The Birch Hosts Left Hand Brewing

The Birch in Chelsea (West Ghent, Norfolk, VA) has been listed in the top 50 craft beer bars in the United States by RateBeer.com. The only one in Virginia on that list, we're pretty lucky to have it. The other week they hosted a Steal the Pint night featuring Left Hand Brewing.

Specialty Beverage of Virginia, who distribute Left Hand in our region, were there in a show of support for the event and The Birch. A representative from the brewery, “Left Hand” Dan Conway was available to talk to customers and help promote the brewery. He was moving about bar and tables talking about the available beers and/or just chatting with the visitors. Since it was Steal the Pint night, the first Left Hand beer ordered garnered the patron a nice Irish-style pint glass with the signature red, left hand emblazoned on the front. The back of the glass had “Sometimes you're not in the mood for what everyone else is having.” printed on it. Neat glass.

We talked to Dan a bit about his work and his beers being served at The Birch. Really nice guy, he travels a lot and has been with the company a while. He goes from state to state hosting events for Left Hand in the Atlantic region; he's based out of Philly. He said the two American ales on tap that night—Deep Cover (American Brown Ale) and Jackman's Pale Ale (American Pale Ale)—were discontinued because they competed with some of their other signature beers also on the market and breweries do rotations in general. I ordered both the Americans and shared them with Shelby and Chayce. They were good, easy to drink. Chayce liked the Milk Stout Nitro (Milk/Sweet Stout); Shelby had the St. Vrain Belgian Tripel.

Me and Left Hand Dan

While we were having our drinks I talked to the Specialty guys, Phil Shannon, Jeff Joyce, Scott Warden and Christain Maute. I tend to bump into these fellas at the beer centric events all around the area. One thing for sure, if you see one of them there will be beer nearby. This is a good thing.

The Birch's owner, Malia Bublick, was constantly moving around the pub, never standing still for too long making sure drinks were poured and the plates handled. In a little lull she did come over to our end of the bar and we talked about how things were going. It was a Thursday night and I asked her about the full house. She said the Thursday crowd is usually pretty good, but when you give away glassware you always get a few more people who show up.

After we finished our drinks and said our good-byes. It's always nice visiting The Birch and I really enjoyed meeting Dan from Left Hand. Hopefully we'll catch them again in the near future.

View the photos from the event here.

Victory at Cogan's!

Recently, Cogan's Pizza in Norfolk, VA hosted a Victory Brewing Company “Steal the Pint” night. How this usually works, is that when you buy your first beer, you get to keep the glass. I've picked up a few myself from other breweries but to be honest with you, if kept every beer glass that touched my lips I wouldn't have room in the cabinets for anything else! This glass though, I wanted it.

Cogan's Pizza, Norfolk, VA

Not my glass :(

Before I headed down to Cogan's I stopped by Grape and Gourmet for beer tasting. Every Thursday night they highlight several beers in the shop. Gabe is usually in house pouring and describing what is sampled. He was there, of course, and I told him what my plans were. Since he was at the end of his shift, he said he'd come along too. Cool.

Gabe pulled up about the same time I did and we headed in together. At the bar was Jarod Goenner and Morgan Sieg—Jarod is guy behind HR Growler, Hampton Roads new craft beer magazine and Morgan is the local Victory rep. Gabe and I write for HR Growler, first issue hits the streets 16 Jan 2014. Look out for it!

I walked up and asked if they had any glasses left, sadly they were out. I thought it started at 7:00 PM, but the event kicked-off at 5:00 PM. I need to get my stuff straight, seriously.

Scanning the room I saw some familiar faces including Gerald Franklin of Hoffman Beverage. He was at a table with what turned out to be the region's Victory team headed by Cameron Rollo. Cameron was in town a couple of days to check out the area; I was introduced to him and we chatted a bit. I found out he was in the army and stationed in Germany right before I was. He also knew Hohenfels, where I was stationed, telling me he didn't like it. No one likes Hohenfels, Bavaria unless you're stationed there. I'll have to write about it sometime.

Me and Cam Rollo

I was looking forward to trying some of the beer they tapped and I checked out what was available. I've had a couple of Victory beers before but I think it might have been at tastings. I know I've never picked up any for the house, so I wasn't sure where to start. I asked everyone what they thought I should try and the consensus was the Prima. Victory Prima is a hoppy Pils that was very tasty. I'm not huge on hop overload (yeah, don't hit me or anything) but this was good. Easy to drink and floral. I first had a real Pils in Germany, as a matter of fact, my experience with great beer started in Germany. So this was a nice little throwback for me.

