Unibroue Dinner at Monk's
Philadelphia, PA
2/8/05
Another fantastic dinner by the
Monk's Cafe crew was set before 50 people featuring the incredible brews
from Unibroue, the leading craft brewer in Canada. To represent them was
the Brewmaster, Paul Arnott(right), and East Coast rep, Rick Suarez.
I had met Paul at the State College
Microbrewers' Expo last July where he gave a very interesting seminar on
their brewing techniques. He is a very experienced brewer and, though he
will not divulge any secrets, Paul will be more than happy to discuss his
philosophy on beer and some of his brewing methods. Paul is from Scotland
and was educated there. He then worked for 10 years as a brewer for Chimay
in Belgium. It is there he formed his passion for Belgian beers and when
a chance came to strike out on his own, Paul jumped at the opportunity
and off he went to Canada!
His lineup of Belgian-style
beers has made an international success of this brewery. I will discuss
this brewery at another time (after I hopefully visit it in June).
At any rate, Tom Peters really
put on the dog again and the food was delicious and plentiful!
The festivities began with some
of their newer creations, Ephemere Apple & Cassis(black currant). The
cranberry was alo supposed to be there, but a shipping snafu kept that
one across the border. A Pork Spring Roll w/ apple & cranberry chutney
wwas served with this pairing. I found the Cassis to be a better match.
Next up, Paul's first beer,
Blanche de Chambly, accompanied the Prince Edward Island Mussels Au Gratin.
The mussels generously topped with cheese were a surprise to us and very
well-received. The citrusy Blanche cleansed the palate of the spicy cheese
and was a perfect selection.
Another seafood choice came
out, Horseradish Encrusted Shrimp w/wasabi infused sauce and was washed
down with La Fin Du Monde, a dry, spicy ale of 9% abv. The warmth of the
horseradish and wasabi was a joy up against the beer.
A salad of Wild Mushroom and
Arugula w/ grass fed beef carpaccio(raw beef) was a nother surprise and
a hit with us. Though the beef was suspect, we enjoyed the presentation
and the greens. Trois Pistoles, a dark, rich and sweet ale cut right through
the citrusy beef and the dry mushrooms and greens. This beer is my favorite
of their entire line and it really made this course one of the best of
the meal.
After all this food, we still
were to eat the entree! A large plate with half a Duck glazed in Canadian
Maple Syrup & Maudite w/sweet potato stoemp. I couldn't believe I'd
have to eat this! I picked at the duck and the sweet potatoes until I could
eat no more! To make matters worse, 2 beers accompanied this course!!!
Edition 2005 and Maudite draft topped off this entree excellently. Edition
2005 is dark, sweet w/ hints of coffee and spice. It is now my new favorite
of theirs! The Maudite is red, dry with just a hint of sweetness.
Last but not least, dessert
was brought out with a special treat. Adam's Chocolate Cake filled with
ganache was outstanding and Tom & Paul decided that the cherry beer,
Quelque Chose, would be served warm. When mulled, this delightful beer
brings a lot of cherry flavor to the palate and when matched with chocolate,
it is especially tasty.
Thus ended another culinary
adventure at Monk's. Adam Glickman and his crew really know how to kill
your diet! If you've never attended one of Monk's dinners, check out the
schedule at monkscafe.com and sign up. They are more than worth the trip
and the expense! Hope to see you there!
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