Ryan and I defected from the States for a long weekend in Vancouver over the holiday, needing some time to stare at each other without the many distractions of home.  The Alibi Room was on our to-do list but, sadly, its hours of operation were not our friends this time.

Lucky for us, we happend past a gastropub called The Irish Heather.

The Irish Heather Website

13 taps of local and imported brew, 150 scotches and whiske/ys, and a menu with all the right stuff: meat and cheese plates, homemade soup, fries with coconut curry sauce, bangers and mash, pot pies...comfort food at its best.

I started with a Driftwood Ale from Driftwood Brewery in Victoria.  Slight citrus aroma with an up-front grapefruit flavor that bends quickly to the light body and malt flavor of the beer.  The zing of the grapefruit made my nose crinkle at every sip but otherwise it was pretty drinkable.  I expect a different taste from beer with those characteristics but, heck, I don't know everything.

We finished the first round and moved on to the second, (we were on foot; no reason not to have another one) so I chose the R&B Brewing Co.'s Raven Cream Ale, as recommended by our bartender, Mike.  Poured a deep amber color with a finger of creamy head on top.  A very smooth beer with what I thought was a touch of chocolate malt.  Interesting and easy on the palate.

With this we ordered some food, which I neglected to take pictures of, (I do that way more often than I'd like).  Ryan's tomato basil soup was light on the cream so he was happy, and we shared a charcuterie plate with traditional sides like mustard, marinated olives, gerkins and peppers and a curry vegetable chutney.  I probably liked the smoked pork neck the best but you should have seen my face when Mike told me what it was...

Service: Excellent.  At 2pm on a Tuesday we were among six other people in the restaurant.

Atmosphere: Great.  I love Irish pubs.  They're casual, moody and the people there love beer.  Throw in a pot pie and I'll rent the apartment upstairs.

The beergoodfood blog will be taking a hiatus for the next month as we turn our focus to the 30daybeerchallenge.  Daily, short and sweet reviews of 30+ beers for the entire month of March.

Cheers!

Lyra

Let me sum up, (as much as this is to kill your no-doubt prickling curiosity, it's also to remind me of everything): this is a music/gaming venue and gaming store, tattoo and piercing parlor, hair salon, vegan/vegetarian cafe, pub with at least eight, mostly microbrew, taps and it's all housed in the same building with an over-arching Lord of the Rings theme.  Think I'm kidding?

I'm not.  And in this case I don't wish I were.  Why?  Because this type of thing makes me happy.  This is passion at work.

I don't want to get all preachy, but when I see a business that has been designed this specifically, I wonder if this wasn't the owner's vision of their perfect passion-turned-profit venture.  Most small business owners start something they're professionally good at but still with a generic edge that will appeal to a broad audience; Mirkwood took a specific theme and blanketed generic businesses with it -  and I really hope it works for them.

Mirkwood's Website

It's also one of the only places you can get Skookum beer on tap.  That's exciting.  I settled into my seat with a Skookum Olde Tom IPA and a menu.  The rest of their tap line-up is fairly standard: New Belgium, Diamond Knot and some macros, but there's a nice bottle/can selection in the cooler, too.  You can see some of what they have if you look at the Shire Cafe's menu on their website.

Anyway, I started looking around.  No Brewing News needed, there's plenty to hold the eye.  I can see how music events would be a lot of fun here; low-light and loud music, plus the surreal atmosphere of a place that isn't afraid to indulge in a little fantasy.  I'm going to try like heck to see the Brad Loomis band on April 1st.

My vegetarian gyro arrived post-haste with a side of tortilla chips and was very good, very flavorful.  You can't see them but there are some vegetarian meatballs in there and I just have to say, it's amazing that they can make non-meat things taste like meat.  How do they do that?  I'm not a vegetarian but I eat Morning Star breakfast sausages every morning and now the real thing just tastes...weird.  Also, I really appreciated the change of menu.

Service was just fine, again, I'm usually always out during the slow part of the day.

Mirkwood is a place where friends are met and made, where you can drink a delicious craft beer and play a round of Magic, enjoy some music and/or indulge your tattoo addiction.  It combines a lot of elements to bring a lot of people in, all while subjecting your subconscious to fantasy.  You may walk out of here wondering if that was an elf you saw at the bar or if the band's charisma was indeed stacking, but one thing's for certain: you'll walk out with a unique experience behind you.  Hopefully it'll send you back for more.

Cheers!
Lyra 

I admit it, I'm not a city girl.

I find Seattle overwhelming at the best of times and, although I know there are a ton of great restaurants, pubs and places to go there, it takes something pretty spectacular to motivate me to head south for the day. I also know there are at least a baker's dozen worth of bloggers that cover the territory and I don't necessarily need to add my blabber to the whole mess.

But...

