O
WHAT’S BREWING
n Nov. 4, Tbones Chophouse & Lounge at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa presented an evening of craft beer from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, paired with the creations of Chef Joseph Kudrak. The evening began with an informal gathering in the restaurant’s beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the Red Rock pool area. Passed appetizers of pulled pork barbecue sliders, mesquite grilled pizza and a savory sweet potato tart were served with Dogfish Head Festina Peche, 60-Minute IPA and Midas Touch.
We left this idyllic interlude and were ushered into Tbones’ private dining room, where we were greeted with laminated placemats adorned with the Dogfish Head logo and a list of the beers we would be enjoying. The sit down four-course meal was prefaced with a talk by Bryant Goulding, Dogfish Head West Coast Regional Sales Manager. Bryant entertained us with the history of the humble beginnings of the brewery and how founder Sam Calagione opened the first brewpub in Delaware in 1995. The brewery has since grown exponentially to its current status as the 24th largest brewery in the U.S. A highly amusing tale was told of how Sam used a vibrating football game to accomplish continual hopping during brewing. This worked fine until the steam from the brewing kettle caused the game to short out. Sam went on to invent and patent his own continual hopping machine, a giant computer-controlled pneumatic cannon that shoots hops into the boil kettle that he dubbed Sofa King Hoppy. Bryant invited us all to tune into a new program on the Discovery Channel titled Brewmasters, spotlighting Sam Calagione and the various collaborations he does with brewers from around the world. 22
The first course featured an Autumn Squash Bisque made with pumpkin and Pumpkin Salad, which was naturally paired with Punkin Ale. The result was a perfect blend of pumpkin flavors in both food and beverage form. Next up was Pork Belly with Apple Fritter and one of Dogfish Head’s flagship beers, the 90-Minute IPA. The pork belly was braised in the beer and its salty character balanced quite nicely with the citrusy flavor of this beer. The very potent 15.5% Olde School Barleywine was matched with Braised Beef Cheeks and beets with a celery root puree and a demi-glace made from the beer. A grand finale of a Warm Chocolate Savarin was served alongside Pangaea, so named after the supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago, before the continents were separated into their current configuration. Pangaea incorporates ingredients from all seven continents, with water from Antarctica, basmati rice from Asia, muscavado sugar from Africa, quinoa from South America, crystallized ginger from Australia, European yeast and North American maize. The result is a very unique beer with complex flavors. A nice touch at the conclusion of the dinner was the appearance of Executive Chef Joseph Kudrak and his assistant, Chef Philipp Norsetter, who took time to visit with guests. This was the first beer dinner that Tbones has hosted, and judging from the positive response of its patrons, it won’t be the last. Tbones is definitely living up to its Best Steakhouse award in the 2010 Best of Las Vegas Review-Journal Readers Poll. Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood hosted its second beer dinner, featuring the beer of Sam Adams and a Boston theme. Ventano had already shown itself to be versatile enough to venture from its Italian menu with its German-themed Oktoberfest beer dinner a few months earlier, and this evening would again prove its adaptability in excelling at any type of cuisine. The first course matched Clam Chowder and a baked pretzel with Boston Lager, Sam Adams’ flagship beer. The chowder featured generous amounts of clams and garlic, which wound up being a preview of an evening filled with hearty fare. A Boston standard of fish and chips made with North Atlantic haddock and served with signature homemade chips was paired with the new Coastal Wheat. Since it’s brewed with lemon peel and has a noticeable lemon flavor, a lemon wedge would be completely unnecessary to enjoy this beer. Although Oktoberfest had ended a few weeks earlier, it didn’t prevent us from enjoying the Sam Adams Oktoberfest Lager with Bratwurst and Boston Baked Beans. A hearty Pepper Roasted Pork Loin with Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes was backed up with the equally hearty Sam Adams Cream Stout. Naturally, Boston Cream Pie was served for dessert, complimented by the Winter Lager, which features a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and orange peel. The dinner was capped off with a raffle of prizes of Sam Adams logo-ed hats and varieties of Sam Adams beer, some of which are not available in the Las Vegas market. All attendees were given a parting gift of a Sam Adams glass, which is dubbed the perfect pint glass; specially designed by the brewery, it has a narrow bottom and wider top to better open up the beer flavors. This beer dinner attracted more than 80 diners, proving that Ventano’s clientele is ready and willing to put aside their wine glass for a pint glass. Ventano’s next beer pairing dinner is slated for Friday, January 21.
Las Vegas Food & Beverage Magazine I December 2010
BY Bob Barnes
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan and associate editor of Fork and Pour-Food & Beverage Magazine of Las Vegas. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: LVBobB@juno.com
www.lvfnb.com