147819 Thu Apr 29 13:33:26 -0700 2004 8 12 Boston Area 0 792505 I saw this on this board last year and vowed I wouldn't miss it this year. The New England Real Ale Festival started yesterday, and goes till Saturday night at the George Dilboy VFW in Davis Square. English-style cask-conditioned ale, unfiltered and unpasteurized and therefore, quite literally, still alive with yeast and flavors changing profile every 30 minutes in some cases. Which means, obviously, you need to resample. $6 to get in. $5 a pint. $1.50 a 1/4 pint. $2.50 a 1/2 pint. Sessions are 6-10:30 tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday, along with a Saturday afternoon session from 12-4. Any feedback from anyone who went to last night's tasting would be appreciated. Redbones is catering. Not the best BBQ in the city. But better than no BBQ. I'm going Saturday night and possibly for a few tastes Saturday day (if I finish helping a friend move in time). If anyone wants to meet up, drop me a line. After a 4 1/2 hour tasting, perhaps we can then compare notes at the Burren over Guinness. Link: http://www.nerax.org/ Thu Apr 29 13:33:26 -0700 2004 0 joypirate 1 792509 Cuz you might still be thirsty? Link: http://www.bistrodraw.com Thu Apr 29 13:55:04 -0700 2004 792505 0 galleygirl 2 792512 It started yesterday, Wednesday. I wish I had known sooner, but I will try for a quick visit tonight to start at 6 and stay for an hour before my next engagement. A nyone else palnning to show up this evening? Maybe I will see you there? Thu Apr 29 14:10:12 -0700 2004 792509 0 VivreManger 3 792522 Going to Taste of the Nation tonight, but will try for Saturday. Thu Apr 29 15:46:19 -0700 2004 792512 0 Taralli 4 792536 Had a Youngs Special & a Fullers London Pride, very good. The cask of Deuchars IPA was off tonight so don't try it. I took a pint glass -- for the same deposit they also offer 1/2 and 1/4 pint glasses as well. The advantage of the larger size is that if you buy a half pint in a pint glass the pulling is more like 3/4 so the larger glass yields a very generous half. Redbones is offering pulled pork, pulled chicken, pulled bbq beef and somewhat spicy jerk beef, as well as portobello muchrooms all in sandwiches for $5. Look, its not great Q, but its better than MacDonalds. Anything with all that decent coleslaw is edible. And the portion is huge. I had intended to get there for 6, but was delayed until 7. At that hour there was parking on the street and no line at the desk, when I left close to 8 the line had stretched back and the hall was pretty crowded. I wish I could have stayed later, but I had another reception in Cambridge and I had to drive back tonight to Noho. There was only so much I could drink and drive tonight. Tomorrow night it should be much more crowded, but probably even more fun. Thu Apr 29 23:07:11 -0700 2004 792522 0 VivreManger 2 792513 It started yesterday, Wednesday. I wish I had known sooner, but I will try for a quick visit tonight to start at 6 and stay for an hour before my next engagement. Anyone else planning to show up this evening? Maybe I will see you there? Thu Apr 29 14:11:18 -0700 2004 792509 0 VivreManger 2 792523 Well..ummm...yeah.. Thu Apr 29 15:57:40 -0700 2004 792509 0 joypirate 1 792515 I'm usually the last person to praise Redbones, but seeing as they are catering an event so close to their smoker and they should have decent turnover, the ribs might be better than in the restaurant as they don't have as much time to sit under a heat lamp or be reheated. The again, they could use old ribs since they aren't likely making a huge profit. Good luck with that. Thu Apr 29 14:25:31 -0700 2004 792505 0 Dax 1 792601 This is the 3rd year I've been to Nerax. Every year they get in 20 or more different beers, some English ones that never make it over here and a number of American casks from regional breweries. On any given night some of will be tapped; the first night has the least, then as more settle these are opened. By the last day they pour whatever they have left. They print up a nice brochure with tasting notes. So last night we had: Coffeehouse Porter Dragonhead Stout Old Porter Ale Shakespeare Stout Old Slapper Ale Adnam's Bitter Beyond the Pale Ale JHB Ale Damn Good Stout (from a wooden cask) Dead Horse IPA Oh god, looking at this list (even if we were only drinking 1/4's) I'm surprised we could even move this morning. David Cook Fri Apr 30 20:24:49 -0700 2004 792505 0 David "Zeb" Cook