Tomatoes everywhere!

Monday brought friends back to Beer Kitchen, as the folks from Kurlbaum Farms joined us for the Summer Beer Dinner -

The food was spectacular, the beers expertly paired. Sweet and acidic tomatoes with tart, sour, hoppy, and everything in between.

It started with an amuse-bouche of a Bloody Mary, the way all good meals should start. This had some heat to it, too. Perfect.

All meals should probably contain this dish, too. Tomato-glazed bacon, with a ricotta and tomato jar. And toast. Toast is always good. Jolly Pumpkin's Calabaza Blanca was great here. Light but funky, able to share the stage with the food, and nothing overwhelmed.

Ahi tartare "benedict" with a Nightshade tomato bearnaise. mmm, yes. Monk's Cafe is less funky and more sour, and almost served as a wine here. And the tuna dish wasn't fishy in the slightest, instead rich and tasty.

It's important for summer dishes to keep things cool, so these are two cool dishes back-to-back. A chilled avocado soup with tomato "croutons." This was like eating guacamole with a spoon. Something we've all done. Pivo Pils from Firestone Walker was perfect, a light and hoppy pilsner that would be lovely alongside this chilled soup on a patio.

Now the main dish, heritage farms pig in a box with sticky rice and a tomato usu glaze, with Cambridge Brewing's Sgt. Pepper saison. Tender pork in an Asian-inspired dish, with a big sprig of cilantro, perfect sticky rice, and a great sweet tomato sauce. The peppery saison was another good summer beer, easy to drink and a fantastic compliment to the food. 

It's hard to believe, but there's tomato in the dessert! A marshmallow ice cream sandwich sounds decadent by itself, but when it's paired with a Deschutes Obsidian Stout Diesel (a "beer cocktail," stout mixed with root beer. If you ever see Beer KC's Beer Director Randyl out and about, buy her a diesel. They're her favorite!) it goes up to the next level. A great end to a great meal. I'm already looking forward to the next visit from Kurlbaum!

Summer beer dinner with Kurlbaum Farms

A yearly favorite returns, as Beer Kitchen and Kurlbaum Farms once again team up for a summer beer dinner this August 4th. This is the fourth time the heirloom tomatoes have been featured in a dinner, and each time they impress. The dinner this August looks like it could top them all -

Amazing tomato dishes paired with amazing beers, what could be better? To reserve your spot for this refreshing dinner, call Beer Kitchen at 816-389-4180. This one usually sells out in a hurry, so make your $50 reservation today!

Once again, We Say Tomato

Last year's beer dinner with Kurlbaum's heirloom tomatoes opened up my eyes (and taste buds) to the world of heirloom vegetables. I was sort of familiar with the concept, and knew they had a much better flavor than the mass-produced tomatoes usually found in stores, but that was about it. I didn't know the rich history behind the seeds, legacies being traced back hundreds of years, and the different varieties that exist. Check out their website for some more about the history of the tomatoes and what kinds they have on their Tomato Varieties page. They had some information about their farming methods as well - they dry farm, which means they don't irrigate the plants. So you'd think the mild, wet summer we've had would be a boon, but tomatoes actually like warmer, dryer climates. Last year was a great year for them, this year has been a little slower. That just makes this dinner that much more special!

It started off with a reception pairing, almost an amuse-bouche, called "El Matador." A tasty combination of fresh mozzarella, a Juanne Flame tomato, and I believe prosciutto, served with McCoy's Cerveza in a sort of "chelada/cubana" style - some Worcestershire sauce, peppers, and salt. With the tomato it kind of had the feel of a beer Bloody Mary. I could go for having one of these most every morning.

The Juanne Flame is a flavorful tomato, sometimes given the title of "best tasting tomato ever." It certainly worked well with the bit of spiciness in the beer, and the combination of tomato, mozzarella, and pork is one for the ages.

The first course continued the fun presentation, this time with tempura Gold Medal tomatoes with bay scallops and lobster miso butter, served in a "takeout" box. Oh goodness. My love for scallops and lobster has been documented (most recently with the sea scallop taco in the Lips of Faith dinner), and this dish didn't disappoint. The tempura Gold Medal tomato was a subtle addition to some hugely rich flavors (I'm not ashamed to say I nearly licked the lobster butter clean). Tallgrass's Wild Plum Farmhouse Ale cut through the richness of the dish, providing a good, sweet counterbalance. And I learned something about this beer! The plums used were grown near Manhattan, KS, in farmhouses!

