Cellaring, not always a good idea.

After a long week at work sometimes you just want to curl up with a nice beer and wash the world away. This was my plan last night. I was, however, foiled by the beer itself. I got home wanting something special, but not too special. I went to the cave and found a lovely bottle of Avery Samael from 2007. I have seen reviews that tis may not be the best cellaring beer but figured I had purchased mine a mere 3 mo. ago. Surely it would be fine. It was not fine and don't call me Shirley. It tasted like an oak flavored lollypop. There was no complexity left just sugar and oak and then some more oak with a little sugar on top. Lesson learned; drink the Samael.

With all that said; my night could not be ruined. Snow was falling, we dined with friends and to top it all off we went and saw The Slackers and danced the night away.

Today we are snowed in, such as that is in the South. and I am resting on the couch with a lovely glass of Warre's Warrior. Freshly pored it is a gorgeous deep purple. The nose is slightly hot with a great grape and current finish and a hint of tobacco. The taste is also a little spicy with huge plum and grape; slight blackberry on the back of the tongue.

Kichen Experiments Ep. 1

Last night I found myself with a need to create dinner with what we had in the house. We had just finished a 15 mile bike ride and needed to get ready for the opera later that evening. What follows is a description of a lovely meal even my veggie friends can enjoy.

I started by roasting a butternut squash at 400 for 40-45 min. This gave me time to sit and catch my breath from the bike ride. (The squash was halved and coated in olive oil, salt and pepper. Then placed in a glass backing dish cut side up and 1/2" of water was added to the pan.) When the squash was finished and while it cooled I started a pan with olive oil and started water for pasta. While that heated I chopped half a large onion and tossed it in to saute with a sprinkling of salt. I did this over medium heat bringing the onions slowly to a slight carmelization. Now, with the squash cool enough to handle, I scooped it out of the shell and into the pan. Sauteing the squash and onion together; breaking up the squash as I went. Here, I stopped, and weighed my options for herbs and/or spices . I threw in half a tablespoon or so of a lovely herb mix we got from our local herb purveyor, Rosemary Pete, called Tomato Tantalizer. You could use sage or thyme with great results as well. I was using what was within arms reach. By now the mixture was beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan. I poured in a 1/4 cup of dry vermouth to deglaze the pan. With the vermouth added I could start to really break up the squash and smooth out the entire mixture, but it still wasn't right. I went to the pantry and stared blankly until inspiration hit, Half and Half. I grabbed the carton from the fridge and slowly added it in splashes stirring in between until it was the consistency I was looking for. The pasta was then drained and topped with the luscious sauce and devoured with glee.

After dinner it was on to La Boheme.

Whiskey Warehouse and Wanderlust

Finally getting the chance to make plans with friends who recently went to Paris and wanting to get the low down. We decided we would meet at Whiskey Warehouse. This is a new restaurant located in the former home of Creation (R.I.P) on Plaza Rd in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood. This was the second time for the Mrs. and myself. We were not particularly impressed the first go round but they had just opened and we thought we would give them the benefit of the doubt. We were not rewarded for our kindness.

The decor is exactly what you would expect from a place called Whiskey Warehouse, dark woods some leather couches and barrels. There are also cardboard boxes of cheap bourbon everywhere you look. Its done well, except for the fact that it is a relatively small space and all hard surfaces. It is a bit of an echo chamber and last night it was packed.

We did go a little early so they still had some of the after work crowd blowing off some steam.

Our friends got there first and had already gotten a table, so we sat immediately. Our server turned up fairly quickly to take our drink order but there was no drink menu to be found so she just grabbed the one from the closest table and gave it to us. I find this practice unacceptable, no one should have there meal interrupted because you didn't do your job. I know it is a casual restaurant but it still bothers me. The beer selection is sparse so I ordered a Highland Gaelic Ale and settled in for the details of a trip to Paris. Which were unfortunately brief since our friends had gotten sick immediately upon arrival. But hearing about dinner at the Eiffel Tower definitely began to feed my own wanderlust.

