Friday, June 29, 2007

Roja, Bianco and Blue
posted by snekse

What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than to celebrate our nation's diversity? After all, what is America if not a melting pot of different cultures and flavors. And since we have a group of locally owned restaurants with a red, white and blue theme, what better way to cover the Omaha food scene this 4th of July than to check out cultural diversity of Roja, Bianco and Blue?

So we have our theme, but checking out 3 restaurants can get expensive very quickly. Never fear, we have that problem solved. Roja, Bianco and Blue have some of the best Happy Hour specials to be found anywhere in Omaha. Besides the standard and not-so-standard drink specials, they have half price appetizers with almost no restrictions on which apps are available. You can quite easily get your fill for little more than it would cost you to get a combo meal at a fast food joint. So lets find out just how good their food is.

Roja Mexican Grill

Chicken Flautas @ Roja
Chicken Flautas @ Roja
Our least favorite of the three. How hard is it to make Mexican food? Especially when your kitchen staff is comprised mostly of Mexicans. Nothing was horrible, but nothing was really good enough to make me want to come back. We've been to Roja before and didn't really care for their food the first time, but their parking lot is always packed. We thought maybe we were wrong. We weren't. The taco - bland and boring. The nachos - I just don't understand the point of nachos and these were greasy and unappetizing. Now the Achoite Chicken & Spinach Flautas - those were good, but only because the serrano ranch sauce carried them. I'd imagine the food tastes a whole lot better with a Margarita in hand, but you really shouldn't need a drink to enjoy the food your eating. There are too many restaurants in Omaha, and too many good Mexican restaurants to waste my time eating here.

Bianco Ristorante Italiano

Bruschetta @ Bianco
Bruschetta @ Bianco
A stark contrast to Roja. Bianco was our favorite of the three restaurants. The food had a touch of refinement to it that was sorely missing from Roja (yes, there is such a thing as refined Mexican food ) and better execution than found at Blue. Everything about the food was just a welcomed surprise. Lots of bright, yet homey comfort food flavors. I think the weakest dish we ordered was the Cozze Marechiare and even that was in the good to very good range. I was impressed with the free bread and white bean dip served to us. It was a unique freebie that I've never seen in a restaurant before and it was delicious to boot. The Bruschetta was better than most thanks to the heirloom tomatoes, as was the Calamari which was perfectly cooked on a skewer. Even the 4-cheese pizza was a delightful surprise with a rich sauce and complex array of cheeses with a little bite to counterbalance. I will definitely be going back, maybe even outside of happy hour.

Blue Sushi Sake Grill

Gyoza @ Blue
Gyoza @ Blue
It seems as if everyone in Omaha has been to Blue (Anyone know why they didn't call it aoi?). This is another restaurant that we had visited before and never bothered to return. In this case, however, it wasn't because their food was bad, it just wasn't good enough to justify the drive and the higher (at that time) sushi prices. The prices have come down, but the food's about the same. Everything is good, but nothing is excellent. I applaud their effort with the Spinach/Shitake Potstickers , but the night we went, there was no stick to the pot. Despite the lack of crunch, the flavors were decent and the honey garlic dipping sauce paired really well. The mussels were prepared in a pretty basic manner, but I was hoping to see more of an Asian flair to them. Also, the quality of some of the mussels seemed a bit questionable. The very large crab cakes would disappoint the true connoisseurs in the crowd. Shredded crab meat is mixed with a spicy stuffing, pan seared and served with a miso remoulade. I'm not a hard core crab caker, so I didn't mind the preparation and enjoyed the remoulade. And finally the Sake Maki was just a basic salmon sushi roll. Nothing special. But a $3.50 Sake Maki, well that's a little special (at least here in Omaha). For that reason, I would return to Blue, but probably only for happy hour.

Finally I should talk a little about the ambiance for those of you who have never been to any of the three restaurants discussed above. It should tell you something by the fact that you rarely hear someone talk about Roja, Bianco or Blue and not talk about the decor, the wait staff, the clientèle, the logo designs, etc; AKA, the vibe. You can quickly get an idea of what they're talking about by clicking over to the respective websites. That glossy, slick, sleek, sexy, modern feel is the same you'll find in their restaurants. Some people adore it, some people abhor it. I just wanted to make you aware of it.