Now a salad course to lighten things a little, with pickled Brandy Wine tomato, crisp romaine, charred vinaigrette, and Maytag blue cheese, paired with the latest year-round offering from Boulevard, the Pop-Up Session IPA. The bitterness from the IPA and the acidity from the tomatoes complimented each other beautifully. And another classic pairing, this time with tomato and blue cheese. Maytag is one of the finest available, made in Iowa. Sticks with the local (-ish) theme for the dinner.

The third course was pureed Belmont tomato with crispy bass and gnocchi paired with the Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen. I think it's safe to say now that I like fish. I thought I didn't, but these dinners have turned me. It helps when the fish is as well prepared as this. The Belmont puree was almost like a tomato sauce, but some of the best tomato sauce ever. It gave some acidity to the dish. And gnocchi is just good. A bite of everything on the plate made for a wonderful melding of flavors. The Gordon Biersch Hefe (the first ever GB beer served at Beer Kitchen!) was nice, with a hint of banana and clove, like a good hefeweizen has. It didn't overpower the food, but provided a nice mellow background.

Thanks to Brent for letting me use his plate as a model. His was pretty.

Next was a big one. Berkshire pork with bacon jus and stewed San Marzano tomatoes. Again, the pork/tomato combo. Add in a potato croquette and I want all of it you have. This was delicious. Tender and succulent pork, some tang from tomato, and saltiness from the bacon jus. McCoy's Sticke Alt is malty and sweet, rounding out the flavor profile for the course. Great, now my mouth's watering. This was excellent

So excited to eat, I couldn't get my finger out of the way for the photo

A beer dinner would not be complete without a dessert, especially when tomatoes are involved. Last year's dessert was a cobbler with ice cream. This time around it had macerated Black Krim tomatoes, shortbread, whipped cream, syrup, and Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel. More savory than sweet, it was a great light finish to the evening. The shortbread was crumbly and delicious, with light whipped cream and the sweet tang of the tomatoes.

I'm already looking forward to next year's dinner with the Kurlbaums! And I'm definitely going to have to seek out some heirloom tomatoes for myself.

Keep an eye out here soon for the next beer dinner, which will be the annual vegetarian meal.

McCoy's Sticke Alt now on tap!

Looking to expand your beer horizons this weekend? Come out and try the latest from McCoy's, a collaboration with Gordon Biersch - Sticke Alt. This is a little bit stronger than a usual Altbier, dark and malty and smooooooth. Maybe smoooove. Do people say that? Either way, it's good, and on tap now at both McCoy's and the Foundry.

Bad phone picture, good beer

Or if you're looking to join in the IPA Day celebration, the Foundry has Boulevard's Pop-Up IPA on tap! It's a sessionable IPA, clocking in at only 4.2% ABV. All of the hops you want in an IPA, but you can have one or two without feeling overcome by alcohol like you might with some of the bigger boys.

Don't forget that the beer dinner featuring heirloom tomatoes from Kurlbaum's Farm is just around the corner! It's coming up Monday, August 5th, at 7 pm. If you're not familiar with heirloom tomatoes, read this great blog post from The History Kitchen about the history of heirloom seeds. It's amazing to know that you're eating fruits and vegetables that trace back hundreds of years! 

Say "Tomato" with us and Kurlbaum's farm!

It's once again time for the annual WE SAY TOMATO beer dinner, featuring heirloom tomatoes from Kurlbaum's Farm! Last year's dinner was great fun, and this year adds a cool twist of pairing the delicious tomatoes with beers all from local breweries, including some newer releases - Tallgrass's Wild Plum Farmhouse and Boulevard's Pop-Up Session IPA, along with McCoy's Cerveza and Sticke Alt, Gordon Biersch's Hefeweizen, and Long Strange Tripel from Boulevard.

A few of the tomato varieties are the same as some from last year (Juanne Flame, Gold Medal, and Brandy Wine) but used in different manners. And I was a fan of the dessert tomato last time around, so I'm looking forward to see how it turns out this year.

The dinner is at 7 pm on Monday, August 5th. Call us today at 816-389-4180 for reservations! It's $55 for six courses paired with the beers, tax and gratuity included. Don't miss out on a great chance to learn a little about some historic tomatoes, and to see how delicious the heirlooms can be!

AMUSE/RECEPTION

“EL MATADOR” WITH JUANNE FLAME ON A STICK
McCoy’s Cerveza

1ST
TEMPURA GOLD MEDAL
BAY SCALLOPS/LOBSTER MISO BUTTER
Tallgrass Wild Plum Farmhouse

2ND
PICKLED BRANDY WINE
CRSIP ROMAIN/CHARRED VINAIGRETTE/MAYTAG
Boulevard Pop-Up Session IPA

3RD
PUREED BELMONT
CRISPY BASS/GNOCCHI
Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen

4TH
STEWED SAN MARZANO
BERKSHIRE PORK/BACON JUS
McCoy’s Sticke Alt

5TH
CANDIED BLACK KRIM
SHORTBREAD/WHIPPED/SYRUP
Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

Remembering the night that was: The Local Pig Beer Dinner

A very full Beer Kitchen played host to September's beer dinner last night - a six-course meal prepared by Local Pig's Chef Alex Pope. It was fantastic. I know I say it after every dinner, but I promise, it doesn't make it any less true.

