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Coppertail/Stillwater Collaboration – Good Ideas Session IPA

Got a chance to try out the Coppertail Brewery last weekend for a fellow zythophile’s birthday. Among a number of really great sour beers was an interesting collaboration with Stillwater Brewery called Good Ideas.

Coppertail-Stillwater Good Ideas Session IPA

A Session IPA, this was very hoppy with a heavy floral note but what I really enjoyed about it was the underlying hint of pine that lasted from the first pull to the back end. Tasted almost like a holiday beer. Christmas in July? I’ll take it.

Definitely planning on heading to Coppertail again soon as I’m very interested to see what their Autumn offerings will entail.

Tried Coppertail? Leave a message in the comments section!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  July 22, 2015 | Categories: Beer | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

Everglades Shrimp and Grilled Parmesan Polenta Cakes

My own take on the classic southern Shrimp & Grits recipe.

Shrimp & Polenta

Shrimp sautéed in olive oil, lime juice, white wine and a pinch of Everglades seasoning served over grilled polenta cakes with parmesan and crushed black pepper.

Posted by  |  July 17, 2015 | Categories: Cullinary Experiments | 1 Comment

Road Trip – Jersey City – Vu, Zeppelin Hall, Porta Pizza and Barcade

Had to do a little traveling for work this past week and found myself in Jersey City. Not the first time I’ve been there but luckily I got to try quite a few places I’ve never been before.

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The first night our Partner took us to dinner at Vu at the Hyatt Regency. A five-course meal in a private room with a view overlooking the Manhattan skyline was honestly a great way to cap off a day of both travel and work.

Crab Cake at Vu

One of the more notable courses was the Maryland-Style Crab Cake which was prepared very well.

Pike at Vu

For the main course I chose the fish, which was a Grilled Pike with a Quinoa Salad and Roasted Baby Heirloom Tomatoes. Pike is one of those fish I’ve just never gotten a chance to try before for one reason or another and I really enjoyed the flavor (likely enhanced by the excellent way it was prepared).

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The next night I wanted to strike out and see a little more of what Jersey City had to offer. Fortunately my sister lives twenty minutes away so she served as my guide for the evening.

Zepplin Biergarten

We started out with a couple of beers at Zeppelin Hall, an authentic German biergarten. Draft selection didn’t quite compare to my local Tampa favorite, Mr. Dunderbak’s, but it got the job done. That’s a Hoeggarden and a Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest.

After drinks we headed to an upscale pizza and pasta restaurant called Porta Pizza.

Gose at Porta

It’s important to note that Murphy’s Law of Rare Beers is not without a sense of irony; after trying Victory’s Kirsch Cherry Gose for the first time a few weeks ago, I’ve been searching Tampa high and low for a taphouse that has it on draft or a liquor store that sells it in bottle but to no avail. Funny that I find it again in a pizzeria in Jersey City of all places.

Olives at Porta

We ordered the olives to snack on while we had our drinks which were very good. They included among others, Castelvetrano olives, which is a particular variety that isn’t easy to find in Tampa.

Pizza and Ravioli at Porta

For dinner we split a Margherita Pizza and an order of Ravioli. Let’s be honest here; we could have taken the PATH into NYC and found a decent slice of pizza in ninety seconds by walking in any direction. But as with the biergarten, the pizza at Porta got the job done. I was slightly more impressed by the ravioli which was served with a really savory cream sauce, somewhat reminiscent of an Alfredo but with a distinct smokey flavor.

EVOO Ice Cream

Our server kept raving about a new desert they had just started serving so we gave it a shot and it wound up being the Piece de Resistance. The Dark Chocolate Covered Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gelato Bar with a Brown Butter Crumb was amazing. I’m not much of a desert guy but I do like some ice cream every now and then and this stuff was off the chain.

Rogue Hazelnut Ale at Barcade

We ended the evening with a couple more drinks at a really unique little joint called Barcade. As the name implies it purveyed an impressive selection of both craft beers and vintage arcade games. Every game I remember from arcades in my childhood was there; Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac Man, Mr. Do, Asteroids and many others. If you played it when you were a kid in the 80’s it was there and its apparent someone put a LOT of love into locating and/or restoring functioning cabinets of all these games. The draft selection was impressive and I went with Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Ale which I had never tried before but really enjoyed.

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While Jersey City may not be anyone’s first choice when it comes to food, especially with all the epicurean options of New York City right across the river, there were still some gems hidden away and I’m glad we took the time to explore a few.