...every once in a while, I find something that compels me to the city and last Sunday it was rumors of delicious ham hock and an obscure martial arts movie only playing at the Regal on 7th Ave.

First, the movie: Ip Man 2

I say "obscure" because it was obscure to me until I happened to watch the first one on Netflix instant and was totally impressed with what I would say is a high degree of technical skill, imagery and cinematography.  I'm also not a film critic, by the way, it was just super-cool, in my opinion.  Ryan and I both enjoyed it immensely and had no idea they would make a sequel.  Lo and behold, they did, and we went and it was pretty darn good, too.  A little more "Hollywood" than the first and with a dash more humor, the actions was still there.  Ip Man's hands fly so fast you think the film is sped up, but as far as I can tell, nothing like that was really used.  There was a scene where a challenging master flips an upside-down stool right-side up onto another upside-down stool with his feet and then lands on top of it...honestly, these films make me think it can be done.  Anywho, if you like this type of film, Ryan and I highly recommend.

Ip Man on Netflix Instant - you'll need a Netflix account

Ip Man 2 Trailer

And now, the ham hock:

The pub's name: Fieirabend.  Its theme: German beers and German/Northwest-style food.  I wouldn't quite call it fusion but there are some dishes like that there.

Fieirabend's website

Let me just say, they have 18 German beers on tap.  On tap.  And 1/2 liters, (almost 17oz) are still in the $4.00 - $5.00 range which is pretty standard for around here.  My palate for German beer is not what I would call sensitive; it's used to drinking the beers we make here in the States.  So, I find most German beer incredibly drinkable because I don't detect strong flavors of any kind, they're all very mild and mellow to me.  They're also usually not super high on the alcohol.

With our 1/2 liters in hand, we settled in to enjoy our meal: Bratwurst sliders and pommes frites as an appetizer, ham hock for Ryan and the pesto chicken spatzle with garlic bread for me.

Everything was awesome and, as you can see, we were so interested in our food that we forgot to take a picture of it until we were done.

Atmosphere was great, sort of Old World meets Industry.  Surrounded by condos, we're sure Fieirabend packs it in.  As it was, there were maybe eight to ten people there with us during the Super Bowl which made it a quiet spot to enjoy some of the culture Seattle has to offer.

We loved it and would definitely go back...and that's saying something for us non-city types.

Cheers!

Lyra

Simply put, the Leatherheads Pub & Eatery in downtown Stanwood is a very hip joint.

Leatherhead's website
Leatherhead's facebook page

"The building looks like the local fire department, " you say and, "what's a 'Leatherhead'?" you ask.  It is indeed true that the building was the West Stanwood Volunteer Fire Department until 1963 and a "leatherhead" is a slang term used to describe firefighters around the end of the 19th century, derived from the leather helmets they wore in those days.  Now that your history lesson is over, lets move on to the beer and grub...

The restaurant and bar are beautifully done with a casual industrial style that pays homage to its firefighting roots, right down to where the fire pole should be, (coming soon!)  A full bar and a dozen taps greets the thirsty visitor and this time I aimed for the lighter side of things and went with a Pyramid Haywire.

Food: awesome.  I ordered the French Dip with Swiss cheese and sweet potato fries.  It arrived piping hot and was very tasty.  I also tried their cornbread and was similarly impressed.  Spicy jalepenos provide some zing but there's a complimenting sweetness as the bottom of the bread is pleasantly saturated in honey.  There may also be some cheese in the batter.  It was very good cold, I imagine it's even better warmed up.  Apparently this place does awesome ribs and coleslaw too and there were many other things on the menu that I wanted to try.

At 11:30am on a Tuesday, there were few other people around but you could tell this place gets hoppin' in the evenings.  My server, one of the owners, was very gracious and attentive and we had easy conversation.  They're also doing brewer's nights occasionally.

(A picture of where the fire pole will be...because that's just cool.)

Leatherheads opens every day at 11am and is definitely worth a visit...or two...or twenty.  Whatever.  You see what I mean, just go and try it.

Don't make me tell you twice.

Ooh, feeling a little feisty today...

Cheers!

Lyra 

If there's one place in the Valley where I could sit with friends, enjoy good conversation, food and drink for hours on end, it's the Trumpeter.

The Trumpeter Public House - website

Owners Paul and Karin Springer, along with their son, Cam, work 24/7 to make sure the Trumpeter is one of the best spots around to enjoy the finer things in life: a creative and diverse, (and gluten-free!) menu, boutique wines by the bottle and glass, absinthe traditionally served, the largest selection of scotches and whiskeys/whiskys north of Snohomish County and 17 taps of both European and local microbrews.

And it shows.  In spades.

This family works HARD.