That's it. Happy Fourth of July Hour! Now go out and celebrate the Red, White and Aoi. See you next year when we do our fondue review of The Melting Pot :-)

Roja Mexican Grill
168th & Center

Rating: 78

17010 Wright Plaza (map)
Omaha, NE 68130
Phone: (402) 333-7652

Hours of Operation
Monday — Sunday:
  11:00 am — Close
Happy Hour
Monday - Friday:
  3:00 pm — 6:30 pm

Bianco Ristorante Italiano
132nd & Maple

Rating: 89

13110 Birch Drive (map)
Omaha, NE 68164
Phone: (402) 884-9500

Hours of Operation
Monday — Saturday:
  4:00 pm — Close
  4:00 pm — 9:00 pm
Happy Hour
Monday - Friday:
  4:00 pm — 6:30 pm

Blue Sushi Sake Grill
144th & Maple

Rating: 84

14450 Eagle Run Drive (map)
Suite 240
Omaha, NE 68164
Phone: (402) 445-2583

Hours of Operation
Monday — Saturday:
  11:00 am — 10:00 pm
  5:00 pm — 9:00 pm
Happy Hour
Monday - Friday:
  4:00 pm — 6:30 pm (? - Call First)
Friday - Saturday:
  10:00 pm — 12:00 pm

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Friday, June 22, 2007

NOTW: Friday, June 22nd 2007
posted by snekse

News of the Week: Friday, June 22nd 2007


Love him or hate him, Top Chef's "Top Sommelier" Stephen Asprinio is back on TV, this time with his own show! Asprinio will host Wine Television’s "Wine Chefs" where he will "feature fine wines and pair them with his extraordinary and avant-garde approach to the culinary arts with the hopes of creating a cultural shift and how people feel about wine & food." And being the marketer that he is, Stephen will be hosting the show from his restaurant, Forte di Asprinio.


The OWH has an interview with Clayton Chapman, from V. Mertz about their new tasting menu and wheather Omaha is ready for a fine dining experience like the restaurant Tru in Chicago.

They also had an interesting interview with Jennifer Shallenberger from the West Omaha Olive Garden about her week long "immersion training" in Tuscany, Italy.


Moving news. Instead of waiting for Children's Hospital to kick them out, El Basha Mediterranean Grill & Wraps and Sakura Bana Japanese Restaurant have both moved to their new locations and are open for business. O Casual Dining & Lounge has not yet moved and plans to remain open in it's current location until at least September.


We've updated some past posts that you might be interested in checking out again.

First we've updated our Taste of Omaha coverage to announce the winners of the Iron Chef Metro competition.

We also updated our review of Liberty Tavern to include a link to
the OWH's review. It's interesting to compare the two, but I think they shared more opinions than not. It's also interesting to see the difference a year makes. In mine I called Liberty Tavern "a new favorite", yet I haven't been back since. I think the competition is definitely heating up in Omaha with restaurants like Darwin and V. Mertz gunning hard for some of that upper echelon limelight. If I can find the time and money, maybe I'll do a Tasting Menu Showdown between the three :-)


Speaking of Darwin, I had a conversation with Executive Chef Paul Urban a little over a week ago. Besides the fact that he's updated their menu to include such things as a foie gras torchon appetizer and house made ricotta gnocchi with quail, he's also decided to join the Slow Food Movement. No this does not mean it will take 3 hours to get your food. In a nutshell...
Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

I also had a chance to speak with Paul Kulik who was one of the judges at the Iron Chef Metro competition. The two pieces of news that I gleaned from him are a) His new restaurant, The Boiler Room, isn't likely to be open until late November/early December, but it sounds like it will be worth the wait. b) In the mean time, he plans to stage in Europe for awhile to pick up some new tricks.


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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Dinker's Bar & Grill - Omaha
posted by snekse

Dinker's Bar -n- Grill
Dinker's Bar -n- Grill

Dinker's: Omaha's Best Burger

Since Omaha is once again hosting the College World Series (CWS) at Rosenblatt Stadium, I thought I would offer a quick pick restaurant review for one of my favorite places near the stadium. A spot that happens to be perfect for locals and visitors alike who just want the best Omaha has to offer. And if you're able to keep it close to Rosenblatt (and our wonderful Henry Doorly Zoo), even better.

Hopefully our locals and habitual CWS fans are already familiar with Dinker's. It's hard to ignore when driving along I-480 towards Rosenblatt and you see a bright red sign claiming " Omaha's Best Burger ". Them's big words in the land of corn-fed beef, Omaha Steaks, and a city that boasts about being "Rare" and "Well Done". Whether they live up to their own hype or not could probably be debated for hours, but I think it's hard to dispute that it's a pretty darn good burger.