Our meal started with an order of Fried Green Tomatoes which were slightly under cooked but not bad. They had a nice tartness and the breading was well seasoned and hung to the tomato admirably. For the main I ordered fish and chips while the Mrs. had a burger. Our companions has a burger and a chicken sandwich. Our server made a couple of trips back to the table to confirm various details of our order, get a notepad. Between courses we continued to discuss their overseas adventure as well as our plans for our own. When dinner arrived a set of knowing glances shot around the table. This was a sad looking meal indeed. All of the sandwiches were served on weak white sandwich rolls and the burgers were thin frozen patties akin to those found in your local supermarkets freezer section with slices of Kraft cheese on top . The sweet potato fries that accompanied them were soft and flaccid with no discernible flavor of their own. My fish and chips looked more like fried catfish than a proper fish and chips. It was a cornmeal batter on a sad fillet of whitefish, the batter was not crisp and the whole thing was a bit limp. The fries were fine but fairly generic.

When the meal was finished the general consensus was that it was a fine place to meet and have a drink, maybe watch a game, but not to have a meal. With that we beat a hasty retreat and vowed to meet again soon.

The things we will do for free crap

As much as I love Port, I have a friend who loves whisk(e)y, in all its forms, much more. He is a walking library of tasting notes and production techniques. So much so that he reads the industry periodicals. I am in awe of this devotion and possibly a little jealous. So when he informed me that one of our local dives, Snug Harbor, has started a whisk(e)y club, I was immediately intrigued. I myself am not much of a whisk(e)y drinker, Irish is my preference, but I love the opportunity to widen my horizons. The fact that I can be rewarded for my alcoholic adventures with cheap branded swag is also a selling point. Last night was our first foray into the endeavor.

The rules, we learned as we sat down, are as follows. There are three categories Irish, Scotch, and Bourbon and Rye. Each category has eight drinks in it and you have one month to have one of each. If you finish this task you get the afore mentioned bag of swag. If you complete all three categories you are entered into a drawing for the motherload of swag including a bourbon barrel (empty unfortunately), some bottles of liquor (full) and some more branded stuff.

First up, Bourbon and Rye. The whole thing is being sponsored by the Jim Beam company, as we learned from the Jim Beam rep who was flitting around the bar pushing this and other events in the area, so the selection was predictably all Jim Beam products with the exception of Makers Mark.

My first drink was a Bookers. Which is a barrel strength bourbon that is an all out assault on your mouth. It is sweet, spicy and front loaded with alcohol. It burns, it burns in all the right places. It takes a sip or two to settle into the abuse, but once you do, you are rewarded with all of the flavors a young brash whisk(e)y should have. I learned with my second drink why you do not start with the Bookers. As I sipped a Makers Mark it was evident that I had completely worn my tongue out. I am not predisposed to Makers Mark in the first place but this was a truly unfortunate experience. The bookers had gobbled up my ability to taste sweet or spicy and had completely numbed my mouth to the effects of alcohol. What I was left with was an unpleasant mineraly flavor, not unlike that of stale air from your grandmothers basement, on my tongue and a fierce fire in the very back of my throat. The moral of the story is; ask your friend, the expert, the order in which you should proceed when you have no idea what your doing.

Until next time

The siren song of meat

I had every intention of going home for lunch today, when on my way, I was ambushed by meat. The smell that only comes from an old school barbecue place, where they still have real fire and they cook it low and slow, cannot be ignored. I am blaming the weather. It was finally nice enough to drive around with the windows down and thats how the mischief let itself in. The source of the enticement was Old Hickory House on N. Tryon. This is not a place I frequent but I have been known to stop in from time to time.

The Old Hickory House is one of the last true barbecue places left in Charlotte. A place where time stands still and as soon as you get a bite you don't care. The building is an unassuming block bunker with no windows and as soon as you walk in it's the '60s. The walls are paneled and the restaurant is lined with vinyl booths and strewn with tables. There is all manner of country kitsch on the walls and a couple of TVs play silently in the corners.

