Monday Links: Gluten Free Beers

Can I just say that 2012 has been my best year ever so far?  I feel healthy, I have so much love, and I am filling my life with wonderful moments.  In fact, just last week when the temperature topped at 65 degrees and the sun was warm on my face, Tim and I sat on our patio, listening to a Spotify playlist that I made for him, a cold beer in front of each of us, and chatted about our days.

Welcome back to my life, Beer.  You are most welcome to keep coming around.

If you are looking for a gluten free beer for yourself or if you'd like to buy something special for when a gluten free friend or family member comes over for dinner, I recommend any of these options.

My very favorite beer is Green's Gluten Free Amber Ale (pictured above).  I ordered it this past weekend at Brazenhead and even my husband agreed that it was a fantastic option as far as gluten free goes.  It really has a smooth, rich taste without being too heavy and no metallic aftertaste.  (Also, I'm so pleased that Brazenhead had several options for gluten free customers including a few gluten free beers and several ciders on tap.  Way to go, Brazenhead!)

I also tried Green's Gluten Free Dark Ale at Dilly Cafe, and I was impressed that it was just as dark and thick as a Guinness.  It had a strong chocolate and coffee flavor at the first taste but finished didn't leave a heavy or sticky mouthfeel.  I thought it was awesome to have the option of a serious dark beer, but I'd prefer it as an after dinner drink rather than something to pair with food.  

Also discovered at Dilly Cafe is DogFish Head Tweason'ale.  It's a seasonal gluten free beer that has a lovely scent of strawberries on the nose but is not overly sweet on the palate.  Also, the strawberry flavor doesn't last much after the first sip, and I appreciated that as I don't usually like my beers too fruity.  It's a medium bodied beer, very refreshing and would pair wonderfully with some simple roast chicken or a salad.  If you can find it, I'd definitely recommend seeking this out!

A big thank you to the Cincy Beer Festival for including New Planet Gluten Free Beer in their vendor list.  I discovered this beer there and all of the selections offered were wonderful.  I particularly liked their lightest beer, the Tread Lightly Ale.  It's the perfect backyard barbeque beer, and it's light enough that it would probably be unnoticeable to any non-gluten free beer drinks that it's missing the gluten!  Locally, it can be found at the Dorothy Lane Markets in Dayton, and trust me--it's worth the drive to check out DLM and get this beer!  (I picked up some on Saturday and it was stacked in front of the beer coolers.)

Lastly, I might as well tell you that in just about every well stocked Kroger that I've been into around Cincinnati, you can find Anheuser-Busch's gluten free beer offering, Redbridge.  It's not my favorite--just like Bud Light was never my favorite--but in a pinch, it's easy to find, not too expensive, and definitely drinkable.  I've picked some up when I just wanted a convenient choice.

I truly appreciate every single one of these companies for pioneering--or jumping on the bandwagon of--gluten free beers!  You all get a big thumbs up from me.

To my gluten free readers, am I missing any of your favorites?

Hillbilly Tea, Louisville, KY

I spent the afternoon in Louisville last week.  I was there for work, but I carved out some time in the early afternoon to seek out a unique spot for a late lunch.  After I asked for suggestions on Twitter, a friend  recommended Hillbilly Tea, and I was just a few blocks away so I headed there.

The vibe inside was eclectic and felt thoughtfully curated.  A mix between a farm house and a city loft, the seating was mismatched but cohesively defined the spaces.  An open drink station at the far end of the room created the feeling of being in someone's house for lunch, which I particularly liked.

The menu proudly boasted local food vendors and a huge selection of teas.  Each of the menu items felt authentically Kentucky yet a little modern.  Listed side by side were the (extremely juicy) hamburger that I ordered and a vegetarian forest mushroom pot pie.  Definitely a little something for all tastes.

The chair hanging on the wall, alone and above my visual line, sort of summed up the whole experience for me.  It was fun and unexpected yet warm and welcoming.  I'd definitely go back, especially for the vast tea selection and the spicy sweet potato soup (which isn't pictured because I ate it so quickly).  I brought home a chocolate cupcake sprinkled with fresh rosemary for my husband; between bites he said it was delicious.

