Meet the Nebraska Brewing Companyposted by snekse

Coming Soon: Nebraska Brewing Co

When I first heard about Nebraska Brewing Company opening in Papillion, I had serious doubts about the place. I've been to too many "brewery-restaurants" that seem to wade in the mediocrity pool and rarely impress. I had doubts until I met Paul Kavulak, principal owner of Nebraska Brewing Company.

Paul is a man after my own heart. An information technology professional with a thing for history and beer. And as I found out, a bit of an obsessive fanatic like myself. He doesn't just like beer; he's been home brewing for 15 years. In 1992, a co-worker introduced him to the craft and just a year later he entered his first competition with a Scotch Ale and won a People's Choice award. Paul was one of the original members of the OmaHops Homebrew Club and was the club Secretary for awhile. So this isn't just someone thinking a brew pub could make them a lot of money, this is someone who *really* loves beer.

This also isn't just someone who loves beer who happened to one day think "Man it would be cool to own a brewery". This has been a flame in the back of his mind for at least 10 years. As a matter of fact, Kavulak and some of his OmaHops friends were to be the owners of the Jones Street Brewery when it closed, only to be thwarted by a last minute change in the terms that didn't agree with his analytical mind [CORRECTION: The other people involved with the attempted purchase were Dean Dobmeier (the brewer at Jones Street Brewery) and Bill Baburek (Cresent Moon)] . That logic-over-passion thought process is yet another reason I am excited for this place to open. The research and planning that has gone into this opening is impressive to say the least. It won't guarantee success, but it certainly helps.

Finally, you may have asked yourself "Does Omaha need another brew pub?" While I've always thought there was room for another brewery in Omaha, I never really felt there was a need for one. After talking with Paul, I did realize that there are a few spots in Omaha the do NEED one, including Papillion. The next question is, how will NBC be different? I found the answer to this very interesting. One of the reasons Kavulak stopped competing was because he always brewed beer for his own tastes which meant that sometimes a Porter or Lager he brewed wouldn't fit within the " style guidelines " for that particular brew, thus big point deductions which kill your chances to really compete. A perfect example of that is when he entered the same Scotch Ale that won the People's Choice award into a different competition only to have it score poorly due to the 12% ABV - far outside the upper range of 10% for even the strongest Scotch Ales according to the judging guidelines . Showings like this took some of the fun out of competing, so he decided to stop and just brew what he loves. He will strive to keep that philosophy while trying to find that delicate balance with broad appeal. I also found it interesting that Kavulak, being the history buff he is, wants to bring back some of Nebraska's rich brewing tradition which was wiped out for the most part during the prohibition. I believe Omaha has room for a brewery like this.

So I bid an early welcome to the Nebraska Brewing Company.

RELATED LINKS:
The Nebraska Brewing Company
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Nebraska Brewing Company (Foodaphilia)

Tags || NEBRASKA BREWING COMPANY | PAUL KAVULAK | PAPILLION | OMAHA | RESTAURANTS | BEER | more... | BREWERY | BREWPUB | FOOD | GFC |

INTERVIEW: Thomas Kellerposted by snekse

No, I didn't get a chance to interview Thomas Keller. To be honest, even if I got the chance, I have no idea what I would ask him. Instead I thought I'd share a recent Wine Spectator interview with the owner of The French Laundry empire.

Chef Talk: Thomas Keller

What I thought was interesting, but obviously fitting, was the fact that they discussed The French Laundry's house wine - Modicum.

Modicum instantly became one of my favorite wines the first time I tried it. I remember being blown away by it's rich, but bright chocolaty fruit flavors with amazing complexity and balance. I've been a bit obsessed about it ever since.

It's very rare that Modicum gets more than a passing mention in an interview, so to eek out some additional information about this amazing Cabernet is exciting. In general, the details about this wine are minimal and not always reliable. Beyond the basics, it's been protected under a shroud of secrecy. Of course that, combined with the French Laundry name just adds to the wine's sexiness.

For a little peak under that shroud, here's what I have been able to gleam from various sources about the wine.

• It's made from a single vineyard in the Rutherford district of Napa Valley
• Bottled under the name Vita Morrell Vineyards, but all indications seem to point that this is bottled by Sloan Estate
• The 2000 vintage *may* have been bottled by Colgin from their Tychson Hill Vineyard
• It's very likely Mark Aubert was involved in the initial project launch because of his involvement with both Colgin and Sloan during the 2000 vintage.
• For the same reasons, it's very likely that the vineyard was planted by David Abreu

With a pedigree like that, it makes me feel very fortunate that I was able to acquire a bottle of the 2000 vintage for my personal collection.

***UPDATE***
You can now order Modicum from The French Laundry. Thanks to our anonymous commenter below for letting us know.

