

Ridiculous Pasta with Lamb Ragoût

Grilled Pork Belly with Pomegranate Seeds and Chestnuts with a Green Apple Purée

House-made Venison Sausage Crépinette and Venison Leg

Sour Milk Panna Cotta

Peanut Butter Parfait: house-made hobnob cookie, cocoa nibs, banana foam

Hot Chocolate Cardamom

Overall, the meal was incredible. It was by far, the best meal I've had since I went to Alinea last March. This is saying quite a bit. I did not want this dinner to end. The meal was nearly perfectly executed, and the flavors were creative and delicious. The homemade pasta was some of the best I've ever had, and the venison crépinette, I want to eat forever and ever. While the seafood was perfect, I felt the kitchen really hit its stride with the meat courses.

The service was also incredibly attentive. That's not exactly hard to do for a solo diner, but still they were lovely. When they realized that I had been drinking my first glass of wine too quickly, they gave me a few more ounces of white wine to carry me through the seafood dishes. This was a nice touch. Most restaurants don't care, don't pay attention, or are so corporate that they couldn't even give you a few extra ounces of wine.

That being said, the one let down was the lack of a beverage pairing option. When I go to a restaurant for a lengthy tasting menu, I don't want to think about anything. Bring me whatever you like, I trust you. This goes for beverages too. I don't want to pick glasses of wine. I want something selected to pair with each dish. Call me snobbish, but this meal really could have been taken to the next level (and it was very close to the top anyway), with beverage pairings.

Regardless, if you are ever in Boston, this restaurant is a must. The food was so incredible that I did want to cry. It reminded me of the place that food can take you when it's just indescribably good. I haven't been there for a while.

And for that, I thank you, Craigie on Main.

Craigie on Main
853 Main Street Cambridge, MA 02139-3512
(617) 497-5511

Where Has The Femme Gone?

2009-12-20T19:06:00.008-05:00

It's been far too long. And I don't really have any excuse. I was back in Philly for a full month. And yet, the best thing I ate was in Chattanooga, TN at Sticky Fingers. BBQ ribs done Memphis-style blew my mind. Percy St. Texas-style BBQ eat your heart out. The meat was tender as can be and falling apart in the best way possible.

So, what's up Philly? I certainly went out to dinner while back home. But I found myself gravitating to the bars/restaurants where I know what I'm getting, and I know that it's good. And I was even slightly disappointed by a longtime favorite that I've blogged about too many times. Maybe the Iron Chef needs to check back in with his bread and butter. Just sayin'...

Philly has so many restaurants, and so many new restaurants, but how many are really, really great? After seriously eating in Philly for five years, who's going to show me something new, mind-blowing, perfectly prepared, and creative. (Bibou, I know I need to visit you) I'm tired of trying new places and being let down.

Last year I ate some fantastic meals. Alinea in Chicago was the absolute highpoint, and will likely remain the culinary highpoint of my life until I make it to FL or Per Se. (Sorry Vetri, you were great on my birthday, but sub-par in August) Also, I had two meals at Talula's Table that were fantastic, incredibly creative and memorable. And, I'd do suckling pig at Amada again in a heartbeat.

But everything else is a blur. I can't even count the number of restaurants I ate at last year that to have blogged about would have been simply rude. I'm not great at avoiding biting critiques, and so, I often don't even go there.

Where to now? Living in the middle of nowhere 7.5 months of the year makes that pretty easy: travel to Boston or cook. The latter option being much more likely and feasible.

But what to do in Philly? I think I have to start going off the grid. This may be an amateurish realization; more seasoned foodies have been doing it for years. I need to eat food in parts of the city I've never been to, and at places I haven't heard of.

Sure I'll still occasionally try "the" new place, but for the most part, I need to get off the grid.

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Me

2009-12-07T21:24:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, December 4th, was the one year anniversary of the Femme Fermental.

An unexpected trip back to Pennsylvania, to watch my father's football team (he's the head coach at Villanova) take on the University of New Hampshire in the I-AA playoffs, sidetracked me from posting. I was welcomed back to PA with snow, and a big Villanova win.

So yes, it's been one year of the Femme. I've been to many restaurants and bars, had many beverages, changed jobs, gone back to school, and moved to Massachusetts. Not to get all "Dear Diary" on you, but, a year ago I never though I'd be where I am today.

I started the blog to keep track of all my food/beer/wine experiences. While I may not have the time to go out as much anymore, the blog remains a catalogue of my gastronomical experiences and a reminder of how much I love the Philly food scene.

Here's to keeping it going...

Cheers!

Percy Street...Barbecue?

2009-12-01T16:13:00.008-05:00

This past Saturday night I had a chance to get to the newly opened Percy Street Barbecue. I don't like to blog about restaurants within their first month of opening (just doesn't seem fair to the restaurant), but hey, I'm only in town about once a month. If you'd like another fluffier, and ever-so-well-written account, check out Rick Nichols' recent piece in the Inquirer.

The restaurant, a collaboration between Steven Cook and Michael Solomonov from Zahav, etc, and Erin O'Shea, formerly of Marigold Kitchen, certainly has received enough pre-opening press. Needless to say, hopes are high.

I'll add this caveat now. I am not an expert on BBQ. I'm certainly not a expert on Texas BBQ.

My brother and I decided upon a 1/2 lb. of Moist Brisket and 1/2 lb. of Spare Ribs with two sides, German Potato Salad and Green Beans. They recommend two sides per person, but I assure you, you'll do just fine with two.

A few interesting details about Percy Street: you get a carafe of water on your table (I'm a big fan of this), after you order a busser attaches a paper towel holder to your table (good to have these at hand, however, if you use too many it becomes a mess, and a poor server has to remove your dirty paper towels from your table; a trash can might be necessary too), beer is served in mason jars, all of the meat is served in a plastic basket with butcher paper and the BBQ sauce is on the side for all you "my food can't touch other food" type people.

Now, about the food. Well, first of all, it arrived about 2 minutes after ordering. I was a little put off by this; at this rate turn time will be 45 min. per table. Second, the meat itself was cold. So were the sides (yes, cold potato salad is fine, but I thought the green beans could have been warm). I've been told that this is not how Texas BBQ should be. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about this.

The brisket had a fantastically simple smokey flavor. The spare ribs were also deliciously smokey, but not memorable. I'd probably stick to the brisket and try the pork belly next time. And the BBQ sauce was just fine for me, sweet and a little bit spicy.

For dessert, we decided on the Apple Crisp. It was nicely crisp on the top, and the filling was addictingly good. However, again, temperature was an issue. The center of the crisp was still cold (yes, maybe from the ice cream on top, but it was cold at the bottom too), while the rest of it was luke warm. I'm not going to say it, but we all know what kind of device produces this issue.

All in all, while everything was flavored very nicely, the meal suffered from temperature issues. I don't want to eat cold BBQ, and I don't want to eat a luke warm dessert. This all said, I'm hoping that these are opening issues that will be worked out eventually.

I figure if the flavor is there, the rest is just proper execution.

Percy Street Barbecue
Between 9th and 10th on South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-625-8510

The 25 Best American Breweries of the Decade (2000-2009)

2009-11-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it's been exactly a month since my last post. For shame! I know!

It pains me that I can count the number of alcoholic beverages I've consumed, in the last month, on one hand. But, alas, in less than a week I'll be home for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I'll have time for a beverage or two, at a restaurant or two.

In order to stop the Femme Fermental drought, I've decided to post on Paste Magazine.com's "25 Best American Breweries of the Decade (2000-2009)"
Uncle Jack may have already said it best: "I never heard of Paste Magazine before this and know little more than what you can find at the publication’s website."

Yeah, we've never heard of Paste Magazine, but we'll read about what they have to say about beer. Here's the list

25. Great Divide Brewing Company
24. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
23. Brooklyn Brewing Company
22. Brewery Ommegang
21. North Coast Brewing Co.
20. Stone Brewing Co.
19. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
18. New Belgium Brewing Company
17. New Glarus Brewing Company
16. Oskar Blues Brewery
15. Samuel Adams
14. Rogue Ales
13. Decshutes
12. Lagunitas Brewing Company
11. Bell's Brewery
10. The Lost Abbey
9. Weyerbacher
8. Three Floyds
7. Russian River Brewing
6. AleSmith Brewing Company
5. Founder's Brewing Co.
4. Victory Brewing Company
3. Avery Brewing Co.
2. Allagash Brewing
1. Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Paste Magazine doesn't know much about beer. They seem to put up a "list" of some sort everyday. After their beer entry, the next list was "Top 10 Best Fashion Designers of the Decade." I don't know if they are really an authority on anything. It's quite possible they searched the New York Times, found an article revealing the Times' love for Sam Calagione, and decided to put them first on the list. Who knows.

At the very least, they got some things right.

The order? That seems to be a more personal matter.

Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest - Night of the Funk

2009-10-17T19:45:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, my best beer geek friend and I went to Beer Advocate's "Return of the Belgian Beer Fest!" Night of the Funk in Boston. My friend and I planned this trip back in July. It was only a 2 hour drive for me, but for her, it was a flight from DC. Yes, this how serious we are about beer.

We started out at 21st Amendment. We had limited time before the event started, so we were stuck with something in the neighborhood of our hotel. I wanted to get to Deep Ellum or Publick House, but they just weren't close enough.

This bar was pretty amusing. It really can't be classified as a beer bar. The only craft beer on draft was Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale. So of course, we had that instead of 5 pony bottles of Coors Light for 5 dollars. We were there (fortunately, and unfortunately) during happy hour. The post-work business suit and Burberry clad crowd, crappy beers in hand, was all too entertaining. We were doing alright until they turned on the music and Michelle Branch's "Game of Love" came on.

Luckily, we were on our way out. The clam chowder was, by the way, spectacular.

Soon we arrived in beer geek heaven. It was very much like all the beer events I've been to in this format: two ounce taster glass, and lines for beer. However, I have to give BA credit, it wasn't too crowded. We were able to get to all of the best beers.

Perhaps the best and most geekiest part of the night (besides when we out beer geeked two guys while in line for the most delicious sugar coated waffles ever), was the "Night of the Funk Panel" with Tomme Arthur (The Lost Abbey), Mike McManus (Brewery Ommegang), Will Meyers (Cambridge Brewing Co.), David Yarrington (Smuttynose Brewing Co.) and my all-time favorite, I'm so in love with you, plaid-wearing Harry Potter look-a-like, Rob Tod (Allagash Brewing Co.).

For about an hour, the panelist took questions on brewing, marketing, and tasting funkified beers. The level of geekiness was fabulous. I enjoyed the home brewer question: "How can I barrel age when most wine barrels hold 50 gallons or more?" And the two part question that every brewer forgot the second part of: "When did you start brewing? And why did you start brewing?"

Quote of the night goes to Rob Tod, the man knows how to work a crowd: "It depends how you want to funk it up." However, Tomme Arthur came a close second: "I'm waiting for Bud to make Bud Lite Lime with Brett. So I can say I had Brett in a can last night."

And yes, the beers were awesome. Sour beers are by far my favorite style of beer. Yes, I love my double IPAs, but there is something so complex and titillating about sour beers. Almost four years ago, when I had my first sour, Allagash Interlude, I was hooked.

At the event we tasted the following: Allagash Vagabond, Allagash My Brother Daryl, Russian River Temptation, Russian River Consecration, Lost Abbey Cable Car, Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme, Lost Abbey Sangria, Brooklyn Wild 1, Ithaca Brute, Cambridge Om, De Proef Les Deux Brasseurs, Petrus Pale, and Lindemans Cuvee Renee.

The winner of the night, and not just because I love Rob Tod, was Allagash Vagabond. They are actually releasing it at their brewery on Monday. They made just 500 bottles. It's a beer aged for four years in the only barrels that moved with them into their new brewery. The nose was reminiscent of Allagash Curieux, with bourbon and port notes. The palate was winey with subtle red fruit flavors, a touch of tartness, and a smooth finish. It was classic Allagash. And, a new beer to add to my top 5.

All in all, an awesome night of beer. After this experience, I'd highly recommend any similar event done by BA in Boston. And I certainly know I'll be there again next year.

Newick's Lobster House, NH

2009-10-11T12:51:00.007-04:00

Fall here in Massachusetts is lovely. I have to say, the foliage has been one of the best parts of moving here (yeah, certainly not the food).

Last weekend I had the chance to go out to dinner with my family up in New Hampshire. Somewhat of a tradition, whenever in Portsmouth, we end up at Newick's Lobster House.

It's a rather crazy place. It probably seats about 200 people. There service is really non-existent. They take orders, never clear plates (which by the way are all plastic and paper, this place is an environmental nightmare), and that's about it.

But, on a Friday night, it was packed with people of all ages.

I started out with classic New England clam chowder. It was very thin and unexciting. There was no depth of flavor. But, the pieces of clam were plentiful.

Next, I went with steamers. I just can't seem to get them in Philly. They aren't the same unless you're in New England. They were pretty good, but then again, you can't so much mess them up.

