Unfortunately, my menu and notes, and practically everything other than my memory of what a great night it was, are no longer with me. Fortunately, on the other hand, Carolyn Smagalski was also there and captured the essence of the evening.
On top of that, my dying camera failed me on virtually all food, beverage, and indoor shots of Jim Koch. Luckily, the camera still likes to take outdoor pictures, and the one at top with Fergie, Jim, and Tom is a gem.
Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company regaled the sold-out crowd with stories of strippers (yes, this is not the first, but second, time that strippers have been mentioned on The Brew Lounge....the first?), making and selling craft beer in Boston and beyond during the 80s and 90s, and what it takes to brew Utopias, part of the more-than-typically decadent grand finale of the evening.
Wanna know more about the night at Monk's? Go and read Carolyn's review.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monk's Beer Dinner 5/15/08: Sam Adams, Jim Koch, & Utopias
Friday, February 15, 2008
Monk's Beer Dinner 2/12/08 : Lost Abbey
It probably is prudent to begin with apologies to Jack for whom this should in no way be construed as 'rubbing it in'. The adventure to my first Monk's Dinner of the year 2008, a dinner featuring Tomme Arthur's non-incidental beers of Lost Abbey, was highlighted by one of the smoothest trips ever into Philadelphia. That is, on one of the worst weather days ever for a Monk's Dinner. (I won't bother to retell the weather story...read Jack's comments on the topic and you'll get the idea.) How did this all come to be? Funny you should ask...
I left my office desk in Exton at 5:23pm. Drove east on business route 30 to the Paoli train station where I met the scheduled 5:50pm Amtrak train. It was 3 minutes late, but I was in the station by 5:40pm, so no worries there. The train sailed into Philly's 30th Street Station with no delays whatsoever. Actually, arrived approximately 2 minutes early. I high-stepped it up to the next arriving Septa regional rail line, which was just shutting its doors behind me as I hopped on (it's a free ride through Center City from 30th Street Station to Market East Station (a somewhat known secret). Disembarking at Suburban Station, thinking better about ascending to Market Street, and instead walking underground all the way to 16th and Locust streets (an even lesser known secret), I managed to stay dry from the elements in the nasty out-of-doors and arrived at Monk's front step at 6:47pm.
That makes for a trip of approximately 84 minutes from desk to glass-filled hand at Monk's. Oh, the first beer that was thrust into my welcoming hand? A 1999 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. Sorry, I guess now I've rubbed it in.
On with the show. As reported elsewhere, the dinner and the show was fantastic. Since I'm boppin' my way from southern California to the Bay Area for a weekend of beer ranging from Strong Beer Month, to the Toronado Barleywine Festival, to the Celebrator Beer News 20th Anniversary party and countless other stops in between, I'll need to exercise some brevity in my comments. So, following is a course-by-course listing (not coarse) with random notes (somewhat coarse) for your enjoyment.
Oh, the only drawback of the evening. Returning to the Paoli train station to find my car encrusted in a 1/4" of thick ice and the parking lot in a sheet of slick ice. The plow guys were kind enough to drag the snow and ice from around the car so that I could get around with falling on my tokus while cleaning off the car. Then, I skated home to get a few hours of sleep before my early morning flight.
1st Course
Lost Abbey Red Poppy
~~ Skate Wing with brown butter sabayon
2nd Course
Lost Abbey Cable Car
~~ Cod Fritter & Manchego Cheese Fritter with smoked paprika aioli & romesco sauce
3rd Course
Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi
~~ Chicon with Belgian Endive wrapped with Ardennes Ham then napped with a bechamel sauce
4th Course
Lost Abbey Amazing Grace
~~ Scallops with beer jus
5th Course
Lost Abbey Veritas
~~ Rack of Wild Boar with root vegetable sauce
6th Course
Lost Abbey Angel's Share
~~ Sacher Torte
footnote: the second release of 10 Commandments is coming in May '08
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Quick Review of The Belgian Cafe in Philadelphia, PA
I want to like Monk's sister cafe, The Belgian Cafe, across town. I really do. Why? Maybe to invalidate Craig Laban's recent review, finding it hard to believe that the Monk's duo could be stumbling in their Art Museum neighborhood foray. Maybe because I previously lived just two blocks away and would like to think the former Tavern on Green would be turned into something where I could envision myself a permanent fixture if I still resided in the area. Maybe it's because given Philadelphia's and Tom Peters' preeminent position in this country's Belgian beer scene, success for the new establishment should be a fait accompli?
Let's see, how did this all work out? Well, we stopped in late on Saturday afternoon after the Flyers overtime loss to the Bruins in a modern-day display of almost Old Time Hockey. Perhaps it wasn't the most fair time of day to stop in for a review. We sat at the bar and stayed for some beers and a dinner. This took around 90 minutes, or so.
To the first point above, Laban's criticism was mostly pointed at the vegan side of the menu. For starters, I should say that this would not be my natural inclination. Not that I have a problem eating soy, plant, or other non-animal products; it just is not usually my first choice. Vegetarian meatloaf (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) just doesn't jump off the page at me. Saying that, we opted for mussels and a salad to start with, then the beef stew for me and the ham & cheese sandwich (more interesting than it sounds) for Patty.
The mussels were decent. Around average size, I'd say, for this time of year. Plump and firm enough and they carried some of the flavor from the Herbes de Provence and Piraat that they were lounging in. Some of the rosemary sprigs could have been chopped a bit finer, since using them as toothpicks was not my preference. Providing a nice texture to the dish was the addition of chunked sausage.
