Falling into Fall

The fall beer dinner brought us back those feelings we all remember growing up in California, the falling leaves, those brisk cold nights, layers of clothes, the smoky aroma of wood burning, or not! At least we think its fall right? We decided to push ourselves a bit and use some of our favorite styles, Belgian beers.

Chanterelles foraged by my good friend Josh. He had come to visit a few days earlier and since he knows of my love for these earthly beauties he went out foraging in his South Carolina backyard, and flew them out here for me. What better way to use them than to share them with everyone.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves and a Toasty Parmesan Crisp. Ommegang's Abbey Ale did the honors on this one.

Local Grass-fed Flat Iron with Duchesse de Bourgogne sauce, Roasted Shallots,Parrano Mashed Potatoes, and Chanterelle Bundles. The veggies had the Vegetarian Sheppard’s Pie option. Paired with Rodenbach Grand Cru. Kevin and I wanted to use local grass-fed beef so we headed over to Homegrown Meats in La Jolla and found some from the Palomar mountains.

As always we brought the salad after the main. Sweet Pear and Apple Salad with Bitter Endive and a Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing paired with Firestone Walker's, Union Jack IPA.

Lastly, everyone's favorite, dessert. This handmade Pumpkin Ice Cream & Churritos were the perfect pairing for The Bruery's Autumn Maple. The ice cream still had some nice texture from the pumpkin puree and its sweetness was complimented by the beers dark roast malt, sweet molasses, and the immense amount of yams in there. A couple of months ago, Kevin and I were at The Bruery's brewery. Hot day and all, we walked in and smelled the sweet aroma of yams. As soon as we knew what they were brewing up as their fall beer we knew we had to use it. This was probably our favorite pairing, as well.

Thanks to all the new diners. It's always our pleasure creating a beautiful space, carefully testing out the perfect beer pairing for the handmade food, and being able to share it with all of you.

We will see you in January for the next event, which we have a surprise twist that we know you will all love and appreciate.

La Mesita