
The scallop was marinated in Petrus for four hours prior to plating. I was surprised at how well the natural sweetness of the scallop was brought out by the sour notes of the Petrus and pickled shallot. A great amuse.
Welsh Rarebit--North Coast Pranqster Ale
I love that we're seeing more beer cocktails on menus right now. The Black Velvet was on the sweeter side with the Young's Double Chocolate Stout. That sweetness, along with the cocktail's effervescence, helped cut through the richness of the braised pork and rarebit.
This course tasted like fall. The pumpkin filling in the ravioli was steamed with Pumking, a beer that's brewed with fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. My tablemate Jeff Collins of Binny's Lakeview compared the beer's flavors to a pumpkin biscuit. And yet, the dish had just the right amount of pumpkin and spice when paired with the beer. Loved this savory take on traditionally sweet ingredients.
Many beers make excellent braising liquids, and this smoked rye doppelbock is no exception. Craig explained that he also turned the rabbit into a rillette and pan-fried it. The dish was not overpowered by the smokiness of the Charkoota Rye, and it was absolutely delish with the rich braising jus.
This big tripel is unique because it's brewed with some chocolate malt instead of the traditional all-blonde malts. The Gulden Draak held its own against the strong flavors of foie and sirloin burger mix of the Wellington. The beer also helped cut through the richness of the truffled potatoes and rich foie demi-glace.
For this dessert, we were given two very different beer pairings. The slightly sour Duchesse de Bourgogne highlighted the Door County dried cherries in the bread and the caramelized apples, as well as the fantastic sweet-sour combo in the apple cider vinegar caramel. The Cereal Killer Barleywine, on the other hand, was complementary with the chocolaty bread pudding, and I loved that it was served warm, a great contrast to the ice cream. It was hard to pick a favorite--but given that I am a caramel addict, I'd have to go with the Flemish red for how it accented that awesome caramel.Thanks again to Craig and The Bad Apple for hosting this event!
-- Lacey Griebeler
The Bad Apple
4300 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 360-8406