Taraji posing for guests
Our 2011 Winter Brewmaster Dinner at the San Diego Zoo’s Albert’s Restaurant featuring Pizza Port marked yet another successful night of beer and food decadence. Pizza Port isn’t only revered locally by craft beer geeks, but recognized nationally as a force to be reckoned with in the beer world. It took home the distinction of Large Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) two years in a row (2009–2010), and Pizza Port Carlsbad alone bagged a whopping 7 medals at last year’s GABF, which was more than entire state of Washington. Our guest brewmaster, Jeff Bagby, just happens to be the guy behind Pizza Port Carlsbad’s wizardry, and his brewing prowess, matched with the formidable skills of our kitchen staff, made for a night of untold deliciousness.
Guests started off upstairs in the Zoo’s Treetops Banquet Room for an hour-long reception, but it wasn’t just any reception. Not only was the food abundant and the tasters of Lil Guy Extra Pale Ale and Sharkbite Red Ale never-ending, but we did it Zoo-style and brought a few animals to hang out with the guests. Our cheetah, Taraji, and her best friend Duke, an enormous male Anatolian shepherd, were the four-legged stars of the show.
After the reception, guests went downstairs into Albert’s Restaurant to begin the main event. First came chilled California trout, dicon sprouts and shisho with shallot vinaigrette paired expertly with the 2010 GABF Gold Medal-winning Revelations Belgian Golden Ale (we later found out that the keg of Revelations that Jeff brought over was from the same batch that won the gold medal in 2009!). The trout filet was smooth and buttery with just a hint of spice, letting the sweet, crisp, quintessentially Belgian Ale stand out—almost as if the beer was meant to be the spicing for the fish.
Chilled California trout, dicon sprouts and shiso with shallot vinaigrette
After the deftly executed first course, out came the duck sausage turnover with Humboldt Fog cheese sauce paired with Carlsbad Chronic Amber Ale, one of Pizza Port’s longtime staples. Much like the first course, the turnover was tender, creamy, and subtle, which harmonized beautifully with the slightly nutty, caramel-infused Carlsbad Chronic Amber Ale. I’m not sure how the kitchen staff got the cheese sauce to be so thick without being cloyingly sharp, but they did.
The third course, a braised flat iron steak with smoked enchilada sauce, cilantro paste, roasted corn salsa, and cheddar cheese polenta paired with Good Grief English Brown Ale (2010 GABF Silver Medal winner), turned up the heat a bit. While the first two courses eased you into the pairings with subtlety, this course smacked you in the face with flavor. The flat iron steak was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the smoked enchilada sauce provided the perfect savory punch. The creamy polenta was a welcome buffer to the steak, neutralizing the high notes without diluting too much flavor. The Good Grief English Brown Ale came on strong at first with a slight bitterness, followed by a calm, “roasty” aftertaste. It was the perfect sidekick for the steak.
Espresso chocolate mousse with vanilla caramel sauce
The finale came in the form of an espresso chocolate mousse with vanilla caramel sauce paired with the 2010 Silver Medal-winning Night Rider Imperial Stout. If you like chocolate, this course would have made you melt into a little puddle of contentment. As a confessed chocoholic, I was in heaven. And as a chocoholic, thick, chocolaty stouts like Night Rider Imperial Stout are my favorite kind of beer, and Night Rider ranks among the best of them. I could have died a happy man after this course.
Thanks to the highly skilled Jeff Bagby of Pizza Port for bringing his delicious brews and sharing his craft with us, and the Albert’s kitchen staff for delighting our taste buds yet again. Be sure to check out our Valentine’s Dinner at Albert’s and our Spring Member Dinner Series, and be prepared for ample deliciousness.
Check out the rest of the pictures on flickr.
Matthew Steele is the social media planner for the San Diego Zoo. Read his previous post, Late Harvest Winemaker Dinner Featuring Stag’s Leap Winery.