If you're not familiar Local Pig, you should be. Alex Pope opened the charcuterie early in 2012, with an emphasis on local products. In addition to the ever-changing meat offerings, the store offers premium spices, a butcher box subscription (spots fill up in a hurry, so if you see an opening announced, act quickly!), and classes on breaking down whole animals and making your own meats. And everyone at the shop is a beer lover! If you're a home brewer, you can trade some of your beers for sausages. I believe there's a limit of six at once, but that's unofficial, so don't hold me to it.

That's a little look into why this dinner was so enticing, and sold out in a hurry. Now, a course-by-course breakdown of the dinner, with some of the tunes that came on during the meal, a la my write-up of the Green Dirt Farm dinner (what can I say, when I find a gimmick I like, I'm not afraid to return to it. Plus, the music was great. And apologies for any ads that might play before the songs).

(EDIT: YouTube got all clever and changed the minimum size requirements for the players. I think. My eyes may be too tired and I may not know enough to know any different. So now the players are slightly bigger, but the music's still there!)

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato (doesn't really work in text)

Last night's beer dinner featuring Kurlbaum's heirloom tomatoes was a great success!!  Five courses of some of the best tomatoes you can get in Kansas City in delicious dishes, paired with fantastic beers.

Sky, Liz, and Sally were in attendance representing the farm, telling the fellow diners about their farm and the tomatoes used in the dishes.  There were some great facts about heirloom tomatoes, and the Kurlbaum farm.  They have a dry farm - meaning they don't use any irrigation, only rain - and 43 different varieties of tomatoes.  The hot, dry summer has actually helped produce some of the best tomatoes they've had.  And heirloom tomato seeds can be traced back hundreds of years.  Very cool.

Onto the meal.

The first course paired agnolotti & warm lump crab in a crunchy broth, smoked trout ricotta, and Juanne Flame tomatoes.  The tomato was filled with the smoked trout ricotta and bits of sea salt.  The sweet, smoky, and salty flavors blended perfectly!  And the agnolotti (sort of like a ravioli) with the lump crab and crunchy broth was delicious.  All of it went well with the sweeter Tripel Kermeliet.  A great start to the dinner!

Next was one I was really looking forward to - ginger pork belly, iceberg lettuce, and mayo (pictured on the right) and a short stack with pancetta.  The tomato rounding out the fanciest BLT I've ever had was the Gold Medal, and Nebraska Brewing Co.'s Apricot au Poivre tied it all together.  So good.  A sweeter tomato, the Gold Medal was perfect for the saltier pork belly.  Then, the savory and sweet short stack provided a nice contrast.  Apricot au Poivre is a great beer for this course.  It's sweet, with a good spice from black pepper used in the brewing.  I would have so much more of everything in this course.  Like, a full sandwich, the size of my face.  Two or three of them.  I would eat all of it.

The third course brought us the Cherokee Purple tomato charred & chilled and served as a sort of soup, with a seared day boat scallop and lobster cream. YUM. I love scallops, I love lobster, and I may love this tomato. It's got a smoky flavor. It worked well with the cream and seared scallop. The Odell Double Pilsner held up well with the dish. Fuller bodied, sweet malt with a good hop backing. Smooth. Like the dish.

A Brandywine tomato wedge with Maytag blue cheese and a tomato jerky might have been my favorite use of tomato on the night.  It was fairly straightforward, but with high quality ingredients, you don't need much.  Then with the smoked marrow emulsion and the braised beef toast, this was a great course.  New Belgium's Belgo is a good beer.  The hops may have been a bit strong for the more delicate flavors of the tomato wedge portion, but I think the beef toast and emulsion had enough backing to keep up with the beer.

Finally, dessert.  A cobbler featuring a Chocolate Striped tomato, topped with a Hillbilly Potato Leaf "frozen & spun" ice cream.  It sounds a little strange, but it actually worked really well, especially getting a bite of the ice cream and cobbler together.  The cobbler was better on its own than the ice cream, but it was impressive work to make a tasty sweet treat out from the tomatoes.  The beer pairing, Ommegang Witte, was a nice, light way to finish the meal.

Yes, a great, great meal.  Once again, Chef Michael Peterson created a fantastic menu.  I'm already looking forward to the next one!  Keep an eye out for the date and menu for the August beer dinner - it'll be our annual vegetarian meal!  Cheers

Omaha Beers!