The beef stew that I had was a decent sized plate full of chunked beef (mmm, more chunked meat! told you we didn't go for the vegan options) surrounded by vegetables and topped with a generous dollop of mashed potatoes. The beef was just a couple of minutes away from being cooked too long for my preference, but overall, this was a satisfying and tasty bowl of stew for what would be a chilly evening.
And, the ham and cheese sandwich that Patty ordered? It came out with each of the toasted sides of the sandwich open-faced, both layered with both ham and cheese, which was perfect for her to spread a knife of dijon mustard across. It was a really tasty, yet simple, sandwich. We would have liked to have had a bit more flavor, though, in the unremarkable slaw served as the sandwich's side.
The beer? Oh, you want to hear more about the beer, eh? They've got a dozen taps pouring beers and on this particular day they ranged from Chimay to Rogue to St. Bernardus to Brooklyn to local faves Tröegs and Sly Fox. And, while it's only a subset of what's available at bigger brother Monk's across town, the bottle selection lists most of the requisite beers from around the world focusing, of course, primarily on Belgium and the United States. Our selections were drafts from Rogue Hop Heaven, St. Bernardus 12, Chimay Cinq Cents, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, La Chouffe, and a bottle of Maredsous 8. All were poured and presented properly in fitting glassware.
The service was fine too. It was sufficiently friendly, but certainly not aggressively in our face and not always on top of our needs. We were there, as I'd mentioned, in the late afternoon nearing shift change. Things might have been a bit more disorganized than they would be, say, three hours later. Plus, we sat at the bar and did not get the full dining room experience.
Overall, The Belgian Cafe measured up just fine. Let's go back to my checklist in the opening above.
A) Our food experience seems to have been better than Laban's;
B) Based on the trendy edge, or shall I say edgy trend (I couldn't quite put my finger on whether they're going for a particular vibe), that they seem to be exhibiting, I'm thinking that Bridgid's would be a more likely every-other-day hang out for me, if I still lived in the neighborhood; and
C) Tom & Fergie have done well opening this new location, but will be interesting to see the long-term viability of it in the Art Museum neighborhood. The changing demographic of the area will help to determine.
It certainly deserves a full review after another visit and a chance to test out more of the menu and service.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Holiday Beer Dinner at Monk's Cafe 12/11/07
2007. It was a very good year for Monk's. In addition to the opening of sister restaurant, The Belgian Cafe, Tom, Fergie, and crew at 16th/Spruce hosted no less than 14 events. The all-star lineup of beer events/dinners to celebrate Monk's 10th anniversary included Vinnie & Natalie (Russian River), Tomme (Port/Lost Abbey/Pizza Port), MJ, Garrett (Brooklyn), Eric & Lauren (New Belgium), Stephen, Lucy, Ed & Carol (Stoudt's), Rob (Allagash), and Sam (Dogfish Head). How many of these did you know by first name alone? That's what kind of lineup it has been this year at Monk's.
Last night, Tom & Fergie hosted their always-anticipated Holiday Beer Dinner. The gems that Tom pulls out for this event are usually only rivaled by what he finds for New Year's Eve. I don't believe I've ever had a beer thrust in my hand any faster than last night when I walked through the front door. The "Welcome Beer" was a ten year old Anchor Christmas Ale. While the usual holiday spices found in Anchor's annual spice treat have become muted after ten years, it was still a smooth sipping beer, with dark fruit and prune flavors dominating.
To tell the truth, I don't feel much like writing about the nuances of the remainder of the evening. After all, it's already passed and there's nothing you can do about it if you weren't also there. And, really, it's not like I need to mention yet once again how spectacular of an evening most of these Monk's dinners turn out to be.
So, instead of waxing poetic once again (or at least attempting to!) I'll simply leave you with a copy of the menu below and the reminder that if you haven't yet been to a Monk's dinner, you should put it on your list of New Year's Resolutions for 2008. It is that time, isn't it?
Oh, maybe I will add just one little extra tidbit that I learned from Mr. Bryson's mistake. Don't ever leave your writer's notebook sitting unattended while you take your, ahem, "bio break" (is that what you call it Jack?)...you'll never know what phantom notes show up that you'll scratch your head over the next morning!
Welcome Beer
Anchor Christmas Ale [1997]
1st Course
de Regenboog t'Smisje Kerst
- Amuse Buche
2nd Course
La Moneuse Special Winter Ale & La Binchoise Speciale Noel [1994]
- Pickled Mackerel with Watercress Chiffonade & Szechuan Oil Drizzle
3rd Course
Gouden Carolus Noel (draft)
- Pheasant "Fruit Cake"
4th Course
Dupont Avec Les Bon Veoux
- Grilled Smelt with Fried Red Onion & Citrus Marinade
5th Course
Val Dieu Grand Cru (draft) & St. Bernardus Christmas
- Duck Ragout topped with Smoked Duck Breast
6th Course
Gales Christmas Ale [2001] & Port Santa's Little Helper
- Cheese Selection (Jasper Hill Bayley Hazen Bleu; Munster Gerome; Buche Boucheron de Chevre)
7th Course
Samichlaus [1995] & Samichlaus [2006]
- Buche de Noel
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 10/9/07 : Nørrebro Bryghus & Dogfish Head
One could say that things certainly were not going my way yesterday. Here's a recap of what was a mixed-bag kind of day for me.
