Brewvana + New School: Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15

March 5, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’ve been able to enjoy the Brewvana van twice- once during my experience with Zwickelmania last year, and another time with sponsorship of Google Hotspot for writing reviews. This was my first time that I went directly for them for a specific tour… and heh, was a paying participant. When I saw on FB that Brewvana would be offering with New School beer blog a Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15, I was excited. I thought the itinerary sounded really promising and full of new tastes for me, and of course I knew I had good experiences with Brewvana those two previous times. I was lucky I bought the tickets that evening while sitting at the bar of Bailey’s Taproom and fortunate enough to think to catch up on my FB, because the tickets were all sold out the next day.

The tour on Saturday February 4 (sorry for the delay in my post- I did go international to 4 countries- soon to be covered in upcoming posts) coincided with the same day that Block 15 Brewing in Corvallis was releasing bottles of  two barrel aged beers. Batch 2 of Pappy’s Dark Ale (a Dark Strong ale in bourban barrels), as well as the “lost barrels” of Super Nebula (Imperial Oatmeal Stout in bourbon barrels). I have liked many a Block 15 beer, and had both those beers last year at a Block 15 Pappy’s Dark bottle release event at Hop & Vine 2011. More recently after hearing about their new restaurant/beer spot during a food tour, have been mentioning multiple times to others (fishing…) on how I would like to visit their beer cave. And, now here was the opportunity where I wouldn’t have to worry about driving… Brewvana is going to chauffeur me there.

But wait! There’s more! This trip not only included round trip transportation to Block 15, but also

  • stops at Calapooia Brewing (known for its chili pepper beer) for beer samples and a behind the scenes tour with owner/brewer Mark Martin;
  • and also a stop at Flat Tail Brewing with its more experimental beer selection and more samples with Head Brewer Dave Marliave;
  • and a stop at Les Caves Bier and Kitchen (a recently opened European style bistro and beir bar with 16 rotating taps and over 100 bottled beers) for beer and dinner.
  • And then, once finally at Block 15, besides accessing a taster tray of Pappy’s Dark and Super Nebula 2010 and 2011 and Hypnosis 2011 (barrel-aged Barleywine) at Block 15, we also get to learn about their barrel-aging program and see behind the scenes!

Fun! Signed up!

Calapooia Brewing Visit,  a secret (even from residents down the street apparently) that is getting more successful and is bottling their incredible chili beer so its rise is underway. It was cool to hear how Calapooia was conceived and his philosophy for the brewery straight from head brewer and owner Mark Martin- and his cooler smelled wonderfully yeasty

Flat Tail Brewing, a brewery that loves to get creative and experiment, and our time with head brewer Dave Marliave also gave us insight into the art of concocting a beer and also insight on how it sounds fun and laid back environment but make no mistake, it is also a lot of hard work as a career choice.

Les Caves Bier and Kitchen. We started with a shared appetizer of Artisan Board with head cheese, Willamette cheddar cheese, pickled gherkins with stone ground mustard and fresh baked and torn bread. We then had a choice of 3 dishes (or another dish where we would pay the difference). We went with what was already offered: the Roasted Vegetable Strudel of oven roasted parsnips, squash, onions, peppers, fresh mozzarella & ricotta wrapped in a flaky crust with a pink peppercorn sour cream, served with a winter greens salad; and the Naturally house cured, smoked and steamed Painted Hills beef pastrami with stone ground mustard & crisp pickles on rye ciabatta 11 with gruyere cheese.

The Artisan Board was great, but I found the Strudel a bit too rich because of how buttery the crust was, while the pastrami was steamed too far into dryness. The ideas were good for the dishes- in theory they would match well with beer- but the execution was flawed in our dinners. The place was getting packed as we got there right when dinner was starting- maybe the kitchen got overwhelmed. I was much more conservative during dinner in not partaking in ordering from the huge beer menu because I wanted my palate ready for Block 15, but others couldn’t resist the beer bottle list.

Finally, the highlight: the Block 15 visit! There has been no beer from this brewery I have not enjoyed, and I love their concept of aging beers. We tried last year’s and this year’s Pappy’s Dark and Super Nebula and also another beer, Hypnosis, and aged (of course it’s aged!) Barleywine. Nick Arzner showed us the maze of corridors that comprises their brewing and aging areas and his perspective of crafting beautifully complex beers.