So what makes the Dinker Burger such a good hamburger? Well, I think it's the balance. First let me say if you're all about gourmet burgers and would never think about eating a cheeseburger that turns a brown paper bag translucent, then Dinker's
Best Hamburger in Omaha
Best Hamburger in Omaha
is not your thing. That's not to say that their burgers are greasy. This is actually where the balance comes in. I think they strike a good middle ground between a juicy burger and a greasy burger. Another key aspect is using a bun with substance. The slightly starchy thick cut bun stands up well to the equally thick cut patty and all of it's drippings. Other than that, I'd have to say it's the ingredients that really make this burger, so take a little tip here: skip most of the toppings and eat the burger with just a slice of cheese. A much more satisfying experience.

As for the rest of Dinker's, I wish I could say more positive things. The other food I've had is just alright, and the atmosphere would be perfect, except for the Keno = smoking thing. That last one is a real downer and limits my consideration when trying to decide where to eat lunch when we visit the zoo or go see a baseball game. Sad to think of how many burgers I'm missing out on between now and 2011.

Rating: 86

Dinker's Bar & Grill
29th & Martha, just off of I-480

2368 S 29th St (map)
Omaha, NE 68105
Phone: (402) 342-9742

Hours of Operation
  Monday - Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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glenny's

Friday, June 15, 2007

2007 Testicle Festival
posted by snekse

At Round the Bend Steakhouse
At Round the Bend Steakhouse
Not much to really say on this one. We went. We ate. Once was enough. I might post more commentary later. Bookmark this page if you care.

RELATED LINKS:
Nut Nibblin'

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GFC Turns 100!
posted by snekse

And it seems like we just turned two...

A slightly different number we're celebrating today. This is our 100th post! We're not quite on pace to catch Becks & Posh , but that's setting the bar a little high anyway.

I just wanted to send a couple of thank yous.

First, thanks to our readers, with an extra special thanks those who leave comments or send us emails, anonymous or otherwise. I encourage more comments and emails. I think they improve the overall usefulness of the site. Everyone has an opinion. Don't be afraid to share it here.

And most importantly, I wanted to thank my family, immediate and extended, for putting up with "wait, don't eat that yet, I need to get a picture" and all my other obsessions that allow me to keep this site running. Though I may not always say it, it means a lot to me.

And with that...

Because we've picked up a number of new subscribers recently, we decided to provide links back to some of our most popular posts of the past 100 to catch everyone up to speed. They're listed in chronological order so you can stop reading when they start to look really familiar. Oddly, about half of them are from 2007.

RECIPE: Fun with Frushi AKA Fruit "Sushi"

RECIPE: Salt Steak with newspaper and masking tape

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Alinea - Chicago, IL

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Charlie Trotter's - Chicago, IL

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Orange - Chicago, IL

RESTAURANT REVIEW: TRU - Chicago, IL

ANNOUNCEMENT: Foodies of Omaha

EDITORIAL: 10 Simple Rules for Eating with my Daughter

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Liberty Tavern - Omaha, NE

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Omakase @ Sushi Japan - Omaha, NE

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Darwin Bistro - Omaha, NE

RESOURCE: List of Omaha Restaurants Websites

RESOURCE: Omaha Foodie's Coupon Guide

RESOURCE: 2006 Douglas County Food Facility Sanitation Ratings

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Dario's Brasserie - Omaha, NE

RECIPE: Wonton Soup

RESOURCE: List of Omaha Brunch Locations

RECIPE: Joong AKA sticky rice

RESOURCE: 2007 World's 50 Best Restaurants

ANNOUNCEMENT: 2007 James Beard Award Winners

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Amsterdam Falafel and Kabob - Omaha, NE

ANNOUNCEMENT: Session #4 - Local Brews Event

BEER REVIEW: Upstream Brewing Co. - Omaha, NE

RESOURCE: Local Brews Field Guide

RESOURCE: Omaha Food Events Calendar

Thanks again to everyone.

P.S. If you've tried one of the restaurants above, please feel free to leave a comment of your thoughts on said page.

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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

WBW 34: Washington Cabernets
posted by snekse

WBW 34: Washington Cabs<BR>2002 Hurricane Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
WBW 34: Washington Cabs
2002 Hurricane Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

2002 Hurricane Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

It's time for another Wine Blogging Wednesday . It's been a couple of months since I've participated in a WBW event, but with this month's theme, Washington Cabs , how could I resist. Our host for this month is Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine™ .

I really wanted to like this wine more because I thought it had great potential when I bought it. Granted I drank it about 5 years before I was expecting to. When I first tried this upon release, it had lots of acid and massive tannins, so I thought it would be an ideal bottle to lay down. There was a good amount of sediment adhered to the bottle and I needed a Washington Cab to drink for WBW #34. So I opened it.

