Every year we wait for this dinner to come and it finally happened. This one was such an exciting event and we were lucky to have some new faces at the tables. It was our kickoff dinner for the dining project "la mesita sin nombre". Tons of preparation went into it again and special thanks to all of those who helped making the mole, shucking oysters, dishes, serving, etc. Also, thanks to Jeff from Ballast Point for providing some great Calico amber ale.
The day started off with early prepping of the dishes, last minute runs to the store, and turning our home into an intimate dining experience. Luckily, Farra creates the action plan that brings it all together.
When the guests arrived they were greeted with a pint of Ballast Point's Calico amber ale and an assortment of cheeses. From Venissimo in Mission Hills we had the Cahill Porter, a unique mosaic looking cheesed pressed in port beer, the Tipperary Irish Cheddar aged 12 months that give it a sharp and creamy texture, Cotswold, a super yummy creamy double gloucester with onions and chives, Chimay made by monks and bathed in beer, and last but not least Humboldt Fog with its signature creamy, pungent ashynees. From the North Park Meat Co. we had Point Reyes blue cheese and the Sweet Grass Dairy's aged cow cheddar as well as the smoked local spotted bass, which was left with only bones.
When the guests arrived they were greeted with a pint of Ballast Point's Calico amber ale and an assortment of cheeses. From Venissimo in Mission Hills we had the Cahill Porter, a unique mosaic looking cheesed pressed in port beer, the Tipperary Irish Cheddar aged 12 months that give it a sharp and creamy texture, Cotswold, a super yummy creamy double gloucester with onions and chives, Chimay made by monks and bathed in beer, and last but not least Humboldt Fog with its signature creamy, pungent ashynees. From the North Park Meat Co. we had Point Reyes blue cheese and the Sweet Grass Dairy's aged cow cheddar as well as the smoked local spotted bass, which was left with only bones.
Just before dinner we served baked oysters filled with pickled jalapeños, a splash of calico amber and some colby jack cheese. Thanks for your help shucking, Ethan!!!
Every year there's always one dish that catches us by surprise and this year it was the gnocchi! We thought about buying the gnocchi fresh from an Italian market, but we just couldn't do it after putting so much thought and time into the handmade menu. So began the adventure.... 3 variations, 5 hours and over 300 gnocchi later...we served our first course: sauteed gnocchi with snap peas, pea tendrils, chanterelle mushrooms, and shallots paired with one of my favorite American Breweries, North Coast Brewing Co's Pranqster, a Belgian Golden Style Ale. The floral notes brought out the earthiness in the potatoes and chanterelles and the beer's crispness paired well with the freshness of the snap peas.
2nd course: beef short ribs braised in coffee and chile ancho sauce topped with mole poblano and served with a yam puree The mole was prepared by friends and family the previous weekend. This was the hardest pairing for me to find a beer that went well with such complex flavors. I purposely did not do a porter because of the one we had in the lineup for dessert. After trying different pairings for dinner almost every night that week, I finally found Bison Brewing Co's Organic Chocolate stout. The hints of chocolate brought out the mole's ch0colate notes and the stout's sweetness also balanced out the spicyness.
After the rich and heavy mole dish we thought that a nice salad would balance the whole meal out right before moving onto the decadent dessert. 3rd course: Butter leaf lettuce, red spinach, and a citrus avocado dressing. Paired with Alpine Beer Co's Mandarin Nectar Ale. The beer's mandarin honey like flavor really brought out the citrus in the salad and the crisp fresh leaves kept the dish very fresh and clean. This was a favorite of many!
And the moment that everyone waits for....dessert. Dessert is always a fun course to play around with to try and pair every single flavor in the sweet with a matching beer. There are so many great dessert beers out there, but I was biased because earlier in the week I visited Ballast Point's brewing facility and had the opportunity to sample their newly released, "Victory at Sea". I think I was secretly looking for a dessert to pair with the beer! Luckily, Farra and I were on the same page because she had been wanting to make these itsy bitsy chocolate chip cookies! Handmade Vanilla Bean ice cream was a no brainer at this point. 4th course: Home made vanilla bean ice cream with itsy bitsy chocolate chip cookies. Paired with Ballast Point's "Victory at Sea" Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter. This was heaven in your mouth, easily enjoyed, and a great way to finish the dinner.
After dinner there is nothing better than a little shot of after dinner delight: Polish honey vodka: Krupnik to warm your belly. Here is Farra happily passing out shot after shot. The shots were a hit and needless to say, the Polish bottle was Polished off (yes, pun intended).
The night was such a success and truly filled with a richness and soul that you just couldn't have found in any restaurant. I guess that's exactly what inspires us to create these gatherings with our community and friends.The next project is set to be at the end of May, so please join us. We'll post the invitation on the blog and most likely send out an email with the updated blog. We absolutely look forward to sharing our tables with you and thank everyone for their support and love for an unparalleled combination of food, friends, libations and community.
THANKS AGAIN AND STAY TUNED...
