Rich Pawlak

Well, it is a local thread, and the Beer Forum has folks from all over, so The Foodery isnt going to mean much to them, but your tasting note will! I hope you can expand on your experience over there with a note about this stuff; I've never heard of it.

i agree, on both counts. i think michael made the best of an awkward situation on his part. i also hope/believe that this may be starr's only 4-star restaurant, so he won't change too much. Well, according to yesterday's Inquirer, Starr will close the place today and open sometime in the New Year. That's his first mistake, and at the absolutely wrong time of the year. http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/lo...hia/7426406.htm

Or maybe not.

I've always found the Great Lakes Xmas to be overly spicy, really heavy-handed. I can actually get some of that here in NJ, so I will grab a sixer and see if its been toned down.

This is yet another sad Philly restaurant story, and hearing personally from Katie some of the really unfortunate situations at SB has been heartbreaking. I grew up in this business, but fortunately my mother and my family never put anyone through anything like this ever. Michael walks a precarious tightrope with this stuff, often gracefully. I don't think he could help with this situation except to report it. Let's hope Stephen Starr has a heart under those designer clothes of his. And let's hope he knows what to do with his first 4-star restaurant, too.

Several of us have been looking into it. And stay tuned: The Dangerous Dining Club will be doing one in the next two weeks, and the announcement/invitation will be posted here.

I've finally been starting to buy up some of the winter and holday beers out there, starting with Saranac's "12 Beers" collection (the first without a new or exclusive beer in the mix since I can remember buying this holiday pack), from F.X. Matt Brewing in Utica, NY, filled with some of their regular styles, and beers like their Caramel Porter, Single Malt ale, and their Season's Best nut brown ale. I popped the Season's Best last night. It had a nice dark copper color, chunky khaki head and terrific candy/burnt sugar aroma. The head faded fairly quickly, and as the beer warmed, I sipped. Kinda thin actually, but with some peanut and almond flavors up front, and a light vanilla in the finish. I was expecting something a little more robust, but that's often the way with Saranac beers, they're a little light in the loafers. A pleasant enough quaffer, but nothing here to make you want to open another and salute the holiday. So what winter and holiday brews ave you been drinking? Post your TNs here.

John, youre not looking hard enough; I'ev already seen it in Joe Canal's and in some of the smaller package stores in and around Princeton.

There is a special place in hell for you nouveau Floridians who taunt those of us shoveling snow in NJ. And there isnt any good beer in hell either. Oh waitaminute, you're already there.

That is a HELL of a long way to go for cassoulet. I am impressed.

As with most things, I am late in coming to appreciate bourbon, but thanks to Lew Bryson, I am beginning to see the light. With his considerably educated palate, I have been turned on to: 1. Woodford Reserve 2. Van Winkle 12 yr. (my so-far personal favorite) 3. Van Winkle 18 yr 4. Blanton's 5. Michter's (used to be made in PA! Now revived) At a recent tasting, I was blown away by ALL of the Van Winkle bourbons (12, 15, 18, 20 and 24 yr old), but the youngest one remains my favorite. The Woodford reserve was also stunning to me, nice vanilla and pepper notes, and a great finish. I think cigars and some bourbon are called for ladies and gents--let's share some of both soon.

I've never had a decent bottle of the stuff in my life. Always skunky. We have a large number of Indian restaurants in and around Princeton, and Kingfisher is on every menu, and, try as I might, I've not been able to even remotely like the stuff.

Nice to see you again, John! Hows the wife and kids?

Er, how cold IS a witch's tit? Just asking. Lunch is also plentiful and cheap at both McGillin's Old Ale House on tiny Drury Lane, between Juniper and 13th, above Sansom St. , and at Ludwig's Garten, where they still do a $6.95 lunch buffet that is just killer good. Ditto to the Bellevue Food Court, if only for the tortas at 12th St Cantina and the hoagies at Rocco's.

You get to enjoy New Glarus beers in WI, dont you? Their Raspberry Tart and Wisconsin Belgian Red will both change your mind.

this was one of my favorites for a long time. not so much lately, tho. i'm going to have to check out this Hop Hazard from NJ. River Horse Hop Hazard is a nice, dry-hopped IPA style, not as assertive as you'd expect, but nice enough. I find it a better match for Thai food than Singha beer from Thailand.

Novelty is a good restaurant, located, actually, if you can remember back to 1997, right across the street from what once was Jake & Oliver's, that mega-tap place where we all once had brunch, on that fateful first Beer Tour of Philly.

I've always contended that these guys dont know how to make a bad beer (well, with the exception of some of those V-10s that were positively weirdly undrinkable, more of a bottling problem, I believe), and the drinking public obviously concurs. I never realized they were making that much beer. The newer styles you would really love, Suzie, are all of their regional pilsners, draft only, each of them distinct and peculiar in their own way; they have a "Schwarzwalder Pils" on tap now at the Grey Lodge Pub in Philly that is just incredible, big and bitey and bracing.

Ground beef or ground turkey, diced tomatoes and chiles, small red kidney beans, onions, chipotle peppers, crushed tomatoes, lager beer, crushed garlic, bay leaf. Works every time, and can be a flamethrower, depending on the chipotles.

I think a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand might be a better match, like Cloudy Bay, for example; their style of SB still maintains an earthy, vegetal touch that I think would work with the mango and lime, which are the flavors I would worry about complementing.

Yeah, well, wouldn't we all. And the used ones could smell funny.

Oh well, there goes the neighborhood. Folks, meet Rick Cook, from Los Angeles, and saying beer is his hobby might be the understatement of the year. He is also one of the denizens of the old Prodigy beer community, and was the originator of two tasting traditions there: "Christmas in July" , an annual tasting and discussion about winter and holiday beers in the middle of the summer; and the previously mentioned (see "Beer Here!" post) "Days of Barleywine and Roses", an annual review and tasting of big beers that Rick hosted every February. You'll enjoy his extensive knowledge of beer styles and his experienced palate, and his detailed, picayune descriptions of what he's drinking. And yes, the man collects beer like nobody's business. Nice to see ya, Cook!

I will add to the consensus: Mark's Las Olas is the best place I've dined in Ft Lauderdale in the past 10 years. Good vibe, very good food and service; and an interesting beer and wine list, too.

Yes, that track would be beer.

Only if they ever get around to brewing actual beer.