Now on with the wine!

2002 Hurricane Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
750ml ~ $21.99 (wineaccess.com)

Legs of the Hurricane Ridge Cabernet
Legs of the Hurricane Ridge Cabernet
Vintage: 2002
Type: Red
Producer: Hurricane Ridge
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: n/a
Vineyard: n/a
Country: USA
Region: Washington
SubRegion: n/a
Appellation: Washington

Tasting Notes
Currently it still has lots of acid and tannin, though the acid seems to be more prevalent than the tannin. You get a brief attack of tannin up front, but the middle and finish are dominated by the acid. Definitely need food with this. Luckily I had an 8oz. ribeye steak to stand up to it. Tried straight out of the bottle, through a Vinturi speed decanter and a regular decanter. None of them produced the results I was hoping for. It was difficult to find the fruit in this wine. As such, my notes are a little vague.

Gorgeous blackberry juice color. Very oaked with a charred vanilla bouquet. Darker type nose of chocolate, dusty leather with a touch of barn. Taste profiles of raisin-y fruit, blackberry, black cherry.

Rating: 85

I'm still pretty new to aging wine, so I'm not sure if this was aged too long, not long enough, if it was going through a "dumb" phase or what. Anyone have any insights?

***UPDATE***
If you'd like to see then entire WBW round-up, you can find it on the Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine ™ website.

Vote
Vote for GFC as one of your favorite Food, Wine, Beer and Spirits blogs.

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Monday, June 11, 2007

PHOTOS: Taste of Omaha - 2007
posted by snekse

Iron Chef Metro judging panel
Iron Chef Metro judging panel
Just some quick photos from this year's Taste of Omaha. Overall I'd say it was a better event than last year. I was glad to see an increase in locally owned independent restaurants offering food this year. I only stuck around for the Battle French match of the Iron Chef Metro competition, but it was fun to watch again this year. I'll have the outcomes of all the battles posted here later this week. Click here (or the photo above) to see all the pictures from this year's Taste of Omaha event.

2007 IRON CHEF METRO RESULTS
Battle Latin America: Jon Seymour and Hilary Quinn
Battle New Orleans: Lance Ritzman and Craig Hoffman
Battle French: Matt Baum and Rocky Rocha
Battle Asian: Randall Smallridge and Linda Barr
Overall Winners: Jon Seymour and Hilary Quinn

RELATED LINKS:
Dining Notes: 'Iron Chef' Omaha

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Friday, June 08, 2007

NOTW: Friday, June 8th 2007
posted by snekse

News of the Week: Friday, June 8th 2007


A reminder that the Taste of Omaha is this weekend. Be sure not to miss the Institute for the Culinary Arts "Iron Chef Metro" competition . If you need help planning, the OWH has two good resources on this weekend's events.

Your guide to the Taste of Omaha

Map and exhibitor information


After many rumors, it looks like the Omaha Chocolate Company will finally be opening a store in Midtown , though not in the Dundee locations that were often talked about. This third location will be located near 40th & Farnam (sale pending).


Wheatfields will be opening a second location in what seems to becoming the new trendy spot - Shadow Lake Towne Center at 72nd & HWY 370. It should be open in mid-July.


Congratulations to Frankie & Phyl's Italian Café who just celebrated their 60th anniversary this year. It's amazing that any restaurant can last over 20 years.


Though it was speculated earlier, it now seems official that Aksarben Brewing Co. has closed it's doors. If you would like to shed a tear, you can probably get a shoulder to cry on at The Upstream Brewing Co. who is hosting a American Homebrewers Association Rally on June 16th. The rally will also serve as a tapping party for Upstream's Baltic Porter that was brewed from a recipe created by homebrewer Elliot Spilker.


Some more chef movement as Jams sous chef, John Armour, leaves to replace Reed Empson at M's Pub.


An older article here, but still something worth spotlighting.
In 1967, 168 Catholic nuns from the Omaha area met with Creighton University officials to serve a higher cause. Another 24 joined them ten years later. And, every five years, these women faithfully returned to Creighton’s St. Joseph Hospital (now Creighton University Medical Center) for eight days and nine nights. Find out why.


And last, and probably least, our own Gastronomic Fight Club got a brief mention in this Thursday's Omaha World-Herald article covering tasting menus in Omaha. So now we have street cred :-)


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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Tasting Menus in Omaha
posted by snekse

Tasting Menus
Tasting Menus
Just want to say "Welcome" to the Omaha World-Herald readers who arrived here through today's article on fixed price menus.