Been to Jersey City? Have any favorite locations? Leave a message in the comments section below!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  June 21, 2015 | Categories: Beer, Restaurants | Leave a comment

Review – 100 Montaditos

I tend to shy away from chain restaurants and their cookie-cutter menus but 100 Montaditos is an exception in almost every way possible. First, it’s a primarily European chain with only two other US locations, one in NYC and another in DC so it’s not exactly like a Chipotle. Second, their menu, is so huge you could eat there 1000 times and never get the same combination twice. Third, I’ve seen the menus for their other locations and there are definitely some variations. All of which, coupled with the incredible flavors of their food, garnered the need for a review…

100-montaditos sign

Literally translating to “100 small sandwiches,” I probably wouldn’t have attempted to seek out 100 Montaditos on my own (and if it wasn’t for the fact that it opened up right next door to the Wiregrass Brass Tap that I frequent every other weekend I might not have ever tried it). When explaining it to others, the best description I can give is “Spanish Sliders.” I love choice when it comes to menus and this place serves it up in droves.

With a decidedly Spanish décor, 100 Montaditos is another type of half-service location where you order at a counter and they bring you your food. Because the selection is so large, they give you a paper menu and a pencil and you check off what you’d like (as if you were ordering sushi). With a number of different kinds of breads, sauces, meats/fishes, cheeses and toppings, the flavor combinations are outstanding.

100 Montiditos 4

My first time there I tried the #15 (Baby Shrimp, Lettuce and Ali Oli), the #71 (Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Arugula), and the #77 (Anchovies, Fresh Tomato, Mayo and Spanish pickles). On the side I just ordered some fries with their incredibly spicy Serrano Ketchup and a small bowl of their Spanish Olives.

You would think three tiny sandwiches wouldn’t be much, but once it’s on the plate it’s actually quite a lot of food. Everything was fresh, from the meat to the sauces to the bread. My favorite of the bunch was the # 77. The anchovies and the pepinillo pickles were extremely flavorful (and I don’t normally reach for mayo when I make a sandwich).

100 Montiditos 2

On my second shot, I tried the #25 (Tuna, Fresh Tomato, Arugula, Spanish Pickles and Ali Oli), the #66 (Manchego Cheese, Fresh Tomato, Green Pepper and Anchovies) and the #75 (Smoked Salmon, Blue Cheese, Arugula and Olive Oil). This time I tried the Bravas Potatoes instead of the fries and while I wanted to try to Ali Oli sauce as a side, the spice-o-holic in me couldn’t tear myself away from the Serrano Ketchup.

Again, nothing short of a flavor explosion. The #66 was my favorite in this bunch although the Tuna in the #25 held it’s own. The Bravas Potatoes were a little more robust than the fries and I will probably stick with those on future visits.

For those with a proclivity for red meat, there are plenty of options from traditional Spanish meats like Chorizo, Serrano Ham, Salchicho, Lomo and Christorra as well as more American fare like Philly Steak, Meatballs and BBQ Pulled Pork. If you’re looking for something other than a sandwich, they do have salads and a number of appetizers and small plates like Tortilla Espanola (a type of Spanish egg fritata), Crispy Calamares, and Croquetas.

If you want to have a drink, a selection of beer, wine and sangrias are available. While I was waiting, I did hear someone at the table next to me comment on how much they loved the sangria, so take from that what you will.

100 Mondatidos also has specials on Wednesdays and Sundays with Wednesdays being 1.00 sandwiches and Sundays a 2 for 1.

montaditos-dulces

And while I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, their Chocolate Montaditos look kind of amazing. Chocolate bread with different combinations of fillings like Sweet Cream, Hazelnut Spread, Chocolate/White Chocolate, Spanish Almonds and Oreo Cookies look like they will win over desert lovers everywhere.

As you can probably tell from my above photos, I’ve preferred to take their food home rather than eat in-house and 100 Montaditos just might have become my Sunday night go-to, when I just don’t feel like cooking. Although at some point I’m pretty sure I will order takeout again, bring it the 10 steps next door to the Brass Tap and eat it there. Pairing this food with a spicy beer like 5 Rabbit’s 5 Vulture Oaxacan Dark Ale or Pair O’Dice’s Mexicali Jalapeno Lime Pale Ale would be nothing short of astounding.