I tried out the Winter Cheers wheat ale, kind of like a light Hefeweizen, another beer I fell in love with in Germany. Since I was driving I couldn't grab a Golden Monkey Tripel and the Dirtwolf Double IPA kicked earlier. I got a couple of sips from the group though. Cameron actually had the bar put together something a bar made from Golden Monkey called a “Monkmosa”. It is about 80% Golden Monkey and 20% orange juice. It was good and I made a couple for Shelby and myself at home later that weekend.

I was impressed with the beers and looked forward to trying more of them. At the big, monthly tasting at Grape and Gourmet—Cheap & Cheery—I picked up a little variety pack so I could relax at home and give them a little more attention. Good stuff.

Check out the event album here.

Barley's Angels Christmas Party at Beach Brewing Co. 2013

I was invited to attend Barley's Angels' 1st Annual Christmas party being held at the new Beach Brewing Company location. Rules were you had to bring a beer and a dish. At our house we have a habit of hording beer and wine. It's easy to do when you go to tastings every week and grab a bottle for "later." So I had a few good beers I could take with me and decided I'd take my bottle of Bitter Valentine from Williamsburg AleWerks. The food choice was easy enough, I went with my go-to potluck dish--Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice. It usually is a crowd pleaser and I thought the beer would go well with it.

I cooked the fried rice before the event so I was running a little bit late. It's funny, because Shelby was looking at me sitting in front of my computer before I started cooking and asked what I needed for the rice. I told her I was going to run to the store and get what I need but I'll be on time. She said "I've been married long enough to you to know better." She was right of course.

Lesley Summers

I got everything packed up and headed to the brewery. When I pulled up I was able to see that pretty much everyone was there already so I slipped in. I saw Lesley Summers, Barley's Angels - Coastal Virginia Organizer. She grabbed the fried rice and I went to put the beer in the cooler. This was cool.

Beer! Glorious Beer!

The cooler was filled with plenty of beers I've never had before and I was excited at the thought of trying a bunch of them. The beers were going to be opened and we had little cups to get a swig of each. Great idea. There was plenty of food too. Lots of dips, my favorite being a lobster dip brought by Elizabeth Erschens - Owner, Homebrew USA, if I remember correctly. There were cheese balls too. I love cheese balls, I'd pick the whole thing up and put it on a cracker if I could.

Justin MacDonald of Beach Brewing Company (foreground) giving us a tour of the new brewery.

After scoping out the area I saw Justin MacDonald, brewer/owner of Beach Brewing Company. He wanted to show me around the new brewery, so we headed to the back where the equipment was. The place was huge; the new construction and large stainless steel brewing equipment made it a very impressive sight. We were joined by some other enthusiasts and brewer types while Justin explained how he was getting everything in place and will most likely brewing by Christmas of this year. He said output will quadruple when all is said and done.

After the tour we headed back inside to mingle and I bumped into a few familar faces. Here's one:

Robin Felt, beer maven

I snapped of photos and the women did a gift exchange. Looked like everyone was enjoying themselves and drinking some good beer. I was able to salvage about a small bowl of leftover fried rice that I took home with me.

Barley's Angels - Coastal Virginia with Justin MacDonald

Thanks again to Lesley of Barley's Angels and Justin MacDonald of Beach Brewing Company for letting me hang out.

See the rest of the photos here.

O’Connor Brewing Co. - Black Saturday Block Party 2013

The holiday weekend was punctuated by O’Connor Brewing Company’s Black Saturday Block Party inspired by last year’s Black Friday Hurricane Sandy benefit. A perfect chaser for the Thanksgiving and Black Friday craziness, I planned on stopping by O’Connor’s after a day of shopping small in Norfolk, VA.

I drove Shelby and Marleigh downtown to visit a few friends and support Shop Small. We stopped by With Lavender & Lace, Studio Posy, Nest Home, and Lorak Jewelry. The two of them wanted to walk around and hit a few more stores around Granby St. so I headed down to the brewery on W. 25th St. Pulling up I and hopping out of the car into the cold, the first thing I noticed was someone was grilling. Whatever it was, it smelled great. The brewery’s block was barricaded, restricted to foot traffic; a stage was setup with a band running through its set. I headed in.

Hannah Serrano and Hardy Porter

As soon as I walked to the check-in table I bumped into AltDaily.com’s Hannah Serrano, who is also Marketing and Events Director at O’Connor Brewing Co. She walked me in and we chatted a little bit about how things were going. We passed by Bobby-Qs and CXB BBQ and Eats, this was what smelled so good when I got out of the car. I was definitely not going to miss out on that food. Porter Hardy of Smartmouth was near the street food so I snapped a photo of him and Hannah.