Whether you call them Tasting Menus, Chef's Menus, Omakase, Prix Fixe, Kitchen Tables, Wine Dinners, or even just combo meals, they all share a common thread - you must give up at least some control over what you're going to eat (and of course a fixed price). Giving up a little bit of control means you have to be a little adventurous, but it's not like we're talking about sky diving here. It's just food.

If you haven't sampled some of the tasting menus around town, I highly encourage you to give them a try. There's no better way to quickly decide if you like a restaurant or not, than to try a bunch of food in one visit. To give you an idea of what you might encounter, I've included some links below that are related to the places mentioned in the article. You can also click the picture in the upper right-hand corner to visually whet your appetite.

There are some more Omaha restaurants that were not mentioned in the article that also serve some variation of a prix fixe menu:
  • Le Voltaire offers a bistro menu with an appetizer, entree and dessert for $30.
  • Flemming's Steakhouse offers 3 levels of "Discovery Dinners" that include wine.
  • The Tasting Room has a 6 course Chef’s tasting menu (Minimum of 4 guests, reservations required 72 hours in advance).
  • I know Darwin Bistro has talked about doing one, but I haven't heard anything from them about it yet. However, I know Paul would be willing to do something upon request if given enough notice.
  • UPDATE: I noticed the OWH has some additional restaurants listed with the online article.
For more resources, be sure to check out our List of Omaha Restaurant Websites and the Omaha Food Events Calendar.

RELATED LINKS:
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Sage Student Bistro (Prix Fixe)
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Sushi Japan (Omakase)
RESTAURANT REVIEW: TRU - Chicago (Kitchen Table)
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Liberty Tavern
EVENT: Foodies of Omaha @ TasTe

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Foodie Shopping
posted by snekse

We've added a new feature to Gastronomic Fight Club: GFC Weapons Supply. An online store where we will feature gourmet foods, gifts, tools, cameras, books and whoknowswhatelse that we feel every food obsessed gastronome needs or at least highly covets.



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Gotfruit.com (Alex R. Thomas & Co)

Monday, June 04, 2007

Local Brews: A Field Guide
posted by snekse

Session #4: Local Brews Round-Up

There are so many great local beers that it would be a shame to miss trying some when you are out traveling this summer. With that, we present to you a field guide to local beers.

This guide was compiled as part of a blogging event where bloggers from around the world were invited to participate. The response was amazing. Far more than I was expecting, so sorry for the delay on the round-up.

If we missed your post or you just want to add to this guide, please . To learn more about this event, read the announcement. Support your local breweries and brew pubs. Drink Local!

USA


NORTHEAST

Bostonbeerman covered beer from the great city of...Portsmouth, NH! He covers one of his favorite beers, theSmuttynose IPA from Smuttynose Brewing Company. From the description it sounds like a Belgian IPA; Is there such a thing? Either way, it sounds pretty good, even to a malt fan like myself. He also gives some brief mentions to other great beers in the Boston area, as if you might be interested in that :-)
Smita has created a nice beer guide for Rochester, NY. He also features The Old Toad Nut Brown Ale brewed exclusively for The Old Toad Pub by Custom Brewcrafters' sounds like it follows the classic stylings.
Ron over at the popular Hop Talk has a nice review up for the C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station A.K.A. "the Pump Station" in Albany,NY. It sounds as if you can't go wrong with any of their beers, so just order your favorite style. He also details several other breweries worth checking out within driving distance of Albany.
Donavan Hall covers the Long Island, NY beer scene in the form of Podcasts. For this Session, he chose to review The Southampton Publick House's 10th Anniversary Old Ale which looks absolutely amazing in the picture posted. The taste description included something I've never heard before in a beer tasting - Port or Madeira profiles. That picture, port, a beer that's built for aging and they ship - that's a dangerous combination.
Al, one of the contributor over at Hop Talk gets better acquainted with his new home in Washington, DC. Since he's already covered several brew pubs in the area, he tackles Wild Goose Brewery which was recently purchased by Flying Dog Ales. Of the beers he tried, Oatmeal Stout and IPA seemed to be the top picks. He also makes a good point that drinking locally is both good for the local economy as well as the environment.
Beer Haiku Daily
Spotlight on Baltimore brews
With three Local Ales
Lew Bryson gets really local and presses people in the Philadelphia, PA area to start supporting their local brewers. To help squelch the Philly summer heat, he popped open a one-batch draft-only special brew called Sexy Sister by Yards Brewing Company. From the sound of it, this was one among many great breweries in the city.
Bryan & Adam at The Brew Lounge have put together a 3-part article about General Lafayette Inn & Brewery located in Lafayette Hill, PA (near Philadelphia). Though they seem to disagree on which beers they had were the best, you can read their tasting notes to decide for yourself what you think. General Lafayette has several interesting offerings including vintage cellar-aged beers!

