Does the Blackbird Sing in the dead of night?

Lets see.........

  So last night my brother Kris invited me to a "friends and family" event at the re-opening of Blackbird. Now called Blackbird kitchen + beer gallery. I love to go to these events with a critical eye. Like if I was an investor. That being said, this is my "experience".
   The evening started out well enough. We arrived a little before our reserved time of 7:30. I believe that was to control a mad rush at the kitchen. We were promptly greeted with smiles and welcomes. Kris immediately ran into one of the co-owners and GM Ron. It seems anytime I'm out with my brother its like being with a Rock star.  Handshakes, Hugs and Smiles, Everyone knows Kris. We asked to sit at the cool bar but Ron recommended we sit in our assigned area so they could "test" the servers. A little back story here... Part of the problem with the old Blackbird was "lackadaisical"  service. To be fair, this is what I have heard. I have never experienced it. But back to now... Again, the hostess was very sweet waiting for Kris to meet and greet another co-owner Tony as we headed upstairs to our table. Shortly after we sat we were brought three card menus with one for Eats, one for Drinks and one for Beer. With an expected 50 beers on tap, the beer menu was the largest. I this these menus were made up just  for the nights event. I think it would be a little cumbersome for every day menus. Kris's friend Charlie soon met up with us and we proceeded to drink the water at our table and chat. This is where the "investor"
in me comes out. Our water glasses were kept filled as we waited for over 20 minutes to have a Server say hi. Another couple next to us was waiting just as long and were trying to adjust their  table from rocking. I know if I noticed it, Someone in the staff must have noticed it. But then again at this point nobody has taken our drink order.... So finally a server came our way. I believe his name was Rob. Seemed to be a great guy. He was clearly not aware we had not been helped and was apologetic. He proceeded to take our drink orders. I ordered a Ninkasi Summer Reign, Kris ordered a Ninkasi Dawn of the Red and Charlie had a Titos Mule. The drinks came promptly and tasted great. Next we ordered our Eats. Carrying over from the old Bird menu, Its is still heavily seafood based and has "raw" bar items. Our first course's were The clam chowder, fish tacos (baja style) and nachos. Everything was Perfect. The clam chowder is one of the best I've ever tasted. I thought I tasted a smokiness in the chowder so I asked the server if he knew. He didn't know but if they are smoked clams I say "well done". The fish tacos, simple and tasty. The nachos were a generous serving of pulled pork over black beans with a avocado like sour cream. Served with what must have been house made chips on the side. These nachos don't have yellow processed cheese. and you eat them with a fork!  Next on to round two of drinks. I had the elusive Moonlight Brewing Death and Taxes black ale, Kris had a Ninkasi Tricearahops   and another Mule for Charlie. On to the Entree. Kris ordered the seared  grass fed sirloin with mussels. What a fantastic cut of meat. It was cooked perfectly. A nice salty crust on top and that beautiful grass fed flavor. Charlie got the hamburger but didn't share....it looked good....I ordered the mussels. Probably the plumpest meat I've ever had in mussels. The broth was like French onion soup. I wasnt my favorite broth but Kris sure seemed to enjoy it.  So ...... That was our quick visit.  What is my over all impression?  I will be back! the food was "off the hook" good. I cant wait to try some more, but at the same time. I dont know how I could not order the chowder and sirloin again, Nice choice Kris. I'm sure the wait staff will get up to speed. I would have like to hear some beer and food pairings. Maybe even put it on the menu. And in a Farm to Fork town like Sacramento, I would have liked  the server to know where the sirloin  was from.   Just my two cents.......... So, I believe the Blackbird will be singing in the dead of night for awhile this time!

Hans Dampf!

