Deschutes Beer Dinner at Eureka!

If you weren't at Eureka! Santa Barbara's Deschutes Beer Dinner a couple of weeks ago, then you missed out! But they plan on having more beer dinners, so it's okay! Just be at the next one! Your $60 will be well spent. So much food. So much beer. Really. So. Much. Beer.

If you don't know about Deschutes Brewery, look them up! Or go out and buy a six-pack of their Fresh Squeezed IPA or Mirror Pond Pale Ale--some of my favorites! They were born in Bend, OR and they are fantastic! They also have a pub house in Portland, OR, which I've had the pleasure of visiting and I immediately fell in love.

First Course

Lollipop Corn Dogs
Polish sausage dipped in sweet corn batter and served with a spicy porter mustard
 
paired with

Deschutes Cream Ale on Nitro
4.7% ABV
30 IBU
An Ale version of an American Lager, Deschutes' Cream Ale is light, with good hop balance and clean finish

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Second Course

Crispy Glazed Brussel Sprouts
Tossed in herb oil and topped with macadamia nuts

paired with

Deschutes Armory XPA
5.9% ABV
55 IBU
Experimental pale ale with floral and tropical notes, perfectly balanced

You'd enjoy this one if you like their Fresh Squeezed IPA.

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Third Course

Lobster Taco
Knuckle and claw lobster with cabbage, avocado, saffron crema, watermelon radish and Eureka's signature handcut fries

paired with

Deschutes Hop Slice Session IPA
4.5% ABV
45 IBU
Brewed with Meyer Lemon, Hop Slice balances floral hop notes with a subtle citrus kick

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Fourth Course

Fresno Fig Burger
Fig marmalade, melted goat cheese, bacon, tomato, red onion, arugula, and spicy porter mustard (medium rare)

paired with

Deschutes Jubel 2015 American Strong Ale
10.4% ABV
55 IBU
An imperial take on Deschutes' festive winter ale with notes of toasted caramel, raisins, dates and figs are complemented by spicy and herbal hop aromas

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Fifth Course

Chocolate Torte
Dark chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream and macadamia nuts

paired with

Deschutes The Abyss Imperial Stout
12.2% ABV
86 IBU
12 months barrel aged in Bourbon, Pinot Noir and New Oregon American Oak, this deep, dark Imperial Stout has almost immeasurable depth and complexity. Hints of molasses, licorice and other alluring flavors make it something not just to quaff, but contemplate

One of the beer reps from Deschutes came down to do the pairing with us and talk about each beer, and the pairings were made by Eureka's bar manager/AGM, Lindsey. Thoroughly enjoyed each beer and food pairing, and like I said... a lot of food and a lot of beer. I barely finished my food and well, five beers is a little too many for me, ha.

I'm a BIG fan of Eureka's Steal The Glass event on Wednesday nights, so I was excited when I heard that we also get to keep our Deschutes glass.

Anyhey, $60 might seem like a lot, but if you're able to go to one of these beer dinners, you'll see that it's worth it! It's also more fun when you do it with friends. :)

Follow Eureka! Santa Barbara on Instagram or like them on Facebook to stay updated on all their events!

Happy dining and happy drinking!

We All Know What Mom Really Wants

Vino!

Remember that Craft Beer Club I told you about a couple of weeks ago? Well, they also have a wine club and it's fantastic! They never feature bulk wines, private labels, or close outs. Each selection is a genuine, small-production wine crafted by a winery with their family's reputation on the line in each and every bottle. With six different series you can choose from, Gold Medal Wine Club offers a variety of wines to meet any lover's palette: 

PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Gold Medal Wine Club

Most Popular!
Superb, medal-winning wines from California's best boutique wineries

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Platinum Wine Club

Highly Rated
90+ rated, ultra-premium, rare wines from California's top winemakers

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Garagiste Wine Club

Newest Club Offering!
Handcrafted, small-lot wines from independent artisan winemakers

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Pinot Noir Wine Club

Passion for Pinots!
Captivating, world-class wines for those with a passion for Pinots

2+ bottles, ships monthly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Diamond Wine Club

Limited to 500 Recipients
93+ rated, luxury-premium, collectable wines for the ultimate tasting experience

2+ bottles, ships quarterly

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PC: www.goldmedalwineclub.com

International Wine Club

Recommended by Forbes
Outstanding, exclusive imports from great, small estates around the world

3 bottles, ships quarterly

Mother's Day is just around the corner and if you're unsure of what to get her, wine is always a great choice!.. And maybe some flowers, too. Right now, Gold Medal Wine Club is having a Mother's Day Special - bonus gift for Mom when you buy now at GoldMedalWineClub.com (<- click this link!) and use the code MDay2016!

Happy Drinking!

The Original Craft Beer Club

This past week, I had the pleasure of getting a shipment of craft beer from The Original Craft Beer Club. Every month, they feature exceptional craft beers from the country's best, small and independent brewers. They take the guesswork out of buying craft beer and give you beers you normally wouldn't even have access to!