SOUTHEAST

The always fun to read Barley Blog picked up 3 beers from Williamsburg AleWerks in Williamsburg, VA to determine which side of the mixed reviews they agree with. They picked up the Chesapeake Pale Ale, the Colonial Wheat Ale and Washington's Porter. The verdict? BarleyBlog says "their beers, especially the porter, are just too much of a temptation not to make the detour and visit." I'm not sure I'd detour for the first two, but the porter sounds intriguing with a taste profile shared with cigars. I had a very similar beer recently and loved that aspect of it.
J. at brewvana covers two beers from Big Boss Brewing Company in Raleigh, NC. First he talks about their delicious sounding cask conditioned Double Tavern Ale, then also describes their fruity and spicy Hell's Belle Belgian Blond as being the perfect accompaniment with a slice of pumpkin pie. As an insider tip, he also recommends checking out the tour on the second Saturday of each month.
Rick Lyke of Lyke 2 Drink covers Charlotte, NC by trying a classic Summer Wheat from RockBottom Brewery.
Session first timer, Bottles of Barley represents Atlanta well by providing write-ups on two of the more intriguing beers of this Session. Both of these beers push the envelope and are along the lines of the "extreme beer" movement brews taking hold in some regions. The first of these beers is the Rye Pale Ale from Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, GA. Rye is added to provide a light grainy malt flavor to pair with the orange rind flavored hops. The second beer is Road Trip from SweetWater Brewing Company. The beer is made from a double pilsner recipe, but the lager yeast is replaced with ale yeast. The result is something Bottles of Barley describes as the world's first Imperial Cream Ale!
Dann Drinks Beer and is willing to share his insights with us by covering the Midnight Pass Porter from Sarasota Brewing Company, in Sarasota, FL. He admits the brewery doesn't have the best beer in the world, but believes the Porter is their best offering. Even at that, he only gives it a 3.5/5. Thanks for the honest review Dann.

MIDWEST

KevBrews points out the startling fact that Dayton, OH has zero breweries and has to look towards Cincinnati, OH to find Mt. Carmel Brewing Company's Blonde Ale. KevBrew indicates that both the Blonde Ale and the Copper Ale from this increasingly popular brewery would make great session beers.
Beer aficionado Jack Farris from The Beer Tap provides coverage of an area with a rich brewing history - Milwaukee, WI. For this session he went with the award winning Wisconsin Belgian Red from New Glarus Brewing Company. With a dominant cheery presense, "you either love it or hate it". Also mentioned and previously posted about, is the Lakefront Brewery, who's Bock I recently sampled at the Beertopia Bockfest, which sounds to be like their other beers - good but not great.
Snekse at Gastronomic Fight Club covered Upstream Brewing Company and the Omaha brew pub scene. Besides the entire beer flight being sampled, the highly rated Grand Cru was also tasted.

NORTHWEST

What brew pub guide would be complete without at least one entry from Oregon? Brewerman of brewerman.com covers this region for us and gives us two award winning breweries. On his not-to-miss recommendations list, you'll find Inversion IPA, Cask Bachelor Bitter, Nitro Obsidian Stout and Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery and Elk Lake India Pale Ale and Outback Old Ale from Bend Brewing Company. Reading the descriptions, it's easy to understand why Oregon is one of the meccas of the craft brewing world. He also has good things to say about The Abyss and Mirror Mirror barley wine from Deschutes. Both breweries are in Bend, OR, about 3 hours Southeast of Portland.
Jon at The Brew Site is also located in Bend, OR and also has great things to say about Deschutes Brewery. His favorite beers list includes the Black Butte Porter, the Obsidian Stout, Mirror Pond Pale Ale and their seasonal offering, Jubelale. If you're making your way out to Portland, be sure to ask Jon for some other recommendations as well since we surprisingly didn't have any participants from the heart of mecca.
Jay Brooks via Brookston Beer Bulletin has an awesome writeup of several beers tried at Moylan's in Novato, CA. He had a chance to try the Pomegranate Wheat, Ryan O’Sullvan’s Imperial Stout and a side-by-side tasting of their ESB poured through 3 different delivery systems (Cask, Nitro, CO2)! Sounds like a cool place. Might have to check it out the next time I'm in the Bay Area.