~ An extra bag search by a TSA agent at TF Green airport in Providence, RI
~ An extra slow boarding process due to folks trying to cram their obnoxiously oversized carry-on baggage into the overhead compartments
~ Delayed in Providence sitting on the plane for roughly 3 hours due to a "ground stop" at Philadelphia International
~ Cancelling my Monk's dinner reservation for a highly anticipated beer dinner and leaving my friend Mark in the lurch
~ No on-board food service (nothing, nada, no nuts for you)
~ Circling Philadelphia waiting for clearance to land
~ Being informed that the plane, after landing, was 36th in line just to simply reach the gates
~ After an hour of sitting and taxiing on the tarmac, waiting another 15 minutes or so for the jet bridge operator to meet the plane
~ Learning that the pilot had "gone to the wrong gate" (thus eliciting about 32 WTF's throughout the main cabin)
~ SEPTA's scheduled airport service mysteriously missing = cab ride...more expensive, but faster and more comfortable
NO! These are not a 'few of my fav-or-ite things.' But, they did unfortunately contribute to the way my day went after about 2pm eastern time. Once I completed a pleasant cab ride from PHL and walked through Monk's doorway at 264 South 16th Street, things brightened up (that is, all except for the skies!).
Now, these are certainly more along the lines of my favorite things!
~ being greeted warmly by Tom Peters and company at Monk's upon my arrival
~ graciously being seated for the last 2 courses of the meal (happened to be Anders Kissmeyer's seat, but who am I to argue when I'm told to sit!)
~ an incredible cheese plate, chocolate dessert for dinner...who can argue?!
~ sampling some of the beer from Anders' Nørrebro brewpub in Denmark (an IPA, a porter, and a coffee stout)
~ tasting the recent batch of Pangaea, a spicy mouthful of malty, ginger beer
~ being wowed by the softness (and sneaky potency) of the World Wide Stout from Dogfish Head (and a 2003 version, at that!)
~ hearing Sam work the crowd, bringing his message of love from LoDel
~ spending 60 minutes in the presence of great food, beer, and people...somehow it made the day alright in the end
Unfortunately, Anders never showed since he encountered the same issues I did with travelling into Philadelphia, though probably worse. He was rerouted to D.C. So, since the "collaboration beer" that he and Sam Calagione brewed was his travelling companion, it never showed either. I'll be hopeful to try some if and when it ever makes it way to Monk's. Though, considering TSA and baggage handlers and the whole issue of rerouting, there's a chance it may never be heard from again!
As usual, here follows a transcript of the event's food and beer pairing. I hear the food and pairings were great, particularly the pairing of Pangaea and Scallops.
1st Course
Dogfish Head Festina Peche
- Amuse Buche; Beet Salad
2nd Course
Dogfish Head India Brown Ale
- Quail with Lentils
3rd Course
Dogfish Head Pangaea
- Pan Seared Diver Scallops with a Chowder Sauce
4th Course
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA & Nørrebro North Bridge Extreme
- Lamb Shank Confit with Shiitake Mashed Potatoes and Bitter Greens
5th Course
Dogfish Head Raison d'Etre & Nørrebro Skargaards Porter
- Stilton, 3-year Cheddar, and Taleggio Cheeses with Fruit Compote
6th Course
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout (2003) & Nørrebro La Granja Espresso Stout
- Chocolate Cheese Cake
Monday, October 08, 2007
Upcoming Dogfish/Nørrebro Bryghus dinner at Monk's Cafe
U.S. beer from Dogfish Head. Danish beer from Nørrebro Bryghus. Extra $15 to benefit National Parkinsons Foundation (in memory of Michael Jackson). Something new to try in a familiar place....Monk's....with an old friend, Mark (frequent reader and contributor here at TBL). I'm there; come join us!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 9/11/07 : Allagash
You've gotta get up pretty early to get ahead of Lew. Today was no exception. Before the early hour of 0700 hours, Lew had already put up a review of Tuesday night's Allagash dinner at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia. And this from a guy who showed up nearly half way into the evening's festivities. This guy's amazing, I've got a lot of learning to do!
As Lew commented, my wife Patty and I attended this dinner on our 9th wedding anniversary. Oh, and by the way, the tzatziki was a nice touch with the first course, seeing as how our honeymoon was in Greece!
What have done right, I ask? First, a trip to the Eagles season opener in Green Bay the weekend before our anniversary, then a beer dinner on the night of our anniversary. Many thanks to Tom, Mark, Lew, Matt, and the many others that wished us well and bestowed upon us the tasty gifts of Malheur Brut and Gouden Carolus D'Or 2004. Hm, I'll need to let these guys know the date of my upcoming birthday.
So, with the quite-to-point and amazingly accurate review given his arrival time (hey, the guy's good, like I said), I will cede my usual rapacious longing for loquaciousness and state simply some tidbits from Rob Tod. (If I'm not going to write much, I might as well roll out my fifty cent words, right?!)
And, of course, as usual here follows a transcript of the event's food and beer pairing:
1st Course
Allagash White (when the White is the session beer, you know you're in for a big night!)
- Amuse Buche; hummus/lamb with tzatziki/grilled chicken
2nd Course
Allagash Hugh Malone
- Vegetable Terrine
3rd Course
Allagash Triple
- Fried Clams with Smoked Tomato Ketchup
4th Course
Allagash Interlude
- Onion Tart
5th Course
Allagash Curieux
- Curieux Glazed Salmon Mole
6th Course
Allagash Musette & Allagash Four
- BBQ Beef Brisket with Collard Greens & Mashed Yams
7th Course
Allagash Double
- Chocolate Fig Cake
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 6/12/07 : Stoudt's Brewery
What better way to celebrate Monk's 10th anniversary than with a dinner celebrating Stoudt's, one of the region's stalwart and pioneering breweries (and some of the nicest people) which is celebrating its own landmark 20th anniversary.Rush hour heading into Philly is normally no treat. That's part of the reason that we normally take a train. But, this time, friend and loyal TBL reader, Dennis, joined Adam and I for the dinner. He lives only a couple of miles from Stoudt's and often finds himself filling growlers, buying bottles for himself (and his TBL buddies), and picking up Eddie's bread for his dinners at home. That added to his desire to check out Monk's, for whom we rave about their dinners. Plus, he and I were spending the night in Philly and going to the Phillies afternoon game the following day. So, we drove....