Ok, So while the Handlebar is "under remodel"... Its more time to ride! I have been riding on high volume mountain bike tires for a long while now. I love them. Mostly its been Kenda Bluegroves and Nevegals. The 2.35 sized tires gave me more grip on the sketchy tech stuff. The difference between the 2.1 and the 2.35's was like adding another inch of suspension. Well now I received a gift from a friend of two new Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires. As much as I have heard how good they where, I wasn't in a hurry to remove my beloved Nevegals. They still had alot  of meat on them so I thought I would just wait until they where worn out. We after getting a good amount of  goat heads stuck in my rear tire I though it was a good time to switch. I only switched the rear to start with. I liked the way the "snake bite" sidewalls felt. A little stronger than the thin sidewalls on the Nevegals. They looked good with a slightly rounder profile than the Nevegals.

They mounted up fine. I pumped them up

to 36psi. Ready to hit Connector trail and Forest Hill Divide Loop the next morning.  Off on the trail I go, the trail was in great shape, slightly loose in spots, but overall good. On the first climb I noticed a noise that made me look down as if I had a flat, It was that "grippy" sound. No flat ... just grip, Nice.  Next a nice little downhill section,Hmmmm... feeling pretty good.. "pong!"the side knobs brush off a boulder but the rear end stayed true to the line, Very nice. almost no deflection. My old tires would bounce off those things. High speed corner and accel out,.... Again, very nice. Its like going from the old single pawl rear hubs to multi pawl hubs, I just seems to "hook up" faster. I swear the whole rear end just felt stiffer but the suspension was working better than ever! I set several PR's on the trail that day and I wasn't even trying to push. I was the most comfortable I have been on the bike ever sense I got it.  I give these tires two thumbs up!

Thanks Tom!

Cleaning out the walk in

Ok, so things are getting a little messy in the walk in. I figure its time to clean out a little stock. Lets see here....I've got some slow roasted pork, Hmmmm, the wife always likes pasta.... Ok here we go, I took the pork and cubed it, tossed it in a pan with some bacon fat, added cajan seasoning and let it simmer. Add half a can of black beans, chop up some garden fresh romas and set. Now to the sauce. Start with a little olive oil and fresh minced garlic. A little cream and Arrow root to thicken. Oh yeah....and butter. I would have loved to use Penne pasta but Fettacine will have to do. Add some smoked Papricka to the sauce, Add the sauce to the meat......mmmmm. Add the pasta to the meat sauce and Wha-la! Damn this is good! Sorry no pictures this time. Next time I'll add mussels and it will be purfect. Just the right amount of heat. I did enjoy a new Trader Joe's wine with it. Sugar Pie red wine. Cheap and tasty. Fruit forward and almost no tannins. Slightly sweet. As Gordon would say, a great 'Guaffing 'wine.

Of course....this could all the the wine talking....

Ahhhhhh Bologna!

So tonight I got my "hair did" as the girls would say.What that means is, after a long day, all I want to do is get home and eat. I know the girls will be out tonight so I need to think of something quick to make when I get home. Bologna.....that's it! Now its not often that I have this just hanging around but I happened to get a hankering for some as we cruised the Wall Mart for groceries last weekend. I think the Handle Bar and Grill needs to put this on the menu. Fried Bologna that is. REAL pork stuff Bologna. None of the Turkey - Chicken shit. I fried up a bunch of thick sliced Bologna ( in bacon fat of course) added some cheddar chunks and provolone to hold it together. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Slather on some garlic aoli and grill it on San Fransisco sour dough. Yummmmm.

Who would have know how well it pairs with a Super Hoppy beer like Hoptimum from Sierra Nevada Brewing company....wow.  So after the girls got here from Zumba class. I made them their boneless skinless chicken breast on the grill and sent them on their ways.