SOUTHWEST

Those visiting the Los Angeles, CA area, may want to seek out the Triple White Sage by Craftsman Brewing Company which is available only on tap in the LA area. This beer sounds insanely good with fragrances of sage complementing a Belgian style triple white. Thanks to Dave at HAIR OF THE DOG DAVE for sharing his notes.
Late to the party, Beer Sage visits Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, CA which is about 40 miles outside of San Diego. While there he samples the Lost Abbey ales which he describes as "Belgian-style ales with a California twist".
With the only true Southwestern entry, Stan at Appellation Beer, waxes about the beauty of an IPA on those first days for summer, contending that if New Mexico has a state beer adjective, it would be "hoppy". Though he was unable to get an IPA on the day in question, he did get a chance to try the Summer Farm Ale at Corrales Bistro Brewery. And for those of you who didn't already know, Stan was the one who first proposed a Beer Blogging Day.
Tedo from Barley Vine is a big fan of Saint Arnold's Brewery in Houston, TX. For this session, he reviewed the Saint Arnold's Elissa Cask ale, a version of their Elissa IPA. Reading about all these cask conditioned IPAs makes me want to rethink my hop aversion.

CANADA


From Toronto, ON Canada, Greg Clow of Beer, Beats & Bites breaks out of his "gotta try something new" conditioning and goes back to an oldie, but goodie with Black Oak Pale Ale from Black Oak Brewery. And yes, beer is one of the many topics we cover here at GFC.
Alan at A Good Beer Blog seems a little touchy that I set guidelines for this event, but don't be mad at him. I'd be upset too if I couldn't find a decent beer brewed within 150 miles of me. He was kind enough to provide us with some insight to what he drinks at the Kingston Brewing Company which is about 200km from Ottawa. Just be thankful I didn't take the advice of others and demand a 50 mile radius!
Stephen Beaumont double fists it with two separate blogs. On thatsthespirit.com he focuses on the Steamwhistle Pilsner from Steamwhistle Brewing Company in Toronto which sounds like nice summer brew for those really hot days. For his other local brew, he took advantage of being on the Scottish island of Islay by reviewing the hoppy Single Malt Ale from Islay Ales for On The House. I wasn't aware that highly hopped ales were hard to find in Scottland. Hop heads out there will likely enjoy this beer, though the Angus Og Ale sounds more to my style.

EUROPE


Though boakandbailey is located in London, things prevented them from reviewing the places they had originally planned. Instead, they bring us a great review of Lion Stout by Ceylon Brewery from Sri Lanka. Described as "dessert and coffee in one sweet decadent glass", it sounds to be right up my alley.
The Beer Nut had things a little rough this month. Being based out of Dublin, Ireland, and living next to Guinness at St. James's Gate, he had to look a little harder for a brewery with a little less mass distribution. He took one for the team and tried the Porter and the Bock from Messrs Maguire brewpub. Neither were spectacular, though the Porter was good enough to order again.
Stephen Beaumont double fists it with two separate blogs. On thatsthespirit.com he focuses on the Steamwhistle Pilsner from Steamwhistle Brewing Company in Toronto which sounds like nice summer brew for those really hot days. For his other local brew, he took advantage of being on the Scottish island of Islay by reviewing the hoppy Single Malt Ale from Islay Ales for On The House. I wasn't aware that highly hopped ales were hard to find in Scottland. Hop heads out there will likely enjoy this beer, though the Angus Og Ale sounds more to my style.

AUSTRALIA


Ed profiles Emerald Hill Brewery in South Melbourne, Vic, Australia clears the air about Fosters.


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Friday, June 01, 2007

BEER REVIEW: Upstream Brewing Co.
posted by snekse

Upstream Brewing Co.
Upstream Brewing Co.

Session #4: Local Brews

As the host of this month's Session, I thought pretty long about which brew pub I wanted to feature for our Drink Local theme. A quick search shows at least 5 qualified candidates that I could have chosen from here in Omaha.

Omaha Breweries and Brew Pubs

For me, the first one that jumped into my head was Upstream Brewing Company . It's probably the biggest and most well known in the city with two locations, one in the historic Old Market downtown and the other on the complete opposite side of the city in West Omaha. But was this really the best choice?