In the end, it didn't register much of a net effect. But, by the time we checked-in at the hotel, we walked through the doors at Monk's at 6:55pm. You gotta understand, I only live 30 miles away and it took a record 1 3/4 hours to get there. Thing is, everyone was affected by the ferocious thunderstorms that swept through the area. All major, and secondary, roads were clogged. The Stoudt's crew (that would be Carol & Ed, daughters, a brewer (Joe), and a sales guy (Sean)) got stuck on the turnpike and didn't show up until close to 7:30pm. By the time Adam got to the train and meandered his way into the city, he only got there a few minutes earlier. No matter, it was game time and everyone was finally on the field.
With introductions out of the way, Carol took the microphone and smoothly transitioned from hectic travel to relaxing beer dinner co-host. From the picture here, you might think she was getting the night started with the National Anthem. But, seriously, throughout the evening, she did just what I appreciate most about Monk's dinners. That is, the interjection of stories and anecdotes from the brewer along with each course of the meal.Not that there's hardly ever a dud in the food menu and pairings during a beer dinner at Monk's, but I sometimes find the first and the last courses the most intriguing. Their first course typically wakes up the senses with a flavorful, but not overpowering, pairing of food and beer. This time was no different. The wasabi cream underneath the tuna and the sauerkraut helped to bring out some of the spice in the Pilsner. The Stoudt's Pils has always been a real fine example of a smooth German Pilsner with its subtle fruit and spice components. Just another example of why food and beer pairing makes so much sense.
And, the last course, well the last course is dessert and you know what that means! To my recollection, I have never complained about the dessert. Usually decadent and usually perfectly paired, it's almost always the grand finale in the fireworks display that is a Monk's beer dinner. Though, this dinner's final course was just a slight derivation on their last beer dinner's dessert, it was far from worth quibbling about. Plus, with the smooth cask-conditioned Fat Dog Stout (one of my long time faves from Stoudt's), well I need not say more.
In between, we enjoyed the maibock which redeemed itself from a slightly off bottle version of it that I had a few months back. Served along with the chicken terrine stuffed with (was it?) cherries, it showed off its solid body along with solid malt flavors, but still a very drinkable beer.
The Weizen was served with a melon soup that finished with a nice pepper kick that complemented the spice from the Weizen quite nicely.
The tripel is also one of my long time favorites from Stoudt's and was served with monkfish. At first, I thought it could be an odd pairing, but it was pulled off just fine, probably helped by the fennel and vidalia onion.
The new kid on Stoudt's block (no, not Union Barrel Works) is the Smooth Hoperator. I have no clue how long it will take to get the Sade song out of my mind. But, while it rattles around up there, I can continue to dwell on what style this beer actually is. Ed and I had a little back-and-forth on this topic after dinner. I'm not certain we came to an exact agreement, but I do agree with him that it is "Americanized." But, let's forget all that for now. It's a downright hop-forward beer and went well with the veal dish. But, geez, the veal was just so tender and flavorful (and I'm a big mushroom guy, so this course you might guess was near the top of the night for me) that I couldn't decide which I wanted more of, the Hoperator or the food on the plate. Ah, to wrestle with such decisions.After dinner, I was happy that Adam had the chance to sample the Boon (cask 52) lambic, whose second keg was still on line. That and Cantillon Lou Pepe were new styles to Dennis. We had fun watching as his perspective on what exactly beer is turned upside down. He'd come over to the craft beer world years ago, but now has a new frontier after tasting these lambics.
How did Dennis fare over the night? Well, if words from him like "incredible", "great time", "overwhelming", "well worth it", "now I know why you guys rave so much", etc. are any indication...He lives a good hike from Center City Philly, so he won't be a regular wingman for these dinners, but I'll bet he'll be back again sometime not too long from now! Then, we took him to Nodding Head and Tria....stories for another day.
Sorry, if anyone was looking for a negative note on the night, you'll have to look elsewhere. Good luck!
1st Course
Stoudt's Pilsner
- Amuse Buche (grilled asparagus/sauerkraut/asian tuna)
2nd Course
Stoudt's Weizen
- Chilled Melon Soup
3rd Course
Stoudt's Blonde Double Maibock
- Chicken Terrine
4th Course
Stoudt's aged Belgian-style Tripel
- Monkfish, braised with tomatoes, fennel, & vidalia onions
5th Course
Stoudt's Smooth Hoperator
- Veal Cheek Carbonnade with fresh morel mushrooms & fiddlehead ferns
6th Course
Stoudt's Fat Dog Stout (cask)
- Chocolate Coffee Mousse
Thursday, June 14, 2007
(Monk's) Belgian Cafe in Philadelphia, PA: Construction Update 6/13/07
I think it's safe to say that with the complete gutting, digging out of the basement, and new construction, it will still be a while before we see the new Belgian Cafe (of Monk's descendancy) opening at 21st and Green streets in Philadelphia.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Canned Beer Dinner with Lucy Saunders at Monk's Cafe
While neither of us was able to attend last night's dinner at Monk's, you know how much we love our food and beer pairings around here. Plus, with summer lurking just around the corner and an all-star lineup of canned beer and grilled foods at Monk's, I felt it my duty to stop by Monk's on the way home from the airport last night to see how the dinner was.
From waitresses, to bartenders, to Tom Peters (sshhh, he doesn't want you to know ;-) the Watermelon Wheat was a big hit. I, personally, was so glad to see it making an appearance on the East Coast and giving more people a chance to experience its unique approach to the wheat style.
