Beer School

Happy New Year everyone! Last month (or last year, if you will), before my wife got me on this 21 day diet without sugar (or sweeteners), I got the chance to attend a Beer School event at Barley's Brewhaus OP to celebrate (and coincide with) the Founders Brewing release in Kansas. I love Barley's anyway, but this event was really top notch!

If you have never been to Barley's: There are 99 different beers on tap (including those from sister restaurant 75th St. Brewery), and a few more in bottles. But that is not where the fun stops, Chef Ryan does a great job of comprising a menu that brings together all of your bar favorites with items for the more gastronomically inclined. You can get: a pretty dang good buffalo chicken wrap that has just enough kick to it, pub chips with a bacon and bleu cheese sauce, "haus-made" (get it?) Heritage Farms pork meatballs, and "haus-made" Serrano and Kielbasa sausages. Not a huge bleu cheese fan? First of all, why not? Second of all, you are in luck, because the pub chip sauce was crafted as a bleu cheese dip for non-blue cheese eaters. Also, your opinion of bleu cheese is in stark contrast to mine and Chef Ryan's (and Chef Ryan's 3 year old son's). Chef told me a story of how he walked into his living room one Saturday morning to the sight of his 3 year old eating his bleu cheese wheel (that he brought back from Wisconsin) with a spoon while he was watching cartoons. That kid has amazing taste!

But I digress, this is a post about Knile and Gabe (from Founders) coming to Kansas to teach us about Founders brewery and their beers (they also come around to your tables to talk beer with you in case you have questions and are too shy to ask in front of the whole class).

Beer School is a really awesome event that Barley's puts on periodically. My buddy and I had wanted to go to the Free State Brewery Beer School earlier in the year, but it didn't really work for our schedules. A couple more Beer Schools came and went before the stars aligned and we were able to attend one. But Man, it was worth the wait!

I can't speak to all Beer School events (because I have only been to one), but... This is not really a school  that you go to and learn how to brew beer, but rather learn the story behind that brewery's beer (and try an array of their beers). This particular Beer School was set up to essentially be a brewery tour, where instead of you going to the brewery, they bring the brewery to you. But, if you are a home-brewer (or looking to become one) and searching for inspiration: Fear not, there is inspiration coming for you!

Knile is Founders' local rep. An Irishman that actually knows the cabbie that drove Bourdain through Belfast on his Northern Ireland episode. Gabe is Founders' All-Star brewery tour guide. He took us all the way back to the beginning of Founders. Founders started when a couple buddies quit their soul-sucking corporate jobs and started a brewery. They hired a highly revered local homebrewer as their head brewer (see, I told you homebrewers that I had something good for you, almost every one of you go to sleep at night praying for this to happen to you) and all was well with the world.

Initially brewing unexciting beers that Founders' founders thought would appeal to a wider variety of people, business did not go so well. In fact, business went so "not well" that they were in danger of having the brewery foreclosed on. With this looming foreclosure, they started brewing crazy beers (to fill their own beer cellars with). They did not care if anyone else liked these beers, they were only brewing them for themselves. The funny thing is that these crazy beers really caught on, sales went through the roof, and the business was saved. One of their most popular beers, "Dirty Bastard", is even a tribute to the bankers (dirty bastards) that were going to take their brewery from them.

I bet that if you cut Gabe open, he would bleed Red's Rye (discussed below). His family is Founders through and through, his wife works in the tasting room and legend has it that she can make even the most macho men feel inept about the level of spiciness that they can stomach. The legend, as Gabe tells it:

Founders occasionally brews spicy chili beers (Most recently: Mango Magnifico) and Gabe's wife just so happens to love them.
Man at Table of Guests: I would like the chili beer
Gabe's Wife: That beer is really spicy, let me bring you a sample of that before I pour you a full pint.
MATOG: Why, do you not think I can handle that beer?
GW: No, it's not that, I just want you to try it before I pour you a full pint.
MATOG: I am man enough to handle it
GW: Sir, I believe you, but please let me bring you a sample first.
MATOG: No, just bring me a pint of it.

