Specific description and suggestion: 
Basmati and Snow Pea Stir Fry with Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

If in doubt always look for traditional pairings. That's kinda what I did with this beer. I started thinking about what dishes might pair well with the rice base used in this beer.  This lead me straight to Asian food, of course!

This beer plays with that rice flavor base creating a solid foundation for the rest of the pairing.  The yeast derived and added spices in the beer resonate with the fresh scallions and hoisin sauce. And then on top of that, the sweet flavors found in the beer and the teriyaki sauce tie everything back together before you swallow.

This beer also does a wonderful job of counteracting all the sweet flavors in this dish. The medium body and effervescent carbonation help cleanse the palate in between bites.

The recipe below comes from AllRecipes.com.

The recipe below comes from AllRecipes.com.


Basmati and Snow Pea Stir Fry with Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
1 (12 ounce) package al fresco®
Teriyaki Ginger Chicken Meatballs
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 1/4 cups water
Extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated carrots
3/4 cup sweet red bell pepper, sliced
6 ounces snow peas, blanched
3 medium fresh scallions, tops and bulb
1/2 cup hoisin sauce


DIRECTIONS:
1.Prepare a large skillet with cooking spray and olive oil and heat over high heat. Saute the carrots and pepper 1 - 2 minutes. Add the al fresco all natural Teriyaki Meatballs, and brown on both sides.2.Add the snow peas, saute an additional 2 minutes, then toss in the scallions and add the teriyaki or hoisin sauce. Reduce heat and cook 1 - 2 minutes.3.Serve over the Basmati Rice.

Specific description and suggestion: Tomato Basil Tart

In this pairing pay special attention to how the subtle yeast derived spices in this beer resonate with the basil, garlic and parmesan. Together they build a solid foundation for the rest of the pairing.  

This beer also does a wonderful job of counteracting all the savory flavors in this dish. The medium body and effervescent carbonation help cleanse the palate in between bites.

This recipe can be found on www.tasteofhome.com

Tomato Basil Tart
Ingredients

• Pastry for a single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 5 to 6 fresh plum tomatoes
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Roll pastry to fit a 9-in. tart pan or pie plate; place in pan. Do not prick. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.
• Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 375°. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the hot crust.
• Cut each tomato into eight wedges; remove seeds. Arrange over cheese.
• In a food processor, process the basil and garlic until coarsely chopped; sprinkle over tomatoes.
• Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, pepper and the remaining mozzarella; spoon over basil. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

If you don't have any dinner plans for Sunday then I suggest you pencil in Beer and Bacon Night at The SideCar Restaurant! Yep, Beer and Bacon Night features local beer pairings with the best bacon inspired food you have had! This is an ongoing event that happens every Sunday so if you can't get there this week there is always next week.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to try out this newly themed night. One look at the menu and I knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity. Since the invite included a guest, I called up a friend to share the experience with.  It was a good thing I did, and I suggest you do the same thing as there is just too much for one person to try.

If this review encourages you to go to the Sidecar Restaurant and try their bacon and beer pairing offerings, please let them know you read about them here.

To view the appetizer and entree beer pairings click HERE.

Tasting tip: Try each part of the meal individually first, batter, waffle, sloppy joe, etc.  Then take a sip of beer, make mental notes about the flavors you taste. Then try each part with sip of beer. Then start combining all the parts and sipping beer along the way.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.  That is a bacon and brown ale cheesecake, made with Ouroboros' Old Bar Brown Ale and bacon bits! The beer's assertive roastiness balances the sweet cheesecake filling and resonates with the crumb crust.  The bacon adds a crunchy texture and wonderful subtle bacon flavor to each bite.

Pairing the cheesecake with the same beer that is used as an ingredient, is a great place to start as it will help you pull out the beer's flavor in the cheesecake.  The cheesecake's sweetness also counteracts some of the pronounced roastiness in the beer smoothing off some of its rostier edges.

However, if you have any of the Ouroboros' Purple Iris leftover from the entree then try that, as well. This pairing is more about contrasting flavors than the brown ale pairing as it sets the citrus/resiny hop flavor up against the sweet cheesecake. The two meet up somewhere in the middle and the cheesecake moderates the aggressive hop flavor and bitterness while the hop flavor and bitterness prevents the cheesecake from becoming too sweet.