The staff is endlessly sweet and attentive; as soon as you hit the seat there is someone asking if you want tea. While they retrieve your drink of choice you have a couple of seconds to peruse the simple menu and make up your mind. I have, over the years, had everything on this menu and it is all delicious. Today I went simple with a pork sandwich and fries, not wanting to weight myself down to heavily before going back to work. But they also offer beef, chicken, and ribs as sandwiches or platters. Sides include slaw, Brunswick stew and hushpuppies along with the fries.

The sandwich is heavenly. Slow cooked pork, chopped, and put on a plain white sandwich roll. Now, this is not either Carolina style pork. It is in fact Georgia style, which down plays the vinegar and has a lightly sweeter tomato base to it. For those unfamiliar with the Carolinas barbecue styles I will not get into it now but is definitely a subject I will tackle on a later date. I'm sure there is a Wiki page for both Eastern and Western Style barbecues. The fries that come on the side are fine, filler as far as I'm concerned. They are steak fries, fried well, but nothing special. Normally I wolf down my food, but today it was nice to just sit and enjoy the food and surroundings. I love that places like this still exist. There's nothing fancy; just good food and good people.

Not my usual, at my usual

Last night we went out with a couple of friends to our local, The Crepe Cellar, and I was feeling adventurous. This is probably due to the fact that I have been watching No Reservations non-stop for two weeks now. I was not, however, feeling Tony Bourdain adventurous, I just wanted to get out of my usual rut and try something new.

My drink was not new, but a newly acquired semi-obsession, McRitchies cider. McRitchies is a hard cider produced in North Carolina using locally grown Pink Lady apples. It is wonderfully dry and tart with a great crispness. The color is quite pale and it has just a hint of effervescence; perfect for pairing with a meal. Especially if that meal is Shrimp and Grits.

I have to start by saying I am not really a lover of seafood, I am barely a liker of seafood. I do however, get a craving for shrimp every now and again. Probably a little more often now. My only real complaint with this dish was the amount of gravy may have been a bit much; but only by a little. It comes in the classic form of a bed of creamy grits topped with half a dozen or so shrimp and then a covering of tasso ham and red eye gravy. The flavors and textures were all perfect. I don't know how to get grits to be that creamy but I'm gonna work on it. The true star however is the tasso and gravy, perfectly salty and savory with a total mouth coating consistency that only comes from a days worth of cooking. Sure, I said they could have dialed it back a little but thats only because I didn't have a biscuit to sop up the extras with. After our meal we decided to forgo dessert and head to Revolution for a chewy beer.

As mentioned in a previous post, I keep pretty good tabs on the comings and goings of beer at the Revolution so I knew that the Highland Vintage Ale was landing right about now. As we waded through the crowd and bellied up to the bar I spotted my prey for the evening and flagged down the barkeep.

The Highland Auld Asheville Vintage ale is an old ale that comes in at 9.5 ABV. It was properly presented in a snifter and poured well. The nose is caramel and hop and the color is a beautiful leathery brown. First sip, the caramel is very prominent and the hop attacks the back of your tongue. Subsequent tastes bring out an off flavor that I could not pinpoint. By the end I found it to be a quite one dimensional beer that I think will probably age well to bring out the complexity. I'll give it another shop next time I'm there and maybe do a follow up.

Until next time

The Aluminum Show and the best seat in the house

When things are free you more often than not get what you pay for, this was certainly true last night. The Mrs. and I have been members of our local theaters young professionals group off and on for a few years, In that time the ranks of this organization have swelled considerably. And not to sound like a total jerk but the quality of people has not followed the same upward trend. I understand that when things are free it tends to have this affect, but it has become just another singles meat market as far as I can tell. We met some friends at the event and to none of our surprise it was a disaster area. We graciously accepted our free tickets, sucked down some free food, and looked for our escape route.