Tags || MODICUM | WINE | THE FRENCH LAUNDRY | THOMAS KELLER | PER SE | INTERVIEW | more... | FOOD | GFC |

INTERVIEW: Paul Urbanposted by snekse

Paul Urban is the Executive Chef at Darwin Bistro & Catering. As part of what may become a regular feature here, I sent him a list of questions just to see how he'd respond.

If you'd like to see more articles like this one, please let me know. Next month I think we might turn this into a game. I'll post the questions and answers - you have to guess who it is.

20 Questions with Paul Urban

Did you cook growing up? What inspired you to become a chef?
i did cook growing up but it wasn't out of necessity. my mother and father are excellent in the kitchen. lot's of things inspired me to become a chef. i love the lifestyle and i love that it is a continuing art that is limitless.

Who do you consider your mentor(s)?
i can't really pick just one. i learned a ton of the business side from my boss, Darwin and i learned a lot of advanced cookery from chef john ursick [ED: Stokes Southwestern Grill] and chef tina powers [ED: Metropolitan Community College]

What is your philosophy on food and dining?
it feels silly to call food an art but at times it can be. dining is an enjoyment and when you can bring artful food into an enjoyable atmosphere i believe you have reached your goal

What are your favorite dining spots and/or dishes in the city? Why?
dicoppia was my favorite spot in omaha and it broke my heart when they closed up shop. i ate at their old location years ago and i knew i wanted to cook food like that. i love sushi japan because of the quality, i love la buvette because of the atmosphere, (plus their chef [ED: Paul Kulik] is a genius) other than that, my mom's food, whatever she cooks would be my favorite dish in omaha.

What cities/restaurants/chefs have you always wanted to try food from?
new york is an obvious choice, i was there this summer and really enjoyed myself. i am of course a fan of the big boys, ie: alinea, french laundry, nobu, el bulli, fat duck, etc. i'm planning on traveling to spain as soon as i can get a chance!

Favorite kitchen tools or gadgets (besides your knives) and why?
our big daddy immersion blender is a very good friend of mine as well as the robot coupe because it makes soups and sauces so much easier. the chinois and the tammy are my ultimate tools of refinement and i do love them as well.

Your 3 favorite knives in your bag (Brand, style, size, etc)?
my 10" shun chef knife , my henckel 6" utility and my henckel filet knife

Favorite or first cookbook?
my first cookbook was an old school julia child that i still use to this day. i'm of course a big fan of the french laundry , bouchon and escoffier

Favorite or new food/spices/cuisines/techniques you're incorporating into your dishes at the moment?
we staff a lot of very diverse and talented chef's at the bistro so i'm blessed with a lot of new and inventive input everyday. i hold a high respect for japanese cuisine and would love to incorporate it into the menu as well

What food/dish/whatever will never make it on your menu? Why?
i will never make beef wellington. my sister passed a few years back and it's the last thing i remember her cooking for my family. it would just feel weird

What was the last menu item to get the ax? Why?
the last item to get the ax were our smoked pork quesadillas. i didn't enjoy making them and they didn't sell all that well.

Where do you find inspiration?
i find inspiration from many different aspects. childhood memories with my family, watching my nephew make a bologna and dorito sandwich, my grandma's old school belgian food, grandpa's german food, etc. our front of the house manager, jessica is one of my biggest inspirations. we graduated from culinary school together and she has a brilliant mind that defines beauty. any time you can incorporate that into food, it's amazing. oh, and i love to eat

Do you read food blogs or forums? If so, which ones?
i read gastronomic fight club and chowhound

Restaurant reviews are a touchy subject for chefs and restaurant owners. What would be an ideal way to review a restaurant?
you've done a great job so far. everything is fair, good points and bad. chef's and restaurant owners like to think that they do no wrong. i want to know what part of a patrons dining experience was lacking so we can fix the problem

What are your thoughts on the Food Television Network?
it's turning the same way mtv did. less and less food, more and more gimmicks

Which Iron Chef would you choose to do battle against? Why? Any local chefs you'd like to do battle against?
i would like to go up against either mario batal or old school morimoto just so i could meet them after the show. they'd probably kick my ass but i'd go through it just to meet them

When at home, what do you like to eat? Do you do the cooking?
i eat ramen noodles and canned goods. i'm only home for about an hour before i fall asleep and ramen goes good with everything.

What might surprise people to find in your fridge or cupboards?
the lack of anything really good except for about 6 cases of diet dr. pepper and any leftovers from when i eat at my mom's.

Do you have a recipe you can share with us?
boil ramen noodles, add one tablespoon butter and one teaspoon soy sauce. top with two overeasy eggs and enjoy.

Tags || GFC | FOOD | CHEF | CHEFS | PAUL URBAN | DARWIN BISTRO | more... | INTERVIEW | OMAHA |