"Rain and they shall come," could
be the motto for 300 determined noshers who braved lousy weather
for a day of grazing and boozing in Williamsburg.
The June 7 event was the fourth annual "Critic’s Choice
Summer Beer and Food Festival" at the Brooklyn Brewery on
North 11th Street.
Jointly sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery and the American Institute
of Wine & Food (AIWF), the festival included 20 critically
acclaimed Brooklyn restaurants and 25 domestic and international
breweries.
"We see beer as being part of the same culinary tradition
that the AIWF was founded on," explained Tom Potter, CEO
of the Brooklyn Brewery and the chapter chair of AIWF-NY.
The AIWF was the brainchild of Julia "French Chef"
Child, Robert Mondavi of the Robert Mondavi Winery and the late
Richard Graff, a West Coast vintner. They formed the institute
to "promote health and well-being through the enjoyment
of good food and drink and the fellowship that comes from eating
together around the table."
Paying heed to the AIWF’s principles, chefs participating in
Saturday’s festival, sampled each other’s dishes, and diners
roamed from table to table nibbling on specialties and sipping
great brews.
Previous festivals spilled out onto the closed-off North 11th
Street with a stage set up for the bands, a miniature golf tournament
and even a hoola-hoop contest, but the rain was so heavy and
steady Saturday that the band, chefs and guests all stayed inside
the Brewery’s cavernous tasting room. Brave souls who insisted
on dining al fresco snacked under rain-soaked tents. Taking a
breather between dishes, festival guests danced to the foot-stomping
country tunes of the Brooklyn Brown Grass Band.
Even the chefs whose kitchens regularly produce more haute than
down-home, beer-friendly fare rose to the occasion. Saul Bolton,
of Restaurant Saul in Cobble Hill, offered a meltingly tender
braised pork belly surrounded by spicy red beans given a jolt
of refreshing sweetness by peach salsa. Only a hearty beer like
the Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout, with its deep,
bitter chocolate and coffee aromas, or the Brewery’s malty Brooklyn
Brown Ale could accompany the big flavors in Bolton’s dish.
Grill master Laura Taylor, of DUMBO’s Superfine restaurant, used
a bitter endive leaf as a canoe for smoky, jumbo shrimp. A dollop
of the mysterious "Green Goddess" dressing lent the
delicious mouthful a retro spin.
Zakary Pelaccio, of the newly opened Chickenbone Cafe in Williamsburg,
served two bruschettas – a spicy version made with chopped Polish
kielbasa, dill and pickles – and another of subtly flavored pork
confit (meat cooked and stored in its own fat) that was cooked
down to an unctuous, pate-like topping. A clean-tasting Brooklyn
Pilsner helped to cut the richness of the pork.
Adding to the good-stuff-on-bread category, Sam Barbieri of Pete’s
Waterfront Ale House in Brooklyn Heights, placed succulent slices
of his award-winning barbecued beef brisket on brioche rolls
and served the sandwich with a side of sweet potato hash.
On a lighter note, Caroline Fidanza, of Diner in Williamsburg,
heaped slices of French baguette with tangy artichokes marinated
in olive oil and lemon juice for a refreshing hors d’ oeuvre.
Spins on the sandwich included the crisp mini-tostada topped
with grilled shrimp and mango salsa from Prospect Height’s Tavern
on Dean; and the luscious duck and mushroom samosas from Oznot’s
Dish in Williamsburg. Each of Joshua Shuffman’s flaky, phyllo
samosas was filled with sweetly scented duck, earthy mushrooms
and moist raisins; palate-cooling mint chutney served as a dip.
Marc Elliott, of Whim in Cobble Hill, preferred to leave the
cooking to others. As an accompaniment to his just-out-of-the-drink
Wellfleet oysters, Elliott perched a slice of lemon or lime on
each half shell. For those who can’t leave well enough alone,
Elliott, a long time Grateful Dead enthusiast, supplied squirt
bottles of sauces named in honor of his favorite band’s songs.
"Mexicali," "Friend of the Devil," and "Stella
Blue" were three that added spice to his contribution.
Aaron Bashy, of the Minnow in Park Slope, another restaurant
specializing in simple fish preparations, lined a plate with
braised cabbage and potato slaw then topped the mix with diminutively
sized, boldly flavored bluefish cakes. Creamy paprika aioli added
a smoky note to Bashy’s original dish.
Two chefs cooked to a different drummer. Adam Rose, of Soma in
Williamsburg, was the single participant to offer soup – a briny
clam chowder made with Brooklyn Brewery’s lager – with a side
of goat cheese and pecan salad tossed in a pleasantly sharp dressing.
Thomas Ferlesch, of Thomas Beisl, an Austrian restaurant in Fort
Greene, was the lone chef to serve dessert. His Milchrahmstrudel,
more of a feather-light souffle than a traditional strudel, was
made with farmers cheese and served atop a puddle of sweet but
not cloying vanilla sauce. It ended the feast on an elegant note.
Beer and souffle didn’t cut it, but the clean apple taste of
Original Sin Hard Cider, pressed in New York City, paired nicely.
And there was so much more: tamales, Jamaican lamb patties, pate
with figs and roast chicken salad. There was beer brewed in Maine,
Vermont and Baltimore; beer brewed by Trappist monks in Belgium;
German rye beers; and Japanese brews flavored with orange peel,
nutmeg and coriander. There were tables of hard ciders, calvados,
sakes and, hailing from good ol’ St. Louis, Fitz’s Root Beer.
If critics determine an event’s success, then all 300 "critics"
who attended the fourth annual "Critic’s Choice Summer Beer
and Food Festival," would give the production a unanimous
thumbs up.
Chickenbone Cafe (177 S. Fourth St. at Roebling Street in Williamsburg).
For reservations, call (718) 302-2663.
Diner (85 Broadway at Berry Street in Williamsburg). For reservations,
call (718) 486-3077.
Minnow (442 Ninth St. at Seventh Avenue in Park Slope). For reservations,
call (718) 832-5500.
Oznot’s Dish (9 Berry St. at North Ninth Street in Williamsburg).
For reservations, call (718) 599-6596.
Restaurant Saul (140 Smith St. between Bergen and Dean streets
in Boerum Hill). For reservations, call (718) 935-9844.
Soma (192 Grand St. at Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg). For reservations,
call (718) 302-9800.
Superfine (126 Front St. at Pearl Street in DUMBO). For reservations,
call (718) 243-9005.
Tavern on Dean (755 Dean St. at Underhill Avenue in Prospect
Heights). For reservations, call (718) 638-3326.
Thomas Beisl (25 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place in Fort Greene).
For reservations, call (718) 222-5800.
Waterfront Ale House (155 Atlantic Ave. at Clinton Street in
Brooklyn Heights). For information, call (718) 522-3794.
Whim Oyster Bar (243 Degraw St. at Clinton Street in Cobble Hill).
For reservations, call (718) 797-2017.
For more information about events at the Brooklyn Brewery, located
at 79 N. 11th St. at Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, call (718)
486-7422 or visit their Web site at www.brooklynbrewery.com.
For more information about The American Institute of Wine and
Food, call (800) 274-2493, or visit their Web site at www.aiwf.com.