Well, after weighing my options it seems so. Granite City Food & Brewery is based out of St. Louis Park, MN; That disqualified it as did the fact that they mix the wort off site. Jaipur Brewing Company makes a jalapeño beer that I've always wanted to try, but they're really more known for their food than their beer. The Nebraska Brewing Co. just plain isn't open yet and Aksarben Brewing Co. is no longer open. Then there's Jobber's Canyon Restaurant & Brewery . To be honest I really don't know much about them, but I've heard from others that it seems as if the owners just decided to open a brew pub because they're trendy and attract tourists (which is perfect given their Old Market location). And since they are no where near my house, I didn't feel bad for not picking them.

And finally we have Lazlo's Brewery and Grill , which is actually the closest to my house, but since they are really out of Lincoln, that's strike one. Strike two is that they don't brew the beer on the premises and strike three is that they don't even brew their own beer! How do you not brew your own beer and get to use the word "brewery" in your name? They used to brew their own beer, but split the brewing part off into a separate company - Empyrean Brewing Company. Sadly, it is also the oldest brewery currently in operation in the state of Nebraska, founded all the way back in 1990. Yes, you read that right. That's not to say Empyrean doesn't make a decent beer, just that Lazlo's is disqualified from being a "brewery" in my book.

The Beers of Upstream Brewing Co.

The Beers of Upstream
The Beers of Upstream
So now we have our brew pub - now what beer should we have? Well, I've recently discovered that I don't have the vocabulary and/or palate and/or knowledge to describe a beer beyond it's standard style profile. To accurately describe the differences between two Nut Brown Ales that I'm not tasting side-by-side is something I've not yet worked up to. So I decided to try them all and just take some basic quick notes. The larger take away will be just what I thought in general of the beers. In addition to the flight I ordered at their Legacy location, I also picked up a special 750ml bottling of their August 2005 Belgian Style Grand Cru which is being distributed by the local Whole Foods.

To preface my notes, you should be aware that I have a bias towards darker beers. I tend to enjoy porters, bocks and stouts. I do drink almost any style, though I shy away from bitter beers such as IPA's and ESB's. Also, the flight was tasted with Upstream's Fish & Chips, while the Grand Cru was drank at home with (leftover) Blonde Pizza. Now on with the notes (or just check out my cheat sheet).

O! Gold Light Beer - Basic Bud Light, just a little creamier.

Honey Raspberry Ale - I've never understood why people mix fruit flavorings in beer. I have yet to have one I liked. This tasted like raspberry soda mixed with beer. Like a Mike's Hard Raspberry or something.

Gold Coast Blonde - Heavier in style. Reminds me of Michelob. Would rather have a Budweiser than this. Maybe I just need a bratwurst to go with this.

American Wheat - Initially hard to taste beyond the lemon in the glass. Very easy to drink and better than most wheat beers I've had. Great summer beer.

Capitol Premium Pale Ale - Very nice. Interesting spice blend. Very distinctive taste. And for some reason I had a note about fish water. Why, I don't know.

Firehouse ESB - Didn't mind it, but it's still not something I'd order.

Double India Pale Ale - Actually really nice! Smells (and kind of tastes) like bug spray, but I guess for some reason that's okay to me... It has an almost floral character to it. Some minor honey notes as well. This has convinced me that I need to try a dry-hopped beer. If I can get the same aromas and tastes without as much bitterness, I'm all on board.

Dundee Export Scotch Ale - This has always been one of my favorite beers. It's like candy. The scotch flavor is subtle, but definitely there. It didn't quite appeal to me the same way after drinking through 70% of the flight, but I know this beer well enough to recommend it.

Blackstone Stout - Weak in body, but lots of coffee upfront, chocolate on the finish. Very drinkable. You could tell just from the mouth feel that this was a very low alcohol beer. Just 4.4% ABV. A session stout.

Sunshine Lager (Seasonal Brew) - Opps, I drank this last. Probably a mistake. My only note is "Blah. Better with food. Basic."

Cask Conditioned Ales - No cask conditioned ale for me. It's only served in their downtown location. BOOOOOOOO.

Upstream Grand Cru (Brewed Aug 2005)This beer is nothing like I expected. It's far better. The color was much different than I was expecting. I was told this is the same as their Belgian-Style Tripel with some additional yeasts, so I was expecting something a little darker. The brewers notes ("Earth, Honey, Citrus, Oak") are almost dead on, though I'd say the fruit is more of a stone fruit, like peach or apricot. What's so unusual is the fact that the fruit is obviously there, but it's so subdued that it doesn't get in the way of the other complexities playing tag with your taste buds. The thing that struck me most was the oak. Just the aromas of this beer immediately made me think of a wine tasting we did at a where the tasting itself was done next to mountains of oak barrels filled with wine. It was the exact same smell. This easily makes my top 25 list. (For more information about this beer, see the update below)