You can visit Hillbilly Tea at 120 S. 1st Street in Louisville Kentucky.  During the week they serve breakfast and lunch and on the weekends also have a dinner service.

A Date to Dilly Deli

Tim and I have been doing a little dating lately--dating each other, of course.  I've learned over the past 2.5 years of our marriage (and over 5 years since we met) that relationships take real work.  A good marriage does not just happen to us--we create it for ourselves. That's where dating comes in.

During December, we went on all sorts of dates.  We went to the movies; I loved My Week with Marilyn (and Tim liked it, too).  On another night we got Starbucks and drove through a park decorated with Christmas lights.  We also went out to dinner at Dilly Deli and realized that I could eat so many things on the menu that we went back again two weeks later. 

We ordered a basket of sweet potato fries as an appetizer (both times) and it was served with creamy, sweet apple butter.  This is a perfect starter because it is not too filling and it's light in flavor so as not to leave an after taste. I especially appreciated that because my entree was full of strong flavors. 

Tim ordered the crab cakes and I ordered cioppino.  The mahi mahi was firm and flaky and the shrimp, crab, and mussels were cooked perfectly.  I loved my entree. 

After dinner we walked quietly to the car holding hands.  This was a really excellent date.   

(please forgive the grainy pics--I only had my iPhone with me!)

Brown Dog Cafe and a New Friend

A few weeks ago, I got an email from a blogging acquaintance, Sharon from Eggplant To Go, asking me if I'd like to join her for dinner.  Cincinnati's Restaurant Week was coming up, and she had reservations that she had made with a friend who was no longer able to go.  Not wanting to miss out on a chance to try a new restaurant, Sharon wondered if I'd like to join her.

Let me just say that I am so thankful that Sharon reached out to me.  I have always considered Sharon to be such an interesting writer on her blog, always uncovering new food trends in Cincinnati, and she shares my love for Top Chef.  And as an adult, it's harder than I ever expected to make new friends.  I'm not from Cincinnati so I don't have a built in group of friends here.  I love my husband dearly, but he understands that I like to be busy and social.  I was involved in a Ladies Wine group, but most of the members moved away so it sort of fizzled out.

Sharon reached out to me on the perfect day with the perfect invitation--dinner at Brown Dog Cafe.

I had never eaten here before so I arrived a little early.  I was surprised that the restaurant is located in a small strip mall type location at the Pfeiffer Road exit off Interstate 71.  The inside of the restaurant has a sort of upscale lounge feel with a nice wooden bar where I could see myself coming back and sitting on a stool for a glass of wine.  There was a mix of booths and tables, and we were seated just around the corner in a little section of tables.  It was cozy and comfortable; I found the atmosphere appropriate for a date, dinner with the in-laws, and even a business dinner.

When Sharon arrived I immediately stood up to give her a hug.  I instantly knew it was going to be a very nice dinner.  She allowed me to choose the wine for dinner, and I found that the wine list was well rounded with a nice selection of glass pours and bottles at varying prices and types.

Our server brought us the restaurant week menu, which included the option of choosing an appetizer, salad, and entree.  All of the choices were interesting and sounded delicious.

I started out with a Sea Dog for my appetizer.  It was a seafood sausage served on a bun with a spicy sauce, sort of a play on a lobster roll.  It was incredibly good, and I inquired of our server where the sea dog was sourced from.  She confirmed Sharon's suspicion that it was from Lobsta Bakes of Maine.  I know my husband would love this, and I want to buy some of these directly from Lobsta Bakes sometime soon.

My second course was a pickled beet salad with goat cheese.  The beets were sweet and vinegary and a perfect pairing with the creamy goat cheese.  Beets are such an under-appreciated root vegetable, aren't they?

For my entree I had a duo of incredible lamb chops that had a crispy, salty crust.  They were served over cripsy potato wedges and asparagus.  The chops weren't heavy or game-y but light and juicy.  And seriously awesome.  I would order this again and again.

Overall dinner was fantastic.  We polished off a bottle of wine and talked about everything under the sun.  Sharon is one of those people that I think I could always find something to talk about with, and I really appreciate that in a dining partner.  I hope to see you again soon, Sharon!