And then, the reason we had all come to Newick's. A 1 and 1/4 lb. boiled lobster. The lobster, was, well, lobster. But, it seemed a bit dirty, as if they don't change the water enough. The lobster was of course enjoyable, but it wasn't the perfection I had hoped for that night. It actually taught me an important lesson: you can't just put lobster on a plate and have it be wonderful. There's a bit more to it.

On the whole, Newick's is what it is. It's a New England lobster house that draws a crowd. It's unpretentious. It's simple. It'll give you what you're looking for, as far as seafood goes. But, it seems to lack the love required to make simple food good.

Newick's Lobster House
431 Dover Point Rd
Dover, NH‎ 03820
1-800-533-9027 ‎

"I Am a Home Brewer"

2009-10-06T10:40:00.007-04:00

Back in April, I and many other people, fell in love with the "I Am a Craft Brewer" video that debuted at the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference.

This response video, that speaks just as seriously about home brewing, has just come to my attention. It seems to have come out in July.

And I'm not going to lie, I also get chills when watching this video. I have my brother to thank for my first adventures in home brewing. Since his first extract brew a few months ago, he has since moved onto all-grain brewing, and has even built his own system at this point.

He has certainly made me a better beer geek; there are just things you can't know unless you brew your own beer. Thanks dude! This one is for you.

Sunday Oct 4th at TND

2009-09-27T15:51:00.011-04:00

Another mysterious poem has appeared on Teresa's Next Door's event page. As far as I can tell, no one on the interwebs has attempted to decipher this beerpoem yet. (Feel free to correct me) This is likely because the historic Troegs event taking place on Thursday October 1st has drawn attention. Not to mention, several lucky bloggers have been out in Denver, enjoying the GABF.

Given this beerpoem, it seems as though TND has a Double IPA day planned just a few days later.

Since I've been bogged down in minutia of microhistory all day, I need a beer break. And since enjoying an actual beer is far from possible at this point, I can at least think and write about beer. So here goes:

On Sunday October 4th our beloved Elder will preside over a torrent sea of fifteen hoppy clones:
Russian River Pliny the Elder, Port Brewing Hop-15, Heavy Seas Big DIPA (torrent sea, heavy seas?)

Hercules slew a dinosaur with a sickle to celebrate 15 years,:
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, Moylan's Hopsickle Double IPA, Great Divide Wood Aged 15th Anniversary Double IPA

Two Left Coast Brothers are both bringing bitter juice,:
Two Brothers Hop Juice Double IPA, Left Coast Hop Juice Double IPA

Burton shall bring a dolphin fish and two dogs,:
Dogfish Head Burton Baton Double IPA, Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA

one sinister,:
Dogfish Head 120 Minute Double IPA ?

and one twice the size.:
Flying Dog Double Dog Double IPA

And who let the conductor drive the stoopid beer engine?:

Steamworks Brewing Conductor Double IPA, Lagunitas Brewing Hop Stoopid

Alright enough daydreaming for me, back to school work. Feel free to comment and correct.

Cheers!

Village Whiskey: Dear Jose

2009-09-20T15:30:00.003-04:00

Dear Jose,

We need to talk. I never thought it would come to this, but it has. I wish I could say "it's not you it's me." But this time, it really is you.

Friday night I went to your new restaurant, Village Whiskey, and for the first time, something was missing. It just didn't feel the same. I think you've changed, or maybe we've grown apart. I know long distance is hard, but, really, I promised I'd visit.

I don't know what happened. I supported you from the beginning, I told everyone how much I love you, I congratulated you on your successes, and you gave me the best going away dinner a girl could ask for. So I just don't know how this could happen so suddenly. I feel like I don't know you anymore.

After waiting an hour and 15 minutes, a half an hour over my quoted wait time, I finally got a chance to sit down at your new "classic American bar." I was so excited to see you, I'd been eagerly awaiting this place for months.

I'd heard about this crazy "Whiskey King" burger you have: 10 oz, maple bourbon glazed cippolini, Rogue bleu cheese, applewood smoked bacon and, my favorite, foie gras. Yes, $24 for a burger is a little on the insane side, but hey, maybe so am I.

Well, this is where things get tough for me. I wanted to love this burger with all of my heart. But, alas, I could not. After three bites, the burger meat itself fell apart in my hands and the bottom bun was so incredibly soaked through with fat that it basically disintegrated. I was left with a mess of ingredients and small pieces of ground beef all over my plate. In anger I picked up my knife and fork and tried to tough it out. Beyond the fact that all of the components meld together, with the nicely seared foie especially getting lost, there just wasn't much left to love. It was a mess.

Maybe it's my own fault. Maybe I have no business ordering a $24 burger. But, I did it because I trusted you.

Unfortunately, I wasn't in love with your duck fat fries either. They were over-seasoned to the point of masking the glorious duck-fatness. And this wasn't the only problem I had with seasoning. The Kentucky Fried Quail was also over-seasoned (yes I like Old Bay, but I only like it to be the dominant flavor on Maryland crabs), and under-salted. And then, to further confuse me, your soft pretzel app, was overwhelmed by large grains of salt, and actually fell more into the "bread" category, than the "soft pretzel" category.

There were a few good points. The service, from the hostess to the two servers, was incredibly friendly and attentive. The cocktails were also very good. My "Ginger Rogers," gin, ginger, lemon, Fees rhubarb and sparking rose satisfied every girly drink desire within me. And your deviled eggs were the most perfect deviled eggs I've ever had.

But still, I left dissatisfied. Maybe we've both changed too much. But I can't just walk away from this relationship. We've been together too long. I'm willing to give you another chance; just promise me, Jose, that you'll never let me down like this again.

Love,
Femme Fermental

Village Whiskey
118 S. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-665-1088

Grocery Shopping is Dangerous

2009-09-14T22:40:00.005-04:00

All of my life, er, well, all of my alcohol purchasing life, I've been eagerly awaiting the day when I could finally escape the iron fist of the PLCB. Life would be so much better, I thought!

I had fond memories of visiting the grocery store in South Carolina on vacation; booze and food in close proximity just seemed more natural. Not to mention, the lack of PA case law, was liberating.

Since others, Lew Bryson, for example, have more articulately expounded on the subject of the PLCB's ridiculousness, I will make my point very succinctly: Pennsylvania's liquor laws make no sense, while Massachusetts' privately owned "package stores" make more sense. While I will quibble over the state's recent tax increase on alcohol to 6.25%, I'm more than happy with my alcohol purchasing options.

Take for example, my visit to the Whole Foods just 5 minutes from my house. This is what their beer selection looks like:

This is seriously no joke. The selection includes a wide variety of American craft brews and a solid selection of imports.

Now, I am forced to consider the monetary repercussions of being able to throw a bottle of Allagash Curieux or Rochefort 8 into my cart, alongside my cereal and noodles. It's an option I've never had, save at the Foodery.

Basically, grocery shopping just became significantly more dangerous. But seriously, I'll take the temptation of booze in the grocery store any day over dealing with the PLCB.

Whole Foods Market
327 Russell St
Hadley, MA 01035-3535
(413) 586-9932

"My" New Beer Bar

2009-09-03T23:02:00.002-04:00

It took all of about 48 hours in Amherst, MA for me to crave a beer bar. We all have our favorite spots; what you might think of as "your" beer bar. In the Philly area, mine has certainly changed a few times over the past few years. But after just two days in Amherst, I already know where "my" beer bar is going to be: The Moan and Dove.

Located just south of downtown Amherst, it's a little bit out of the way of the college crowd. I had read about it on Beer Advocate, and had heard about it from Tom Peters.

Last night, it called to me. I just needed a good beer, in a good place. The music was right, the lighting was right (think a more manly Tria), it was clean/dirty enough, the bartender was friendly and the crowd was mellow.

Beer-wise, it has almost everything you need. The 20 taps and about 170 bottles are nicely dispersed between American craft brews and international selections. I say almost everything, because, well, Russian River doesn't find it's way to Massachusetts.

Perhaps the thing I'm most excited about is their "mug club." This isn't your traditional mug club. Basically, if you try every bottle they have available, you get a mug engraved with your name and the luxury of drinking every draft beer out of this 25oz mug.

They keep track of all of the beers you've tried in a folder behind the bar. While not the most up to date system, it gives you something to read over. And just to keep it interesting, there are also fill-in-the-blank spaces for the bartender to add on things like, "warm and crappy beer of our choice."

Naturally, I had to sign up. After a few of my sour choices were out of stock, the bartender was kind enough to pull out a 2005 Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze from the back. Not a bad way to start. In fact, a gueuze was exactly what I needed to remind me of home.

I figured out that only 29 of the 170 bottles will be new to me. But that won't stop me (although having to drink 4 different Lindeman's might). I will be here for at least the next three years. So that's only about 55 beers a year. Everyone has to have goals.

The Moan and Dove
460 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413-256-1710

Goodbye Philly

2009-08-31T18:41:00.003-04:00

As of today, I've officially left my hometown. And, in very Philly style, I was given a parting gift from the PPA. Although it's surely not my last ticket from them, it's a nice reminder of at least one thing I won't miss about Philly.

During my last month in Philly I tried to eat out as much as I could. I managed to visit it to Talula's Table, Amada, Distrito, Vetri, Zahav and Savona. As much as I love upscale dining, that's not all that Philly has to offer.

Saturday I made it to my favorite hoagie place in South Philly: Lombardi's. I just have a feeling that Western Massachusetts is going to disappoint me in the hoagie department - big time. Who knows what they even call them up there?

While I usually get the VIP, a more traditional Italian, I decided to get my Dad's favorite: the Italian Inferno. The usual Italian, but with shooters (provolone stuffed hot peppers). As I devoured this gloriousness in my car outside the hoagie shop, I was reminded that the Philly food scene really has it all.

So worry not, between the people and the food, I know I'll be making quite a few trips back to Philly.

Lombardi's Specialty Hoagies
1226 W. Ritner St.
Philadelphia, PA
215-389-2220

Suckling Pig at Amada

2009-08-19T23:25:00.007-04:00

We all know that I'm a huge fan of Jose Garces. I've blogged about every restaurant he has in Philly, besides Chifa. However, I've never officially written about Amada: the one that started it all.

I've been to Amada countless times since I became a foodie during my last year of college at Penn. It was one of my first mind-blowing food experiences. With Tinto close behind, it's still my favorite Garces place. Everything is impeccable, time after time.

Every time I go to Amada, I look at the menu and see "Whole Roasted Suckling Pig - For 4 or more" $32/Person. I've always wanted to do it, but never had the motivation or foresight to pull it off. As it turns out, Suckling Pig is the perfect event for a going away dinner. My friends Scott and Vicki managed to organize the whole thing, and with the addition of Dr. Joel, the date was set.

Upon arrival, the big question was, "How much more food do we order?" The pig itself comes with four vegetarian sides. After deciding that we were very comfortable having leftovers, we ordered four additional tapas to start.

So now I'll let the pictures begin...

Bread Service: Tuna and Black Olives

Serrano Ham and Fig Salad, Cabrales & Spiced Almonds

Aragones, Garrotxa, Torta del Casar

Grilled Chorizo

Heirloom Tomato, Mezze Sorrel & Mahon Flatbread

Grilled Green Onions, Rosemary White Beans, Garbanzos con Espinacas, Herb Roasted Fingerlings

The Pig!

Table side

Left overs!

Dessert Tasting

The pig itself was so mouth-watering good. It was salty, moist and tender. I want to eat it for days and days. And thanks to the leftovers, I'm going to be able to. The side dishes were also very good. The white beans were a particular hit.

Throughout the meal we all shared a bottle of Brooklyn Local 1 and two bottles of Ommegang Bier de Mars. Both were great food beers; not too much flavor, and certainly not too little flavor.

All in all, I completely recommend the Suckling Pig dinner. It's an incredible deal, a ton of exquisite food, and a really fun dining experience. It was the perfect going away meal...

Thanks to Scott and Vicki, and Dr. Joel. I'm up for a repeat anytime!

Amada Restaurant
217-219 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-625-2450

Temptation at McMenamin's

2009-08-18T15:16:00.004-04:00

Last night, a fellow Russian River follower, and Tria friend indulging in my obsession, kindly let me know that Temptation was on tap at McMenamin's Tavern in Mount Airy. Seeing as I don't have a job for the next two weeks, I drove right over.

While you wouldn't necessarily expect it, this local Mount Airy bar has an excellent beer list. Both European and American craft beer classic styles are well represented. And, their prices are more reasonable than most beer bars in Philly. This chalice was only 7 dollars.

And yes, they have Temptation on before many others in the area. I have to say, it was drinking very, very well. Nice winey nose, good tart sourness up front, and a citrus/tropical fruit palate that lingers. Believe me, it's worth the drive to Mount Airy.

McMenamin's Tavern
7170 Germantown Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19119
215-247-9920

Talula's Table: Food & Beer Geekery

2009-08-06T12:54:00.007-04:00

Last week I had the privilege of eating at Talula's Table in Kennett Square, PA. While I've never eaten at the actual "Farm Table," I have eaten at the "Kitchen Table" three times. With reservations booked a year out to the day at "The Toughest Table in America" to get a reservation at, I do consider myself pretty lucky.