The brilliant plan was hatched to head across the street to Ratcliffe on the Green to kill the 45 minuets until showtime. For those unfamiliar with Ratcliffe it is one of our cities finest dining establishments inhabiting one of the oldest buildings left in the city. The location is a former floral shop and comes complete with original Tifanny windows and a bay window that has become the best seat in Charlotte. We meandered over and eyed the rather large crowd at the bar. Upon entering we were informed that the bar had been closed for a private function. Reading the disappointment on our face, the maitre'd, asked if we would like a table. With no where else to go and 45 min to kill we accepted. At that point we were escorted through the entire restaurant and seated in the bay window like royalty. It was marvelous as we all sat there beaming and watching the world go by. I had a lovely glass of Bushmills straight up and a cava for the Mrs. After our drinks and some catching up in an atmosphere more conducive to conversation we hiked back to the theater for the nights entertainment.

I just want to stop here and mention when you are in theater with a group of adults you should not have to tell them to shut up as the show is starting. Seriously, shut up. I'm better now. So what was the show like....?

I'm not sure what I was expecting from "The Aluminum Show" but I'm pretty sure I got it. You have no idea how many different sizes of dryer tube there are available. And, thats pretty much the whole show. Attractive women, a couple of dudes and dryer tubes. All in a vaguely "futuristic" setting. It was pretty much Mad Max goes to a rave. Then there was the not so subtly disguised sex metaphor; Which they did try and address by going for the cheap joke right at the beginning but when you have gyrating girls and dryer tubes what else is it going to be. Then they through crap at you. And, of coarse, the finale is confetti canons; was there any doubt thats how it would end; completing the sex metaphor in a very disco fashion. On the plus side, it was our chance to see the new Knight Theater which was quite beautiful. I hope next time I will be able to enjoy it more.

So that was it.

Date Night

Since I am just starting to write for the masses some of my posts will not be new discoveries but things that I love and feel the need to share. Today is one such day. Last night after a very fruitful neighborhood meeting and a couple of Highland Mocha Stouts; Now, I will stop here and explain that ours is not your average neighborhood association meeting; we meet in a bar. I believe it is for this reason we have such an active neighborhood. Almost everything we do involves drinking. Anyway, so after this months meeting we walked the well worn path over to the Revolution Pizza and Ale House for some dinner. As we got in I quickly pulled up a seat next to the owner to get the skinny on the latest beers to come in. Yes, there were lots of changes coming and they finally got rid of Stella, but the lead was that the keg of Life and Limb was about gone. I quickly excused myself, found my party and ordered a glass. For those unfamiliar with the Life and Limb it is a collaboration between Dogfish and Sierra Nevada that combines rich burny, carmely flavors with hints of hop and a sweet backbone that comes from maple and birch syrups. It is delicious and a monster that clocks in at 10% ABV.

To accompany this lovely thing I needed some fire roasted animal. So an order was placed for the pork belly appetizer. If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life this is definitely in the running. It starts with a layer of potato puree with truffel oil that is then topped with collards sautéed with a healthy mound of garlic and olive oil on top of that lies a slab of perfectly roasted pork belly from Grateful Growers, a local pork producer, and to top it all off some candied red onion.

Unfortunately, as you sit there in a pork and beer educed haze nothing else quite stacks up. We had a lovely white pizza with Peppadew peppers and GG guanciale accompanied by the latest offering from Old Mecklenberg Brewery, the Dunkel.

As I had blown my mouth up, with Life and Limb, there is no way to give this beer a fair shake so I will reserve judgement and report back another time on that.

To finish the evening we had a cup of cappuccino caramel gelato. I have to say this has always been a weakness at Revolution the taste is always fine but the consistency has been an issue. Last night however it was perfect. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that it has been freezing cold and dry here in the south, allowing for purer preparation conditions.

Then we packed up and went home for a well deserved rest.

Is this thing on...

I have, what to me, seems like an exciting and full year ahead of me. So, I have decided to try and document it using the interwebs. I hope a couple of people will decide to follow me on this journey and perhaps find the time to comment on my foibles.

To anyone who stumbles upon this and has no idea who I am. I promise there will be lots of eating, especially local food, from wherever I find myself. There will be lots of drinking; I have a love of Beer, Port, and Irish Whiskey. And, my wife and I just decided on the destination for our 10 year anniversary. We will be going to Brussels, Bruges, and Amsterdam.

I hope this is interesting to read and I don't embarrass my wife. Other than that...

Cheers