Barley's Angels

Checking out the food, I saw one of the Hoffmann Beverage trucks being manned by the local chapter of Barley’s Angels, a local group of female beer enthusiasts. The truck was pretty high-speed, LCD panels displayed what beer was coming out of the tap below it. All the O’Connor flagship brews were being poured: Green Can, Great Dismal, Norfolk Canyon, and more. I grabbed a Black IPA and walked around some more.

Several bands were slated to play that night: Nate Sacks, The Janks, BANTUSTANS, and The Wet Boys. Radiant patio heaters kept everyone warm outside in the docking area and street, though the amount of people in close proximity of each other and beer helped out a lot too. Approximately 500 attended the block party but it would be easy to think there were a lot more. Inside the brewery I bumped into Kevin O'Connor, brewer/owner of the brewery. He was all over the place, chatting and checking up on the event.

There were also small batch beers for the occasion and people could buy flights of these to get a taste of each. Traditionally, craft brewers will let the shop come up with their own recipes and formulas. Here’s what was offered:

Small Batch Flight

Chincoteague Oyster Stout – Oyster Stout
Schwarzwald – Black Lager
Winter Pecan – Pecan Porter
Bockenspiel – Bavarian Weizenbock
The Dark Monk – Abbey Ale
Maes Howe – Wee Heavy
Session Quad #2: Insomnia – West Coast Style IPA

By the end of the night O’Connor Brewing Co. poured approximately 4.5 barrels of beer! That’s about 1,500 standard, 12-oz cans of beer! If you stacked those they’d be as tall as—I have no idea, but I bet it’s pretty high. Everyone was having a good time and the food was great. I walked away with some lumpia in my coat pocket, saving it for Shelby and Marleigh.

All-in-all a great night. If they do it again next year, and you’re in the area, you better go.

Kevin O'Connor Brewer/Owner

A Little Behind...

Sorry for the lack of updates the past few days but I'm sure you understand this holiday weekend was a crazy one! Putting together posts right now!

Hydroponic Lettuce

I swung by the Old Beach Farmer's Market located near the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach. A beach staple, Croc's 19th Street Bistro, provides the space for the farmer's market in addition to participating in it (you saw the James River Oysters I posted right?)

John and Jacob of Heads Up Hydrogreens

It's been a little bit since I've made it out to the market and I passed by a new table for Heads Up Hydrogreens. They grow lettuce that is packaged alive and they contain no petrochemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides according to their literature. I chatted with John and Jacob from Heads Up for a little bit and they gave me a couple heads to try out at home. They handed me a bag with a Batavian Crisp Head and Butter Crunch.

The next day Shelby made spaghetti and meatballs (chicken meatballs!) and I made a Greek style salad with the Batavian Crisp. The Batavian Crisp had a slightly curly leaf, it was in-between the crisp (imagine Iceberg) and Romaine. It was crisp, clean, great flavor and the stems weren't bitter like they are on some lettuce. You could see the bulb and get an idea of how it was cultivated.

Batavian Crisp

Shelby's mother was over for dinner and she really enjoyed the salad. I'm looking forward to trying the Butter Crunch next.

Zeke's Beans n Bowls, Virginia Beach, VA

I finally made it to Zeke's Beans & Bowls in Virginia Beach, VA and I'm glad I did. Zeke's is located down Norfolk Ave. close to the Oceanfront (Virginia Beach's resort area) and inside an old building that's been around for as long as I can remember. They're sprucing the place up on the outside at the moment; it's been painted blue, looks good.

Victoria

Inside, it feels casual and there were a several people in there eating or drinking coffee. I noticed that Three Ships Coffee is served there, cool. I talked to Victoria behind the counter and asked her a few questions about Zeke's. She patiently answered everything I asked and helped me with the menu. I ended up getting the Spicy Tuna Poke Bowl: Sashimi grade tuna, wasabi, sesame seeds and oil, cucumber, green onion, and some other ingredients. I also added rice to the order. I asked for take-out and while I waited I checked out the inside of the restaurant. Local art lined the walls with nice signage. A bicycle hung from the ceiling and nice tall windows let a lot of light in.

Once I got my food, I took a few shots of it and headed out. When I got back to my office I ate the bowl and it was amazing. The tuna was so clean and with a great texture. The sesame oil and sriracha really added to the flavors. When I finished I was already planning on my next trip.

Spicy Tuna Poke

Check out Zeke's Beans and Bowls next time you're in Virginia Beach, VA. Definitely worth it.

Check out more photos of Zeke's by clicking here.

Alton Brown and The Edible Inevitable Tour, Sunday 10 Nov 2013

View fullsize

If you've watched the Food Network, you know Alton Brown. As the host of the award winning Good Eats and host of Iron Chef America, he is recognized as an authority of all things food.