When you become a member, you get 12 beers per month (4 styles, 3 of each) for only $39 a month and shipping is always free (excludes HI & AK)! You can also receive bonus gifts like a bottle opener, tasting glasses and a years worth subscription to Beer Connoisseur.

This month's featured craft beers are Payette Brewing Co's India Pale Ale and American Pale Lager & Black Tooth Brewing Co's Amber Ale and English Brown Ale.

PAYETTE BREWING COMPANY

PC: @originalcraftbeerclub

NORTH FORK

American Lager
4.4 % ABV
19 IBU's

This American Lager has a laid-back personality and pairs well with just about all your favorite foods. Hops bring a mix of woody, green, floral and fruit notes with subtle herb and spice character. The North Fork is a sessionable beer with lower alcohol content for a quick, smooth run. Enjoy it at home, or pack it with you for your next outdoor adventure.

Pours a clear gold color with a white foamy head. Smell is clean malt and some herbal hops. Taste is smooth and refreshing. Body is light and starts out dry and slightly tart. Extremely drinkable. This would be the perfect beer to have while you're laying out at the beach or going on a hike.

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PC: @originalcraftbeerclub

OUTLAW

India Pale Ale
6.2 % ABV
65 IBU's

Untamed, unpredicatable and full of unforgettable character - that's Outlaw in a nutshell. Payette's Outlaw IPA has a solid malt base that quietly saunters in with a slightly spicy aroma, hints of sweet pine, citrus, and apricot tones. American hops (Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus) lend a hoppy, mildly bitter finish. This flagship brew is a Payette favorite.

Pours a hazy burnt orange color with a tight, creamy off white head. Smell is slightly sweet malt and citrusy hops. Taste is sweet and fruity with a strong malt backbone. Body is medium with some hop bitterness at the end, but it's a little light for an IPA. Goes down super easy.

BLACK TOOTH BREWING COMPANY

Bronze Medal - North American Beer Awards
Bronze Medal - U.S. Open Beer Championship
92 Points - Beer Connoisseur, Rick Franckhauser
PC: @originalcraftbeerclub

SADDLE BRONC

Brown Ale
4.8 % ABV
18 IBU's

An English-style Brown Ale, Black Tooth's Saddle Bronc is dark in color yet surprisingly light in body making it a great session beer. Hints of caramel, roasted nuts, and cocoa complement the malty sweet flavors and clean finish. Try pairing the Saddle Bronc with smoked baby back ribs and BBQ sauce.

Pours a deep brown color with an off white head. Smell is sweet malt, caramel and cocoa. Taste is sweet malt; starts with caramel and ends with cocoa and slight hop. Body is medium, smooth and crisp. Definitely fits the style of an English Brown Ale.

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Gold Medal - U.S. Open Beer Championship
PC: @originalcraftbeerclub

BOMBER MOUNTAIN

Amber Ale
4.6 % ABV
20 IBU's

Named after the notorious Bomber Mountain (a ridge line within the Big Horn Mountains and the site of a military aviation accident), this Amber Ale from Black Tooth is well rounded and balanced with a dry, crisp character. The complex malt profile of biscuits, caramel and cotton candy provide a hearty backbone for this fan-favorite ale.

Pours a copper amber color with a white foam head. Smell is dark malt and earthy hops. Taste is a little grainy with some caramel. Body is light-medium and smooth with a dry finish. Didn't get the cotton candy, but it's easy to drink.

If you couldn't tell, the focus for this month's shipment is cans. Why cans? Well, why not? Cans are more portable, lightweight, better for the environment, stackable, chill faster, don't break, and perfect for any of your outdoor adventures.

I also did some googling and came across an article on The Business Insider called, "Why Canned Beer Is Better Than Bottled Beer". Here's an excerpt from it:

PC: http://3dbrewing.com/cans-vs-bottles

First, canned beer weighs less. Less packaging means you can move the same amount of product in fewer trips, reducing a firm's expenses and carbon footprint at the same time.

Whole Foods, which retails its share of craft beer, has seen a 30% increase in canned beer sales in the past year. MarketWatch describes the paradigm shift:

As of 2012, cans constituted 53.2% of the beer market while bottles had a 36.5% share — a fairly significant gap. By contrast, in 2006, the two packagings were much closer in popularity — cans accounted for 48.3% of the market and bottles 41.9%. (Draft beer largely accounts for the rest of brew sales.)

To everyone's delight, canning is also better for a beer's quality, according to Welz.

Cans don't let light in, plain and simple. "Light is destructive to the organic compound in beer that make the flavors everyone is so crazy about," he said.

Welz also suspects that cans, with a "double-crimped" seal, are better than bottles at preventing air from getting in — air being one of the main enemies of a delicious brew.

All that is true, but Ska Brewing thinks the mounting consumer preference for canned beer has less to do with quality and more to do with convenience.

