Dining Out with the Harrises
By Elaine & Scott Harris Sommeliers and Editor-In-Chief of Nationally Recognized Cuisineist.com and Vino Las Vegas LLC. They are the Las Vegas City Editors for TheDailyMeal in New York City. Elaine and Scott also host VIP Custom Designed Dining Tours in Las Vegas. They travel extensively covering Luxury Food and Wine lifestyle events worldwide. Cuisinist@Gmail.com www.Cuisineist.com www.VinoLasVegas.Blogspot.com www.LasVegasDiningTours.com Facebook:ElaineScottHarris Twitter:TheCuisineist.com Twitter: VinoLasVegas Instagram : Cuisineist
Anchor Brewing Teams Up with StripSteak at the Mandalay Bay Resort for a Hopping Good Evening
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, a AAA four-diamond award-winning resort, is now brewing up some amazing beer events for all those who love craft beer or for those who want to learn more of the incredible beverage of which was proclaimed, “God must love us because he gave us beer.” With Nevada’s’ first female certified Cicerone® Sarah Johnson at the helm, the resort has become a hot spot for beer related events and education. Sarah Johnson has a flair for crafting events and dinners that are fun, festive and most of all educational, and the dinner at Michael Mina’s StripSteak was a fine example of her ingenuity, bringing together beer and spirits paired with exquisite cuisine. Bob Brewer of Anchor Brewing and Mario Vitale of Anchor Distilling were on hand to bring their wisdom of what makes great beer and spirits. We started our evening with the Anchor Brewing Steam Beer, paired with Amberjack Sashimi with a delectable Crab Roll with a punch of sriracha aioli and a crunch of pickled cucumbers. The light aromatic hops cut through the richness of the crab and made for easy drinking. The evening’s Foie Gras Slider with petite pickled cherry salad, duck fat almonds and amaretto gelee sang together in one Anchor accord with the Summer Ale. As Bob Brewer stated,” This is lawn mowing ale,” referring to the vision of kicking back with a beer with perfect aromatics and light citrus notes. Whether sipping this while doing a mundane task or having the last bite of foie, this beer was the perfect companion. As we progressed with heavier dishes, beer that complemented our dishes gave our palates an expedition of flavors and textures. Not only did we partake of the great beers but we also indulged in Hophead Vodka, distilled from hops used in the preparation of Anchor’s amazing beers. At the fini of the meal we also took a sip of the Anchor Distilling Old Potrero 18, a rye whiskey that received a double gold from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The presentation of the Anchor IPA with its malty backbone and peachy notes paired with Soyglazed Pork Belly and Diver Scallops accompanied with charred corn, miso butter, and popcorn cream. Well, only true bliss would be the best way to describe this course. This IPA made with 2-row barley malt and fresh cone hops lent to complex aromas and a clean finish that held up to the richness of scallops and creamy butter and cream of the dish. www.lvfnb.com
As we approached the last course of Porcini-dusted Angus Strip with Anchor Brewing Porter, the beer approached this dish like a groom approaching the alter. The brew is mysterious but waiting for you to discover the power of Porter. Only the Angus Strip could marry this delightful Porter to create a perfect compliment. Along with Lobster Potato Puree, Blue Lake green beans, and red wine reduction, it was the grand slam or the perfect punctuation at the end of a lovely sentence about the complexities of food and beer together. But…..we were not finished yet. How about the perfect dessert? The S’mores Bar with smokey marshmallow and Vairhona Milk Chocolate with the Anchor Old Foghorn was exceptional. A colleague said, “This is worth a 5 a.m. hot yoga class, and indeed it was. This modern American Barleywine with the sparkling effervescences from the natural process called “bunging” that produces champagne-like bubbles that gave this ale a unique sweetness and a little tickle for your taste buds leaving us happy and “hoppy” for the remainder of the evening. We relished every aspect of this dinner that had the hand of the genius of Michael Mina’s skilled chefs alongside one of the most established and respected breweries in the United States, dating back to the Gold Rush days. We anticipate that with our host Sarah Johnson, there will continue to be great plans for the future of beer and great culinary insights as well. With the fall fast approaching, beer drinking just got better with a weekend for beer enthusiasts to remember.
Beer Weekend Clear your calendars for September 12-14 while the Mandalay Bay resort launches its first ever Beer Weekend, a three-day beer festival of Brewmasters and Chefs to Cure All Ales with Beer, that will have you “hopping from morning until night.” This weekend will include a dinner at miX Restaurant with acclaimed brew masters; a craft beer panel discussion at Eyecandy Sound Lounge, led by Johnson; a high-energy beer festival at Mandalay Bay Beach featuring the country’s best beers along with cuisine by Vegas’ award-winning chefs Hubert Keller, Alain Ducasse, Shawn McClain, Matthias Merges; and an exclusive beer brunch at Fleur by Hubert Keller. To book your tickets or for more information visit www.mandalaybay.com/beer.
September 2014 I The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional 21