Talula's Table seats 8-12 people at the Farm Table, and sometimes, a few guests are able to dine in the kitchen. Having worked in restaurants for the past 5 years, I'd much rather be in the kitchen at a place like this.

Owned by Aimee Olexy and Brian Sikora, this restaurant will always have a special place in my heart. I actually dined at their restaurant in Philly, Django, for my 19th birthday. This was way before I was a foodie, and I remember something about an organic game hen and local vegetables. The meal was delicious, but I didn't even know what I was partaking in. Looking back, I view it as my first foodie experience.

Anyway, enough reminiscing. Last week's dinner at Talula's was perhaps the best experience I've had to date. Interestingly, I have been one of the few quests to bring beer to dinner. I happen to know the other two groups; one of them being Tom Peters of Monk's, and the other, my friends Vicki and Scott.

I've always used Talula's as an excuse to break out good, rare beer, and attempt to pair it with delicious food. After the food pictures, I'll go over the beers.

Carpaccio of Zucchini and Button Mushrooms, Parmesan Lace, and Truffled White Bean Puree

Porcelet Ravioli, Sweet Corn Broth with Hand Stretched Mozzarella

Shrimp and Scallop Sausage with Garden Cucumber Relish and Roasted Bell Pepper Foam

House Smoked Mid-Atlantic Bluefish, Carmelized Potato Hash, Braised Chard, and Mussel Bisque

Creamy Risotto of Glennrose Farm Heritage Chicken with Fava Bean and Chicken Liver Mousse (forgot I was taking pictures, so this isn't the original plating...)

Summer Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Chester County Lamb with Tomato Lamb Jus and Crispy Eggplant Frites

"Grassroots" A collection of local cheeses

Sugar Plum and Bing Cherry Soup with Cardamom Ice Cream

Eclat Chocolates

And...the beer line up:
- Les Deux Brasseurs - Allagash
- Russian River Temptation Batch 4
- Russian River Consecration Batch 1
- New Belgium La Folie 2008
- Jolly Pumpkin Noel 2008
- Westmalle Tripel 2007
- Hanssens Artisanal Cassis
- Avery The Reverend 2008

I have to thank my friend Ryan for contributing to our beer line up. Only someone with a few connections can bring Russian River Temptation to dinner.

Best Dish: Carpaccio of Zucchini and Button Mushrooms, Parmesan Lace, and Truffled White Bean Puree. Say what you will of truffle oil, and I'm certainly one to avoid it's overuse on every menu these days, but this dish was a cornucopia of flavor. The truffle oil enhanced every other ingredient on the plate perfectly.

Best Texture: Shrimp and Scallop Sausage with Garden Cucumber Relish and Roasted Bell Pepper Foam. The shrimp and scallop sausage was pretty unbelievable. This isn't the first time I've seen Bryan take items and make them into entirely different forms.

Best Beer: New Belgium La Folie 2008. This beer is special: a sour brown ale, aged in French oak for one to three years before bottling. Without a doubt, it's one of my top 5 favorite beers. This one had mellowed nicely, but still retained the perfect amount of tartness and great acidity.

Best Pairing: Porcelet Ravioli, Sweet Corn Broth with Hand Stretched Mozzarella and Russian River Consecration. This one happened by accident. Basically, we drank the Russian River Temptation way too fast. I had meant to enjoy Temptation for two courses, but that didn't work out. I thought the Consecration, a strong dark ale aged for 6 months in Silver Oak Cabernet barrels with currants and brettanomyces, would be too much for the sweet corn broth and mozzarella. However, the delicious baby pork inside the ravioli was perfect with the dark beer. Additionally, the beer was actually light enough, and had enough acidity to not overtake the more delicate flavors of the dish.

Most Sour Beer: Hanssens Artisinal Cassis. I've been holding onto this beer since last October. I received it by chance, at Tria, after a Fermentation School class with Matthias Neidhart of B. United imports. I remember it being sour, but the additional 10 months aging in the bottle made it even more sour. It was perhaps the most sour beer I've ever had. It was out of control with wet horse blanket and musty basement flavors.

I have to thank Aimee and Bryan for allowing me to dine at their incredible restaurant. They are responsible for 3 of my top 10 dining experiences, lifetime.

Each time is different, and each time is special. And I'm especially thankful that I was able to get there one more time before my move. Not that I won't be back trying to make a reservation in December...

Best of Philly Sommelier: Melissa Monosoff

2009-08-03T10:43:00.004-04:00

While I may shamelessly self-promote myself (and Tria), I rarely shamelessly promote my friends and their places of business.

With the Best of Philly awards coming out last week, I'm inspired to write a little homage to my good friend, and Best of Philly Sommelier, Melissa Monosoff.

We first met at a *small-scale* restaurant project you might remember as Maia. While the restaurant didn't turn out so hot, I'm thankful for the people I met at Maia.

Immediately upon meeting Melissa I realized that she was not like every other wine person. She was very down to earth, willing and happy to teach (not preach) at every turn, insanely knowledgeable, and personally inspiring. Her innate love of all things beverage-related is hard to miss. PS. She's also a big beer geek.

I have to credit her for my love of wine, and all of my basic wine knowledge. For as long as I live, Kimmeridgian clay, Salon, and Richard Betts will always remind me of Melissa.

So congrats, MM, you deserve it! :)

Currently, you can find Melissa at Savona/Bar Savona in Gulph Mills.
And, in case you missed it, here's what Philly Mag has to say:

"Sommeliers, with their esoteric winespeak and predictably expensive recommendations, can ruin a nice dinner out. Not the laid-back Monosoff, who’s more supportive wine cheerleader than intimidating salesman. She’s added handy features like a half-bottle list at Savona. And while her wine list is terrific, nothing beats getting her friendly, jargon-free, budget-sensitive wine recs."

Savona / Bar Savona
100 Old Gulph Road
Gulph Mills, PA 19428
610-520-1200

Philly Mag's Best New Restaurant: Distrito

2009-07-29T12:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I went to what is now officially Philly Magazine's Best New Restaurant 2009: Distrito. I made my first visit right after Craig LaBan's 3-Bell review last September. My 10 month lapse between visits might indicate that I was less than excited about the place. It just didn't quite live up to the hype. The food was alright, but, yes, as everyone likes to say, "It just wasn't as good as Amada."

I owed a "frequent" Tria guest a visit to their place of work, so I decided to trek over to West Philly for some "modern Mexican cuisine." Turns out, it was also University City Dining Days. The menu I had hoped for was abbreviated into a $30 prix fixe. I decided to go à la carte anyway.

After being sent out guacamole with chips, I went with gazpacho - watermelon, tomato, red chile, crab, cucumber. While the cool watermelon flavor, enhanced with just a touch of spice was fantastic, the completely pureed texture wasn't what I expected. The crab and cilantro wasn't enough to give this soup the perfect textural experience.

Next, I went with a salad: jícama, honeydew, watermelon, chile piquin, lime zest. The finely diced ingredients were perfectly chilled and crisp. Seeing as it was hot and humid yesterday, this was actually exactly what I wanted to cool down. In fact, both the soup and the salad were weather appropriate food choices.

Apparently, I ended up dining vegetarian; obviously not something I normally do. Last time I visited, the bone marrow tacos were the highlight. Unfortunately, they're not even on the menu anymore.

I realize I did some lame ordering. I didn't choose their most exciting items, and I didn't even get tacos. But, I wasn't that hungry and the weather wasn't exactly pushing me towards hot dishes.

In the end, I'd go to Distrito again. And do some better ordering.

Distrito Restaurant
3945 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3621
(215) 386-1072

Oysters and Bubbles

2009-07-15T02:40:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, my day off eating tour began at the newly reopened Oyster House. I work just down the street, yet somehow hadn't stopped in yet. Naturally, in the mood for decadence, I went with the classic pairing of oysters and bubbly. Really, sometimes, there's just nothing better in the world.

I started out with a glass of Paras Balta Cava Brut from Penedes, Spain to go with my half dozen Royal Miyagi oysters from British Columbia. The oysters were incredible. They were really creamy with a somewhat fruity/salty aftertaste.

I have to give the Oyster House credit; they were the best shucked oysters I've had in Philly. I really do take issue with restaurants that want to serve oysters for between two and three dollars a piece, yet do a terrible job of cleaning them. I'm willing to deal with a little grit, but if the oyster isn't even separated from the shell, I have to draw the line. So, kudos to the Oyster House. I suppose, based upon their name, they really couldn't get away with anything less.

After the oysters, I moved onto a glass of Bouvet Brut Rosé from the Loire. To somewhat pair with the rosé, I went with a version of my favorite Tria dish: Roasted Beets with Feta. At Tria, the beets are roasted with red onion, honey, and lemon. In comparison, the beets at Oyster House were much less sweet. They were also unevenly roasted and covered in parsley. The Feta was also pretty low quality. Between the pervasive parsley flavor and the boring feta, these beets really didn't match up to Tria. I may be a little biased, but really, I don't want parsley on my beets.

So, I guess I should just stick with oysters at Oyster House. And, well, there's nothing wrong with that.

Oyster House
1516 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-567-7683

Movin' On Up...to Amherst, MA

2009-07-13T14:11:00.008-04:00

Yes, Folks, I'm moving away from my beloved hometown city for the next few years. As my mini-biography indicates, my life has been a precarious mix of education, bartending and all things fermentable. Since graduating from college 3 years ago I've played a little juggling game. At the height of it, I ended up opening and managing a restaurant in Wayne while finishing a Master's Degree at NYU.

Since commuting to Massachusetts isn't a possibility, I'll be giving up my bartending gig at Tria in September, and moving to Amherst to pursue a Ph. D. in history at UMass. Have no fear, my passion for, and pursuit of, all things beer, wine and food related will not end; it will just be relocated, and interspersed with trips back to Philly.

Last week, I went up to Amherst to find a place to live. Naturally, I had to include some food and beer. With the help of Beer Advocate and Yelp I picked a restaurant that alleged to have the best combination of food and beer in the area. So, after securing a great place to live, my parents and I stopped at The Sierra Grille in Northampton.

To start, Beer Advocate didn't lie. The beer selection was great. With 21 taps, one hand pump and an okay sized bottle list, I wasn't disappointed. The list was about 75% import, 25% domestic and managed to cover most major styles.

I started out with a local draft beer: Berkshire Brewing Company Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. Berkshire Brewing Company, started in 1994, is a craft brewery located in South Deerfield, MA. As their website says, they brew in 620 gallon batches and can brew 420 barrels (13020 gallons) a week. According to the brewery, Steel Rail, their flagship beer, is "a full flavored American style ale." While the beer had good balance between hops and malts, it lacked some body. It's citrus hop character was enjoyable, but not quite complex. I'm curious to try more of their beers and perhaps make a visit to the brewery. Based on BA, it seems like they might have some interesting one-off beers to try out.

After the BBC, I moved onto Ommegang Rouge, a Flanders Red from Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. Since it's debut this past fall, I've been a big fan of this beer. I love, love, love sours and was impressed to find such a great American rendition. Say what you will about Duvel-Moortgat and Don Feinberg's exit from Ommegang (and I'm often the first one to jump in when Duvel comes up), but this is a great beer. It's tart, sour, refreshing, crisp and beautifully complex.

Moving to food, there was much to be desired. I realize I live in a fantastic foodie city. My standards for great meals have been set by the likes of Bryan Sikora, Jose Garces and Marc Vetri. So, this dinner was alright. I sound incredibly snobby in saying this, but dinner was just okay. I know that I'll find a few culinary gems in Western Massachusetts, this just wasn't one of them.

However, their cheese plate was great to see. Featuring 5 regionally local cheeses for 18 dollars, this cheese plate was the highlight of the meal. The plate included Great Hill Blue from Marion, MA, Shelburne Farms 24 mo. aged Cheddar from Shelburne, VT, Cobb Hill Ascutneg Mt. Gryere from Hartland, VT, Westfield Farms Camembert from Hubbardston, MA, and Vermont Butter & Cheese Chevre from Websterville, VT. Yes, it was a great all-American cheese plate. There's something to be said for fresh, local cheese.

All in all, not a bad place for cheese and beer. And for me, that's often all I need.

Here's to new adventures, culinary and otherwise.
Cheers!

The Sierra Grille
41 Strong Ave.
Northampton, MA 01060
413-584-1150

Brunch at Supper

2009-07-04T14:53:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday I accidentally went to brunch at Supper. How does one accidentally go to brunch you might ask? Well, I was in the neighborhood and a few hours early for work. Turns out they serve brunch and have a bar. Both sounded like a great idea to me at noon on a Sunday.

With the help of a fellow bartender, and Tria Sunday School regular, I selected a Bloody Mary and entrée. In the mood for something sweet, I went with the "Crispy Banana French Toast with caramelized bananas and peanut butter crème anglaise." The crispy part is no joke. Turns out they soak the bread in the peanut butter crème anglaise overnight and then deep fry it. Yeah, it's as good as it sounds. Deep fried french toast? You can't really go wrong.

