179309 Mon Sep 09 13:33:03 -0700 2002 2 15 Pennsylvania 0 964228 Last week I attended a simply smashing Beer Dinner at monk's cafe, hosting the brewer and staff from the cult-favorite Pizza Port brewpub from Solanan Beach , CA, just north of San Diego. yes Tom Peters at Monk's will go to ANY lengths for good beer, and this dinner proved that assertion. We feasted on a Smoked Opahsandwich, whose "bread" was actually grilled portobello mushrooms, a spring roll of duck confit with sauteed watercress, a simply ridiculous lambshank over barley, cranberry and lima beans, and a peach cobbler to DIE for. The beers, peculair and all very good, were variations of different Belgian styles, with a Jack Daniel's barrel aged Cuvee de Tomme (the first name of the brewer, Tomme Armour), a beautiful dark farmhouse ale, and 2 other strong but spectacular beers that defy descriptionm here. THIS week, actually tomorrow night, Monk's will do another beer dinner, this time hosting a brewer from Flossmoor, IL, Todd Ashman, brewer at Flossmoor Staion Brewing co, and a spectacular artisan. Tood is bringing a Framboise de Flossmoor for an aperitif, an IPA called "Todd & Bill's Excellent IPA" (paired with pickled oysters and homemade potato chips), A Tupelo Triple (paired with roasted quail glazed with the beer), an Old Conundrum barleywine, paired with a mussel bisque, an brown ale and an Abbaye Dubble, paired with venison and leek dumplings,and an oak aged barleywine, paired with a bittersweet chocolate dessert. I think there still may be tickets for this dinner. They are usually priced at $50 or so. Now, before anyone gets all hyper, I have no affiliation with Monk's or Flossmoor Station, no financial interest, but I am a big fan of both Monk's and Ashman, and I cant wait to attend this dinner tomorrow night! Mon Sep 09 13:33:03 -0700 2002 0 Rich Pawlak 1 964230 I think you meant to type 'Tomme Arthur'. Mon Sep 09 14:36:15 -0700 2002 964228 0 Jim Dorsch 2 964231 You are correct , sir! I typed so quickly, I made a ton of typos! Mon Sep 09 15:06:59 -0700 2002 964230 0 Rich Pawlak