Biking to the store? Grab cans over bottles. Tired of glass breaking in the cooler on your road trip? Cans are safer. Own a grocery store (or a refrigerator)? Cans are more stackable.

There are a few other theories to explain the trend here. Cans harken back to a simpler time. Thanks to a sense of hipster nostalgia, Pabst Blue Ribbon enjoys its current reign among penny-pinching Brooklynites.

Canned beer also chills better, and collective hysteria over BPA poisoning — a chemical in the lining of aluminum and plastic products — has gone out of vogue.

I know what you're thinking... "But you can't make cool things with cans like you can with bottles." Wrong. You CAN. ;)

PC: @payettebrewing

But if you prefer bottles over cans or vice versa, it's okay. We can all still be friends!

PC: Craft Beer Club

Happy Friday and happy drinking!

P.S. Not a big beer drinker? They have a wine club, too! Check it out!

The Lark

I attended a fun birthday dinner at The Lark a couple of a weeks ago for a good friend of mine. You do need to make a reservation ahead of time and with a big group of people, they'll most likely ask you to choose what you'd like to order beforehand (it's family style). We had 12 people and if you ask them to, they'll print you out your own menu with a personalized message at the bottom for whatever occasion you're celebrating!

Snacks - Crispy Brussel Sprouts - $12

Medjool dates, garum, sesame, lime

These were fantastic! Definitely one of my favorites. It comes with a fish sauce that gives the dish a unique flavor. Fish sauce is actually a commonly used ingredient in most Cambodian dishes, so it was like a nice taste of home. 

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From The Farm - Roasted Beets & Strawberries - $14

Ricotta salata, lemon-strawberry gastrique, spiced hazelnuts, red watercress, basil

This salad was light and refreshing with a hint of sweetness (from the strawberries), and a nice crunch from the hazelnuts. It was big hit at our table.

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From The Ranch - Marinated & Grilled Hanger Steak - $22

Charred broccoli, calabrian chile, crispy shallots, mint

This was delicious! Steak was tender and juicy, though I wish they gave a bigger portion of steak vs. the vegetables.

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From The Ocean - House Made Gnocchi & Dungeness Crab - $34

Spanish chorizo, navel orange, castelvetrano olives, lobster roe, cilantro

This dish will literally blow your mind. It's heaven on earth. It's a party in your mouth. It's basically everything you've ever dreamed of. This dish was rich, decadent and creamy, and definitely a favorite among everyone.

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Platters - Slow Roasted Superior Farms Lamb Ribs - Half Rack - $24

Medjool date caramel, salsa verde, crushed pistachio, fennel pollen

These were great! The meat fell off the bone and it had kind of a buttery taste and melted in your mouth. But since we only got a half rack, there were only four ribs aka not enough to go around. But we did order a whole chicken, which kind of made up for it.

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Platters - Texas Gulf Coast Redfish - $36

Smoked andouille sausage, crispy dirty rice, poblano chile, grilled scallions, creole shellfish sauce

The fish was tasty and the sauce gave it a nice spice. The crispy dirty rice also complimented the dish well.

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Platters - Mary's Roasted Chicken - Whole - $40

Black pepper grits, grilled sweet corn, jalapeno, ham hock, pickled okra, chives, chicken jus

The chicken was moist and flavorful and the grits were absolutely delicious. So glad we got a whole chicken instead of half!

Since it was my friend's birthday, I asked if we could bring our own cake. They said yes and even kept the cake in a fridge for us. There was, however, a $3 cutting fee per person. But they did take care of everything for us i.e. plates, silverware, etc. It was a delicious German Chocolate cake that one of our friend's made. So good. So full.

If we hadn't of brought our own cake, then we definitely would have gotten a couple of their desserts. I'm not sure what their dessert menu looks like now, but these are the two I had last time and they were delicious: mascarpone cheesecake profiteroles with blueberries (left) and a hazelnut praline ice cream sandwich with grilled peaches and tarragon (right).

With the check being spilt between all of us, it came out to be about $35 per person, and that included a coupe of bottles of wine that we brought on our own. You can bring two bottles of wine and their corkage fee is $25 per bottle. If you bring a large bottle of wine, it's considered a magnum and the corkage fee goes up to $50. If you don't bring your own bottle, I believe their cheapest bottle of wine is around $50. They, of course, have great craft cocktails as well. They also give you delicious popcorn as an appetizer. Seriously, it's so good.

The Lark is a great spot in The Funk Zone with fast and friendly service. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time I was here. There's a decent amount of indoor seating, as well as a bar, and they also have patio seating. It's the perfect place to celebrate any special occasion or just to have a fancy night out!

If you're headed their way any time soon, be sure to tag @sbgoodeats and #sbgoodeats on Instagram. :)

Happy Dining!

Welcome!

Hey there!

So excited to have sbgoodeats.com finally launched! Doing some pretty cool things in the next couple of months that I can't wait to share with you.

Stay tuned for my first food post that'll feature the fun and delicious dinner I had last week at The Lark for a friend's birthday.

Happy dining!