Lucy Saunders, of Grilling With Beer fame, was in attendance with her book. Also in the house were Butternuts, 21st Amendment, Oskar Blues, Sly Fox, and Brooklyn all with their canned creations.
Now, just what do you think was in the "Adult S'mores"?
1st Course
21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat & Butternuts Heinnieweisse
~ Skewered Apricot Chicken & Malt Monster Shrimp
2nd Course
Brooklyn Lager
~ Asparagus Salad
3rd Course
Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale
~ Porter/Ginger Salmon
4th Course
Sly Fox Royal Weisse & Sly Fox Pale Ale
~ Apple Ale Ribs
5th Course
Oskar Blues Old Chub
~ Adult S'mores
This has been quite a 10th Anniversary of beer events at Monk's. And, to think, there's still more than a half year's worth remaining!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Lucy Saunders (& more) Beer Dinner at Monk's Cafe
Folks, there rarely comes a time that the fine brew from the 21A (21st Amendment) is available on the East Coast. It wasn't until I read the 21A e-mail (see below) this morning that I realized Shaun O'Sullivan will be a part of the upcoming Monk's dinner on Tuesday, May 15th.
Having been to the 21A several times and sampling many of their creations, I highly recommend getting out to Monk's on Tuesday for what is shaping up to be a great night of food and beer. Uh, after re-reading that, when haven't we used the words great-beer-food-Monk's all together in one sentence?!
I'll be just coming in from the airport late that evening, so I may pop by for an after-dinner visit to see if the Watermelon Wheat is still available. Canned offerings from Sly Fox, Butternuts, Capital and others will be incorporated into the night's event.
==================================================
Tuesday, May 15th Shaun will be doing a beer dinner at the famous beer restaurant, Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia with Beer Cook, Lucy Saunders and Monk's Chef Adam Glickman. The recipes will be inspired by Lucy's latest book, "Grilling with Beer." The theme is All-American Cookout and all of the beers will be Canned Craft Brews. Shaun will be speaking about his Watermelon Wheat and IPA, both of which will be available at the dinner and Canned Craft Beer. These dinners always sell out, so call Monk's today at 215-545-7005 and make a reservation. Hope to see you in Philly.
==================================================
Friday, April 13, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 4/10/07 : New Belgium Brewing
After stopping at Triumph in Philly on Tuesday, we were off to Monk's. The day was shaping up just fine. It was a bit cool, but, the sun was shining and energy was in the air. This was the first Monk's dinner we attended since the start of day light savings time. Which means it was still light! It didn't take long for us to decide to walk to our next stop. Many...many blocks later we arrived.Up the steps and to the right. We were lured back into the dim comfortable surroundings of the front bar. What's on tap? A French beer, St. Druon Abbey Ale I hadn't heard of before and ordered it up for Bryan and I to split. Not too shabby. Light in taste, something that wouldn't wreck our taste buds for the dinner. As we looked around we noticed a few of the usual suspects. Soon it was time to get started. Time to focus on what was ahead of us. Our table was ready. The menu read...
Lauren & Eric Salazar spoke about the beer. Lauren said she would have dragged the kegs here herself if need be, indicating that participating in a beer dinner at Monk's is a huge honor.1st Course - Springboard Ale
Apple Fondue with Cheddar Dipping Sauce served in an Apple with Black Bread Cubes
2nd Course - La Folie
Organic Greens with Fresh Berries and Warm Goat Cheese Brioche dressing made
with La Folie
3rd Course - Abbey & Le Terroir
Grilled Scallop and Braised Short Rib; scallop topped with a Le Terroir hollandaise sauce; short rib braised in Abbey
4th Course - Eric's Ale
Peach Granite
5th Course - Fat Tire
Roasted Pheasant with Figs
6th Course - Trippel
Caramel Hazelnut Torte with Chocolate Banana Mousse
The Springboard Ale was understated at first. Lightly fruity to start with, but, an herbal dryness to finish. I wasn't so sure I could figure this one out, but, it became more interesting as it warmed and as I tasted it with other courses. The cheese fondue served in an apple was delicious. The apple, cheese and apple skin really complemented the beer. The apple skin really accentuated the herbal tinges of the beer. Interesting.
From Bryan's notes: "aroma somewhat nondescript at first (did pick up a bit
peach in the aroma); flavor in front of mouth was kind of uneventful 'til it
reached the back of my mouth; builds through the mouth into a hairy, drying,
wormwood punch on the back corners of my tongue; certainly lingered too; thanks to Tom F. for helping me now recognize wormwood :)"
Next up, the La Folie. Keep in mind that I haven't experienced any of New Belgium's beer before. While tasting La Folie, I knew it wasn't a mistake to attend. Sour, sweet, malty and a little earthiness would summarize this beer, but, wouldn't really do it justice. Imagine a plate with tender organic greens, fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries alongside a slice of bread with warm goat cheese. Now imagine that the beer you are about to taste is so well paired that you savor each bite like it was your last. Greens and Beer: Dry. Cheese and Beer: Sweet. Berries and Beer: Pucker City. Mix it all together and ride the beer roller coaster through all those flavors. Oh who am I kidding? It was better than that.From Bryan's notes: "aroma of dark, rich cherry; alternating sweet and sour;Now for a double header, the Abbey and Le Terroir. At first I thought it was just one beer, but, I soon came to my senses when the second glass was placed before me.
woodsy; fresh flavors reminiscent of Cantillon, quite the compliment; hands down
best course of the night....fruit, cheese, salad greens, bread, beer.....so
perfect!"