Gabe's wife obliged and when coming back around to check on the table some time later she noticed that the beer had barely been touched. She asked if everything was alright. The man wanted to send the beer back, she refused by saying that she begged him to take a sample first and that he wouldn't take it. When he realized that she wouldn't take it back he claimed that he bought her a beer. After going and clocking out (because you cannot drink on the job), she came back and chugged the beer right in his face!

Fast forward a couple years to the birth of their first child. Gabe and his wife check in to the hospital, get to their room, and then a woman that had been sitting at the chili beer table walks into the room. That woman was their labor and delivery nurse and remembered Mrs. Gabe from the aforementioned encounter. I can only assume that the L&D nurse did not try to push the drugs (if they were not requested) after seeing Mrs. Gabe's pain tolerance. Talk about your all-time epic stories!


But back to the beer. We were set to sample 5 of their beers:

Centennial IPA - Pretty self explanatory: IPA brewed with only Centennial hops. Floral, not bitter, strong IPA.
Porter - Again, pretty self explanatory: A porter (of the sweet and hoppy variety).
Breakfast Stout - Double chocolate, double coffee, double oatmeal stout. So good!
Dirty Bastard - Malt forward beer with hops and slight smoke (not enough to taste like the "hot dog" beer that my buddies and I once brewed though, which is a very good thing!)
Red's Rye - A red rye IPA. A spicy, hoppy, red beer.

But that was not all. They also brought the ever-so-hard-to-obtain KBS for us to sample! People wait in line for days for a chance to buy KBS, it's release is like a beer Black Friday. So you can imagine the smiles on our faces when they busted that out, it was like Beer Christmas! For those that don't know: KBS is a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel aged Breakfast Stout. It is consistently rated in the top 5 beers on both RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Simple the best barrel aged beer that I have ever experienced.

That was such a cool surprise, for them to bring the KBS. And that really sumarizes my Beer School experience: Not exactly what I expected to get (although I didn't really know what to expect either), but a pleasant surprise. It has also increased the amount of Founders beer that I buy, by quite a bit.

Cheers!

#Roadron Dallas

For those of you that follow me on Twitter (@EatingAwesome), you are probably used to seeing me posting pictures of myself at Sporting Kansas City games wearing either my luchador mask or my Kiltman Kilt. This is a post about us following the Cauldron (Sporting supporters group) to Dallas to watch Sporting take on FC Dallas (hence the #Roadron). Although the match ended in a disappointing draw, in stoppage time none the less, we still had a blast with a few old friends that we hadn't seen in a long time.

Upon landing in Love Field, we made the obligatory stop at Fuel Town for the best tacos ever. Surprisingly, the quality of the tacos had slipped a bit since the last time I had been there, but there were still pretty damn good, hopefully this was just a temporary lapse in what is has always been an amazing taqueria. 

Side note: I did also notice that a food truck lot had been established just outside of the Love Field Airport that I would have stopped at had the Fuel Town tacos not been calling my name. Next time, you are mine, Food Truck Lot!

Mucky Duck Brisket Sliders

After our quick dinner, we headed up the Tollway to Addison (where our friends live). They had all taken off of work that day, so we had a full day of drinking to catch up with. We met them at The Mucky Duck, the local watering hole. The beer list was not going to overwhelm anyone, but we did not have a bad beer while we were there. There was live music. It was a good time. That good time segued into more hunger (imagine that). A friend of mine told me, that in Texas, you can get brisket on anything at any time of the day, so we gave the Brisket Sliders (that came highly recommended) a shot. They lived up to the billing; the brisket was tender, topped with a tangy pickle and sweet sauce, all on a pretzel bun (which, everyone in their right mind knows, makes any sandwich better). I say this as a self-respecting Kansas Citian that goes out of his way to give no credit to Texas BBQ, ever, so you know that it has to be good. 