Tried 100 Montaditos? Leave a message in the comments section!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  June 6, 2015 | Categories: Beer, Restaurants, Wine | Leave a comment

Victory Kirsch Cherry Gose @ the Brass Tap

Stopped off at the Carrollwood Brass Tap with a couple of good friends the other day and they had a very interesting brew on tap, Victory’s Kirsch Cherry Gose.

Victory Kirsch Gose

I’ve been a big fan of Goses since I first tried them a couple of years ago. Goses are sour beers that are typically brewed with coriander and salt which makes for a very interesting combination of flavors. While many are citrus-based as it gives the brewer an already sour note to start on, this was the first time I’ve tried one brewed with cherries.

This pours a bright red with a good deal of foam; it almost looked like a cherry soda. You could smell the cherries right off the bat.

The Kirsch had a slightly acidic feel on the tongue and the carbonation was higher than in most brews I’ve tried. This beer had a solid consistent taste of tart cherries and salt from the first pull to the back end; there was almost a candy-like quality to the flavor. If you’ve ever had a Black Cherry Warhead when you were a kid this is the closest thing to it in liquid form that I could imagine (although not quite as pucker-inducingly sour).

Looking forward to locating this in a bottle so I can see if the flavor compares with the draft. If you can manage to locate this and you like sours, definitely try this one.

Tried the Victory Kirsch? Leave a message in the comments section!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  May 28, 2015 | Categories: Beer | 2 Comments

40th Birthday Beer – Growlers, Glasses and Guides!

Last night some friends of mine took me out to celebrate my upcoming 40th birthday. Among some really great gifts were a couple of beer-related gems.

Cigar City Growlers

Two of my buddies stopped by the Cigar City Brewery and picked up a couple of growlers. One is the Little Lady Friend which is a Belgian Session Ale and the other is the English Dark Maduro a slightly different take on their Maduro Brown Ale. I’ve never tried either of these varieties before so I’m looking forward to cracking at least one of these open tonight.

Laser Etched Glasses

And they will be served in one of these. Another group of friends picked me up some really cool new beer glasses and had my initials laser-etched into them.

Great Florida Craft Beer Guide

While I’m sitting on my lanai drinking a couple of brews, I might as well enjoy some reading material as well. Another friend gave me the Great Florida Craft Beer Guide which is guaranteed to lead me on some great beer-seeking adventures in the very near future.

Huge thanks to all my friends who came out to celebrate the fact that the earth rotated around the sun 40 times since I was born. I’m a lucky guy…

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  May 10, 2015 | Categories: Beer | Tags: | Leave a comment

Small Bites – Smoked Salmon and Gorgonzola Crostini and Fig Jam and Goat Cheese Mini-Toasts

Had some good friends over for a few drinks and that always means a table full of small bites to munch on. If there’s going to be a good deal of drinking involved, I always prefer smaller plates as opposed to a full dinner. Everyone can eat their fill and decide for themselves how much to eat and how much to drink. Since we did mainly apps, I experimented with some crostini and mini-toast dishes which my friends apparently dug.

Gorganzola and Smoked Salmon on Crostini

The first was a Gorgonzola and Smoked Salmon with Fresh Dill Weed on Crostini. Popped these in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350, just long enough to melt the cheese and heat the salmon a little.

Fig Jam and Goat Cheese on Mini-Toast

The second was Fig Jam and Goat Cheese with Chopped Pecans on Mini-Toasts. Left this one in the oven at the same temp but for about 10 minutes as the goat cheese took a little longer to melt.

Of course I have great friends who never show up empty-handed that contributed to the table full of food.

Twinkie Cake

The highlight was probably my friend’s dessert which was a Twinkie Cake.

Twinkie Cake 2

Yes, that’s a cake made out of layers of Twinkies and fresh strawberries. Tasted very similar to a strawberry shortcake. I haven’t eaten a Twinkie since I was a kid and I don’t really remember them tasting this good.

And last but not least, what’s a night of drinks without some good beer?

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat

One of my friends mentioned that they liked this, so I picked some up. I haven’t had a Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat since college and it was as good as I remember if not better (which is saying a lot as I’m sure my palette has changed a great deal in the last 20 years).

A good night spent doing one of my favorite things to do: gathering around a table with good brews, great food and even greater company.

Have a favorite app or desert? Leave a message in the comments!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  April 19, 2015 | Categories: Beer, Cullinary Experiments | Tags: | Leave a comment

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Risotto

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Risotto 2

I’ve tried to make Risotto before and each time I failed miserably. It always wound up coming out either a soupy mess, or a gummy pile of overly-sticky rice that lumped up on a fork. Risotto is tricky, probably because it’s so precise. It’s almost like baking (which I’ve already admitted I’m not good at either) and because I’m more of an experimental “eyeball and wing it” type of cook, it’s no wonder I was never able to hone in on the “Goldilocks” zone in which the Risotto came out just right.

