San Diego Beer Week

Best damn beer shop

Really, that's what the place is called, best damn beer shop, and this was my night's my selection.

Cafe Chloe

My day consisted of waiting for Vanessa to get off of work so we can do what we were talking about the night before. We happened to find this amazing market in downtown San Diego, Super Jr market. Inside Super Jr Market is another "shop" called Best Damn Beer Shop. It's on mid block, left hand side, of 7th and Broadway.
If your feeling for a nice scavenger hunt I will end it here!
After looking at all the delightful amazing rare beer, Vanessa and I skipped our way down to Cafe Chloe. Cafe Chloe is an amazing little cafe on the corner of G st and 9th. From being in the food industry I can tell you that these people really care about what they do. I smell the passion and anxiety of being something special; that is what I strive for. Anyone can read a cookbook and follow instructions. This is a place that you come for a remarkable experience.

We were brought an amuse bouche fit out for Paul Bertolli. It consisted of Lardo and a rabbit pâté with nuts. The lardo had a really nice herb finish, maybe some thyme and garlic, hint of juniper berries. The pâté was nice and fatty, wish i could have had some more. I almost wanted to rub them all over pancakes!



The charcuterie consisted of Casalingo, cacciatore and coppa molina. It came with a fresh frisée salad, cornichons, mustard and bread.

Tart flambé gave me a sneak peak of Paris, I've never been, but soon?
Super buttery with fatty caramel onions, nice and crispy bacon. The frisée was a nice addition to this component.

I had the chouecrute: semi sec sausage, cured pork loin, "spriced pok berry!", sauerkraut and purple fingerling together. The dish was killer but, it was missing just one component that should come with the dish, a 500ml of Bavarian beer like Weisenstephaner, Franzinskaner or a Ayinger! Truly the dish of the month, if I knew the chef a little better i would have slapped him/her in the face out of joy!

Vanessa had the bouillabaisse. Look at that prawn! Nice and plumpy mussels (not overcooked)
nice garlic-y fennel tomato broth. The dish washer should pay us for doing his job. That plate was clean!

We paired everything with 2007 cotes de beaune bourgogne, pinot noir.
Very nice wine for the price. It was very balanced with hint of pepper and strawberry, very light in color almost of a rose. Amazing with the c-krut!

It was nice and cold outside so we had to get a warm dessert. We had the Pistachio bread pudding which was amazing. The nuts were a perfect balance of crunch contrasted against the velvety texture of the warm pudding. Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. I swear there was a pinch of finishing salt. It was like a explosion in my mouth.

The Lost Abbey Art Show

Christian and I had a amazing time Cooking for the Lost Abbey Art show. It was really an honor to see all those paintings up close and personal. It gave me much more respect for the brewer and it reminded me that to him the bottle is his canvas and the beer is his knowledge and passion. Hey, in some ways all traits are similar. The color of the paintings were so warm. An unforgettable experience to see up close opposed to the bottle version.

Gift of the Magi

Carnevale

The Ten Commandments

Red Barn Ale

Duck Duck Gooze

Serpent's Stout

Lost and Found abbey Ale

The Angel's Share

Avant Garde

Devotion Ale

Cuvee De Tomme

Witch's wit

Inferno

Judgement day

Deliverance ( not yet released)

Green Flash Beer Dinner

Marscapone crepes with compressed persimmons

Green Flash le freak

Rabbit in pig, rabbit leg, le puy lentils, parsnip puree and frizee

skate, potato, orange and lobster

Pancetta

I have been really excited that the flavors and texture of this Pancetta turned out.
The Pancetta is salted and rubbed in Chinese Five Spice ( cinnamon, Star anise , clove, fennel anise seed)
It is then washed and dried and then rubbed with kafir lime leaves powder. You can see a slight green streak along the inside of the belly. rolled up as pictured above. We having been using it as a component on the chef mercy's.
Maybe one day it will have a star roll of it's own.