Now I'm on the patio listening to Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Sipping on Irish whiskey and enjoying the water fall..........good night friends!

wow...... I must say, Tonight I sampled something special,  for a bourbon lover this is a must try.George T. Stagg.  140.  proof straight Bourbon Whiskey.  I packs a wallop! but.... sooo nice. This is from Buffalo Trace antique collection. Be Carefull! this stuff is Hot!  But dont let this scare you. This has so much flavor! Its nuts. You have to try  this neat at first. After that you can add some pure water. Such a sweet nose. Rice crispy treats meets rootbeer...yum. The astringent heat comes though and then finishes very nice again....So tastey, very surupy and full of flavor. Vanilla, ripe bananas, dried figs, raisin, molasses, spice, oak, and there is a dark cola flavor that lurks in the background. I dont know but I think this shit is da Bomb... But then again.... this reveiw is after a few Smitwiks and a George T Stagg "sample".......Enjoy!

Blue Berry Onion Marmalade,Bacon Grilled Blue Cheese Sandwitch

So this is how it happened,  I was planning a little cocktail party for Tanna's Birthday. You all know I like "tap pa's" or "appetizers". I was going to put together some Meatballs with sauces and a shrimp plate. Then I remembered Bacon Fest.  Pangeas had a onion marmalade grilled cheese sandwich that was fantastic. So I was going to set out to duplicate it. After some thought, I decided to use a blueberry "stock" I had previously made. When I thought blueberry, I immediately thought blue cheese! a blue cheese, blueberry onion marmalade with bacon bits and grilled sourdough bread. I think I nailed it! If you missed it, don't fret. It will be a staple at the Handle Bar!

Bacon and Brew Feast

So last Saturday afternoon my daughter Sierra and I were off to Pangea's Two Brew Cafe

for the Bacon and Brew fest. We thought would would hook up with Brotha Kris and Jen to have a drink and some bacon goodness. We received a text from Jen to get our arses there quick because they were trying to save us seats and it was packed! I pulled up out front and sent Sierra in to grab our seats while I found a place to park. It was wall to wall people! As I entered the Cafe the smell of bacon was amazing. I started to salivate immediately. Kris found the bottle room had the quickest way to get a brew so he promptly brought me some malty goodness. Next, I sent Sierra up to the loooong line to order us some bacon. They had a special bacon menu. Pork Belly, bacon nachos,bacon grilled cheese and bacon sampler. She was going to get the bacon nachos and sampler for me. She handled the crowd like a seasoned concert veteran. (must have picked up tips from her mom).  She was told they where out of everything except the sampler, so she said "two please". Meanwhile when Kris and Jen received their order they ended up with an extra grilled cheese and marmalade sandwich, Thanks again Kris and Jen! After Sierra ordered she decided to head across the street to Gunthers and get a BLT sandwich so she could eat it while we were waiting for the bacon. Sierra noticed that all these strangers in this packed place were Happy, and making new friends left and right. She realized that bacon was the thing that brought everyone together(or was it the Brew?). And that the world would be a happier place if everyone ate more bacon!



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Saison!

I have to big a big Thank You! to Dr Malek for this one. And several others enjoyed that night. We dined at Auburn's Thai Garden. The owners name is Nu. He is a beer nut! if you ever get a chance to drop in, ask him for his latest "stash".

So its a good thing I take notes. There where many "dead soldiers" that evening.  But I was excited to try this one. The Lost Abbey Carnevale Saison Ale. Nu only seems to have pint glasses for his beer collection. So served in a pint glass it was! It poured a nice hazy orange color,lots o carbonation coming up from the bottom forming a nice white head. It didn't last long leaving minimal lacing. It smelled wonderfully musty and spicy. Maybe stone fruit? It had a doughy taste,then pine and orange peel like on the end. It had good carbonation on the tongue yet it seemed creamy? A nice dry finish. I think this is a great Saison ale. I enjoyed it. I had so many great Saisons this year its hard to keep track,but if I see this on the menu..
I'm gonna get it again.  Thanks Again DM!   Prost!

