597170 Wed Feb 18 07:43:35 -0800 2009 19 35 Beer 0 4428114 We're going to Schwa tonight! I am very excited! There is the menu http://schwarestaurant.com/nine-course.htm As much as I enjoy wine, there are times I rather have a beer. Looking at the menu, there is Rabbit with peaches, wheatgrass, and I'm assuming that it's cooked in Three Flyod's Gumball Head beer. Gumball Head is very good and may be light enough to compliment all courses. Plus, I may need something bubbly to wash down that pickled beef tongue. We're being adventurous. In addition, I am headed to the liquor store to find some rose champagne and a nice pinot nior, or two. I would like to cover all my alcohol bases. Is there anything wrong with bringing Beer to a High End Byob? Wed Feb 18 07:43:35 -0800 2009 239418 Stuccolow 1 4428228 I can't imagine any situation anywhere where there would be anything wrong with doing that. Sounds like you know your stuff. Have a great dinner. Wed Feb 18 08:16:48 -0800 2009 4428114 131001 c oliver 1 4428666 NO WAY! NOT AT ALL... beer can be just as great of a companion as wine is and should be universally accepted. I'm jealous and wish I was going to Schwa tonight! Wed Feb 18 10:08:24 -0800 2009 4428114 259971 cockscomb 1 4428975 i've done that, if you can, bring some large bottles so people can try a taste Wed Feb 18 11:29:11 -0800 2009 4428114 74192 chuckl 1 4429320 It's gotten to the point where pairing is becoming more and more difficult I find. Looking over the menu I'd have trouble pairing a beverage with each course. And trying to find something that goes well with three or two courses even seems like a chore. In cases like this I'd bring anything that I wanted and wouldn't concern my self too much with pairing. Thanks Wed Feb 18 12:51:02 -0800 2009 4428114 26180 Chinon00 2 4430016 Hmm, I dunno, I think if you kept it simple you'd probably do OK. French Onion Soup: Porter Pad Thai: Witbier Cobia: Rauchbier Pickled Beef Tongue: gueuze Rabbit w/ peaches: Fresh hop pale Without knowing more about cheese and dessert, that'd be impossible to judge. Wed Feb 18 15:51:43 -0800 2009 4429320 10809 Josh 3 4430188 I'm with you on the porter. And the whitefish roe with white asparagus, black garlic and bacon is (sort of) conventional enough so I give you that pairing as well. But when it comes to the other entrees the accompaniments give me trouble. Did you consider the fig and natto (I've never tasted natto) and tea when you suggested gueuze? It might work but there's a lot going on ya know? The combination of smoke and watermelon and red pepper with the cobia really doesn't point me in any particular pairing direction either. For the rabbit the obvious choice I guess would be the Gumballhead although the peaches and wheatgrass again throw me off the tracks. Thanks Wed Feb 18 16:52:47 -0800 2009 4430016 26180 Chinon00 4 4430214 I think gueuze would handle the fig, natto, and tea. Gueuze has a fruity element that I think would work with the figs, and an earthy element that would work with the natto, and the floral yeast notes would probably work with the tea. My guess is that the smoke element would be strong enough with the cobia dish that rauchbier should be a fine pairing. Wed Feb 18 17:01:58 -0800 2009 4430188 10809 Josh 5 4430291 I appreciate your effort and see where you're going. I ate at Tragabuches over the holidays. We had the tasting menu. I found the wine list nearly useless because I could only make an intellectual guess of how things would taste. In the end I just drank what I found interesting and treated the courses and wine as discrete experiences. And after having the meal I still would have had difficulty imagining a good pairing. Molecular gastronomy is a bitch. Wed Feb 18 17:24:03 -0800 2009 4430214 26180 Chinon00 5 4434793 If you're looking for something to pair with figs, wouldn't a Belgian Quad or Strong Dark Ale do well? Check out this guy's website for pairing/recipe ideas: http://www.homebrewchef.com/index.html Thu Feb 19 23:56:42 -0800 2009 4430214 72231 DougOLis 6 4434827 If it was stewed or dried figs only, sure. But figs + natto + tea + pickled beef tongue? To me, I can't conceive of anything other than gueuze to pair with that. Fri Feb 20 00:50:39 -0800 2009 4434793 10809 Josh 7 4435109 Which entrees have confounded your attempt at a suitable pairing? Thanks Fri Feb 20 06:17:05 -0800 2009 4434827 26180 Chinon00 8 4436863 Pasta with tomato sauce would be a tough one, I think. Coq au vin also comes to mind. Good question, never really thought about it. Fri Feb 20 13:54:36 -0800 2009 4435109 10809 Josh 1 4430300 Not for me Wed Feb 18 17:26:29 -0800 2009 4428114 232829 kchurchill5 1 4435061 Schwa took my beer. I was happy to hand it over. Apparently, lots of customers bring beer for the kitchen. We didn't know that and fell into a happy accident. Fri Feb 20 05:53:56 -0800 2009 4428114 239418 Stuccolow 2 4436934 What do you mean "took" your beer? They didn't allow that? Had you checked ahead of time? And how could that have been a "happy accident." Did you leave something out of this post? Just curious. Fri Feb 20 14:11:39 -0800 2009 4435061 131001 c oliver 3 4447864 Sounds like they saw the bottles and somehow assumed they were gifts for the kitchen, and Stucco was too polite to object. So it became an "accidental gift." I'm quite sure they would've treated him very kindly, in turn. Tue Feb 24 11:11:53 -0800 2009 4436934 37814 cquiroga 3 4450534 I didn't leave anything out of the post. Apparently, people bring beer for the kitchen. Like for a gift. We lucky brought what is Chef Michael's favorite beer. Wed Feb 25 07:52:01 -0800 2009 4436934 239418 Stuccolow 4 4452701 So the kitchen assumed that the beer was a gift and drank it? Did you have any of it? Wed Feb 25 19:34:57 -0800 2009 4450534 14495 viperlush 1 4448027 So the lesson learned here is that if you do "[b]ring beer to a high end byob" it'll be assumed by the host that it must be a gift for the kitchen staff and be taken from you. This is a clear indication of how beer is perceived versus wine in our culture. We have a long way to go. Tue Feb 24 11:45:10 -0800 2009 4428114 26180 Chinon00