The house-made Bloody Mary's were also incredible. I had one with clam juice and a pickled quail egg, a more traditional version, and finally, my favorite, a Bloody Maria made with tequila and some sort of hot sauce. It was seriously the hottest beverage I've ever had. It was so spicy, yet so delicious.

All in all, I'd certainly go back to Supper for brunch, or dinner for that matter. And I'd definitely go back for the Bloody Marys...

Supper
926 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215.592.8180

I Finally Bought My Name

2009-06-22T19:39:00.003-04:00

Yes, finally. It's official.

I no longer need to tell people to "google 'femme fermental' and I'll come up." www.femmefermental.com is all mine.

Yup, it's now a way of life. :)

Cheers!

Phish, Food & Beer

2009-06-11T12:01:00.009-04:00

After recovering from my four days of Phish, I'm finally ready to recap my mini-tour. Last Thursday - Sunday I followed Phish to Jones Beach in NY for two nights, Mansfield, MA and back to Camden on Sunday.

Like any good beer geek, I managed to find some time for beer along the way. My accomplice for the weekend was my brother, a newly minted beer geek and home brewer. While we've always shared our love for Phish, beer is new for us. And as it turns out, not a bad combination.

Oh, and yes, let the Phish mocking ensue. But for the record, I saw my first show when I was 12; yup, I'm a jam-band hippie at heart.

Jones Beach 6/4

Jones Beach 6/4

Jones Beach 6/4

Mansfield, MA 6/6

Camden, NJ 6/7

As far as food goes, we really didn't really go crazy on the high end food. We tried to keep it local. On Long Island we went to the Plainview Diner 3 times in 24 hours. It was worth it. The Challah French toast was the best french toast I've ever had and the coffee was perfect.

For the Mansfield show we stayed over in Rhode Island, my brother's old college stomping grounds. Immediately upon arrival I made him find me an Awful Awful; it's a really delcious milkshake from the Newport Creamery. I have fond memories of my first Awful Awful. I was just 9 years old and my family was dropping off my brother at college in Providence. I chose an Oreo Awful Awful and it was just as good as I remember.

After the show in Mansfield, my brother took me to a late night institution in downtown Providence: Haven Brothers Diner. It's really not so much a diner, as a it is an eat-in lunch truck.

At midnight, there was nothing better than a vanilla milkshake, a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, and french fries. It's a good thing that this doesn't exist near Tria, because I'd certainly be there after work around 3am.

Most of our beer excitement happened in New York. After spending 2 hours in traffic on Long Island, we arrived at the hotel, and promptly found ourselves at the hotel bar. I started the trip off with a Blue Point Toasted Lager. I'm not a huge lager person, but this beer was fresh and delicious. We later bought a six-pack and it wasn't nearly as good as the draft.

Thanks to beer advocate I managed to find a bar that was open and near our hotel. On our second day on Long Island we drove about 20 minutes to Canterbury Ales in Huntington, NY. While they do have 20 drafts and about 50 bottles, their lists are dominated by big beer. Craft beer made up about 25% of their selections.

One big plus was their option for a sampler. Most bars don't offer samplers for many reasons. Mostly, it's hard to produce when busy.

After I had a full Captain Lawrence Freshchester Pale Ale, we moved onto a sampler of Blue Point Hoptical Illusion, Sixpoint Bengali Tiger, Brooklyn Hefeweizen and Captain Lawrence Brown Ale. Both of the Captain Lawrence's were stellar, the Hoptical was nice and piney, and the Bengali Tiger was just right.

After our stop at Canterbury Ales we went to a beer store that I had also found on Beer Advocate, Shoreline Beverage. Of course there's nothing better than stoping at a beer distributor after drinking. Their selection was great, not quite on par with MD's State Line Liquors, but very good and well priced. The coolest part of the place was that they sell growlers! This is a PA alcohol purchasing person's dream come true. It completely blew my PLCB-disliking mind.

The highlight of the trip, in terms of beer, was our stop at Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in Pleasantville, NY. As I walked in the door the Grateful Dead's "They Love Each Other" was playing and I was in beer heaven. We picked up a growler of their Liquid Gold; a strong golden ale. It was fresh, fantastic and truly awesome. It made a more than nice beer for the Phish parking lot.

All in all, the trip turned out to be an awesome beer adventure with good food, great tunes and the best company I could ask for. I have to thank my brother for putting up with my driving, beer obsession and insatiable appetite. To quote one of our favorite Phish songs, "I hope this happens once again."

Varga Bar is Here!

2009-05-22T12:14:00.005-04:00

Wednesday evening, on an increasingly rare night off, I had the chance to stop by Varga Bar's official public opening. Based on first impressions, this new "All American Food, All American Beer" spot at 10th and Spruce is sure to draw a crowd.

Strictly from a beer perspective, this place isn't to be missed. Yes, it's all American drafts and bottles. For you Belgian freaks out there, this won't quite be your beer Mecca. However, the opening tap list was impressive, if a bit wintry.

1. Flying Fish Farmhouse Ale
2. Sly Fox Helles
3. Victory Prima Pils
4. Bell's Oberon
5. Troeg's Hopback Ambr
6. Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout
7. Flying Fish Espresso Porter
8. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale
9. Russian River Damnation
10. Ommegang Hennepin
11. Stone Ruination
12. Rogue Imperial Pilsner
13. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe
14. Allagash Curieux
15. Dogfish 90 Minute IPA
16. Dogfish 120 Minute IPA
17. Founder's Breakfast Stout
18. Founder's Backwoods Bastard
19. Victory Root Beer.

I myself enjoyed a pint (Yes, a pint) of Russian River Damnation. I certainly wasn't going to complain about 16 ounces of Damnation. Perhaps the proper glassware will come, but for now go get a few pints of these insanely good beers.

I didn't have a chance to sample the food, but from what I hear, Chef Evan Turney, of Vallani and Mercato fame, is turning out some good dishes. With such a solid beer list, I know I'll certainly be back for some SPAM in a can and truffled mac n' cheese.

Varga Bar, 10th & Spruce St. (215) MA7-5200

"I Am A Craft Brewer"

2009-04-24T09:55:00.001-04:00

I Am A Craft Brewer from I Am A Craft Brewer on Vimeo.

The 2009 Craft Brewers Conference has been going on for the past three days in Boston. While most of us weren't there, we can check out a video made to kick off the conference.

Greg Koch of Stone Brewing gave the keynote speech along with this video. After the video the crowd toasted with all collaboratively brewed craft beers including Isabella Proximus, Collaboration Not Litigation, AleSmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Triple, Jolly Pumpkin/Nøgne-Ø/Stone Special Holiday Ale, and 2009 Symposium Ale "Audacity of Hops."

Based on this list alone, I wish I was there.

The video is also awesome. And I'm not just saying this because my brewer loves are in the video. It's really a nice homage to the craft beer community. And yes, it warms my beer geek heart.

Like Only Monk's Cafe Can...

2009-04-15T00:40:00.005-04:00

This past Monday afternoon, in very Monk's Cafe style, they tapped a slew of absurdly good beer -- with no fanfare. No mass emails, no internet posting, just good beer on a Monday afternoon.

Beginning with Russian River Blind Pig, Damnation 23 and Salvation, Monk's announced a list of beers they will be tapping over the course of the week. The highlights include Russian River Consecration, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Damnation, Stille Nacht 2007, and Calva Reserva.

According to Tom, the warm weather is coming and he simply doesn't have room in the basement to store all this good beer. Guess that works out for the rest of us. Stop by Monk's anytime and I'm sure you won't be disappointed by their tap list. But then again, I never am.

Wine on Tap? What?

2009-04-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

This week Eric Asimov covered the curious topic of wine on tap in his New York Times column. The article entitled, "On Tap? How About Chardonnay or Pinot Noir," threw up many red flags for me as both a beer drinker and a wine drinker.

In the realm of beverage consumers, beer people are pretty open minded. Barrel-aging? Of course, the longer the better! Crazy ingredients? Anything goes! Brettanomyces? Bring on the funk! On tap, or from the bottle, we'll try anything.

Wine people, however, are a little more reserved. It's already difficult enough to convince consumers of the benefits of TetraPacs, screw-caps and bottle-caps. Even with these wine curve balls already out there, I'm a little unsure of how wine on tap will go over with the public.

On the whole, this wine-tap system would have many benefits for restaurants; storage, preservation and inventory rotation are constant issues. However, based upon the cost of putting in such technology, I think it'll be years before they start to show up in large numbers.

For now, beer drinkers can rest easy; it'll be a while before wine drinkers start moving in on our taps.

Chicago! Part 2: Alinea

2009-04-01T12:57:00.010-04:00

The highlight of my trip to Chicago, and actually, the reason I went, was to eat dinner at Alinea. Some of you may think I'm a little crazy, but good food is reason enough for me to travel. And this meal was far more than just good food.

I happened upon the Alinea cookbook in Barnes and Noble about a month ago. After researching Alinea, and it's creator, Grant Achatz, I decided I had to go. An article published in The New Yorker, entitled "A Man of Taste" is particularly moving and I suggest you all read it. Very quickly, Achatz, a talented and creative genius at the forefront of molecular gastronomy, was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2007. While he lost most of his sense of taste, he continued to develop new ideas and dishes at Alinea. He created a restaurant kitchen unlike any other; the floors are nearly carpeted, there are few stoves, and there are no noises.

I knew that I had to go to this restaurant. It was going to be a once in a lifetime experience that I simply can't have in Philadelphia, or New York for that matter. So, I booked my flight after I booked my dinner reservation.

I feel as though a course by course analysis of this 22 course meal wouldn't necessarily be helpful for you. The pictures are enough to entertain. I missed a few pictures because they were just one bite, or because you couldn't put down the food item (literally, the dish wouldn't sit level on the table if you did). I will, however, comment upon the parts of the meal that set it apart from other restaurants (as I did with Vetri). But, let me just say quickly, that I'm in love, again.

1. Hot Potato - Cold potato, black truffle, butter
H, Billot Brut Rose, Ambonnay

2. Yuba - Shrimp, miso, togarashi

3. Cauliflower - five coatings, three gels, cider
Josef Hogl Gruner Veltliner, 'Ried Spitzer Burgberg,' Wachau, Austria 2004

4. Pear - Olive oil, black pepper, eucalyptus

5. Wild Striped Bass - Saffron, shellfish, parsnip
Michel Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage 'Les Meysonniers,' N. Rhone 2007

6. Yolk - Soy, Wasabi, Yuzu

7. Chicken - Sesame, morel, Indian flavors
Bodegas Remirez de Ganuza 'Fincas de Ganuza Reserva,' Rioja 2001

8. Bacon - Butterscotch, apple, thyme

9. Sweet Potato - Bourbon, brown sugar, smoldering cinnamon

10. Mustard - Passionfruit, allspice, soy

11. Foie Gras - Turnip, shiso, sudachi
Max Ferdinand Richter Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 1990

12. Lobster - Popcorn, butter, curry
Chereau-Carre Muscadet 'Comte Leloup de Chasseloir, Ceps Centenaires,' Loire 2003

13. Pork Belly - Iceberg, cucumber, thai distillation
Sequillo White, Swartland, South Africa 2007

14. Black Truffle - Explosion, romaine, Parmesan

15. Wagyu Beef - Powdered A-1, potato, chips
K Vitners 'Milbrandt' Syrah, Wahluke Slope, Washington 2006

16. Grape Soda - One bite

17. Yogurt - Pomegranate, cassia
18. Bubble Gum - Long pepper, hibiscus, creme fraiche

19. Transparency - Of Raspberry, yogurt

20. Rhubarb - Goat Milk, Onion, Lavender air
Elio Perrone 'Bigaro,' Piedmont, Italy 2008

21. Chocolate - Prune, Olive, Pine Olivares
Dulce Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain 2004

22. Dry Caramel - Salt

The best dishes dishes were, by far, the Hot Potato Cold Potato, and the Truffle Explosion. They were the most flavor I've ever had in just one bite.

Beyond the food, the 3 1/2 hour dining experience was exquisite. Alinea has many unique qualities. From the unmarked lighted hallway that leads you to the Star-Trek-like automatic door that opens to the restaurant, to table center piece filled with ice that becomes part of your dining experience, you never can be sure what will come next.

I am particularly fond of the sleek decor. It is meant to provide a clean backdrop to the food. The table itself is also meant to remain as neutral as possible. To this end, they have a pillow for each diner that serves as a clean utensil holder only. You are instructed to leave your used silverware on the plate when you have finished. This leaves the table completely pristine; silverware never touches it.

In trying to compare Alinea to my other top dining experiences, I've found that I simply can't do it. It's unlike anything else. Vetri is fantastic, but it's just different. Vetri is more of a physical attraction, while Alinea is more of a cerebral attraction. At Vetri you're thinking: "Please, please give me more spinach gnocchi." At Alinea, you're thinking: "How did they create this? What is the idea behind it? How is this possible?" I just can't compare the two. They are each perfect in their own ways.