Holiday Ale

I am not a big fan of Holiday Ales. Sierra Nevada's Celebration ale is too spiced for me. I'm just not a fan of adding nutmeg, coffee, cloves, ect. So when the Lagunitas Rep came by and dropped off some "Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale" I was happy to see it was not spiced. Normally they would brew "Brown Shugga Ale" this time of year, but they are under a Brewery remodel. Actually adding on. Their IPA is 60% of their beer sales so it takes up most of the brewing room. So this year they put together a cereal ale. I like it. I am not a "hop head" but this was a nice crisp change of pace.

It poured a nice clear straw color. A good amount of  carbonation shows. I has a nice two to three finger pure white head. Large bubbles and light lacing as it settled down. Next smell.. It has a very piney citrus smell, slightly sweet maybe some pineapple?  Taste... Yeah, again citrus but grapefruit like, piney bitterness. I liked it for my afternoon brew. Mouth feel... lots o carbonation on the tip of the tongue. Lights up in your mouth.  Overall? Well as I said, I liked it. As far as "Holiday Ales" go, this is the best. But its not really a traditional Holiday Ale. So you should try it. If you like IPA's you will love it. I'll have it again. Prost!

Happy Thanksgiving Beer!

Lagunitas!  My personal favorite Brewery. I always have a bottle of the "Pils" in stock. So for the big turkey day I decided to pick up a bottle of Doppel Weizen. I thought it would cut the smoked turkey well. I really didn't get to find out how it paired because we ended up popping it open during "Happy Hour". I served it in a tulip glass. It poured very copper orange and cloudy. It had a off white head that wasn't very big and dissipated quickly. A small amount of lacing. It smelled of clove,spice and banana. It had a malty sweet taste,citrusy, some wheat and you could pick up the high alcohol. It had a medium mouth feel, I thought it would feel thicker. Very smooth but with a higher carbonation. I'd call it crisp.
Overall I like it. A whole bottle would kick my but so it was nice to share. I'm not always a fan of the "weizen's" because the clove/banana thing. But this worked well.  Enjoy!

I'm Back!

So after a long absence, I'm back to Blog. I will try and update weekly now. Stay tuned!

Forgive me......

Its been too long for this. Ahhh,
 Lagunitas Brewing Co.  I have a soft spot in my stomach for this place. My current staple beer is from here. The Czech style Pilsner. Good stuff. This week I sampled and shared a couple bottles of their Lucky 13. Its an American Amber- Red Ale.  I really enjoyed it. The first sampling was the best because I was by
myself on the patio, so no distractions. I bought the first bottle a Bevmo. It only comes in the 22oz bottle. With an ABV of 8.9 I had to clear the schedule for the rest of the night. So here goes my reveiw. I started by pouring into a tulip glass.  Look= It pours a clear cooper/orange color. It quickly gets a big 2 to 3 finger foam head. The head disapates fairly quickly down to 1 finger leaving a nice sticky lacing on the glass. Smell= sweet malty up front, Citrus, but Grapefuit like. Has some hoppyness.  Taste= Again sweet hits me, citrus, piney then malty. a little boozey. Feel= medium thickness,good carbonation, a little prickley on the tongue. Dry finish but you do feel the heat of the Alcohol.  Overall= Very drinkable! I was worried it would be too hoppy. I hit me well, leaning to the malty and sweeter side. I will put this one in my rotation. Prost!

I've got a question....

Ive got so many reveiws to do. But I have to ask this..... Food Truck =  BBQ or Bacon based?

Happy St Paddys Day!

It is St. Patrick’s Day – that day where folks wear green, pinch you if you don’t, work on their fake Irish accents and drink green beer.  While originally the holiday was meant as a feast day to celebrate the story of grace coming to Ireland through St. Patrick, it is most widely known as a time to pack the bars, eat cabbage and celebrate Irish culture.

As far as beer drinkers go, it is usually a showcase of Guinness and green lagers.  Since I find the concept of green beer about as repulsive as dying rivers green (it happens in Chicago, and is frankly, unnerving), I was wondering what to review for this happy day when I spied a green label at the Co-op that also had that delightful little carrot emblem that notifies you of something “local.”  Upon closer inspection, it was a 22 oz. bottle of an Irish Red Ale from Rubicon Brewery in Sacramento.