Saturday, before the match, we decided that we needed to observe some of the local beer culture. This quest led us to the beer garden at Deep Ellum Brewery. *It was initially explained to me that the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas is equivalent to Westport in Kansas City. Although I can see the parallels, I do not wholeheartedly agree, but it's close enough for government work.* 

Deep Ellum Brewery Beer Garden

How the beer garden at Deep Ellum works is you pay $10 for a sweet pint glass (that you get to keep) and 3 drink tickets. You can choose from any of the beers that Deep Ellum has on tap at that time, we even got to choose from two Armadillo Ale Works (another beer company that co-brews at the Deep Ellum Brewery) beers as well. There is an outdoor space where there are tables with umbrellas and live music. There is also an inside area, where the taps are, that you can learn about the brewing process (during the occasional informational tours). We spent most of our time inside, because (as you all know) Texas is quite hot. The outside area was pretty awesome, the girl in cowboy boots and a skirt (another Texas thing) was killing her acoustic set, but it was just too hot. The beers at Deep Ellum were quite good: the IPAs, the Dallas Blonde, (my favorite beer) the Farmhouse Wit, and even the Rye Pils.

Easy Slider: The Roadside (left)
and The Sweet & Lowdown (right)

Luckily for me, Deep Ellum has local food trucks come sit adjacent to the brewery. On the day that we visited, it was the Easy Slider Truck. Initially, I was thinking "okay, sliders could be okay". The sliders were bleeping incredible! These were the most innovative sliders that I have ever had the pleasure of putting my mouth around! Just check out the list of sliders that we tried and know that as weird as some of them may sound, they were all executed perfectly and were simply amazing! The Roadside: Angus Beef, Cheddar, Bacon, Truck-made BBQ sauce, grilled jalapenos, crispy fried onions. That one sounds normal enough (but still delicious), right? Wait for it. The Black and Blue: Angus Beef, Bacon, Truck-made bleu cheese slaw. Still not too crazy, right? Keep waiting for it. The Sweet and Lowdown: Angus Beef, Goat cheese, Bacon, Strawberry Jam. Now we are pulling into crazy town. The Nutty Pig: Angus Beef, Creamy Peanut Butter, Bacon, Lettuce, Onion, Tomato. Peanut butter on a slider? Full on nuts! Full on amazing! If you ever find yourself in Dallas, please do yourself a favour and stop by the Easy Slider truck! 

(Insert a detailed description about how Sporting should have won the game and how my boy C.J. Sapong should not have been red carded for an F.C. Dallas player's face getting in the way of a ball that he kicked.)

Torchy's: Brisket Taco (left) & Mr. Orange (right)

Before getting out of town on Sunday, we stopped at a local chain that the locals eat up (bad pun intended): Torchy's Tacos. Torchy's has a good mix of traditional Mexican tacos and fusion tacos. They had a shrimp taco that tasted just like Puerto Vallarta and some brisket tacos (because everything in Texas comes with brisket) that were overstuffed with smokey brisket & cheese. We tried a few other tacos too, which were good, but the two listed above were by far our favorites. One thing that surprised me at Torchy's: they had fountain soft drinks made with real sugar (no high fructose corn syrup here). The chips and guac were also pretty stellar! 

After a LONG LONG flight delay, we finally arrived back in KC (the promised land). Until next time Dallas, until next time.

Tour de Lawrence

In honor of school starting back up, I have decided to write a beginner's guide to eating (and drinking) in everyone's favorite college town: Lawrence. I was blessed enough to spend my college years in Lawrence and would like to impart some of the knowledge that I learned in my 4 short years there. In dining, much like in life, I did not learn all that I know in just 4 years, but have continued to learn more each time I return to Lawrence. I will try and make this post follow some logical order, but no promises.

Places to have a great dinner:

Nearly every time my wife and I go to Lawrence (whether it be for a football game, basketball game, or just on a whim on Saturday night at 9PM decide to go to Lawrence with an Australian coworker), we have to at least stop in to Free State Brewery. Whether we are there for dinner, drinks, or just stopping in to fill up a growler with beer from a newly tapped keg, Free State never disappoints. Starting out with the spinach artichoke dip is a must! From there, you cannot go wrong with any entree. My wife loves the chicken avocado wrap, while I will almost always get something from the Daily Savory Specials menu. From the Cuban pork sandwich, to the salmon, every menu item I have ever had has been phenomenal! If you live too far away and cannot make it to the brewery, do yourself a favor and pick up one of their 6 packs from your local liquor store, you will be amazed. The fact that they have 6 packs in stores makes me try a new seasonal each time we go. My favorites: Oktoberfest, Lemongrass Rye, and the Hop Jack Ale.