I've Got a Birthday To Celebrate

On my 16th birthday my sister left for her freshman year of college.  I stood in our kitchen at six o'clock in the morning, surrounded by her packed bags, with the members of my family rushing around the house to make sure nothing was left behind, and it didn't feel like a birthday to me.  Of course, it wasn't the norm for how my birthdays were spent, but it can be hard to have a birthday so close to the back-to-school rush.  Even now that I'm out of school, I still sometimes want to tell everyone to wait-just-a-minute and stop rushing through August! because I've got a birthday to celebrate. 

Tim understands this because his birthday falls near Labor Day so there is the same guilt associated with wanting to make a to-do about getting a year older.  There are always friends on weekend trips away or spending time with family.  It's hard for either of us to assert ourselves and ask for attention.  So we do that for each other.  We get how the other feels. 

For my birthday, Tim went overboard.  He bought me a beautiful fragrance to replace the one I broke (dropped it on the bathroom tile) and he made dinner reservations somewhere he knew I'd want to go.  He didn't tell me at first where we were going, but he's terrible at keeping a secret and eventually confessed.  We were going to Jean-Robert's Table, and I was so excited.  Back when I worked in wine sales, I met Jean-Robert de Cavel at a few parties a mutual friend hosted.  He is jovial and interesting to talk to and everyone flocked to him.  That kind of personality can draw a crowd at a party or to his restaurants, and it makes you wonder why this French ex-pat has chosen Cincinnati as his home. But he came here along while ago and never left.  I'm especially grateful now that I've eaten at Table.  I will go back there again and again.

We had an excellent dinner, and perhaps Tim encouraging me to finish the bottle of wine is partly to blame for no documentation of our food.  Everything we ate was fantastic (Tim had steak and I had duck), but trust me when I say, I didn't need pictures to remember our Heirloom Tomato Salad appetizer.  It was a special, not on the regular menu, and as soon as our waitress began to describe it I had already decided to order it. 

I recreated it at home simply because I needed to eat it again.  The soft cheese served with the salad was the perfect foil to the acid.  This salad is for all of the summer-tomato-lovers out there, and tomato discrimination is not allowed; you'll need a good mix of types and sizes to capture the essence of it.  Also, everything added to the tomatoes is merely there to make it all more tomato-ey.  It's simple.  It's fresh.  It's summer.  Tomatoes will now always make me think of my birthday.

I owe Tim for helping me create new, positive birthday memories--it's harder to do than it seems and he excels tremendously at it.  

Heirloom Tomato Salad
inspired by Jean-Robert's Table
serves 4-6, depending if it is served as a light lunch or an appetizer/side dish

I purchased all of the tomatoes for this salad from the Landen Deerfield Township farmer's market, which is held every Saturday during the summer and continues on occasionally throughout the winter.  For heirloom tomatoes, I am particularly drawn to booth hosted by That Guy's Family Farm.  Guy seems to have the biggest variety of heirlooms, including little yellow plum tomatoes, beautiful multi-colored cherry tomatoes, and an incredible green-striped salad tomato that I wish I could remember the name of.  We also sliced up a big Mr. Stripey from our garden for even more size variance and sweeter flavor. 

If you can't find herb goat cheese at your local market, you can always chop up fresh herbs and mix them in with plain goat cheese.  I'd recommend soft-leaf herbs like parsley, dill, basil, and oregano; add no more than a tablespoon total of herbs. 

At Table we had this salad with French bread but at home I decided to make Flatbread with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt from a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen.  It was really simple to make and I highly recommend it. 

Ingredients
~3 lbs of heirloom tomatoes, a variety of sizes and colors
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
3 oz soft herb goat cheese
crusty bread like baguette or flatbread

Slice the largest tomatoes across like thick sandwich slices.  Cut the medium size tomatoes into quarters or sixths so that you have wedges.  Depending on the size, halve cherry tomatoes or leave the littlest ones whole.  Put all tomatoes in a medium size bowl and toss with the salt and pepper.  Allow to sit for 10minutes to draw out some of the juice of the tomatoes.

Add the olive oil and vinegar and lightly toss.  Transfer mixture, including accumulated juices onto a serving tray.   Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle over salad.  Serve the herb goat cheese on the side with bread.

Build the best bite by putting a smudge of the goat cheese the bread with a juicy tomato on top.