In November, Alton Brown will be visiting the he Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, VA on his tour The Edible Inevitable. The audience can expect to hear Brown discuss Good Eats and the other shows he’s been a part of over the years. There will also be puppets, cooking demonstrations, and even sing-a-longs. The family friendly act is part interactive too; people in attendance have a chance to be asked to participate during certain segments of the show. Even if you aren't asked to jump on stage there are rumors of a “poncho zone” for those close enough to the stage.

View fullsize

Photo credit to David Allen

Audience members will get to know Brown like they haven’t before through his unique sense of humor and vast knowledge of cooking and entertaining in the 90-minute show. Tickets have been selling out when the show hits town; so if you want to go, buy your ticket early.  Gold Circle tickets will be available too; these allow the ticket holder to attend a special VIP meeting with Alton Brown and receive an autographed 8x10 photo. the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts will host Alton Brown Sunday, November 10th and tickets can be purchased through the Sandler Center or Ticketmaster.

Neat fact: Did you know Alton Brown was Director of Photography for REM’s video The One I Love?

Chow. Norfolk, VA

Coming home from the Williamsburg Outlets we stopped at Chow in Norfolk, VA for dinner. I was looking for something filling and meaty and ordered the Duck-4-Ways special and Shelby got the lamb burger.

I lucked out because Smartmouth’s Notch 9 was on tap too. Smartmouth recent won a bronze medal in a national competition with this beer so I was dying to try it. The duck was delicious. The plate came out with Seared Duck Breast, Braised Duck Thigh and Leg, Duck Cracklin’, and Duck Gravy with sides of Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes. The breast tasted like a great steak and I couldn’t believe I was eating fowl. The braised meat fell from the bone and the gravy was tasty. The cracklin’ could have been a little more crackling but it was good fresh.

The lamb burger was cooked perfect and dressed nice. We both ate about half our food and took the rest home. I did get a O’Connor Great Dismal Black IPA before we finished out meal—love that beer. I was very happy with Chow and the Southern, comfort food style menu. I’m looking forward to eating there again.

Virginia Draft Beer Festival 2013, Virginia Beach, VA

The Virginia Craft Beer Festival happens traditionally happens October every year. Tents lined the 24th Street park where the event was hosted with over 25 brewers pouring over 50 beers in souvenir glasses.

Rain the day before scared off some of the attendees who crowded in on day two. The weather was nice and the breeze helped air out the park.

Click here to get a list of brewers from Beach Street USA’s site.

Young Veterans Brewing Company →

Check out my story on Young Veterans Brewing Company at WHRO's food blog Let’s Eat!

i<3food

Distinction Magazine "An Evening with the Virginia Arts Festival"

An Evening with the Virginia Arts Festival

Earlier this week we were lucky to attend a great event in a gorgeous house on the water in Alanton. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were provided and live music was inside and out. Thank you Markella and Distinction Magazine for the invite! The John Savino Group managed this beautiful property.

i<3food

Wine Tasting at Grape & Gourmet - 18 Oct 2013

Wine Tasting at Grape & Gourmet - 18 Oct 2013

i<3food

Wine Tasting at Yiannis - 18 Oct 2013

Wine Tasting at Yiannis - 18 Oct 2013

i<3food

Cheap & Cheery at Grape and Gourmet - Oct 2013

Grape and Gourmet’s monthly wine and beer tasting event: Cheap & Cheery! Virginia Beach, VA.

i<3food

Breakfast at Tomstone

We tried out a new spot in town called Breakfast at Tomstone.

If you didn’t know it the Tom in Tomstone is Tom Ray. He illustrated the Grinch! He passed away in 2010 but he did live here. The shop has some of his original artwork for sale still. His wife Brenda opened a cafe next to the animation shop. 

i<3food

Wine Tasting at Yiannis - 11 Oct 2013

Wine Tasting at Yiannis - 11 Oct 2013

Wine Tasting at Grape & Gourmet - 11 Oct 2013

Wine Tasting at Grape and Gourmet - 11 Oct 2013

Cider Tasting and Jewelry Trunk Show at The Creative Wedge

The Creative Wedge had a cider tasting and jewelry trunk show with jewelry by From Heather’s Hands and the cider samples provided by Foggy Ridge Ciders.

We were at the 1st Virginia Bacon Festival before we stopped by Sloane and Barbara’s shop and we were ready for a little AC and cold drinks! Heather Crow Wright had her jewelry on the sidewalk and in the store for customer to check out and the cider was setup on the counter inside. We tried 5 different ciders—all made in Virginia—and ended up taking home a bottle that was a little dry, but sweet.

Here is something kinda fun—Paul and Donna Chin were in the shop and they made a Tastemade video of the event. I’ve been wanting to make these myself and I think I just need to jump right into it.

Check out the video here by clicking this link.

i<3food