If you’ve never been to Rubicon, it sits in Midtown and looks like any other restaurant until you get inside and see the big kettles through the glass windows towards the back.  It’s not a huge joint, and not a huge brewery, so when the Co-op says local, they mean it.  Sierra Nevada is rather local as well, but they are shipping beer everywhere – probably to Ireland for all I know.  Rubicon, I’ll wager, isn’t making the trip that far, but is found around here.  If you can’t make it to their tap room, you’ll find a few bottles in local markets with the Co-op having the best Rubicon selection.

The Irish Red Ale was an obvious choice for today, and quite frankly, I was excited to review something other than Killian’s Red or Guinness – I do just hate to be too cliche’.  According to the legend, St. Patrick, in trying to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people, happened upon a shamrock and began utilizing its three leaves as an illustration.  In trying to explain this beer, I found myself wishing there was a shamrock somewhere that could help, because it is a tad confusing.

It pours a gorgeous amber color, and so naturally, one expects a certain maltiness from what follows.  But the nose is fruity and full of citrus, so you know this isn’t a traditional Red, and certainly not your typical Irish Red.  The taste confirms your suspicions.  The nose of the beer caught me off guard, and when I took that first sip, sure enough, I was as confused as a person getting pinched for not wearing green.  The brewers at Rubicon have committed themselves to something here, and it isn’t really an Irish Red.  The hops are full all the way through.  It doesn’t showcase its 7.5% alcohol either – dramatically higher than a typical Irish Red.

Rubicon describes this as a cult favorite at their taproom.  If you are looking for a traditional Irish Red, this beer will feel like a betrayal of the type along the lines of Julius Caesar and his doom on the Ides of March.  It is as if the brewers at Rubicon looked at their recipe for an Irish Red and said to themselves, “I’ll bet St. Patrick liked way more hops than this calls for.  Let’s put more in, for him, of course.”

The result is unexpected – disappointing if you were really hoping for a traditional Irish Red, or a pleasant surprise if you like more hops than what is considered traditional for the style.  Personally, I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to for whatever reason.  It was apparently fresh, so kudos to the Co-op for keeping it stocked well.

While I doubt St. Patrick would appreciate people pinching one another for not wearing green today, I’m also not sure how he would have felt about this beer.  It is unexpected, and not entirely correctly labeled, but interesting nonetheless.  If someone pinches you today for not wearing green, first, do as St. Patrick taught and forgive them.  Then, invite them over for some Irish Red from Rubicon and discuss the merits of this beer.  At the very least you can agree that it is prettier and more natural looking than a lager dyed green.  And maybe, after discussing the shamrock, you can even agree that though confusing, this beer is a fine addition to your new St. Patrick’s Day repertoire.

Pogue Mahone!

"can I get a SKU check on Russian River Damnation"

Oh man, I've got a new fav. I picked this up while surfing the local BevMo. I was looking for something to sample this weekend. I picked up  a Sour and this slice of heaven. I'm glad they had it cold. I couldn't wait to get home and pop my afternoon beer. Ahhh there it is. No opener needed. Just like a champagne bottle I just removed the wire cage and popped the cork. A slight pop and then I poured into a chilled pint glass. I pours a cloudy golden yellow. An exquisite bouquet of dried fruit and spice. Carbonation slightly high but very much Belgian style. At 7.75% it has a nice kick. One that I didn't get to fully enjoy. As my cat decided to jump on the sofa which caused my beer to spill. I almost cried. This is one of the best Belgians I've ever tasted. I highly recommend  you run out and get some. Unfortunately its 4.99 a 12.68 FL oz bottle. I think I spilled half :(

Taste the Cucumber.