Alright, I know you're all thinking it (or I at least know my parents are thinking it), how much did this cost? Yes, it was expensive. Read some yelp reviews if you want to really know. But, yes, it was worth every penny and I would do it again in a heart-beat. A dining experience is so much more than just food. Done correctly, it's a completely indulgent escape from your everyday life. Everyone has their own personal escapist tendencies; mine just happen to involve food and wine.

Chicago! Part 1

2009-03-29T12:49:00.005-04:00

After a whirlwind three-day trip to Chicago, I have much to write about; many beverages were consumed, many restaurants were visited and a whole lot of money was spent. It was all in the name of food.

Over the next few days I should find be able to find some time to write more.
For now, here are a few pictures.

PHL

Bin 36

Eno

avec

The Map Room

Giordano's

Hot Doug's

Hopleaf Bar

the Publican

Alinea

New York is one of the capitals of the world and Los Angeles is a constellation of plastic, San Francisco is a lady, Boston has become Urban Renewal, Philadelphia and Baltimore and Washington wink like dull diamonds in the smog of Eastern Megalopolis, and New Orleans is unremarkable past the French Quarter. Detroit is a one-trade town, Pittsburgh has lost its golden triangle, St. Louis has become the golden arch of the corporation, and nights in Kansas City close early. The oil depletion allowance makes Houston and Dallas naught but checkerboards for this sort of game. But Chicago is a great American city. Perhaps it is the last of the great American cities.
- Norman Mailer, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, 1968

Monday Nights at Bridgid's

2009-03-24T10:46:00.003-04:00

While I bartend every Monday night at Tria Washington Square (I know, I've alluded to it, but never admitted to working at Tria), I'm usually done pretty early. This Monday night I was in the Fairmount area for a quick stop at the London Grill.

I decided it might be a good idea to check out Suz at Bridgid's for her Monday night bartending gig. I've never been there before, and she was certainly a reason to go. Yes, there are some bars in Philly I still haven't made it to.

Bridgid's has a very "everyone knows your name" feel to it, and I'm not just saying that because I knew a few people in the room. Their tap list is great; I had a Dogfish Head Palo Santo. Their bottle list is also stellar, with some great seasonal rotating offerings.

Now I know where to go when I get out of work early on Monday's.

Oh, and if anyone knows where this man's hat is, please return it to Bridgid's.

The Power of Russian River

2009-03-21T17:14:00.010-04:00

This afternoon I stopped by TJ's Everyday for their 4pm tapping of Russian River Consecration and Pliny the Younger.

I arrived at 4:15 because I had gone to the NCAA playoff game between Nova and UCLA at the Wachovia with my Dad.

Pliny the Younger had already kicked; minutes after it was tapped, apparently.

At 4:17 Consecration kicked and people clapped. As Matt from the Beer Yard said: "Why are they clapping? They should be booing." I have to agree.

I was able to sample Consecration, but not Pliny. I had Consecration a few weeks ago, and have a few more bottles in my refrigerator waiting for just the right moment. It is absolutely delicious, and the keg was especially sour.

This event, and the shortness of it, is a testament to the beer geek culture.

To augment a famous movie quote: If you Post it Online, They Will Come.

Philly Beer Week In Review

2009-03-12T01:16:00.002-04:00

After finding a few days to catch up on sleep, I’m finally ready to reflect on Philly Beer Week. It was an incredible 10 days. I was thoroughly impressed with the city’s beer drinking culture. People took off work and turned out to events, day after hung over day. Brewer’s from all over the country, and world, agreed that we are a great beer-drinking city. It felt like one big beertopia; sorry Portland, I have to step on your toes.

I’ve accumulated my personal stats. I know that it won’t compare to some of you out there, but I need to set goals for next year.

Bars Visited: 14
Beers Tasted: 45
Brewers met: 11

Best Dish: Pato Verde: Duck Confit, Beer Rice, Fava Beans at Amada

Best Pairing: Dogfish Immort Ale with Praline Foie Gras Torchon and single malt & juniper-maple syrup toast at TND

Best Beer: Russian River Consecration – Thanks Vinnie for getting it out here for Beer Week

Hippiest Brewer: Oscar Blues – Our conversation about Phish and their Hampton shows, while people were one deep at the bar around you (and I was bartending), was awesome.

Best Dressed: Don Feinberg – Beer importer met Ivy League Professor attire

Worst Beer Abomination: Allagash White and Orange Juice – No, and no.

Biggest Surprise: Not going to Monks – I did step foot in their hallway, but decided to avoid the place altogether this week.

Biggest Let Down: Vinnie not coming out for beer week. C’mon, we love you here.

Biggest Personal Let Down: Not seeing my plaid-wearing #1 Brewer crush, Rob Todd – Maybe I’ll see you in April?

Top 10 Philly Beer Week Moments

1. Tapping a Yards Firkin at Tria
2. Proposing to a Philly Beer (Victory Wild Devil) during Beer Geek Finals
3. Eating dinner with Jose Garces
4. Friday the Firkinteenth at the Grey Lodge Pub
5. Shaking Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione’s hand. Okay, fine, I agree he’s cute.
6. Brewer’s Plate – Food and beer paired together; it’s all I need.
7. Asking Don Russell a beer question during the “Stump the Chump” portion of Beer Geek Finals
8. Seeing Suzie Woods nearly everyday of beer week
9. Witnessing any brewer drink beer not their own
10. “Taking a night off” from beer week to eat at Morimoto, only to end up at 3 bars afterwards

After all this, I can't wait until next year...

From Brooklyn to Barcelona: An Evening of Tapas & Beer with Jose Garces and Garrett Oliver

2009-03-11T23:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, my day was not over after the Dogfish Lunch at Teresa's. Although, it could have been. My friends and I continued on our day to a beer dinner at Amada with Jose Garces and Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery.

The format of the dinner was pretty awesome. It was 9 people each, at two tables, with one of the hosts at the head of each table. Half way through the meal, Jose and Garrett switched tables so we could talk to both of them. I've met Garrett before; about two years ago I attended a Tria Fermentation School class on beer and cheese pairings. And, we all know I'm a huge fan of Jose.

FIRST
Peruvian Ceviche: Corvina, Rocoto Emulsion, Pickled Pearl Onions
Brooklyner Schneider Hopfen Weisse

Jose's ceviches are always on point. They are perfectly balanced and acidic, and the fish is always wonderful tasting. As far as the beer goes, it was a one year old bottle of a collaboration beer between Schneider and Brooklyn. A year ago I wasn't a huge fan of the beer. However, after a year of bottle aging, the hops had mellowed nicely and it showed as a perfect food beer.

SECOND
Almejas con Jamon Iberico: Clams, Grilled Toast, Mache Salad
Brooklyn Local 1

This dish was also very nice. The sauce itself ended up being a Brooklyn Local 1, Jamon and butter sauce. I had a few sandy clams, but on the whole, the flavors were there. The Brooklyn Local 1, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, pairs very nicely with food, generally speaking. It doesn't overpower and provides a nice cleansing, refreshing effect.

THIRD
Pato Verde: Duck Confit, Beer Rice, Fava Beans
Brooklyn Local 2

This dish was the highlight of the dinner. The duck, as you can see, was cooked to perfection. The beer rice, cooked with Brooklyn Local 2, cilantro, and probably some tomatillos, was incredible; the flavors were so developed and rich.

The beer, a just-released Belgian-inspired strong dark ale, was very tasty. I've heard some mixed reviews this week about the beer, but I personally enjoyed it. The Belgian dark candi sugar component is very prominent and it's full of dark fruit flavors. If I were to blind taste it, I would place it somewhere between a double and quad. At 9% ABV it's not quite a quad, but the flavor components are similar to a quad.

FOURTH
Butifarra: House-made Garlic Sausage, Bacon Braised Escarole, Mustard Emulsion
Brooklyn Dark Matter

Moving to a Catalonia dish, this house-made sausage, produced over at Tinto (as Jose said: the guys at Tinto do all the charcuterie), was incredible. It was so flavorful, fennel and garlic were most prominent. The mustard emulsion was a nice addition and who doesn't love bacon added to their bitter greens?

The beer itself, as Garrett said: "Doesn't exist, and you never had it." Well, I'm still going to write about it because it was pretty cool. For Brooklyn's venture into barrel aging (Black Ops), they acquired 9 Woodford Reserve barrels and ended up only needing 6 of them. So, they took Brooklyn Brown Ale and aged it for 9 months in the bourbon barrels. Brewed in July 2007, and refermented in the bottle, this beer is about 1 year 8 months old. The bourbon was very prominent, both on the nose and on the palate. It seemed a rather successful venture. This leads me to believe that a barrel aged series might be in the works.

DESSERT
Hazelnut Mocha: Semi-sweet Chocolate Creameaux, Espresso Granita, Hazelnut Nougatine, Sweet Cream Ice Cream
Brooklyn Black Ops

I'm a big sweets girl, so this dessert was awesome. The hazelnut nougatine might have been the best dessert component (my hopperdoodle aside), that I've had in a while. The espresso granita was somewhat lost in the mocha creameux, but it was still a wholly delicious dessert.

The beer, a new and hard to find release (940 cases released), is a Russian Imperial Stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrels for about 4 months. It was similar to the Dark Matter, however it was stronger in alcohol. Again, the bourbon was very prominent, and more so than in the Dark Matter. This is likely because Black Ops is much younger; it was only brewed in June.

Overall, this dinner was very, very cool. I actually was able to talk to Jose Garces! Yup, the foodie in me is giddy! Having met Garrett before, I was really excited to meet Jose. I adore his food, as you may have gathered, and he was a genuinely nice guy. Amada holds a special place in my foodie heart; it was the first chef's tasting menu I ever had. I have to especially thank Amada for hosting the dinner.

After two 5 course meals in one day, I was certainly ready for bed...and yet, ready for beer week to continue...

Dogfish Tasty Tuesday Lunch at Teresa's Next Door

2009-03-10T23:36:00.001-04:00

As beer week rolls on, I was finally able to enjoy a day of beer events not involving work. I planned my double header of events about a month ago, and each was awesome in their own way.

During the first half of my day I had the pleasure of attending the Dogfish Head lunch with Sam Calagione at Teresa's Next Door. Apparently beer geeks are very willing to take off work to attended a beer luncheon with ex-Calvin Klein model Sam and his crazy high-alcohol brews.

The kitchen at Teresa's Next Door, ever irreverent, creative, and delicious, set the tone for the lunch right on their menu: "Wacky brews paired with off-centered food."

We began with Dogfish Aprihop paired with a "Snack" plate of Deviled Quail Eggs, Tomato-Carrot Soup and Gruyere Toast. The quail egg was deliciously cute and adorable; the addition of whole grain mustard in the yoke mixture added the perfect zing.

Next Dogfish Immort Ale, a beer brewed with peat-smoked barley, organic juniper berries, vanilla & maple syrup and aged on oak and fermented with a blend of English & Belgian yeasts, was paired with a Praline Foie Gras Torchon and single malt & juniper-maple syrup toast. All I have to say is Foie Candy. Melt in your mouth candy. This course was by far my favorite. What other beer dinner have you been to with foie? Really?! It actually paired well with the Immort Ale, as the juniper berries, vanilla and maple syrup, in both the beer and the dish, mirrored one another.

Third course brought Dogfish Pangaea paired with a Baby Arugula, Blood Orange, Ginger-Roasted Beet Salad with lavender-candied fennel, and a hop-malt vinaigrette. Pangaea, brewed with an ingredient from every continent is especially heavy on the crystallized ginger from Australia. The ginger flavor in the beer paired well with the lightly gingered beets. Additionally, the acidity of the blood oranges balanced nicely with the sweetness in the lavender fennel.

Fourth course was a TND original, Dogfish Black and Blue paired with Porelkbit. Yes, pork, elk and rabbit all in one carnivorous feast. Technically, it is a roulade of rabbit loin wrapped in pork tenderloin, wrapped in elk loin, all wrapped in speck. Served with "barlotto," (beer barley risotto) and a blackberry and blueberry demi-glace, this dish paired nicely with the Black and Blue, a Belgian-style strong ale fermented with blackberries and blueberries.

Beginning our three dessert courses was the '06 Fort Sorbet with bourbon-vanilla gelato and a Hopperdoodle crisp made by yours truly. Baking with green hop butter sure was interesting...two batches later. The sorbet itself was created with bottles of '06 Fort, and let's just say that after being cooked down, the 18% ABV was still evident.

Next Dogfish Red and White was paired with a double trio of House-made Fruity Salumi and Cheese. The three salumis, apricot-almond, cherry-pistachio, and fig-walnut were paired with Prima Donna, La Tur and Bleu de Basque. I'm a huge fan of the salumis, the fig-walnut being my favorite. The Red and White, a belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice, and then aged in Pinot Noir barrels and on oak staves, was drinking very nicely. Though, like a good wine, it could certainly age longer.

