I mentioned a few days ago we’d be heading up to Auburn Alehouse for their big special meal tonight. To begin, their food is regularly top-notch, with their regular menu offering exceptional dishes. We weren’t sure what to expect heading in, the four courses seemingly ‘overpriced’ and not entirely jumping out at us. Boy, were we wrong.
First dish was a seared tuna salad, served in martini glasses – great presentation. This was a great starting plate, lightly dressed and with a mild zest quality throughout. It was perhaps too delicate for the IPA Brian just put on this week, but did go shockingly well with Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus.
Up next, a bowl of shrimp bisque soup. We were surprised it came as quick as it did, we weren’t quite ready for it, but it was good. I feel a bit bad for this dish, squished in between two great dishes and never really capturing our full attention, as we soon found our main course in front of us before the soup was consumed. The IPA did seem more appropriate here.
The entre of the night was fillet wellington, which blew us both away. My goodness, this steak was as tender as any you’d hope to find, seared nicely before being topped with fois gras, wrapped in puff pastry and baked to perfection. The plate also had stuffed prawns, asparagus and mashed potatoes. Knowing this was on the menu, I brought a bottle of Firestone Walker Eleven to enjoy. Oh my! You really can’t ask for better experiences. I know the beer’s hard to come by, but if you’re lucky to see one available, trust me: it’s worth the 17 bucks or so to buy. We poured glasses to share with Brian the Brewmaster, as well as Louise the Chef… it was well received.
Dessert, after that amazing plate, was the afterthought you’d hope it would be. Honestly, the truffles were great and paired nicely with the Cantillon. It’s just, well, we were full and still recalling the beef. I have a feeling we’ll be remembering the wellington for some time, actually.
In addition to the above mentioned beers, we can attest to the high quality of Brian’s Red 45, which I’d expect has a bit of Vienna malt judging by the flavor, falling somewhere in between an Octoberfest and ESB… which is to say hoppier and ale-esque. That IPA of his is nothing short of beautiful. My goodness, piney, citrusy, floral – it really runs the gamut of American hop flavor.
One final note about AAH. Their staff just rocks, and it starts with the owners and managers. Brian works his ass off, typically starting before any of us are dreaming of being awake, but still finds it important to get behind the bar and do the things that need to be done. Then, there’s Sloan, the attractive, friendly and hard-working manager. This woman is inspiring to watch, as one minute she can be mixing drinks before sweeping the floor on her way to bus a table. Not only that, the staff clearly likes her. Our server of the night was Michelle, kind, prompt and just a pleasure to see. They know their jobs, do them well and all work to make patrons feel right at home. Maybe that’s why it’s like a second home.
I’ve been asked to sample a few barleywines this week for a piece I’m working on, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much that doesn’t suck. Tonight I’m drinking the Old Foghorn by Anchor Brewing, in San Francisco, a classic barleywine for certain. Knowing I’d be enjoying the beer tonight, I stopped in and asked my local cheese monger if he had anything new for me to sample. I told him what I was drinking, described the general profile of the Old Foghorn, and he walked me over to a good looking wheel of cheese, Vella Dry Jack.
I am not, nor would I pretend to be, a cheese expert, but I will tell
you this beer and cheese just works! The Vella website has this to say about this cheese:
Made like fresh Monterey Jack and further aged for another 7 to 10 months. Firm, pale yellow with a sweet nutty flavor. This cheese is great for grating, shredding, slicing, cooking or just plain eating. Marvelous in toasted cheese sandwiches, omelets and souffles. Delicious shredded on pasta, soups or tacos –for a taste that is unique and special. Can also be added to casseroles and enchiladas. Dry Monterey Jack will become one of your favorites!
It did become one of my favorites, and a much larger quantity will be procured for the PBN 2008 Barleywine Festival I’ve started piecing together.
Before tonight, I’d never heard of Vella Cheese, so you can imagine my surprise to learn they’re regional! Yes, these guys made their cheese in Sonoma – which makes a great detour when you’re out sampling the better reds of the region. For more info on them, check out their site.
How was the Old Foghorn? As good as you’d think it was.