The Abbey was probably the furthest from center in this group. That isn't to say that it was bad or somehow extreme. It was probably the least extreme tasting not sour at all. It did go very well with the short rib.
The Le Terroir took my tongue and beat it up with a sour patch kid. On its own it would be exciting. With the food, it was a wonderful hit of sour sweet to alternate with between bites.
From Bryan's notes: "earthy, approaching Iron Hill's Cassis level of funkiness,
but more drinkable in my opinion. more gym locker room, than barnyard"
Eric's Ale suffered from coming after the Le Terrior and La Folie. I know it was good, but, I just don't remember it standing out.From Bryan's notes: "Don't have any notes, and I don't have any permanent memories that stuck with me and the peach granite seemed to maybe too cold/frozen to let the peach flavors come out....mixed with a bit of the beerNext up, the very popular Fat Tire. What can I say, it was well paired, but, again this is a beer that suffered from coming late in the show. So this is what Fat Tire tastes like.
did seem to help, but otherwise not very memorable"
From Bryan's notes: "Was my palate wrecked from the more complex,
palate-altering beers to that point? don't know, but I never got used to what I
always thought was a decent amber....the pheasant was difficult to eat...I'm
usually up for a challenge, but this was almost as much work as eating
crabs....the pairing, though, did seem to help bring out the fruit notes in the
beer"
Last, but, not least, the Trippel. Well, Adam, the chef, did it again. Holy Smokes this was like a chocolate silk covered hazelnut cloud. Oh..right the beer. Yes it was good. It took a backseat to the dessert, but, definitely provided the right backdrop.From Bryan's notes: "smooth, though thinner than I might have expected; almost held up to the rich, decadent dessert.. second best pairing of the night"All in all the dinner was incredible. The La Folie paired with organic greens and berries was the best pairing. The dessert was the second best pairing. Monk's did it again. What a great introduction to New Belguim. I'm sold.
From Bryan's notes: "Ordering of favorites - 2nd course - 6th - 3rd - 1st - 5th -Until next time, Cheers!
4th"
-Adam
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 3/13/07: Brooklyn Brewery
"You are being lied to." That was one of the first things we heard from Garrett Oliver at last night's dinner pairing of Brooklyn Brewery's beers and Adam Glickman's food at Monk's Cafe. How's that? Well, you know the package of bread on the shelf at the grocery store is not really a loaf of bread, right? What is it? Well, you really don't want to know, though Garrett was kind enough to share with us. With these types of comments to kick things off, Garrett set the stage for a night of discussing better beer and better food...working with real ingredients, creating real food and real beer with passion. (He's good at that, isn't he?)Adding to the buzz of the evening was the presence of Sir Michael Jackson (they may not have bestowed that title upon him yet over on that side of the pond, but I figure it sounds good). Other local beer fans and "celebrities" were in the house to welcome Garrett and the Brooklyn crew.
Now that you know the theme of the night, it's off to the beer and food. Things could not have started off any better than with a glass of the 2005 Brooklyn Saison. As some of you know if you pay me any attention (not sure why you would, though you may just be humoring me), the Saison style is one of my favorites. I believe that it's one the most food pairing-worthy styles out there. Paired with virtually any type of food enhances the flavors of both the food and the beer in ways that must be experienced to be described. This 2005 version was just perfect, so perfect I had another :) In fact, I saved some of this second glass to go with the second course listed below to create an excellent pairing that apparently was never meant to be.
As the "pre-game pleasantries" were quieting down, guests found their tables and George Hummel got things started in typical fashion. The dinner was in full swing with Garrett moderating each course as only he can do. There are hints of MJ-style to his thoughts and observations that he shares with those that will listen. I find Garrett's approach to beer storytelling more engaging than typical tasting notes. Frankly, I don't need to hear someone telling me about how they taste apricots, wheat, citrus, or coffee as much as I really want to hear some of the side stories that complete the beer experience. Taste is such a personal thing that some guiding may be nice, but it's the stories of Garrett travelling the world, tinkering in Brooklyn, and providing insights to the beer and food world that captivates me. What he has done in his career are things that I will likely never experience and helps provide a deeper, richer context in which to enjoy my own beer corner of the universe.And, for those that won't listen (shame on you!), he is not bashful about making an example of them in front of the entire restaurant...as he did on more than one occasion. Sidebar: seriously folks, are his stories really not that interesting to you that you need to conduct amplified conversations and disrupt the enjoyment of others around you? Eh, I'm probably preaching to the choir here, as I bet those that I speak of most likely are not reading this.
Okay, back down off my soapbox...
The buche sure amused my palate with scrumptious little dollops of smoked salmon mousse in a pastry crust. I wasn't too keen on the pairing with the Cuvee d'Achouffe as I thought the salmon overpowered the beer. But, alone, each was excellent.
The next course presented, in my opinion, the best pairing of the night. You may recall my rave reviews on the newly-released Local 1 from Brooklyn. It's starting to become available in some immediate markets around NYC and beyond, but not yet in the Philly metro area. I've had it two times (now, make that three) and I'm still convinced that this will be in my top 10 beers of 2007. Reading the product notes, it's interesting to see (and hear Garrett describe during the course) how they refuse to be nailed down on a defined style for this beer. Though, many seemed to agree that it's something of a "super saison" or "strong saison" (dare I say imperial saison?....nah, I won't say it). Then, take this smooth, spicy, fruit-full beer and add some simply done rainbow trout and there's a wonderful wonderful [sic] gastronomical pairing.
