grilled lamb chops, root vegetable succotash, rosemary yogurt, pomegranate garnish
It is always fun to celebrate beer and its place at the dinner table. The goal of our beer dinner was simple- highlight 5 awesome, yet accessible craft beer options, and have one of our favorite chefs create a menu around them. The Lifestyle Kitchen at Whole Foods Lincoln Park provided the backdrop for this fantastic Chef Won Kim culinary journey. We co-hosted the event with Liz Garibay. Liz is the face behind the Chicago History Museum as well as Tales, Taverns & Towns – a project that combines her love for pubs, history and Chicago.
We entered the room to a packed house and a round of applause..not totally sure if that’s because we are an insanely awesome crew, or because we showed up late, but either way it was pretty rad. My buddy CBG Dan and I took turns discussing breweries, beer styles and shared why we decided to pick these 5 in particular. While beers filled each glass, Liz kept the crowd engaged with some interesting facts about the history of our town (like that there are an estimated 13,000 bodies buried on the current grounds of the Chi History Museum).
For us every occasion is a beer occasion. Chef Won Kim shares our enthusiasm, and he did a swell job with the pairings for this event. His series of successful parties (many highlighted here) that unite artists, commercial and home brewers were a big reason I wanted to work with Won on a beer dinner. In addition to being the chef at Whole Foods, Won’s events, that showcase Chicago’s underground beer scene, are some of the best in town. His Iron Brew competition inspired us to participate in our first ever video documentary a few months ago in Bridgeport.
celery root purée, turnip fritter, fennel slaw, gorgonzola cream
coffee rubbed roasted pork, radishes, beer braised collards, smoked apple chutney, chorizo powder
CBG Nik ensuring that samples continuously flow
Here’s a look at the pairings for our Chef Won Kim Beer Dinner w/ The Chicago History Museum
Lagunitas A Lil Sumpin Wild Ale 8.8%
Features an explosive aroma of citrus and bubble gum notes.. not a beer for the faint of heart. Made with wild yeast and lots of malted wheat for a curious malt complexity & and fermented w Belgian yeast strain leaving it huge in spicy flavor and satisfaction.
pairing- celery root purée, turnip fritter, fennel slaw, gorgonzola cream
Stone Smoked Porter 5.9%
This beer pours a gorgeous deep mahogany crowned by a creamy head. Dark, smooth and complex, with rich chocolate and coffee flavors balanced by a subtle smokiness. Columbus and Mt Hood hops.
pairing-poached salmon, prosciutto crisp, roast shallot jelly, spaghetti squash
Revolution Anti-Hero 6.5%
An American hop assault for all the ambivalent warriors who get the girl in the end. “Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, princess.”
pairing-grilled lamb chops, root vegetable succotash, rosemary yogurt, pomegranate garnish
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy 10.5%
Stout loaded with flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee and hide a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt. Ten FIDY is made with enormous amounts of two-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops.
pairing-coffee rubbed roast pork loin, quick pickled radishes, beer braised collards, beef demi, smoked apple chutney, chorizo powder
Big Muddy Pumpkin Smasher 6%
Pumpkin Pie w pie crust in a bottle without being overly spicy. notes of cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin with a slightly bitter hop finish.
pairing-chili chocolate torte cake, chai foam, chocolate soup
–Nkosi
5 courses and 5 different beer styles at our dinner
these cats were cool and fellow DePaul Blue Demons as well
CBG Mezz
Big Muddy Pumpkin Smasher. Murphysboro, IL
Chef Won Kim!
*special thanks to Liz Garibay they have some really cool events on the horizon over at The Chicago History Museum. Like Cocktails with Capone- a spirited evening on the 79th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with John Russick, Director of Curatorial Affairs and author of Crime in Chicago, Al Capone’s great niece, Deirdre Capone, and Templeton Rye Whiskey.