However I recently stumbled across a great article on my Zite feed from Epicurious called The Only Risotto Recipe You’ll Ever Need. This article seems to distill it down to a simple base and lets you go from there. So I decided to give it another shot.

 Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Risotto Ingredients

As the linked recipe says, I started with 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth and 4 cups of water brought to a boil and then lowered to a simmer. Then in a large pot I sautéed a 1/2 cup of finely chopped shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-high until they were soft. Added the Arborio rice and stirred for one minute. Added 3/4 of Chardonnay and stirred for another 2 minutes.

Now I think this is the part I kept screwing up in the past and I have to wonder if it’s the same mistake a lot of folks make when they attempt this dish. Instead of adding the water/broth mixture all at once, which I had done in the past, I added it in three smaller batches of 2 cups at a time. I waited until the Arborio had absorbed all the liquid before adding the next 2 cups, stirring often and then repeated a third time. Cooked for 20 minutes until the rice was soft and added 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 3 or 4 healthy grinds of black pepper. There’s a little bit of reserve liquid leftover in case it’s still a little dry, but I found out I didn’t need to utilize it.

Now the fun part. The article gave some suggestions, but I went my own way here. Folded in a whole filet of smoked salmon, some sautéed asparagus tips and a 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

As someone who’s wrecked a Risotto on more than one occasion I was pleasantly surprised by how well this came out. Even before folding in the extras, it was a creamy, well-balanced dish. Flavors melded beautifully and the texture was absolutely perfect.

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Risotto 3

This was a seriously great recipe and I’m thankful to the folks at Epicurious for posting because it really helped me get over the Risotto hump. The fact that the base is all you really need and there are endless combinations at that point means I plan on experimenting with some different flavors quite a bit in the future.

Tried to make your own Risotto? Have a favorite Risotto recipe? Leave a message in the comments section!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  March 23, 2015 | Categories: Cullinary Experiments | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

New Beer Friday! – Big Storm Brewery’s Wavemaker Amber Ale

Rather than wallow in the fact that the Fall and Winter Beer seasons are over and slowly rationing out my dwindling stock of Marzens, Harvest Wheats and Pumpkin and Winter Ales I’ve given myself the task of trying more of what the other seasons have to offer with an open mind. For today’s New Beer Friday, I’m starting with the Wavemaker Amber Ale made by the boys over at Big storm Brewery right here in the Bay Area.

Big Storm Wavemaker Amber

The Wavemaker pours a deep red with about half an inch of head (which unfortunately dissipated while I was trying to get the lights out on my lanai to turn on). There’s a significant toasty aroma which is rather pleasing.

The first pull brings a slightly sweet caramel and malt flavoring complimented by a very mellow citrus note with just the tiniest bit of spice. There’s a little bit of a bitter bite on the back end but it rounds out rather quickly. This is an expertly balanced amber ale; as dark as this beer is, it’s still remarkably light. This is the kind of beer I could drink outside on a hot summer day.

I’m digging the Wavemaker. It’s a very solid amber offering and enough of a kick in the pants to make me want to get my ass down to Big Storm’s tasting room over in Odessa, especially if I can get this stuff on draft.

Tried the Wavemaker Amber or any of Big Storm’s other brews? Leave a message in the comments section!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  March 14, 2015 | Categories: Beer | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Mojo Chicken Soup with Sage

My northern friends will likely balk at this as they’re currently enduring below-zero temps but for Southern Florida, 28 degrees is still pretty damn cold. It’s also a perfect night for soup.

Mojo and Sage Chicken Soup

This is a pretty standard chicken soup recipe with just a slight twist. Chicken stock, extra wide egg noodles, shredded chicken, sliced carrots and a healthy few grinds of cracked black pepper. However, instead of regular chicken I used a mojo seasoned chicken and then added in just a little bit of fresh sage during the last 10 minutes of simmering. Adds a little kick and a nice bit of depth.

And I now have a stomach filled with warm soup on a cold night.

Have a favorite chicken soup recipe? Leave a message in the comments!

And remember… the food abides…

Posted by  |  February 20, 2015 | Categories: Cullinary Experiments | Tags: , , | Leave a comment