During the Summer I like to drink Gin and Tonic.
I started to add different citrus flavors. Its a nice "refreshing" drink. But as most of you know I prefer my alcohol to speak for itself. So I sampled a few Gins. I found Hendricks to be my personal favorite. Now I like to enjoy a very dry Hendricks martini with a cucumber garnish. The garnish enhances the whole experience with smell and taste. Here is a review.  Hendrick’s Gin is a small batch gin produced in Ayrshire, Scotland and is distilled from a proprietary recipe.  Hendrick’s Gin is infused with the traditional juniper, coriander, and citrus peel flavors you may expect to find in gin, but Hendrick’s also infuses a couple unexpected botanicals.  The unexpected infused flavor comes from cucumber and rose petals, giving the gin a truly iconoclastic taste.  The cucumber and rose petal infusion gives this gin a truly different and unique flavor. So next time your at the Bar and you want something a little different. Ask for a Hendricks and  Drink up!

Heading into the Abyss

The wife an I got a great invite up to Auburn to check out a nice little Thai place to eat.  Auburn Thai Garden Restaurant right off  hwy 49 and Palm. When I scoped out the menu online I  found they had an

amazing beer list. It turns out the owner is a self proclaimed "beer head". So  to skip to the chase, this is all about the beer. We decided to split a bottle of "The Abyss". A 22 oz bottle of pure joy.  The poor server brought us a bottle but couldn't figure out how to get pass the wax seal? So after she came back with the bottle she promptly filled our tulip glasses with the liquid gold. Pours a pitch black color, developing a small, brown colored head that recedes fairly quickly, not leaving lace on the glass so much as depositing oil-like slicks of beer that pull down with each sip.

Aroma is nice and intense, a mild roast character initially which falls into some chocolate and coffee notes. Some vanilla and oak from the barrel, not a whole lot of bourbon, which is kinda nice for once.

The flavor is a complex combination of malt and barrel characteristics which combine to make and outstanding Imperial Stout. The malt characteristics really shine, some slightly roasted and chocolate notes and strong dark caramel character, followed quickly by wood notes of vanilla, toasted marshmallow and just a hint of bourbon. All in all a great experience.

Not to say the rest of the evening wasn't delish. I just decided to rate the beer today. That way I can go back and give another review of the food!

Beer review

So with all the football on this weekend I thought it was a good time to sample some beer I'd been meaning to check out. Allagash Brewery was fresh on my mind so I thought I would check out the "White ale" A quick serch of Bevmo online found 7 4pks availible at the local store. I pick up a 4pk and head home to toss it in the freezer since they only sale it at room temp.

This Allagash white was poured from a bottle into a pint glass. It was served chilled. Cloudy appearance towards the top of the glass and less cloudy towards the bottom. More of a cloudy golden color.

This is a tradition Belgian whit beer full of flavor with a hint of orange peel and coriander. Spicier than most normal belgian style wheats. Full of flavor.

Slightly higher than average ABV content.
Great choice of a belgian style unfiltered wheat. Great brewery to visit in Portland, Maine.

so if you are in the mood for a slightly "herbal" white,  I give it a soild B

Ciopinno night!

http://www.onespeedpizza.com/ So what started as grabbing a pint of brew after work, turned into a wonderful family dinner night at One Speed!
 I wanted to check out the new release of Double Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing Co. It is a 11.2%ABV beer. Limited release. The beer did not fail. Sometimes these high alcohol brews are over the top. This one was more like a Scotch ale. Nice bite, no heavy Carmel or burnt tastes. I liked it.

 The highlight of the evening turned out to be the Ciopinno. It was packed full of seafood. I found shrimp,calamari,scallops,white fish,clams,mussels and of course..Crab! A nice rich broth with excellent sourdough toast to sop it up with. One of the best bowls I have had. Sharing this meal with my family makes it an evening to remember!

Just a reminder

The Handle Bar and Grill will be closed on New Years Day! have a good one.