Finally, Dogfish Palo Santo Marron was paired with a Hop Snack Plate. The plate included a hop brownie, pine-nut hop brittle, and a hopmellow. You have to love the creativity on this one. Who knew hops could also be part of delicious desserts? The Palo Santo Marron, a brown ale aged in handmade Paraguayan Palo Santo wooden tanks, was a nice 12% ABV port-like finish to the meal.

All in all, it was perhaps the best beer pairing event I've attended. The food was very, very well thought out and creative. While these beers were all high in alcohol and flavor, they did not overpower the food. Neither the beer, nor the food took center stage. It was rather the epitome of complementary pairings; wacky beer met wacky food...and it was delicious.

Philly Beer Geek Finalist!

2009-03-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you following along at home...

I've made it to the Philly Beer Geek finals!
Next week, 6 finalists will compete on Thursday night at the Manayunk Brewpub at 8pm.

You can check out the celebrity-judge's wrap ups: Lew Bryson and the Beer Lass. Thanks to both for their support :)

It was a tough competition. Some real beer geeks turned out. I believe it was my poem that clinched it for me:

One beer
Two beer
Red beer
Blue beer

Black beer
Blue beer
Old beer
New beer

Yes. Some are red. And some are blue.
Some are old. And some are new.

Oh me! Oh my!
Oh me! Oh my!
What a lot
Of funny beers go by.

Some have two malts
And some have four.
Some have six hops
And some have more.

Where do they come from? I can’t say.
But I bet they have come
A long, long way.

Some are funky.
And some are bretty.
Some are strong.
And some are low.

Not one of them
Is like another.
Don’t ask us why.
Go ask Lew Bryson.

And now
Good night.
It is time to drink.
So we will drink all through Philly beer week.

Speaking of Philly Beer Week, this evening I'll be at work.

But beer week will be coming to me. You can "Meet the Brewer," Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing Company, at Tria Washington Square from 5-6pm.
Special pricing of beer and cheese 4-7pm.

Cheers! Let the festivities begin!

Philly Beer Geek Competition

2009-03-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

I don't have to say it, we all know what the next 10 days hold...
Yes, a week so important, it needs 10 days: Philly Beer Week.

Well, to begin my celebration of Philly Beer Week I'll be competing in the Philly Beer Geek Competition.

Yes, I am a big beer geek and yes, I want to be crowned the biggest beer geek in Philly.

Last week I qualified at The Institute for the semi-final round tomorrow night.

Who know that memorizing the year the reinheitsgebot was adopted in would pay off?

I realize it's a long shot, this being the #1 beer drinking city in the country and all. But I'll be competing tomorrow night at the Manayunk Brewpub for 6 spots in the finals during Beer Week.

Here's the info for tomorrow, just in case anyone out there wants to support Femme Fermental:

Thursday, March 5, 2009 – SEMI-FINALS COMPETITION NIGHT!

Philly Beer Geek Finals Competition 2009

Finals Competition Time: 8:00-10:00 p.m.
Beer Music!!!
Place: Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, 4120 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127 Ph: 215-482-8220
No Cover Charge!
Judges: Dr. Joel Armato, Lew Bryson, Suzanne Woods, Scoats, Larry Horwitz

Wish me luck!!

Double IPA Day at Teresa's Next Door

2009-02-23T23:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon I stopped by Teresa's Next Door for their Double IPA Day Brunch. With 12 double IPAs on tap, it wasn't to be missed. And it seems as though dozens of others had the same idea as me; old friends and fellow beer blogger friends alike.

I arrived around 1:30, and got a seat at the bar pretty quickly.
The tasting format was amenable: $10 for 4 tasting portions, 5oz each. Seeing as I was doing research, I ordered all 12 beers at the same time. If you have the ability to have 12 double IPAs side-by-side, why not do it and compare flavor profiles. Okay, maybe that's just the beer geek inside me talking. Either way, the beer geek in me won out.

Here's a list of what was on tap:

1. Riverhorse Hop-a-lot-amus (Lambertville, NJ)
2. Legacy Hoptimus Prime (Reading, PA)
3. Left Hand Twin Sisters (Longmont, CO)
4. Russian River Pliny The Elder (Santa Rosa, CA)
5. Founders Double Trouble (Grand Rapids, MI)
6. Boulder Beer Mojo Risin' (Boulder, CO)
7. Dogfish Head Burton Baton (Rehoboth, DE)
8. Sly Fox Odyssey (Royersfod, PA)
9. Bells HopSlam (Comstock, MI)
10. Oscar Blues Gordon (Lyons, CO)
11. Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary (Boonville, CA)
12. Stoudt's DIPA (Adamstown, PA)

Just a disclaimer: I did not drink all of these beers. I wouldn't be sitting here writing this blog if that were the case. I tasted all of them, finished just one, and gave the rest to my neighbors.

With only 3 of these beers new to me, there were some old favorites and some new surprises. Bells HopSlam was very nice, as always. Dogfish Burton Baton had some depth from the oak aging; there was definite vanilla and oak on the nose and palate. Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary also had some length, as it was brewed with 20 separate additions of Pacific Northwest hops.

The surprise of the afternoon was Riverhorse Hop-a-lot-amus; it is by far the best Riverhorse I've tasted to date. Founders Double Trouble, also new to me, was deliciously piney and resinous. It was the closest to my all-time favorite, Russian River Pliny the Elder. Yes, Russian River wins again. I promise I approached it with an open mind. I probably should have blind tasted, but I didn't think of that until now.

With all of these beers in front of me, I had to have some food. I ordered the "Morning Madame:" an open face croque monsieur, on sliced sourdough bread.

This pairing, plus sriracha, is my dream come true. I'm absolutely addicted to enjoying double IPAs with really, really spicy food. As the two strong flavors battle it out, they both become less strong; the hops calm down the spice.

All in all, it was a deliciously hoppy brunch.

Go Play in the Yards

2009-02-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday night I attended the "Go Play in the Yards" class at Tria Fermentation School with Tom Kehoe of Yards Brewing.

The general idea of the class was to compare classic British Ale styles with contemporary creations. Tom also led us through the, now more complicated, history of Yards.

Here's a list of what was poured:

1. Yards Brawler
2. Batemans XXXB
3. Yards ESA
4. Fuller's ESB
5. Yards General Washington's Tavern Porter
6. Young's Double Chocolate Stout
7. Yards IPA
8. Morland "Old Speckled Hen" Fine English Ale
9. Yards Philly Pale Ale

The most interesting part of the class was "brewing" a beer, based upon the classes' voting, to be tapped at Tria Washington Square during Philly Be er Week.

The class selected the base beer, two hop varietals, and the potential addition of homemade mason jar bourbon chips. Yards Brawler won out with whole leaf Nugget hops and East Kent Golding hops. A tie-breaking vote nixed the addition of bourbon chips.

It'll be interesting to see how the beer turns out. The class seemed to be enthralled with the process. And let's just say, I've had enough "bung hole" jokes to last me through beer week.

It's Good to be Jose Garces

2009-02-10T23:57:00.001-05:00

With Jose Garces' latest venture, Chifa, opening on Tuesday, I thought a quick homage to one of his earlier successes might be in order.

Don't we all remember when Amada was his only restaurant? Way back before his second hit, Tinto, before his Chicago debut, Mercat a la Planxa, before the cookbook, Latin Evolution, before his third Philly success, DISTRITO, and definitely before his appearance on Iron Chef. Maybe some of you even remember him from his Stephen Starr days at Alma de Cuba.

But how our Philly star chef's career has blossomed. His restaurants have always seemed to me like Stephen Starr "concept" restaurants with really excellent food. His food informs his concept, rather than the reverse.

Tuesday night I stopped at Tinto for a quick bite. Their food was spot on, as always. I don't know how they manage to do it, but their food is spectacular. I have to give their chef de cuisine credit. As Garces continues to open new restaurants, I keep waiting for the quality of his older restaurants to decline. However, this has not been the case. As such, he must do an excellent job selecting his kitchen staff.

Having been to Tinto many times, I always try to pick new things. This evening I enjoyed the Arugula salad with Serrano ham, persimmons, goat cheese croquettes, pine nuts and a sevilla orange vinaigrette. It's amazing how he can turn a boring salad into something memorable. Presentation matters.

I also tried the Kobe Beef Montaditos with pisto bilbaina and romesco sauce. The meat was cooked perfectly, the bread toasted just right, and the sauce nicely piquant.

It seems as though Philly hasn't yet had their fill of Garces. And I certainly can't wait to get to Chifa...

Zahav: "I've Got a Good Feeling About This..."

2009-02-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, even though I've replaced bad with good, someone out there must get the reference.

Last Saturday night I had the pleasure of grabbing a late dinner at Zahav; the brainchild of Michael "Solo" Solomonov. Get the dorky reference now?

Zahav opened late April of 2008, with much local success and national attentio n. Solo, former sous chef at the original Striped Bass and Vetri, and chef at Marigold Kitchen, has quickly become one of Philadelphia's favorite star chefs. I have to give him credit; he found a gap in the area's restaurant scene. Philly foodies were prime for the entrance of a modern Isreali restaurant.

This was my second visit to Zahav. I fell in love the first time (not in a Vetri way), and couldn't wait to return. Finally, I got the chance.

While I went during Restaurant Week II, my lovely dining companion and I failed to order off the restaurant week menu. I just really wanted an entrée for two, and that wasn't part of restaurant week.

We ordered from the "Mesibah," party time, menu. At $48 a person, it's still an excellent deal. Here are the selections we enjoyed:

- Hummus-Tehina & Laffa - Their hummus is incredible. It's perhaps the best hummus I've ever had. Buying some at whole foods just won't cut it anymore. Not to mention that their made to order laffa more than satisfies all of my gluten cravings.

- Salatim - This daily selection of eight different salads is the ADD foodies' dream come true: eight different tastes all in one dish. Genius.

- Crispy Haloumi - Fried sheep's milk cheese. The last time I had this, it was great. However, this time, it came out a little too close to lukewarm. It seemed as though the food had been sitting for a while.

- Fried Cauliflower - While this dish was voted one of the 10 Best Restaurant Dishes of 2008 by Food & Wine Magazine, I was rather disappointed. Much like the Haloumi, it came out under temperature. However, lebaneh, a tangy dill yogurt sauce served with the cauliflower is a great accompaniment.

- Stuffed Baby Peppers - With Egyptian rice, walnuts and feta, these were also pretty unmemorable. They were a little bland, and served with the same lebeneh dipping sauce.

- Whole Roasted Lamb Shoulder - Served with a pomegranate-lamb jus and chickpeas, this was the reason I had returned to Zahav. As one of the three, two-person entrée choices under the Mesibah, it did not disappoint. Beautiful and moist, it's far too much to eat. I did manage to take one picture during dinner. It incited a hilarious comment from the two women next to me. They whispered their loudest: "She takes picture of the food before she eats it!?" It's okay, you can talk to the strange girl photographing her dinner.

- Cashew "Baklava" - With white chocolate and Argan ice cream. I've learned that Argan is a species of tree indigenous to Morocco. Through a rather difficult process, Argan oil can be produced from the tree's fruit, and exported at a high cost. I loved this Baklava, it was perfectly moist and satisfying.

- Lemon-Poppy Upside-Down Cake - Sumac caramel, lemon curd and cucumber sorbet. Being familiar with poison Sumac, it's a little odd to eat Sumac. But it turns out that the fruit can be ground down into a powder, and is used frequently in Middle Eastern cuisine. This dessert was certainly creative, but not all that exciting. The cucumber sorbet was the best part.

- "New School" - Konafi chocolate, pistachio and labenah ice cream. I was intrigued by the idea of shaved phyllo dough. It ends up looking, and tasting, very much like shredded wheat. The labenah ice cream, produced from an Arabic thick creamy cheese, was well paired to help the dry phyllo dough texture along.

All in all, Zahav is worth multiple trips. I'm willing to attribute the kitchen's lack of execution to restaurant week malaise. It can't be that much fun turning out $35 meals for two weeks.

And so, Zahav fills a niche in the Philly dining scene. A niche that I can't imagine will have too much competition in the near future.

Zahav
237 Saint James Place
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-625-8800
Website: www.zahavrestaurant.com

Vetri, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways...

2009-01-29T01:07:00.000-05:00

It's restaurant wee k (er, weeks) here in Philly, and what do I do?

I have a surprise birthday dinner at one of the few restaurants not participating in restaurant week.

Vetri.

What could I possibly say about this four-bell restaurant that hasn't already been said? As such, I'm going to try to highlight the details of my dining experience that set this restaurant apart from everyone else in Philadelphia.

This was my second visit in the past year, and it did not disappoint. From start to finish, from food to service, Vetri is near perfection. It lives up to the hype, and is worth every penny.

And so, Vetri (the restaurant, not Marc), how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1. If making a reservation online, you call me within 5 minutes to confirm. It makes me think you pay someone to stare at open table all day long. And, hey, if you're okay with that, so am I.

2. Your phone etiquette. You want to know how my day is before we move onto the typically more important details.

3. You have a cheese trolley in your vestibule. If I ignore the press on the walls, cheese is the first thing I see. And that, is most excellent.