The next two courses included stuffed quail and pork loin with chipotle. Judging from plates around the room, the quail received a tepid response. Though, the pork loin (all 3 pieces of it!) lightly doused with chipotle, was another clear winner especially being paired with the brown ale. Was it the way the pork was done that helped bring out some deeper elements of the brown ale? I don't know, but I was picking up enticingly burnt, roasted, even slightly smoked flavors in this solid brown ale. This combination worked very well.The next course of duck and Weissbock was also quite good. How tender was the duck? I can't begin to describe, but this was also nicely done (getting tired of hearing this yet?). Though, I was struck by how the weissbock did not remind me of my last two run-ins with it. Even though Garrett admitted that they felt it came up shorter on the smokiness scale than they expected, I seemed to recall hints of it previously that I did not notice during this dinner. Perhaps the chipotle smoke overpowered it? In any case, still a very good pairing.
And, would a Monk's dinner be complete without a grand finale of oohs and aahs surrounding the dessert course? There have been many before, but how can this one possibly compare, even by just simply reading the description? The Black Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn paired with a Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake....you've got to be kidding me. Truly, it stands alone in a class of its own. I had my eye on this course from the second we sat down, and I sure was not disappointed. The deep, rich, and bitter flavors of the stout against the, uh, rich and bitter flavors of the cheesecake had us all polishing off this course in record time!
With the late start and the drawn-out good times of the evening, there was no way we were catching the 10:15 train. So, I settled in with a De Ranke XX Bitter from Wevelgem, Belgium. I needed to try one and once again, not disappointed! A perfect "nightcap" as we hung around for another 45 minutes chatting with whomever was left after the dinner and took the opportunity for some additional group pictures.The last chapter to this long evening story included a train ride home with the esteemed, respected, and almost venerable Mr. Curtin. We're anxious to hear Jack describe his version of the story... (though, some aren't so anxious!)
Until next time....New Belgium, I believe that is....considered yourself warned :)
Reception
Brooklyn Saison [2005] (draft)
1st Course
Brooklyn Cuvee D'Achouffe (draft)
- Amuse (smoked salmon mousse with a hint of framboise)
2nd Course
Brooklyn Local 1 (bottle)
- Pan Seared Rainbow Trout with local baby cilantro
3rd Course
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale (draft)
- Thai Glazed Quail with spring roll stuffing
4th Course
Brooklyn Brown Ale (draft)
- Smoked Pork Loin with chipotle sauce
5th Course
Brooklyn Smoked Weissbock (draft)
- Roast Duck with cherry sauce
6th Course
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
- Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 1/23/07 : Russian River Brewing Co.- Adam's Take
Thanks Bryan for getting your impressions up here last week. Here are my notes from the night. We really ought to pay our interns. We might get better turn around times. ;-)
OK, so after last year's Russian River/Pizza Port dinner blew my palate all outta shape I was a bit relieved that only one of them would be in the ring with us that night. So what did I expect? Well I'm not a sour virgin anymore, but, that doesn't mean I know sour yet. I have a looong way to go before that's the case. I think I expected to actually TASTE each of the beers this time and I expected some outstanding beer and food pairings. How did I fair. Well lets see.
Bryan and I walked briskly on a crisp night from our limo...er...regional rail car. Soon we saw the neon sign and walked up the steps into a much warmer place. It was a familiar scene. One that we enjoy with every beer dinner. Fergy and Tom milling about and George MC'ing in that little dark comfy place everybody calls Monks. The hostess led us to our seats after a bit of shoulder to shoulder bumping around. Ahhh the excitement builds.
Alright lets have a look at the menu. Spicy Thai Shrimp sounds interesting, but, with Temptation...hmmm I wonder. I'm not a real fan of Duck. Pork tenderloin sandwich? Hmmm...how is this all going to come together. Well the bread pudding sounds like something for a cold cold night.
George took the mic and introduced Vinnie from Russian River. He spoke about the horse blanket. He scared us with the dirty socks. Ultimately he said that control was the name of the game. Control that nasty little brett animal or it would be the end of your beer. Of course Vinnie has done just that with many of the beers we tasted that night.
Vinnie then took the mic with confidence and spoke of each beer like a proud father. I'm paraphrasing here. The Damnation is a bottle conditioned "good Belgian blonde ale" which is offered year-round. Tonight's Sanctification is one of the last kegs around. There isn't even one left at the brewery. It is fermented with 100% brett and some other microorganisms. Supplication is Tom's fav and his wife's too. It seems there's more left at Monks than at the brewery in this case too. The Blind Pig, a solid year round IPA, stands out as the only non "tion" beer on the menu tonight. Last but not least Salvation, a strong dark ale at 9-9 1/2% ABV. Temptation was also mentioned, however the intern spilled coffee on those notes. Vinnie also spoke about the presence of fruit in each course. He mentioned the pair-ability of the beer. They are dry and drinkable. Not too sweet.
What follows is a brain dump of my impressions from that night. Let the tasting begin.
No notes on the Damnation. Must have been terrible ;-) JK
Temptation = Pucker Up and Transport me to sourville.
What happens when you mix heat, watermelon and temptation? You want to drink more! What a delicate pairing. Kinda like that watermelon wheat we tasted with some dry spices. This pairing just worked.
If Temptation sent me to sourville, Sanctification sent me downtown where the action is. I knew I was going to like this sour thing. Still have a hard time explaining it, but, damn it's fun.
Scallops were tender and delicious. Not sure about the whole course though. Bryan did find something interesting out here though. I think it he said that the fish eggs really brought out the er...FUNK! I think it was a in a good way. I hear some people are really into that FUNKY beer thing. Me I'm still trying to acquire that taste. My fish eggs were gone too quickly to try the same combinations as Bryan. I guess I'm gonna have to order some sushi with my next sour beer.