The atmosphere is one of medium-dark wood and warm lighting.  A fireplace and couches couch themselves in a nook on the east wall, while the private room in the back corner shares the opposite side of the same fireplace.  Booths are private and comfortable, the dining room big enough to accommodate a busy restaurant so that no one feels crowded.  The bar is its own world with tall, cushioned benches and tables.  I've spent many a late night cuddled in the corner of the bar with a fine craft brew in hand, surrounded by Paul, Karin, Cam and the rest of their friends who know that if we want to see them at all, we have to come to them.

They are also the masterminds behind our Spirit of the Spud event that will culminate this September with what we hope to be a Guinness Book of World Records record-breaking pan of Potatoes AuGratin.  Click on this link for more information about how we intend to bring our communities together with this unorthodox, yet completely compelling to-do: http://www.skagitvalleygardens.com/spirit-of-the-spud/

The Trumpeter also does Trivia Night every Monday evening at 7pm.  I've seen winners take home t-shirts, pint glasses, gift certificates, posters and many other items of glorious schwag.

And if that wasn't enough, they hosted a masquerade ball last New Year's Eve that was outstanding and I hope to see it become a tradition.  The Trumpeter certainly raises the bar.

We should all raise our glasses to them.

 

Cheers!
Lyra 

Well, I wish I had a better picture but they really WERE the size of my fist.

Laurelwood's Vinter Varmer is a nicely balanced dark winter ale.  Since my outing to McKay's Taphouse in Bellingham I've been semi-fascinated with the pairing of savory spices with a beer that has pronounced malt and roast.  It reminds me that I once tried one of Black Raven's casks at their brewery in Redmond where the beer tasted like a Sicilian pizza; from the Italian seasoning right to the charcoal of a thin-crust, wood-fired pie.  It might have set with me better if there had been a malt balance to it...but it was certainly interesting and, really, I've never had a bad beer from BR.

However, I digress.  I will dedicate the rest of this post to the recipe for my fist-sized meatballs.

Everything's approximate.  Just like when you brew beer, a little extra/less of this or that probably won't kill your taste buds on the final product so keep that in mind.

Italian Meatballs ala beergoodfood

Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices firm white bread, crusts removed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Salt & pepper
1lb ground beef, turkey or lamb
0.75lb ground Italian sausage
1 can stewed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft, stirring often, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in parsley and cook for a minute or two more.  Turn heat off and let cool.

Meanwhile, soak bread in milk in a large bowl, then mash with a fork and drain excess milk.  Stir in egg and Parmesan, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add cooled onion mixture, then add meats.  Use your hands to combine everything but don't over-handle.

Turn your pan back on to medium-high heat and add more olive oil.  Shape meat mixture into 7-10 palm-sized meatballs and press each one into the pan, flattening it slightly.  Cook until darkly browned on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn over and allow to brown on the other side.  Add undrained can of stewed tomatoes to pan and cover.  Turn heat to medium-low and simmer until done, maybe about 10-15 minutes.

Check done-ness by cutting in half and sacrificing one meatball to the cause.  That one can be yours, Master Chef.

Now, if I were a super-awesome beer-blogger, I'd have a winter warmer beer recipe for you, too, but until then, you'll have to run out and find this one from Laurelwood.  It really was quite tasty.  I found mine at Malt & Vine in Redmond.  Who knows?  They may still have a few bottles stashed somewhere...

YUM!
Lyra 

What you get when you walk into The Copper Hog is atmosphere...in italics.  They've got it coming out of their beers...er, pardon me, ears...and it's no secret.

Known for their inspiring menu and diverse rotating tapline, The Copper Hog knows what you want when you come in.  The game on the tube, low light to set the mood and dark wood to rest your elbows on.

Ryan and I were meeting friends so we picked a booth in the restaurant area and ordered our beers.  One of the nice things about this place is the variety of seating they have; booths, tables, the bar area with tall pub tables and many a secret nook to contemplate your voyeuristic tendencies or cozy up with someone special.

At least 18 taps and a desire to be unique among the tap houses means that they usually have something I haven't tried.  Bingo!  Ryan had the Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and I tried New Belgium's Lips of Faith Vrienden.

Simply put, the Hoptimum will blow your mind and the Vrienden is a very drinkable, mild sour ale.

Next, we ordered an appetizer.  I have been hearing far and wide about something called a corn dog lollipop and whatever it turned out to be, it just had to be tried.  I'm a sucker for comfort food presented in a chic way, not going to lie.  Hey, I'm a girl.  Sometimes the shallowness takes over.

The corn dog lollipops were pretty awesome.  They're handmade pork sausage meatballs dipped in batter and fried, then served with a trio of mustards; probably a honey mustard, a deli mustard and another milder one that I couldn't quite determine what was different about it, other than that it was orange-er.  Is that a word?  It is now...

