Friday, July 31, 2009

Good Beer at BAM

Where to begin!?? The Good Beer event at BAM, coproduced by Edible Brooklyn & Edible Manhattan, was held this past Wednesday evening, despite thunderstorms and heavy downpours all afternoon. It might have delayed some in setting up and getting ready, but with so much to choose from, it was easy to skip ahead to tables that were ready and return to the ones who were not at a later time. There were Brooklyn vendors and those from elsewhere, so I'm going to concentrate on the Brooklyn food and drink I sampled.

I was happy to see Rosewater with a table, as I love their food. They only use high quality ingredients and pay close attention to every detail to create delicious meals. They were offering samples of Geuze ceviche bruschetta with fluke topped with avocado. It was great - light and delicate but also flavorful, with the earthy, creamy avocado giving it some weight.



Schnitzel & Things was handing out plates of Weiner Schnitzel with cucmber and potato salad. The cucmber was sliced paper thin, the potato salad was creamy and tangy and the schnitzel was ever-so-lightly fried. It was perfect in a bite-sized portion. This was paired with Brooklyn Homebrew Supply's Proprietary Wheat Ale, a lemony brew that was quite tasty and refreshing.



Pacing was important and we made sure to take a break midway through. Three or four ounce glasses of beer add up quickly! We eventually made our way upstairs where there were tons more tables laid out. At the top of the stairs was Beer Table handing out Pickled Eggs which were so good! I think I just love anything pickled - briny, salty, tangy - it's all good with me. These eggs were topped with sea salt and jalapeno powder. Paired with a very spicy Bayerischer Banhoff Leipziger Gose that was not quite to my liking.



To my delight, The Good Fork had a table filled with their most delicious Pork Dumplings. Dunked in soy sauce, sprinkled with chives, these little packages are incredible. Reminded me I need to get back there for dinner soon! They were paired with a Blue Point Toasted Lager which made a really good combination.



Basis Farm to Chef were offering mini cheeseburgers put together from an extensive list of local-ish, organic farms. As a "good food" distributor, their aim is to connect small and mid-range farms with chefs, retailers & institutions. I really liked them and hope to see more places utilize their services. Brooklyn Brine had a small station next to them where they were handing out their homemade pickles. A new company, Brooklyn Brine already has a contract with Marlow & Daughters, so go get yourself a jar and check 'em out yourself!



Ici had samples of their cornbread which has real kernals of corn, as well as summer squash and vermont cheddar in it. Dense and packed with goodness, this was a real treat. With Kelso's St. Gowanus (a summery wheat beer that wasn't heavy or owverpowering as many of this style can be), it made for an excellent summer pairing.



I was glad to see there was a table of dessert items in the back, to sweeten up our palates after all this savory food and beer! Jomart Chocolates was offering three types of candies - one marshmallow covered option, one milk chocolate and one made with jalapeno that had a slow burn. All three were amazing, although the spicy one for sure in only small amounts!



I also have to mention that the Truck Farm by Wicked Delicate was there, complete with livestock! I just love this idea, and am happy to see it doing so well. Created by the guys behind King Corn, they will be putting together a film about this venture, so keep your eyes open for it. For a sneak preview, you can check out three short clips on their website.



Yay for Brooklyn food & beer! Happy Eating!

4 comments:

Color Me Green said...

now i'm jealous i didn't go! i'm always wary of those kinds of events because you never know just how much you're gonna get for your buck, but sounds like it was plenty.

Eat It Brooklyn said...

Yeah, I know what you mean. But with the proceeds of this event benefiting Added Value and Just Food, even if I didn't eat and drink $45 worth, I felt good about where my money was going! Thanks for the comment!

bistrobabe said...

I love your reviews! I just returned to Brooklyn, my home town, from Hawaii two years ago. I'm still relearning my way around and I love to eat good food. Thanks for your honest opinions.

Brooklyn Bistro Babe
http://brooklynbistrobabe.blogspot.com/

Eat It Brooklyn said...

Thanks BistroBabe! Lots of good stuff to discover and explore in BK, that's for sure. Thanks for commenting. Nice blog yourself!