Another great brewpub in Lawrence is 23rd Street Brewery. Also a great restaurant. Also has great beers. This restaurant was once owned by K.C. Hopps (under the name of 75th Street Brewery), but it has since been purchased by a local and renamed (appropriately so, as it sits on 23rd Street and not 75th Street). You cannot beat the pub chips on the patio on a Sunday (fishbowl special day), with a fishbowl full of great beer that is brewed in house. You can also take home a growler from 23rd Street.

Set 'em Up Jacks is probably the best place in Lawrence to go catch a game. They have the biggest screen in town! It is a great low key place to watch the game or grab a wrap and some sweet potato fries. They were even the last place around to sell out of Boulevard's Chocolate Ale, so we made a special trip to Lawrence just to have a couple (or 4) glasses of it.

Tortas Jalisco is an authentic Mexican restaurant on the north side of town. This is one of those places that I found on a trip to Lawrence after I graduated. They are the Lawrence home of my beloved street tacos, and they are quite good too!

Back to Mass Street. If you have a craving for Asian food, then Zen Zero is your place! Zen Zero has a lively atmosphere and awesome Thai food. The noodles from the wok, the noodles in broth, and the curries are all amazing. Admittedly when I was in college and had a much less distinguishing palate (and sometimes still do to this day), I loved to order the Thai style sweet and sour chicken. I know that this is a super boring option, but the veggies that come in the dish are always fresh and go so well in the sweet and sour sauce. You can also get my favorite Asian dessert drink at Zen Zero, the Boba (Bubble) Tea!

Jefferson's Restaurant is somewhat of a chain, but the Lawrence location was only the second location to open, so we will give it a pass for today's purposes. It has always been known for its walls that were completely covered in dollar bills, multiple bills thick in some locations. That all changed when the previous owner got into a little tax trouble and the restaurant came under new ownership, the old owner took all the old bills, but the walls are slowly getting recovered. The menu is still the same, and dispite claims that it is not as good, it is 100% as good as it always was. The hot wings are awesome and so are all of the other southern favorites that are served up at Jefferson's. I love everything: the Jeffferson Burger, pulled pork, fried seafood, and the great big beer specials.

Pepperjax Grill has the self proclaimed best Philly in America. I cannot attest to that, as I am not a Philly fanatic, but I can tell you that they make an amazing rice bowl! It is very similar to a Chipotle fajita burrito bowl, it is made with seasoned, steamed, long grain white rice. The chicken (you can also get the Philly meat or a veggie bowl, if you so chose) is sauteed on the flat top and seasoned right in front of you, with the onions and peppers. The seasoning is similar to seasoned salt, but has some extra kick to it. Top it with black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and you have a fantastic dinner on your hands! Pepperjax has also expanded to KC, just to feed the rice bowl cravings of former Jayhawks now living in Overland Park.

Wheat State Pizza is another local chain that got started in Lawrence, now they have restaurants all over Kansas. They have the best pizza in town, in my opinion. The crust is what makes the pizza, something about that wheat crust just enhances the other flavours in the pizza. You cannot go wrong with any pizza from Wheat State, but I highly recommend the BBQ Chicken on hand tossed wheat crust with any of their desert pizzas as a finisher.

Yellow Sub is a sub shop (thank you Captain Obvious) that gets its name from the popular Beatles song. Yellow sub was the first branch of what later became the Planet Sub chain. Are you seeing a pattern here? If you can make it in Lawrence, you can make it anywhere. Yellow Sub has great great sandwiches that they put on daily fresh baked bread that they toast when you order your sandwich. If you like Planet Sub, go check out where it started (although the real original Yellow Sub was town down, along with The Crossing, to build the new Oread Hotel, may they RIP).