4. You take my coat without handing me a coat check tag. And, you're the only restaurant in Philly I trust with my hat and scarf.

5. I love your server's uniforms. While I'm not a huge fan of uniforms, I love black pencil skirts paired with neatly pressed solid colored button-downs, black stockings, and black Dansko clogs. No aprons necessary.

6. Your small, 40-seat dining room is gorgeous; Venetian plaster above wood paneling. Your ornate hutch, complete with espresso machine and grappa display, makes for a beautiful focal point.

7. Your water situation. Whether sparking, or still, I get a whole carafe on my table. While I never have to pour it myself, it's nice to know it's there.

8. Your grand tasting menu. Sometimes, I don't want to think at dinner. I trust you to present me with whatever you want, in whatever order you want.

9. 3 oz. wine pairings with the grand tasting menu: even less thinking. Your wine list is fantastic. But, I don't want help picking one or two bottles to pair well with unknown dishes. I want to taste something different with each dish. These pairings truly brought the meal to a new level of perfection.

10. Your sommelier. I wish I knew your name. No, not Jeff Benjamin. You have an incredibly unassuming table side manner. You temper your level of information based upon guest interest, repeat the crucial information twice, and convey your passion for wine, all at the same time. Not to mention that your selections are fantastic.

11. Three amuse-bouche. Unheard of. Three tastings of homemade charcuterie, prosciutto wrapped beignets, and house-cured foie gras pastrami with fruit mostarda. Really Vetri, you had me at amuse-bouche.

12. Spinach gnocchi with shaved Ricotta Salata and brown butter. While they have become larger in size and smaller in number than my last visit, they are still just as heavenly. Their light and airy texture is truly unparalleled.

13. Golden sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue. When you tell me its really truffle shavings, I believe you.

14. Rigatoni with veal sausage and bitter greens. I'm in awe of your homemade pasta. I don't care about portion size, it's about quality.

15. Chestnut fettuccine with wild boar ragù. Fettuccine bolognese will never, ever, be the same again. And I'm okay with that.

16. Local veal cooked on a stone. "If you'd like your veal cooked more, you can simply turn it over on this very hot stone." Rare is fine by me, but the stone presentation is awesome.

17. Dessert. Okay, so my note taking ended sometime before dessert. The best part of dessert was actually the wine pairing; a glass of Brachetto D'Aqui. Slightly sweet and lightly carbonated, I'm in love with this fresh, fruity, strawberry flavored after-dinner beverage.

18. Homemade petifores that I am inevitable too full to eat. But, I can take them home, eat them at 2 in the morning, and remember this amazing meal all over again.

Vetri is truly an incredible dining experience. Moving beyond the food for just a moment, it's the service that sets this restaurant apart from the rest of Philadelphia. It's no surprise that they were nominated for a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Service Award in 2008.

As birthday dinners go, unless I spent 26 in Napa, or Catalonia, this one will be hard to match.

Femme Fermental Goes to Washington

2009-01-22T09:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, give a girl a break for one cliché on her birthday.

These past few days I was lucky enough to head down to DC for some inaugural/birthday fun. On election day in November, my best beer geek girlfriend, Jess, invited me to come down to DC for the inauguration, and my birthday, on January 20th. Being a beer geek and history dork, I could not resist.

Our first mission was to seek out Ommegang Obamagang. How could we not?

Luckily, Pizzeria Paradiso's relatively new basement beer bar, Birreria Paradiso, had tapped it Monday night. In 2006, Pizzeria Paradiso's second location in Georgetown decided to get in on the craft beer trend. They converted their basement party space into a bar, lounge, and table seating area, complete with fireplace.

With 16 drafts, 1 hand pump and 80 bottled beers, this place seems very serious about it's beer. The feel was very suburban basement house party; add in some Georgetown yuppies, a few North Face jackets, a clueless couple ordering margaritas, and, well, you get the idea.

After a short wait for bar seats, we sat down to enjoy our Obamagangs. Poured into a tulip glass, it was deep mahogany with a light brown frothy head. Medium-bodied with notes of figs, raisins, chocolate and roasted coffee, it reminded me very much of Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout (without the dried cocoa powder flavor). Overall, I was happy with the beer, and thought it was worth the hype.

Moving to the bottle list, we selected Brewer's Art Le Canard. Brewer's Art is a small production brewery with a cult-like following out of Baltimore, Maryland. Currently, they have a brewpub in Baltimore. However, their bottled beers are being brewed and bottled at Sly Fox, in Royersford, PA.

Since Brewer's Art pulled out of the PA market more than a year ago, my opportunities to sample their beers have been few and far between. Brewer's Art Resurrection, their dubbel, and Brewer's Art Ozzy Ale, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, were formerly available on draft. They are both incredibly good Belgian-style ales.

Le Canard, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 8% ABV, poured a medium copper hue. Medium-bodied, a fruity yeasty character with notes of apricots, apples, pears and citrus dominates the palate. The fruitiness is somewhat balanced by a nice bready malt backbone. Overall, it's a good Belgian-style ale by a small brewery.

As for Pizzeria Paradiso, I'd certainly make another trip. It had the best draft and bottle list that I found on my trip to DC. The pizza was, as always, excellent. The service and atmosphere left something to be desired, but I'm willing to put up with a lot for good beer.

Ommegang Obamagang: Beer You Can Believe In

2009-01-17T20:39:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, Ommegang Brewery, located in Cooperstown, NY will be releasing a beer to celebrate the inauguration. Since the feds nixed the name "Obamagang," it's officially being called "Inauguration Ale 2009."

Apparently it'll be a porter/stout with a touch of kriek and chocolate. You'll have a chance of find it if you live in Philly, Chicago, DC, NYC, Syracuse or Boston.

I happen to know that Tria, Teresa's Next Door and TJ's will have kegs of this hard to find beer.

I myself will be in DC for the inauguration. Hopefully one of the beer bars I stop in will have a taste for me.

I Wish I Was Local, Local 44

2009-01-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, at about 4pm, my lovely dining companion and I stopped in the new Local 44 prior to dinner at Distrito (and a quick stop at Dock Street). Since it was Thursday afternoon, we had no trouble parking at 44th and Spruce.

The bar was empty, save one local musician and the owner Leigh. I was happy to see it without people, because it is a very beautiful, sleek, space. The bar area has tables as well, but the main dining room is separated from the bar by a wall with a large rectangular gap in it.

The focal point of the entire place, decor-wise, is a beautiful old fire door that the owners found behind dry wall during construction. It makes for the coolest drink shelf.

After taking a look around, we grabbed seats at the bar and started off with what else, a Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise ('06). It's a little young and fruit forward, but finishes sour with a touch of dryness.

The 20-tap list, as a whole, is well selected. Most beer styles are covered and there's a nice balance between Europe and American craft brews.

My second beer was Fraoch Heather Ale, a Scottish Gruit, on the hand pump. With sweet gale and flowering heather added to the boil, and fresh heather flowers added as it cools, this beer has a lot going on. Served at nearly room temperature, it was medium-bodied, creamy, sweet and malty with a touch of espresso or coffee in the finish.

Moving on to the food, we sampled the Mini Corn Dogs. After only 9 days of being open, the Mini Corn Dogs already have a good reputation, and we weren't disappointed. Two hot dogs are cut into 8 small pieces, battered with cornbread and deep fried. Served with spicy Dijon, they were perfectly simple and delicious.

Trying to save ourselves for Distrito, we only ordered one more item, the Spinach Croquettes. There are other items on the menu I'd like to sample next time; specifically, the Cuban and the Oyster Mushroom Po' boy. Currently, the menu is mostly sandwiches and bar snacks. I'm sure it will evolve, as most newly-opened restaurant menus do.

Besides the beautiful fire door, the next coolest thing is a note at the bottom of the tap list announcing that they only serve 1 bottle: Orval. Leigh said that since it's not available on tap, they just didn't want to be a bar without Orval. I have to say, this is a creatively calculated move. It solidifies the bar as a tap house and avoids all of the issues of a bottle list (coolers, dry storage, cold storage, an updated/accurate list, bottle selection, cost).

I won't bicker over the choice of Orval. It's a classic that doesn't fit into any specific beer style. How perfect is that? You don't have to stylistically justify picking Westmalle Dubble over Westmalle Tripel (also not available on draft).

After such a short visit, I'm certain that I will be back soon. I only wish I was Local...

Weird + Wonderful Brews

2009-01-08T13:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight at Tria Washington Square, Tom Baker of Earth Bread + Brewery will be taking his beers outside of his new brewpub.

Some of you may remember Tom Baker from his old Heavyweight Brewery Co. Seems as though he's made the switch from brewing big and bold beer to those of a more session beer weight. "Not that there's anything wrong with that"; there's a place for session beers, and there's certainly a place out there in beer world for reviving old styles.

If ancient beer styles are something you're curious about, I highly recommend Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation by Stephen Harrod Buhner. The book includes some good historical information, and a ton of recipes for you homebrewers.

Tom will be hanging out at Tria for happy hour prior to teaching a Fermentation School class at 6:30. I was just on Tria's website, and two tickets are still available.

Beers on tap are:
1. The Bradley Effect Black Gruit Ale
-Based upon an ancient style using herbs instead of hops for flavoring
2. Da Raine Pore Sahti
- Traditionally Finnish brew using Juniper and baker's yeast
3.Terra Fumé Smoked Wheat Ale
- Smoked wheat beer inspired by the Polish Grätzer (Grodziskie)

6 oz tasting portions for $2 1/2 each.

"Beers of The Times"

2009-01-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

I must thank my friend Jess for diligently reading The New York Times (and other papers) everyday, and letting us all know about beer related articles. Sunday's article, "Roll out the Barrel, Open Your Wallet," in the Dining and Wine Section is just begging for a response. Well, maybe not, but I'm compelled to comment.

I love The New York Times, I really, really do. I am pleased that these beers are even on the nytimes' radar. After all, barrel aged beers are the wine snobs' most likely entrée into craft beer.

I'm curious to know all of the twenty-five beers that they blind-tasted. In background of the picture, I see J.W. Lee's, Allagash Curieux, and Captain Lawrence Smoke From the Oak. But where's Russian River Supplication, Temptation or Beatification, New Belgium La Folie and Lost Abbey Angel Share or Cuvee de Tomme? I have a hard time thinking they could have tasted them, and not ranked them pretty high.

I'm guessing they tasted 25 more easily purchased barrel aged beers. This somewhat misses the point, as the best barrel aged brews are the most difficult to find. They give us beer geeks something to dream about, driving miles and miles for, and to trade other rare beer for, on Beer Advocate.

In terms of what they did taste, I have to make a few points. I'm a little surprised that Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien 2006 was their first choice. Granted, I haven't had it since last year, so maybe it's improved. I just had the Pennichuck Pozharnik Espresso Russian Imperial Stout on New Year's Day, and while yes, it was a delicious funky stout, I can't say I'd place it above Jolly Pumpkin's La Roja Amber Ale. Finally, Petrus Aged Pale (no, not Château Pétrus wine people, calm down) is a classic; it will always hold a special place in my beery heart as the perfect go-to slightly sour ale.

I guess I'd just like full disclosure. Maybe I'll send them an email, and ponder my own top 10 Barrel aged beers. I'm refraining from creating such a list because I'm in love with Russian River, and their beers would take up at least half the list.

Instead maybe I'll ponder the number of beers I've spent more than $35 a bottle on...

Monk's Café on New Year's Day!

2009-01-05T12:13:00.000-05:00

Having worked on New Year's Eve until 1am, I was very excited to go to Monk's on New Year's Day for 20 stouts and 1 delicious lambic. Only Tom Peter's would, or could, do something so awesomely rare and extreme.

Dr. Joel, my lovely dining companion and I arrived a little after 12:30, and the front bar was packed. Luckily, we grabbed a table, and had a quick brunch. We sampled the following:

1. New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout
2. Pennichuck Pozharnik Russian Imperial Stout
3. High and Mighty Two Headed Beast Chocolate Stout

Alright, beer geek confession time: Stouts have never been my thing. I know, I know, you don't have to tell me, I'm crazy. I must admit though, they are growing on me. (See Black Albert entry) It was refreshing to try them side-by-side. It allowed me to compare and contrast flavor profiles. I would have tried more, however, time was not on my side, and one very special beer at the back bar was calling my name.

Back in late November, when Tom's Cantillon Monk's Café Cuvee Kriek was rumored to be coming into the country, I stopped by Monk's daily. Yes, I really did. I found out when the kegs got to the wholesaler, and when they had likely arrived at Monk's. On November 28th, they tapped the first keg, and I was there.

While I wasn't in love at first, it's growing on me. It's not that I didn't like it, I just wanted it to be more complex and more sour. Since Tom drinks it everyday (hey, I would too), we asked him if he had noticed any variances in the kegs. He said he didn't think so, but I think it's becoming more delicious.

After several stouts, it was truly the perfect palate cleansing beer. Personally, I'm glad that Monk's has quite a few kegs left of this fantastic creation. I can't stop in without having one, or two, or...