Also, the sour-ness of my beer and the mustard was pretty interesting together.

We went on to order food, the poke and a shrimp Caesar.  Plating and flavor were excellent.

And it's always fun to chat with Tara, one of our favorite bartenders who defected from Mount Vernon to work at The Copper Hog.  With such excellent offerings, it's not hard to see why.

Cheers!
Lyra 

"Probing the Beera Obscura" = when I intend to visit one place for bloggy goodness and end up in a completely different location, after stopping many places in between.

This time my friend, Mindy, was joining me and we decided to meet at the La Conner Brewery for some lunch before we headed out, intending to stay in La Conner.  I won't say too much about the brewery, except to mention that they have pretty good food and killer atmosphere.

Our first stop was Hellam's, a wine/beer shop on the north side of 1st Street.  A friend and fellow blogger had suggested I check it out since along with a wine club, they also have a BEER club.

Yes, Virginia, there really is a beer club in the Valley.

The shop is big and impressive, with many wines I don't see up this direction and a small, yet eclectic, collection of bottled beer.  After snooping around a bit, we signed up for the beer club, (approx. $15/month for two bottles - stuff you won't normally find at any local grocery store; I hope to dedicate an entire blog to Hellam's sometime later on to review...)  You can also purchase a bottle of wine or beer and sit out on the back deck to drink it; an image that appeals to my more romantic sensibilities.  And there's a possibility they'll be installing a couple of taps at some point.

Hellam's website

We left Hellam's quite pleased with ourselves, having also acquired a nice cab franc, two bottles of Southern Tier's Unearthly and a HUB Rise Up Red.

Down the south side of 1st Street we stopped into Sips.  I'd heard there was beer here but didn't see any obvious signs.  No one was at the counter and waiting around for a minute or two produced the same result, so we left.

I had planned to blog about Sips but there was nothing to blog about so, after a stop at the candy store, Mindy and I decided to turn our cars towards Rexville.

Rexville Grocery's website

Rexville is a great little spot out in the middle of nowhere.  It's a gas station, grocery store, cafe and very tiny bar, much like Big Rock.  Unfortunately, they didn't have anything on tap that interested us.  They usually do, don't get me wrong, we were just being picky that day.

Back the other direction to the Wheel House in Anacortes.

A pleasant surprise awaited me when we got inside.  This is a pretty nice looking bar with about 12 taps.  For some reason I was under the impression that it would be sort of dive-y.  Attached to Village Pizza, you can order off their menu and have it delivered over to the bar instead.

Village Pizza's Yelp Page

Anywho, Mindy and I bellied up and ordered a couple of Maritime Brewing's Old Seattle Lagers.  With beers finally in hand, we breathed a collective sigh of relief.  The Beera Obscura did not deny us that day.

Cheers!

Lyra

I have long been a hop head who cuts a wide berth around anything overly malty.  Hey, I know what I like.  As such, I tend to avoid Belgian-style beers; the fruity, yeasty, banana thing catches in my throat every time.  But I do TRY them, because I believe a lot of things in this world require getting used to over a period of time, and I've got some time yet to acquire those tastes.

It makes sense, then, that I wouldn't have tried a lot of sour ales.  I remember one a long time ago and it wasn't a pretty picture.  Nevertheless, at the urging of a friend whose taste in beer I admire, I headed to Malt & Vine in Redmond to sample their sour selection.

Malt & Vine

Malt & Vine has 16 taps but is otherwise a beer and wine store located in a strip mall area outside of the Redmond Town Center.  You can sit and drink a beer and then take some to go.  They even encourage you to bring in your own food.  Known for having some obscure draft options, I recognized a lot of the breweries but not a lot of the beers.  Hooray!

Onto the sours: They had two on tap, the Cascade Summer Gose and the Bocker Rouge Flemish Sour.  I picked up two tiny tasters and a schooner of New Old Lompoc's C-Note Imperial Pale for Ryan.

We took our first sips of the lighter-hued Summer Gose and followed that with the Bocker Rouge...

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...the thing about sours is, you have to shift your mind-set to a completely different style.  Don't think about the usual flavors of hops and malt and all that, think about lemonade without the sugar or wine.  What you will taste in a sour, (or, at least, what we tasted in ours) is an upfront sourness that dissolves into subtle notes of beer-ness.  The beer is hiding in the background somewhere.

Ryan happily went back to his C-Note.

After my mid-day paradigm shift, I was actually able to enjoy the sours.  I preferred the Bocker Rouge for it's more complex undertones than the Summer Gose; the Summer Gose was too light in body for my personal tastes.

I went on to taste some of their other beers and ended with the Trickster IPA from Black Raven.  The sours were an interesting trip down pucker-punch lane, to be sure, I just wanted a hop chaser for the trip home!

Cheers!

Lyra