Places to grab a drink after dinner:

Quinton's is a great place to go get a sandwich before a KU basketball game. It is also the best place in town for a college kid to grab a drink after dark. I have spent many a night feeding singles into the jukebox upstairs at the ice bar.

Sandbar is a bit of a locals spot, so it will get super busy and be "one in, one out" at 9PM, but will be dead by 1AM. Go for the Shark Attack and the Dirty Banana (the specialty drinks) and stay for the hurricane (the specialty... well... I don't really know how to describe the hurricane, you just have to see it for yourself). If you are lucky, you may even spot former Jayhawk basketball star and NBA veteran Scot Pollard. 

Fatso's, 4 words: Long Island Iced Tea! Fatso's is also a good live music/DJ venue. Random story: We also watched a door guy get fired (mid-shift) at Fatso's one night. He was on his phone and not paying attention to time. For some reason he turned the OPEN sign off and shut the door an hour before closing time, the manager came over and ripped him a new one and sent him packing and then had no one to work the door. Only in Lawrence.

Red Lyon is your place to go to down some Guiness and some popcorn while catching a soccer game with the Mass St. Mob (Sporting KC Fan Club, Lawrence Chapter). They get most of the major games, you may however be on your own if you are trying to watch your favorite German Bundesliga II team.

Jazzhaus is one of the more chill atmospheres you will find on Mass. Street. They have open mic nights, jazz jam band nights, and then just straight chill nights. Order a Stoli Blueberry & Sprite and thank me later, it tastes exactly like a blueberry muffin.

Louise's Downtown is another chill bar in downtown Lawrence, grab a schooner (giant goblet-shaped glass that holds about 3 1/2 beers) and shoot some pool.

Henry's Upstairs has the best Sangria around, bar none! They will also occasionally have other specialty drinks on special (for instance, a hot apple cider and brandy in the fall), I have not had one that was not fantastic.

Eighth Street Tap Room is another place you can go for specialty drinks. There is a drink that you order there solely by brushing off your shoulders and then holding up the number of them you want. I do not know what exactly is in this drink besides Gin, but ordering it is probably one of the most interesting things I have done in a bar. Do not however try to order any type of "car bomb" drinks at this bar, they have a sign on the board that says "Car bombs kill people, we do not make them here".

If you are looking for more of a dance party atmosphere, then Abe and Jake's is your place. Go there, grab a vodka/Red Bull and dance the night away. Do however watch out for the obstacles, as I call them, in the middle of the floor that could be a tripping hazard. Abe and Jake's always has good theme nights and contests. A friend of mine even met his wife on the smoking patio out back that over looks the Kansas River (for anyone who may be wondering which river that is running back there, random inside joke).

Places to eat off what you just drank:

Pyramid Pizza is always the first stop after leaving the bars on Mass Street, and for good reason. The pinched style crust dipped in honey is amazing.

If you get back to your apartment or hotel room and are still not satisfied after your Pyramid Pizza, or if you forgot to stop for it, Pizza Shuttle will deliver a large pizza, until the wee hours of the morning, for under $10.

The Burrito King drive through is another great option, whether it is 2AM and you are headed home (with your sober driver), or if its 8AM and you need some breakfast. Burrito King is a local favorite that is only closed for about an hour each day, I can never really figure out why anyone would close for such a short amount of time, but its awesome cheap eats either way.

The morning after:

WheatFields: A small little hippie bakery and cafe that serves amazing food is definitely the place to go. They have the best French toast that I have ever eaten in my life! It is made from their own freshly baked sour dough bread that is dipped in the most incredible badder that contains just a hint of cinnamon. Also great are the egg white omelet with spinach and feta cheese, any of their breads, and any of their coffee drinks (as they are made with Roasterie coffee).

No matter the reason you are in Lawrence, time of day of your visit, or the length of your stay, there is something for everyone in the list above. I also do not claim this to be a comprehensive list, if you feel that I have missed any Lawrence essentials, please make a comment below and I will have to make an update (if I agree with your comment). Rock Chalk!