Today, Sunday, seemed like a bit of a slow day. I started off with a breakfast date with my wife, Tracy, as we went to King’s in West Sacramento for the region’s best dim sum – and this region includes San Francisco from what I can tell. If ever you’re visiting Sacramento for a weekend, check them out on a Saturday or Sunday from 11 – 1… if you like authentic ethnic foods, you’ll not be disappointed.
After brunch, well, the day got a bit more domestic, with laundry, dishes and general cleaning required after several weekends in a row on the road. In mid-afternoon I rested for a bit with a can of Caldera’s IPA, the best IPA in a can I’ve discovered. Caldera Brewing is out of Ashland, Oregon, and aren’t much to look at – a warehouse facility with dock sales only on Friday evenings (the last I checked). If you’re planning a trip to the region, maybe you’d like to take in a play at the world-famous Shakespeare Festival down the street, you’ll need to call ahead and see if you can’t try what they have available at the time – their Dry Hopped Orange, the Caldron Brew and, well, just about everything they have rocks. The IPA, in particular, is a joy from the get-go, with a massive citrusy hop aroma exploding as soon as the can is cracked. Pouring a deep golden color, the beer also shows off a frothy white head with good retention. There’s little in the way of sweetness here, but the massive hop character doesn’t seem over-the top, somehow. Sadly, I have only one can of this beer left (good thing I’m scheduled to return to Southern Oregon next week).
Tonight I wanted to have a nice night with Tracy, so I made a wonderfully rubbed pork loin (broiled 10 minutes per side, then cooked at 375 degrees till done), with a side of applesauce from a local orchard and crisp green beans (seasoned with fresh ground lemon pepper). To compliment the meal I pulled out a bottle of 2004 Redstone Mead with Juniper berries. Oh, you can follow that link and buy this online!
The mead is part of Redstone’s Mountain Honey Wine series, which means it is a 12% ABV still mead (no carbonation), aged a bit before they’re even released to market. I picked my bottle up in Portland’s Belmont Station, back when they were still located next to Horse Brass, and was inspired to finally open it after making my first trip to the meadery last week during the GABF festivities.
My goodness this is a good mead.
If you’ve never tried a mead, or honey wine, I suggest you fix this, and as soon as possible! When properly made, like this is, you’ll get strong honey notes in the flavor and aroma, but you won’t find a cloyingly sweet product – as you might expect. This particular mead has a strong peppery spice to it, and the juniper is understated to the point you might miss it if you weren’t looking for it. Additionally, a well made mead will go great with a meal, such as the one described above, or on its own (I’m still sipping mine as I watch the Red Socks inch closer to another World Series). Finally, meads are so easy to make at home, you really ought to try and discover the hobby for yourself. I think, and this is my opinion here, that meads of 10+% ABV are at their best at three years, and will continue to be wonderful for five to seven years (seven is pushing it, only with higher alcohol meads).
I’d like to say thank you to Rick and Dick at Big Foamy Head, the beer, blues and bbq podcast, for giving me the rub I used for tonight’s pork loin. The rub, for the rest of you, is called Rendezvous Famous Seasoning, and was perfect for the meat. I applied the rub about 5 hours prior to cooking, it was too easy for a meal that good.
With their official ’soft’ opening TODAY (6/21) I figure I better get something up here ASAP. Recently, Mike, Mark and Rick (along with spouses and friends) enjoyed a great evening at Northern California’s newest brewery, Auburn Ale House. (see pictures)
First off, this place is beautiful with the tall and welcoming glass windows up front and the long friendly bar inside – not to mention the tables, booths and outdoor seating. We started at the bar, chatting it up with the barkeeps while enjoying the fine house-made beers they were pouring (all six). After trying each of the beers we were kindly seated (all 8 of us) at a large table next to the visible brewery. Following are some highlights.
The Beers:
There are three beers I could gush about, two of which are nearly perfect representations of their styles.
First is their IPA. I loved it. Big aroma, dark caramel color with a great initial sweetness that is greatly complimented by the assertive bitterness. Man I loved this beer.
Second is their American Wheat Beer. I admit, I don’t care for the style in general, but this beer was exactly what a brewery needs – light in color, beautiful in aroma and full of flavor. This is a nearly perfect ‘training-wheel’ beer for those unfamiliar with crafted beer.