We got a sneak peek at a still aging White Framboise made with white raspberries that is probably a one time thing- and is going to probably sell out in hours when it does release. We came in late in the day, after their release at the brewery, but he had set aside bottles for our group to purchase, thank goodness! Of all the breweries we visited this one was the most organized, demonstrating their attention to detail and care and control cascading to their work environment even though they work mostly in a basement.

The only negative of this trip was how the high alcohol content took a toll, so the bus ride home was full of half a bus of those who pehraps their volume sensitivity was not what it usually is, and the other half passed out trying to digest and give all our power to our livers (I went on this side),  all while scrunched into the very little legroom because the seats were made for children. The reality is that Brewvana is awesome and needs a real bus, not a school bus, similar to what size are used for wine tours: that amount of distance with that many people all day is just not comfortable. I don’t see why wine tasters get to be comfotable but beer lovers don’t. At least the treatment we get on the tour on and off the bus is definitely red carpet at least.

Brewvana only started a year ago and has been a huge success- and is now in its growing pains. Their concept for the various tours Brewvana offers is intriguing and is good for either those new to beer or experienced beer geeks, for those new or even those who have been in PDX for a while- the logistical arrangement, communication, sparkly fun energy and enthusiasm and passion Ashley and those involved bring- all of those combined make for a “doh! I can’t believe that’s her job!” and you can’t help but absorb that vivacity she has during the tour and you can’t help but have fun.

Thanks so much for Ashley of Brewvana and Ezra of the New School for putting this fantastic trip together, for the brewers and their staff for their hospitality and generosity with me and the other beer geeks, and also Jason the bus driver for his patience and amazing skills for both speedy and safe driving, and the other beer geeks for being beer geeks but not beer snobs and letting us into their circle for a little bit.

So I realize that as usual, there is no photographic proof on my own camera that I am even present. Fortunately, Ashley took a bunch of photos as well, which I have stolen a few that had me in them as proof of life and am sharing here. All these photos belong and were taken by Ashley Rose, the lovely beer effervescent princess of Brewvana from the Brewvana Flickr album which has more photographic proof of how much fun they are always having.

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The Metrovino double cheeseburger

March 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

WWeek’s #1 ranked burger in Portland in their Burgerquest article: Metrovino’s cheeseburger, a double patty of Painted Hills 20% fat house-ground chuck plus ribeye trimmings, Wisconsin swiss style fontina between the patties, shredded iceberg on the bottom, and onions & fancy sauce mix on top of the second patty, served with a side salad dressed with a vinaigrette.

When it comes to the meat itself, it was juicy and full of flavor without being too fatty. The cheese and sauce swirl into the meat juiciness like they were always born to be together, with the lettuce offering a bit of a mess factor because it is shredded but offering crunch texture (although not much taste) to counter richness. I was willing to forgive the iceburg because of the tart side salad that came with the plate with its vinaigrette. I didn’t mind that it wasn’t a choice of fries here- with such a substantial double cheeseburger the fact it came with a salad seemed to make you feel less bad about what you are about to do to your arteries. Its acidic vinaigrette and bitterness in the greens was a nice break in between the juicy meat and cheese and bread to counter the richness.

Ah, the spongy bun that tried hard to hold together the double patties- wish the kitchen would stick a skewer to help hold it together as the meat wants to tenderly melt apart even though it hasn’t quite gotten into your mouth yet. I always cut my burger in half so I can hold it, and sometimes I can cut it into quarters, but not this one. Oh, and my napkin was a mess at the end of this. To the bun’s credit, as I continued to bite into the meat, the bun kept together as it absorbed all the sauce and squeezes of juice with every bite- I just had to realize I would not be able to put this burger down until I was done.

This was a tasty patty in the same way that somehow, McD quarter pounder with cheese meat just has something compelling in terms of flavor that I still miss even though I’ve given up on McD fast food. Whatever the kitchen does back there in crafting this burger, they are doing it right. It didn’t have the spicy tang that I liked about Toro Bravo’s take on the cheeseburger (thanks to their use of romesco), but minus the sauce, I think I would pick the Metrovino burger plain over it. That Toro Bravo sauce really is the key ingredient that is the only reason that that burger could top the meat of the Metrovino.