Here's the full list of stouts for those of you who are curious:
1. Founder's Breakfast Stout
2. Hercule Stout
3. High and Mighty Two Headed Beast Chocolate Stout
4. Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
5. New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout
6. Southampton Espresso Stout
7. Arcadia Imperial Stout
8. Bear Republic Big Black Bear Stout
9. Bell's Cherry Stout
10. Bosks Monster Mash Imperial Stout
11. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2007
12. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2008
13. Hitachino Next Espresso Stout
14. Legacy Nor'easter Oatmeal Imperial Stout
15. North Coast Old Rasputin
16. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout
17. Pater Lieven Buffalo Stout
18. Pennichuck Pozharnik Russian Imperial Stout
19. Southern Tier Choklat Stout
20. Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Cheers!
And here's to a Beery Happy New Year!

Christmas Beer Yields Christmas Cheer

2008-12-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

Back in early December I attended Joe Sixpack's "Ho Ho Holiday Beer's" class at Tria Fermentation School.

The All Things Considered episode came out yesterday. You can read a little blurb, and listen to it on their website here.

It's only 4 min 37 sec. I won't spoil it for you with my thoughts...but, I will say it left me wanting a much longer segment. I wanted a This American Life length act; 20 minutes or so would have been good. I imagined a whole craft beer story revolving around Philly Beer week in my head...

I will, however, post my own version of Top 10 Christmas Beers, and go head-to-head with Joe Sixpack. In no particular order...

1. De Dolle Stille Nacht
2. Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza

3. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
4. Gouden Carolus Noel
5. Brasserie Dupont's Avec Les Bons Voeux
6. De Struise Tsjeeses
7. AleSmith YuleSmith
8. Delerium Noel

9. St. Feullien Christmas
10. Samichlaus (Anything older than 2008)

Beer Geek's Winter Dream

2008-12-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night I was lucky enough to attend Tria Fermentation School's class with Matthias Neidhart of B. United Internatio nal Importers. We all have Matthias to thank for importing some of our most favorite beers from De Dolle Brouwers, Hanssens, Brasserie La Rulles, Brouwerij De Regenboog, J.W. Lees, Hitachino, and many others.

The class was truly a beer geek's winter dream. Often all we beer geeks want when we go out is to sample one beer we've never had, just one. This class provided us with eight in one evening. (Going out on a limb here to say we've all had Schneider Weisse and Schneider Aventinus) The remaining eight beers are impossible to purchase in PA.

1. Piccolo Birrificio Chiostro (Liguria, Italy)

Brewed with pilsner malt, wheat malt, rye malt, Trappiste yeast, Hallertauer hops and absinthe leaves and flowers (added to the brewkettle), this beer is light, fruity and mild at 5% ABV. An herbal nose hints at the wormwood, but beyond that, it was unnoticeable.

Matthias is a big fan of the "beer renaissance" occurring in Italy and loves to bring these crazy brews over.

2. Wintercoat Vildmosesøl (Sabro, Denmark)

Made with peat-smoked malt, spicy bog myrtle and rowan berries, this beer is definitely smokey. Matthias noted that Wintercoat brewery has been criticized by beer geeks the world over for not being extreme enough; the brewery contends that they don't want to be extreme. To me, the smokey, juniper, vanilla and bitter roasted chocolate notes certainly make this beer far from ordinary.

3. Hanssens Artisanal Cassis (Dworp, Belgium)

I don't have a picture for this beer because it was an unlabeled bottle. However, the bright red wire cage gave it away for me. I have to confess, I love sour lambics and gueuzes; in a word, funk. Apparently, Matthias told Hanssens that he wanted a natural black currant lambic. And so, they produced 15 cases this past February. It is insanely delicious, very much on par with Hanssen's Kriek and Gueuze. Not too sour, but just right.

4. Almond '22 Torbata (Abruzzo, Italy)

From a brewery 50 miles due east of Rome, this barleywine is brewed with barley malt (5% peat smoked), chestnut honey, organic orange peel, organic can sugar, and Kent Golding hops. This isn't the American barleywine, or for that matter, the English barleywine, you're used to drinking. The smokiness wins out, hiding the 8.7% ABV, and giving this beer a Scotch whiskey flavor. After this class, I'll certainly be able to identify peat smoked malt.

5. Biffificio Del Ducato Krampus (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

Brewed with star anise, this beer is reminiscent of many spicy winter beers. The idea behind this beer is perhaps more interesting than the beer itself. In the Alpine regions the Krampus is depicted as an incubus accompanying Saint Nicholas. On the evening of December 5th (Saint Nicholas eve), young men would dress up as the Krampus and roam the streets frightening small children with rusty chains and bells.

6. Bøgedal Bryghus No. 127 (Vejle, Denmark)

This brewery numbers each 50 case batch, making the odds of finding that particularly beer again nearly impossible. I often pass over this beer because of it's price point, running $30 a bottle retail. Called a dark ale brewed with Northern Brewer hops, orange and brown sugar, this beer is deep with notes of burnt coffee, espresso, orange zest and dark chocolate.

7. Dansk Mjød Old Danish Braggot (Billund, Denmark)

This beer was by far the most interesting of the night. A beermead! Genius! It would make Sam Calagione proud. Based upon an 18th century recipe, it's a blend of Old Danish Beer and Gl Dansk Mead. Apparently, the Vikings drank a similar brew at festive occasions as a special treat for kings.

8. Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien Grand Cru (Saignelégier, Switzerland)

Also an unmarked bottle, this beer was made at the request of Matthias. Saint Bon-Chien, named after the late brewery cat Bon-Chien, has a 10 or 11 barrel blending system. Matthias wanted a single cask brew; thus, they made a Pinot Noir version and a Bourbon barrel version. Brewed in May 2007 and bottled in September 2008, we sampled the Pinot Noir experiment. No surprise, this uncarbonated beer was mildly sour with fantastic red wine tannins.

The class also involved some surprise treats. Matthias brought his new Schneider and Aventinus Chutneys (not yet available to the public) to be paired with each beer, respectively. In helping to create the recipes, he decided that he wanted some of each beer in the chutneys.

Mid-class, Matthias reached into his briefcase for some German criollo Chocolate to be paired with the Bøgedal Bryghus No. 127. We learned that criollo is the rarest and most expensive cocoa on the market. After searching for it online (since he said we can't find it), I eventually found the website for Heinemann Chocolatier, and guess what? There IS an English page, with Flash of course. And, if you're as obsessed with chocolate as I am, they ship to the US.

While I wouldn't mind becoming a brewer, or owning a beer bar, after this class, I'm convinced that being an importer is the way to go. All I have to do is learn French, German, Italian, Spanish...

Brunch with Paul Goerg

2008-12-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday I enjoyed an impromptu brunch at a lovely French café near not so lovely Conshohocken. The chance to catch brunch at Spring Mill Cafe seemed like a good enough reason to open a bottle champagne. This quaint 30 year-old BYO café, serving mainly French Provincial cuisine, has a charm that is hard to match in the Philadelphia area. The knickknacks, pastels and Tiffany lamps make it an absolute escapist dining experience.

Purchased at Total Wine in Delaware this past summer, I had been looking forward to this bottle of Champagne for quite some time. This Paul Goerg Blanc de Blancs NV is 100% Chardonnay sourced from Premier Cru vineyards in the Cotes Des Blancs.

At $34.99 a bottle, I've been told that it is the cheapest Champagne, from Champagne, available in PA right now. Back in July, I was determined to buy some real Champagne and not pay too much. I wanted toasted brioche, and I didn't quite get it. It had honey sweetness up front and through the mid-palate. The finish, however, was dry and refreshing with notes of stone-fruit, apricot, peach and a touch of pear.

Now, onto the food. My lovely dining companion and I always make a point of sampling as many items as possible. We chose Pumpkin Curry soup (I've have an obsession with making and tasting curry in the past two months), the Salmon Plate (sometimes I just really want smoked salmon, okay?), French Toast à la Michéle, Quiche de Chef (bacon and onion), and B'stilla Marocaine. Ten minutes later, we told that they were not serving B'stilla Marocaine, and that we were lucky, "The smoked salmon had just walked in the door."

I'm incredibly torn as to how to comment on service, or whether or not to comment at all. As a server/bartender myself, I am particular beyond belief when it comes to service. My standards when going out are rather high, but in general, I will be okay if you don't entirely detract from my experience. I don't need you to add anything, if you do, that's a bonus; if you don't, that's fine too, you'll still get 20%. Honestly, unless I see you spit in my food, I will still tip 20%. They are making a living just like me. Maybe they should do something else...but, anyway...

It may turn out that I comment about service gaffes only. For example, telling me that "the salmon just walked in the door" at eleven am on a Sunday suggests that you bought it at the closest supermarket, as most food distributors aren't delivering on Sunday. When you tell me you're not serving an item ten minutes after I order it, I think you're just not paying attention AT ALL.

[End service rant.]

The food itself, was nothing spectacular. I enjoyed my pumpkin curry soup with fennel oil. The smoked salmon was exactly what I had been craving (so what if it probably came from the grocery store?), the addition of crème fraîche and caviar was delightful. The quiche, with real home-made crust, was perfectly eggy, bacony and flaky. The french toast, however, was inedible. Reminiscent of a raspberry and cream filled doughnut from Dunkin Donuts, covered in more raspberry sauce and more cream, I wasn't very interested in eating overly sugary fancy french toast.

In the end, I still love Spring Mill Café. It's relaxing, quiet, adorable and a complete escape from your daily life.

TJ's 5 Year Anniversary

2008-12-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday night I stopped by TJ's 5 year anniversary party. It was the usual beer event crowd: beer geeks and the girlfriends they bring along. (Okay, yes, some of them are there for the beer too.) I frequent TJ's fairly often; one can't always go to Teresa's Next Door, right? I enjoy TJ's because I can still get something to eat late, and find a decent beer to go with it.

TJ's had been building their "as advertised" draft list for the anniversary throughout the week. I may or may not have had something to do with Allagash Curieux and Allagash Musette kicking before the party started...

Regardless, the list was impressive. I enjoyed a Sly Fox TJ's 5 year anniversary British Pale Ale on the hand pump. Very delicious, mild, and well-balanced, with a nice amount of hops: a great session beer. I attempted to order a De Struise Tsjeesus, but it kicked on my pour.

In lieu of Tsjeesus, I had a De Struise Black Albert. At one point in time, rather recently, Black Albert was very nearly the holy grail of beers for beer geeks. This 13% ABV Russian Imperial Stout was brewed exclusively for Ebeneezer's Pub in Lovell, ME. To get just a 2 oz taste of it at Ebeneezer's you almost need a secret password.

Following the advice of Beer Advocate, I was lucky enough to get a sample of this unlisted beer in July. It was a murky, brackish and chunky pour, from what I considered a rather old keg.

The bottle product, however, was delicious, and very similar, minus the stale factor. It pours silky black with a taupe head. It's medium-full bodied with flavors of roasted espresso and bittersweet chocolate and just a touch of that classic De Struise funk.

All in all, this beer made bearing the anniversary crowd worth it.

.

Ho Ho Holiday Beers

2008-12-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night the locally, and nationally, famous beer writer Don Russell (aka Joe Sixpack) taught a class on holiday beers at Tria's Fermentation School.

As he led us through 8 holiday beers, he touched upon various topics in his new book Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas Beer. I haven't quite finished browsing this book, but so far it seems to be a good reference for Christmas beers...er, I mean, the more marketable term holiday beers.

The highlights of the class are likely to show up in a segment on NPR's All Things Considered. They followed him to the happy hour at Tria before the class, and taped the entire class. If you hear a really nice pour soundbite, that was me. It'll be interesting to see how they piece it together; NPR wasn't giving up their angle. I'm especially curious to see how it turns out, as the interviewer seemed to have only recently learned a bit about beer. I talked to her after the class when she was tasting all of the beers she had just heard about for an hour and a half.

Speaking of beer....here's the line-up:

Anchor Brewing Company Christmas Ale 2008 (San Francisco, CA)
Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux (Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium)
Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2008 (Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium)
Sly Fox Christmas Ale 2008 (Royersford, PA)
Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale 2008 (Tadcaster, England)
Tröeg's Mad Elf (Harrisburg, PA)
De Struise Tsjeeses (Woesten-Vleteren, Belgium)
Castle Brewery Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier 2008 (Eggenberg, Austria)

Highlights were Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper and De Struise Tsjeeses. I also have a growing appreciation for Dupont's Avec Les Bon Voeux. I certainly overlooked it last year in favor of other Belgian holiday beers like Gouden Carolus Noël and Corsendonk Christmas.

Sly Fox Christmas wins the award for beer I'd most like to have some holiday food with; rife with notes of clove, allspice, nutmeg, pumpkin and cinnamon, it would be awesome with a delicious seasonal dessert.

Perhaps the factoid of the night: St. Nicholas is the patron saint of brewers, lawyers and prostitutes. Funny how that makes sense.

Next Tuesday: Importer Matthias Neidhart of B.United International will lead a class at Tria on rare winter beers.