‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry – so I have, or at least I have tried.
I recently partook of a pair of dinners in North Jersey which served to illustrate the steps that beer is taking on its march to respectability at the table and in the kitchen.
Vita, Dolce Hotel, Basking Ridge
The first was a “Chef’s Dinner” for media at Vita, the new restaurant at the Dolce hotel resort in Basking Ridge. I really had no beer expectations for this one; it was billed as primarily a wine pairing. Still it had been a dry spell in the dinner department for the wife and I, and besides, us beer people drink wine too!
But, upon our arrival the host said, “ah, Ale Street News, our sales director has been waiting for you.” It turned out Mark Swetman is an avid home brewer, as is sommelier and food and beverage director Andy Christie. They were eager to talk beer.
At the reception we found a respectable bottle lineup – River Horse Triplehorse, Belhaven Wee Heavy from Scotland and Chimay from Belgium. The taps at the bar could use a little inspiration -- Schneider and Belhaven were the best, but a glaring absence of American craft.
The dinner itself was fantastic -- kitchen seating for up to 20 people with Chef Paul Bogardus “Live” preparing dishes right in front of us. Pan roasted duck breast with chestnut puree, pork osso bucco with cranberry risotto or shellfish cassoulet and a brie cheesecake presented by pastry chef Margaret Siuta.
We had the best seat in the house, front row. We continued to chat about beer (as well as wine) with sommelier Andy who masterfully matched wines with each course. He was very interested in my suggestions for beer pairings. The Belhaven I began with went well with the duck. For the salad I suggested Pilsener; for the osso bucco I recommended a malty winter warmer style beer, for the shellfish cassoulet (with iron-bound chorizo) I suggested Chimay White (Triple) and for the brie cheesecake, a smooth, 7-10% barleywine.
Unassuming and entertaining, chef Paul was also very interested in the idea of a beer dinner. We all agreed, let’s do it. You can dine intimately and lavishly in a variety of settings in Vita’s cavernous restaurant, or you can munch casually in the bar. The 5-7 p.m. Happy Hour presents a good opportunity to check things out. Or stay tuned to www.alestreetonline for a possible beer and food pairing in the New Year.
The Melting Pot, Westwood, NJ
The second dinner was a first for me – a fondue beer dinner at the Melting Pot in Westwood. Well known for its wine list and Bourguignon-style fondue, general manager Michael Astuto has plunged into the world of specialty beers. He’s building a following for his fondue beer dinners which have so far featured Boston Beer (Samuel Adams), Ommegang and Brooklyn Brewery.
Tonight it was the turn of Carlstadt-based Nash Distributors with brews presented by specialty beer manager Lon Lauterio. Lon is the former owner of Mountain Valley Brew Pub in Suffern, NY, who, after a 5-year hiatus returned to the beer business to help 5-generation distributor Nash expand its craft and specialty beer offerings. On the menu were beers from Otter Creek, Ramstein (High Point), Stoudts, Long Trail and Victory.
For many of us, when we think of fondue, we think cheese. After a reception glass of Otter Creek’s Raspberry Brown Winter Ale, we dipped bread and veggies into French onion Swiss cheese fondue, while sipping on Ramstein’s luscious Winter Wheat, a 9.5% malty masterpiece of weizen (wheat) beer brewed in Butler, NJ.
After a California salad paired with Stoudts Double Maibock, the fun really began. A plate piled with
lobster tail, cajun rubbed filet mignon, cajun shrimp, Memphis BBQ pork tenderloin, yellow fin tuna, and honey dijon marinated breast of chicken was planted in front of each couple. The Bourguignon fondue uses oil rather than broth fondues with which I was familiar. The food is essentially battered (or not) and deep-fried, similar to Tempura.
More sauces, dips and batters than we could remember squeezed on to the table top while pots of oil heated on the hotplates in the center of the table. The dipping commenced, and as we all speared and dunked various chunks of meat, fish and veggies (the self-stuffed mushrooms were awesome), the social aspects of fondue dining emerged. Long trail Hibernator, a malty yet fairly light (5.6%) Scottish Ale and Victory Storm King Stout, a dark and hoppy 10%er helped loosen tongues further.
A dark chocolate fondue with espresso finished the evening, paired with Stoudts rich and velvety Fat Dog Oatmeal Stout 9%.
Michael Astuto’s goal is to offer a beer event once a month, but The Melting Pot offers a good beer list anytime. These are just two examples of wine-oriented restaurants taking a serious look at beer. Even sommeliers are homebrewers these days.
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