This summer we've been cooking our way through the terrific book by Wes Avila. Love the truck, but super satisfying to read his story and make this deliciousness at home. We've done a bunch of taco/tostada recipes (braised oxtail, cauliflower with dates and olives, poke, butter-poached grouper, shrimp with white nectarines, etc.) as well as the albondigas, and recipes consistently balance food quality, interesting combinations of flavors and techniques, and not taking all day to prepare.
A brettanomyces IPA that we waited ~5 years to drink. Pale gold (SRM 4) with a big, lasting topper of foam. Nose is incredibly intriguing: funky, with a warm spiciness and a hint of peach (?). Flavor is crazy different too, with some back of the throat spice and leather funk, but balanced by a pleasant carbonation and hoppiness. I dig it.
A collaboration with Northern Monk in Leeds, England, Fuerst Wiacek in Berlin, Germany, and Vitamin Sea (also in Massachusetts). Pours hazy and straw-colored (SRM 3) with a lot of persistent foam. Nose is mostly hops, which come through beautifully in the first sip. Unfortuantely, some sweet orange-y flavors quickly compete, and the flavors begin to clash a bit with each other, leaving an almost chemically aftertaste that I didn't enjoy. I hope they keep experimenting.
Appearance-wise, light (SRM 3) and hazy, but with a alluringly persistent foam. Fruity aroma of orange, pineapple and a hint of hop resin. Tasting, melon joins the pineapple and orange party, beautifully balanced with piney hops. Not one then the other, but altogether, and a long-lasting citrus finish. One of the best "juicy" IPAs I've tried. Reckon those Alaskans have lots of time indoors to practice their brewcraft.
A favorite spot for date night. Everything they make is cooked with wood. Cocktails are truly fantastic. I usually go with "Cigarettes and Coffee" but tried "Three's Company" this time: a well-balanced stir of bourbon, sherry, Gran Classico, and house-made Onyx bitters. Food-wise, we almost always go for the pictured wedge salad, a lettuce-founded masterpiece of dank roquefort, smoky bacon, thick-sliced heirloom tomatoes, and tangy pickled onions. Burger is another stunner on the menu, but on this occassion we had a wonderfully crisp pizza.
Apparently named after "bros who like My Little Ponies," this one is honey gold (SRM 5) and hazy. Not much in the way of a head. Inviting nose, grapefruit and strawberries (!). Guessing the berries are to do with the double dry hopping and exotic hop bill (huell melon, monteuka, citra & rakau). Taste the strawberries, too, blooming into tangy orange, and finishing with some hoppy bitterness. I could have used a bit more
hop oompf, but overall well-balanced and crreamy. Props.
From Fargo, ND to my mailbox via Tavour, this one poured pale (SRM 3) and hazy. Thin foam dissipated rapidly. Piney and fresh aroma, not much fruit. Tastes dry and hoppy, quite dank on the finish. Not what I would herald as "juicy." A little less body and carbonation than I would have liked. Overall, the name was a welcome misnomer after drinking too much orange juice of late, but I certainly wouldn't drive to North Dakota for one.
Received second shipment from Tavour, my new favorite app. They post a few new beers a day, and if you like the looks of anything, you click "Get it," which adds it to a "crate" which gets shipped to you each month (for a flat shipping fee of $15). My fridge is now fully stocked with exotic hazy IPAs from across the nation, which I have been drinking and assiduously making tasting notes.
Wife and one daughter were traveling, so took my other daughter out for a fancy dinner after her terrific talent show performance. Started with fresh sourdough and whipped pork fat. Bread was great; would have preferred butter. Moved on to pork belly steam buns, Brussels sprout caesar, battered halibut, and Uncle Lou's fried chicken. Sprouts were the hands-down fav.
One of my daughters and I were in Stockholm for a fantastic "Frontiers of Engineering" Symposium, and walked into this cozy brewpub near our hotel on our first night. I knew of Mikkeller from locations in L.A. and San Diego, but had never visited. Seemed fitting to experience it in Scandinavia. Bartender was super nice, beer was tasty, and we enjoyed the smogasbörd of rye bread topped with pickled fish, dill, etc. Would stop back anytime I'm in STMHLM.
During our vacation on the Big Island, we tried a few little breweries in Hilo and the mega Kona Brewing Co., but this place was the gem that we came back to. 3 visits in as many weeks. They had several IPAs on tap, some infused with local fruits (dragonfruit IPA...), but all very hoppy and none too fruity. Food for kids was solid, and the taproom was a really nice place to hang out away from the crowds of tourists. Highly recommend.
Couldn't resist the irony of spending 24 hours using a combination of sous vide and outdoor grill to prepare a fast food favorite from my childhood. Hats off to J. Kenji López-Alt for dreaming the dream on this one. That said, they didn't turn out like I had hoped: the final product was dry and didn't hold together, and I wish I had just served the ribs and not tried deconstructing and reconstituting them.
Tried out the new Lost Winds Brewing Company in San Clemente on Friday, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Tried 3 different IPAs, all of which were well-balanced and plenty hoppy. My favorite was the Stairway, but the double Whirlpool Galaxy was just fine, too. We played some chess upstairs in their attractive and as yet uncrowded space, and picked up some snazzy new tee shirts with their cool windblown palm logo. Will be back.
This is one kids, wife, and mother-in-law all love. To make this Oaxacan masterpiece, I use a slightly-modified version of a recipe credited to Diana Kennedy. This time I also tested out my new Joule on the chicken, with extra-succulent results. That said, you could quite literally put this sauce on an old boot and enjoy the meal.