This offering at Metrovino is a double cheeseburger off of the regular bar menu, but is also offered as a single patty cheeseburger (aka 6 oz instead of 12 oz of delicious meat) during happy hour- but hurry to the bar area by 5 as it quickly fills up). Since for $5 more you get a double though, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t just go ahead and go all the way and double up on the meat. You are already getting your drink on with a cheeseburger- go indulge and maybe share with a friend!

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Photos of a dinner of small samplers at Aviary Portland

February 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Just some photos of a dinner of small samplers at Aviary Restaurant in Portland. Between the two of us, we shared 3 appetizers, and then 3 of the slightly larger and heavier small plates (everything at Aviary is small plates though). First to appear at the table was the bread with butter dipping sauce (I particuarly liked that one of the breads was an olive bread), it was a thoughtul and welcome start. Then came the first dish from the kitchen,  tempura pumpkin with red curry, scallions, thai basil. This was our favorite of the appetizers thanks to the crispy lightness of the batter surrounding the warm firm/softness of the pumpkin with a bit of spice from the curry which was rounded out by some coconut cream in the curry.

Second best was the ox tail croquettes tomato jam which were tender bites of rich meatness. The fried chicken skin salad with watermelon, bitter greens, baba ganoush was raved about in reviews, but we found it the weakest- I was expecting a better pop of contrasting flavors between the luxury of fried chicken skin with the bitterness of the greens, acid of watermelon, and smokiness of baba ganoush, and this just wasn’t realized. Part of me was also hoping the fried chicken skin would be really crunchy crispy- sort of the equivalent of when  you get extra crispy from fast food place- and I guess I expected the fried chicken to be in the kind of quantity ratio to the salad like a normal chicken breast would be in a salad with chicken breast. You can see from the picture the greens seem to barely qualify this dish as a salad.

Aviary, Portland, small plates Aviary, Portland, small plates Aviary, Portland, small plates

In terms of slightly heavier small plates, we went with a trio of one pork, one beef, and one chicken. The weakest was the crispy pig ear atop coconut rice, chinese sausage, and avocado and greens, again where similar to the fried chicken skin salad, the fat wasn’t balanced well enough by the other components, and leaned instead towards layers of different types of oils. I did like the smoothness of the coconut rice, but then the rest of the dish didn’t balance out for me.

Her favorite was the hoisin glazed short rib with farro and turnips and yuzu pickles, which I really did like- it was so juicy tender and the meat disintegrated on your mouth while teasing you with a bit of the pomegranate and the creaminess of the farro mixing in with that savory melting meat- and a playful texture difference betwen them all- but it was also a very heavy dish. That’s why my favorite was the four cup chicken with taro root, dried apricot and truffle, wood ear mushrooms, all subtle flavors that you could individually appreciate but also harmonized well with the tender juicy chicken. I could probably actually eat that whole dish, but would get overwhelmed after a while with any of the others even though they were good for the first shared portion.

Aviary, Portland, small plates Aviary, Portland, small plates Aviary, Portland, small plates

Honestly, we ordered 2 small plates too many- although all the plates are small, this would have really been better at a table of four rather then two. The clean simple decor of a lot of warm wood and candlelight made the space seem very empty and open, but this minimalism also lacked a bit of character- we could have been in any Portland restaurant, I wish there had been a little more there in terms of atmosphere to give a better feel of its personality. However, the service was smooth and friendly, paced wonderfully as we enjoyed our bottle of ’08 Scipt & Seal Bourdeaux to get us food quickly but then considerately let us linger with our conversation without much interruption. Also, they did survive a fire (started from fireworks that landed on the roof) that closed them down for a while, so I give them a break for rising like a phoenix from the ashes.

If you visit, make sure you take more people to share dishes and reduce how much of a single dish you need to eat (four seems like it would be a perfect number). Aviary is really a restaurant that seems best suited to lots of little bird bites of many of the rich dishes- so plan your dining party accordingly.

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Star Noodle in Maui

January 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

Since we had rented beautiful oceanfront condos, we got take out from Star Noodle in Lahaina and brought it home to enjoy for our lunch while gazing at the clear blue ocean below our balcony and Molokai and Lanai in the short distance.