Meet Tim, the mastermind behind all the wonderful bacon and beer pairings at the Sidecar Restaurant in Ventura, CA. Tim is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Western Culinary Institute in Portland and has worked throughout California in such places like Cafe Melisse and Louise's Trattoria in LA.

You can read more about Tim in the Sidecar Restaurant's website, but all you really need to know is this guy knows how to cook bacon!-)

Please Note: These options and prices are subject to change at anytime without notification.  It is always best to call ahead and make a reservation.

Disclaimer: This was a delicious comped meal, but I wouldn't be writing this glowing recap if it hadn't been. 

If you don't have any dinner plans for Sunday then I suggest you pencil in Beer and Bacon Night at The SideCar Restaurant! Yep, Beer and Bacon Night features local beer pairings with the best bacon inspired food you have ever had! This is an ongoing event that happens every Sunday so if you can't get there this week there is always next week.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to try out this newly themed night. One look at the menu and I knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity. Since the invite included a guest, I called up a friend, Matt, to share the experience with.  It was a good thing I did, and I suggest you do the same thing, as there is just too much bacon goodness for one person to try.

If this review encourages you to go to the Sidecar Restaurant and try their bacon and beer pairing offerings, please let them know you read about them here.

To view the Bacon and Beer appetizer or dessert beer pairings click HERE.

There are three bacon and beer entrees from which to choose. We ordered the bacon and pork belly sloppy joe in a sweet sauce and the fried chicken on a bacon-sage waffle (yep, bacon and sage bits in the waffle) with bacon infused maple syrup.  Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room in our bellies to try all three but you can bet that I will try the 50/50 burger (ground bacon/beef topped with a fried egg) next time I am there on bacon and beer night.

Tasting tip: Try each part of the meal individually first, batter, waffle, sloppy joe, etc.  Then take a sip of beer, make mental notes about the flavors you taste. Then try each part with sip of beer. Then start combining all the parts and sipping beer along the way.

The Sloppy Joe is paired with Ouroboros' Old Bar Brown Ale, an assertive American brown ale.  The sloppy joe comes in a slightly sweet sauce and as you can probably guess it is quite savory, as well.  The Old Bar Brown's malty sweetness resonates with sweet sauce building base layer that ties the two together, but it doesn't stop there.  This is one of the roastier (think slightly burnt toast or lightly roasted coffee) brown ales out there and that roasty flavor resonates with the browned bacon and BBQ pork. 

So far this is pairing has been all about building and accentuating individual flavors and now it is time for some contrasting flavors. Old Bar Brown is a medium bodied beer and it finishes dry. This means there is little sweetness in aftertaste, perfect for this pairing.  It builds, and builds on flavor commonalities then right before you swallow, the beer (alcohol and carbonation) cleanses everything away and leaves you with just a hint of roasty flavor that will resonate with your next bite of Sloppy Joe. 

The fried chicken, bacon-sage waffle with maple bacon syrup is paired with Surf Brewery's County Line Rye.  This pairing works on so many levels. 

First of all, this fried chicken was perfectly prepared. "Light" and crispy batter and super moist chicken underneath.  The batter also has a special mix of spices that resonate with the dry, rye spiciness in the beer. 

The waffle is a treat, as well.  The bits bacon scattered throughout give the waffle a bit hidden texture and, of course, flavor. The sage is an excellent counterpoint to all the sweet and savory flavors with its slight peppery accent. It is the sage that makes this beer pairing so perfect.  Again, the dry, rye spiciness in the beer resonates with the sage in the waffle. 

And then comes one of my favorite parts of any beer pairing. That moment when you take a sip of beer and the carbonation lifts up all the flavors mixes 'em up. If you aren't paying attention you may just miss it which would be a shame. The carbonation causes a brief explosion of flavor and aroma before the beer's malty and/or hoppy flavors take over.

Now, take a bite that has all of the components (batter, chicken, waffle, syrup)and savor the flavors as they mix and resonate with each other. Swallow. Now take a drink of County Line Rye. Note the momentary explosion of flavor as all of the components are lifted up off the palate and mixed together, again. 

Something to consider: 
The picture doesn't do this entree any justice. It is delicious and HUGE!  That is half of a chicken stacked on that waffle. This is definitely an entree that you can share or take home and eat for lunch the next day.





Disclaimer: This was a delicious comped meal, but I wouldn't be writing this glowing recap if it hadn't been.