Is it just me or does the word Supplication just go with the word Duck? Must be that "u" in there. Well let me tell you I ain't had nuthin' this good since my Gram made me some homemade chicken noodle soup. I loved it. I don't think I'll ever get duck this good again. Ok...I know it sounds like the beer went to my head...and well it did...but, that's besides the point. It was so tender and tasty. (I really need some new adjectives.) Duck + Apple + Supplication = Happy Man!
Have you ever been to a fancy dinner and been left a little...er...hungry? I have. Well here comes the pork tenderloin sandwich to save the day. This puppy really hit the spot with the tangy blue cheese and sweet pineapple. The Blind Pig was there to chase it down too. Man what a pairing and satisfying too.
Do you know how hard it is for me to write a review like this? It's like trying to paint a sunset and capture all the subtle differences in the colors. On to the dessert. What can I say? It was one of the best desserts I have ever had. I know, I know I've said stuff like that before. I especially enjoyed the dessert pairing at the RR & PP dinner last year, but, this is different. Although I enjoyed the Salvation. I thought the dessert, Bananas Foster Bread Pudding absolutely stole the show. I can't explain it. Do you remember that scene in when Harry Met Sally? Yeah the one at the diner. OK, you got it. That's it. That is how good this was. Whew, is it getting hot in here?
After dinner we milled around a bit hoping to catch some people before they left. We decided it would be nearly impossible to get the next train so we were "stuck" here for another hour. No matter we made the best of it. Bartender I'll have a....
There you have it. It was another incredible night at Monks. A big thanks to Adam the Chef and his team.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Monk's Beer Dinner 1/23/07 : Russian River Brewing Co.
Welcome to "tion" night at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia, PA. That's the introduction we were greeted with. A dinner by any other name would not be appropriate for the annual west coast guests from Russian River. Husband-and-wife team Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo came east for a few days and made stops at Tria and Monk's for two first-rate events.We only have The Brew Lounge interns to blame for the tardiness of this writeup. Seems they want some sort of a pay raise. Actually, they just want to be paid in some way. Uh, we'll have to work on that one.
In the meantime, let's talk about these two little beer institutions...Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia, PA and Russian River Brewing from Santa Rosa, CA. They got together for the first beer dinner of the year at Monk's on 1/23/07. If you recall our reaction from last year (Bryan's , Adam's) when both Russian River and Pizza Port showed up at Monk's for a combined dinner, this one was in some ways tamer. If only for the fact that there were half as many beers on the menu! But, what we got was an equally impressive evening where Vinnie showed off some of his finer beers. Some even that aren't available in the market any longer (Adam will have more detailed notes on this aspect later).
We arrived promptly at the 7pm start time, due to my work schedule and indecision about going (the tail end of a stomach virus, that's all you need to know!). The restaurant was predictably abuzz with anticipation for what the night held in store. The menu, listed below, surely had people ready to get started. As usual, George Hummel began by introducing Vinnie and the evening events to come. He also made mention of last year's over-the-top, sensory overload dinner.
George then yielded the microphone to Vinnie who went through the process of describing each beer's creation and fermenting history. Vinnie sprinkled in some interesting anecdotes about the availability (or lack thereof) of the beers and his personal favorites. Again, Adam took more copious notes here and will comment in more detail in a follow-up review of his own. It was evident that Vinnie probably had as much enthusiastic anticipation for this dinner as we all did.
Following are some of my quick notes, bullet style, of impressions of each course.
- Course 1 ~Russian River Damnation
- Course 2 ~Russian River Temptation
- Course 3 ~Russian River Sanctification
- Course 4 ~Russian River Supplication
- Course 5 ~Russian River Blind Pig
- Course 6 ~Russian River Salvation
~Amuse (seafood mousse on grilled meyer lemon)
A tasty start of tiny seafood bites. Damnation is a nice easy-drinking beer with a slight bitter note in the end. This style is one of my top 3 favorites, so it's no surprise to hear me say this. The GABF judges agree, too! Great start to the evening!
~Spicy Thai Shrimp w/grilled watermelon
Nice, even building "heat" in the shrimp. Watermelon didn't move me, though. This barrel-aged award-winning beauty, complete with a touch of wheat-like delicateness paired with the Bret funk in the Temptation, went nicely with the spiciness.
~Grilled Scallops w/grilled cantaloupe
Fish eggs on the plate created the winning combination for me on this night. Perhaps it was the brininess that really helped to bring out and highlight the dank, barnyard, horsehair character of the Sanctification so much more so than when drank without the food. Simply awesome!
~Apple Glazed Duck Breast w/maple glazed, baked lady apple
Duck was rare, tender, and so flavorful. A nice pairing with the Belgian-like Supplication strong ale.
~Mini Pork Tenderloin Sandwich w/grilled pineapple
Such a nice break from the other courses. The IPA (a very, very delicious IPA in every sense) and the sandwich just went together seamlessly. And, neither required much thought-probing analysis...that can actually be a good thing, no? Enhancing the experience was the bleu cheese and the pineapple in the sandwich.
~Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
For as practically perfect of a beer that Salvation is, I think the winner here was the bread pudding. It was a decent enough pairing, but the decadence of the food here seemed to overshadow the some of the dry roastiness of the beer. Some bitter and sweet undertones in the beer helped, but not seemingly enough for me.
Fortunately, we were "able" to miss our 10:15pm train, so we hung out at the bar with Vinnie and others for another 45 minutes waiting for the next train. Stories of beer making and beer travels were told. All around, another solid winner in the history of beer dinners at Monk's. It was a good enough time that we are able to almost forget that we didn't make it to Tomme Arthur's dinner two weeks later. So, up next is Brooklyn Brewery and Garret Oliver in March....life is beery, beery good!