First up, some tickets remain for Monday's You Say Tomato beer dinner featuring Kurlbaum’s heirloom tomatoes at Beer Kitchen! Call 816-389-4180 to reserve your spot. $60 covers your dinner, tax, and gratuity, for what promises to be a fantastic night.

This last weekend found me attending another weekend, this one in Omaha (congratulations to Brandon and Katie!!). Of course, while I was there, I needed to try some of the local offerings. Friday night, a lot of the guys met at Upstream Brewing, at their Old Market location. I've been there once before, last year after the Great Nebraska Beer Fest, and have had a bottle of their Horse Feathers Rye (a beer that emulates the classic cocktail, with rye, ginger, some citrus - fantastic). Since that last visit was after a beer fest, I was hoping this time I'd be able to have a more intact palate. And, thanks to the miracle of Untappd, I'm able to remember each of the pints I had - Till the Break of Dawn Saison, Ballpark Belgian Wit, 1936 Strong ESB, Capitol Premium Pale Ale, Dundee Export Scotch Ale, and the Riverboat Porter. I feel pretty good about my choices. They were all very solid brews, and all I would drink again. The standouts for me were Till the Break of Dawn Saison - light but spicy, with nice citrus notes, 1936 Strong ESB - really drinkable, biscuity with some toasty malts and a hint of bitterness, and the Dundee Export Scotch Ale - sweet, roasty Scotch ale, and it was dang good (if I had my wits about me at the end of the night, I may have considered getting a growler of any of them for the hotel).

Oh so pretty. I wish I had taken some pictures at Upstream

Saturday involved a trip to the Omaha Zoo (highly recommended!), followed by lunch at Nebraska Brewing Company. Here I kept it simple, and went with the sampler - their Blonde, Infinite Wit, EOS Wheat, Brunette Nut Brown, Cardinal Pale Ale, IPA, Hop God, and Summertime Rye. Again, all great beers. I'm a little more familiar with them, as Nebraska Brewing has some bottles available in the KC market, along with taps (including the IPA at the Foundry!). It was nice to have the smaller samples to enjoy with a delicious Cuban sandwich. Oh, and get the Buffalo cheese bites. Fried white cheddar tossed in Buffalo sauce. Delicious. The Summertime Rye is one of their seasonals, and perfect for the summer. There's the spicy rye side of it, but the beer is light, and refreshing. Again, I should've grabbed a growler on my way out. One of these days, I'll learn. But, the wedding reception later that evening had Boulevard Wheat, so that was A-OK with me.

Between those two stops, the trip up I-29 is well worth it. Friendly people, good food, and excellent beers. If you can't make it any time soon, or want a taste of Nebraska here in Kansas City, you're in luck. We have bottles of Black Betty (SO GOOD), and the IPA on tap at the Foundry, and we'll be featuring the Apricot au Poivre at the upcoming beer dinner. It's one of my favorites of theirs!

Or hey, if you're looking for a good time to head north, I'd suggest the Great Nebraska Beer Fest, coming up at the end of August! McCoy's will be there with some beer, along with a bunch of great breweries, many who aren't available in the Midwest, other than at this fest (Upstream, Funkwerks, Crooked Stave, and Cigar City, and some nanobreweries from the area). I went last year, and it was so much fun. And it was right across the street from the Nebraska Brewery. What more reason do you need?!

July Beer Dinner! Featuring Kurlbaum Heirloom Tomatoes

Our next beer dinner is just around the corner! This month, it's our five-course "You Say Tomato. . ." dinner, featuring heirloom tomatoes from Kurlbaum Tomato Farm (check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kurlbaumtomato or on Twitter at twitter.com/kurlbaumtomato). My mouth is already watering, just looking at this menu.  Let's take a closer look at what we'll be serving -

The name in the bold red text is the variety of tomato, followed by the dish, then the beer in the purple-ish color

It's hard for me to predict a favorite right now.  I think the P.B.L.H.T. has a strong chance (pretty sure that translates to Pork Belly, Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato), but I do love scallops, especially if they're paired with a lobster cream.  And lump crab?  Or braised beef toast with a smoked marrow emulsion?  Let's not forget about dessert, either.  I'm very intrigued by the use of tomatoes for dessert; after the use of garlic and peppercorn in the last beer dinner, I'm definitely on board with savory desserts.

As for the beers, well, they're all pretty dang good.  I think Nebraska's Apricot au Poive may be my favorite, but it's actually been a while since I've had most of the others.  This will be a great chance to catch up with old friends.

Space is limited, so make your reservations for July 23rd now by calling 816-389-4180!  $60 will cover the meal, tax, and gratuity.