Maui, view of ocean

We put together quite a take out feast from this hidden in an industrial business complex joint. Appetizers included the Pohole Salad of Hana Fiddle Head Fern, Maui Onion, Ebi, Kombu; the Steamed Pressed Pork, Hoisin, Shiitake, and Cucumber Buns; and a Vietnamese Crepe filled with Shrimp, Pork, Bean Sprouts that you enjoy by further wrapping within large lettuce leaves.

Star Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, Hawaii

Entrees sampled included the texturally fun Lahaina Fried Soup with Fat Chow Funn, Pork, Bean Sprouts; the slightly oily but yet can’t stop eating the simple Garlic Noodles with fresh fried garlic, Garlic Oil, Dashi, Scallions; Miso Salmon charbroiled with Su-Miso sauce; and Ramen. There was more food, but that’s what is photographed.

Star Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, HawaiiStar Noodle in Maui, Hawaii

I only really wanted one souvenir from my visit- Foodland reusable tote bag. They have several designs to choose from- the one I yearned for was one that pictured Spam Musubi, and another picturing a bowl of Poke. And while you are at Foodland picking up these awesome bags, you have yet another chance at enjoying some poke while you’re there in Hawaii!

Foodland, Maui, Hawaii
Foodland, Maui, Hawaii

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Ono-ness in Kauai: Fish Express and more

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It is a hole in the wall, but as soon as it’s lunchtime, be prepared to be battling for a parking spot in this carryout only storefront with its tiny little lot for maybe half a dozen cars. I am definitely going back here to Fish Express again next time in Kauai. It’s a bit farther away from the lovely beaches I saw as we drove up north to Princeville… but whatever, it’s worth it.

Don’t get distracted by the golden fried chicken or those bento boxes of various food packaged up ready for a quick grab and go. You want the little bit of each of the various poke and lobster salad if they have it or what else is behind the glass, and the fresh fish hot plates. You can stick with just the deli portion and make yourself a buffet out of their various cold offerings. But, choose your amounts carefully of each unless you can take it back to a fridge- I was so sad when I couldn’t finish off the poke later for dinner because I couldn’t eat all the buffet during lunch with the hot fish, and it didn’t do well sitting in the car while we visited Waimea Canyon.

Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiFish Express, Kauai, HawaiiFish Express, Kauai, Hawaii

But take a merely priced at $8.95 fish special (it tastes just as good as the $25 entrees you would get at a sit down seafood restaurant) with you too, even as you get the poke buffet. They have 7 possible preparations for the cooked fish, and the exact fish that goes with each style depends on the day. You’ll have to take it out to your car and drive away- we went to a Costco parking lot to enjoy, because then we could go wash our hands and use the restrooms afterward. And, that way you can discard your big cardbox box of takeout food (just like how Costco “boxes” your purchases as well) there. Also, maybe Costco is oddly really well marked on the map from the Dollar car rental magazine.

Below, see the Shrimp Scampi, Ono sauteed with garlic and herb butter, and Macadamia Nut Panko crusted Ahi with lilokoi dill sauce. That Macadamia Nut Panko Ahi was the best thing I ate during my vacation in Hawaii this time round.

Shrimp Scampi, Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiOno sauteed with garlic and herb butter, Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiMacadamia Nut Panko crusted Ahi with lilokoi dill sauce, Fish Express, Kauai, Hawaii

As an honorable mention in Kauai yumminess, there was also dangerous fast driving in the dark to get to Puka Dog in Poipu before they closed. It was scary getting there in the dark streets while being speedy, but worth the misadventure as we bit into the freshly grilled hot dog. You select your choice of meat aka Polish Sausage or Veggie, followed by spice level of garlic lemon sauce, and then a tropical relish menu option (ranging from pineapple which is great with the spiciest level to mango, or starfruit, or coconut or banana) all squished into a bun that is not split but just has a hole to insert the selected hot dog and accompaniments so they are all swaddled by the bread for less mess. Cash Only… though I and the person before me ordered $50 worth of Puka Dog, so clearly these are not priced like your cheapie gas station dogs, nor should they be, and they are worth craving!

Puka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, Kauai

Finish up with dessert in that same shopping complex at Papalani Gelato, that offers gelato that is handmade and 1/3 less fat then ice cream, as well as sorbetto, and boasts local specialty flavors such as papalani pie, sesame crunch, lilokai, lychee, POG, and more.
Papalani Gelato in Poipu, KauaiPapalani Gelato in Poipu, Kauai

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