Finally, you simply need to sample the Oldtown Brown, perhaps the best brown ale I have had in years. Seriously. At less than 4% alcohol you will be greatly impressed at the wonderful aroma and taste, grainy and refreshing. This is just a fantastic thirst quenching ale for those looking for something with a bit less hops than a Pale Ale and I think you’ll agree. If I were scoring beers to style tonight, this beer would win in a heartbeat.
The Food
As good as the beers were, we were equally impressed with the food – and with eight of us there we ordered quite a bit. Following are some highlights.
- Cheese Bread appetizer: Holy crap, this is a round loaf of what appeared to be housemade bread, stuffed with cheese and goodness and sitting atop balsamic vinegar. A great way to begin a night of festivities with friends.
- Rib appetizer: Not as good or popular as the bread, but a great starter with an IPA. Seriously, don’t bother with the wheat beer if you think you want the ribs.
- Stuffed Pepper entre: Oh dear lord, a stuffed green chile (no, this isn’t a bell pepper) wrapped in spiced chicken breast… how can you go wrong? Served atop risoto (sp) this meal paired wonderfully with the Oldtown Brown.
- Blackened Chicken Sandwich: A well priced meal packed with texture and flavor and great alongside the Pale Ale.
- Jalepeno Popper appetizer: Almost forgot – this appetizer is NOT for the weak of heart. Spicy, full of flavor and a lot more than you’d expect in a Popper. Another great dish with IPA.
The Patio:
The outdoor seating at AAH is prime real estate in old Auburn, and for good reason. Under a mature tree and with a view of the historic building and grain silo, this place has an ambience that is among the best in the city. Additionally, the owners saw fit to put a service station behind the bar that is dedicated to the outdoor guests, meaning you don’t have to worry about poor service when outdoors.
Overall, this place can’t lose. Great ambience, wonderful food and beers that are unique and full of flavor. I give it a year before it gets listed as a top destination in the region for beer lovers – only half a step behind the great Rubicon in Sacramento. It is that good.
I’ve been reading a lot of articles online lately about the nation’s need for more session beer – beers under 5% ABV that are refreshing and flavorful. I admit, I love me a big beer. My ‘favorite’ style is the IIPA. I go crazy for Russian Imperial Stouts. I seek out as many barley wines as a guy can find. I love big beer, but it just isn’t reasonable to enjoy them in quantity night in and night out.
That said, I seriously look forward to the Spring when craft brewers from around the country introduce beers missing the “Imperial” on the label. It pretty much begins in mid-April with the introduction of the year’s Maibock releases. Yes, they’re generally more than 5%, but not by much, and they’re full of flavor with a wonderful mouthfeel. Yes, when I see the Helles or Mai Bocks on the shelf, my liver, waistline and senses are happy.
My latest trip to the beer store today was even more encouraging, as it is now becoming easier to find beers I can start enjoying before dinner. Let’s examine some of my finds from the day, shall we?
Anchor Bock & Full Sail LTD 02 (6.4 & 5.5%) – Officially FS isn’t a Maibock, but the wonderful sweetness in these beers are wonderful on cool Spring nights. The Anchor Bock is dark, rich and with a nice roast character.
Full Sail Session (5.1%) – if you haven’t tried this beer, it may be the most perfect Summer time beer on the market. I’ve taken cases camping, buy them when I am doing home improvement projects or working on my ‘72 Ford Stepside. Light, crisp, refreshing and not lacking flavor.
Lagunitas Pils (5.3%)- I haven’t tried this years version, but my memories have this as another crisp, clean finishing beer that is easy to drink more than a couple of.
Deschutes Buzzsaw Brown (4.8%)- At under 5% this beer is shockingly full of flavor, like lightly toasted bread and moderate hop spice and bittering. A great beer and hard to comprehend it has less alcohol than Session.
There were others, but I wasn’t taking notes.
If you’re a blog reader you’re aware that May is mild beer month overseas – of course, celebrating the ‘mild’ style virtually unknown in the US. We don’t have a lot of traditional Mild beers here, but certainly it will be worth your time to search out some of these more mild beers. Use the list above, or do some label reading yourself to find a new beer you like that is low in alcohol and full of flavor. If you find one you like, be sure to let us know.
More Info
Mild Beer Month – Brookstone
Cooking with Milds – CAMRA
