Farm & Beer Dinner

So, I've decided to jump into the cutthroat world of food bloggery. I've been toying around with the idea for what seems like years now, and finally decided to give it a go. It's very much a work in progress, so bear with me as I learn how this works. And away we go...

One thing about Central New York is that we really know how to celebrate beer. Empire Brew Fest, Brew at the Zoo, Winter Brewfest, and the HopFest in Madison County are some of the bigger celebrations. This past week marked Syracuse Beer Week. With over 100 events in seven days, it was enough to make any beer drinker's head spin. When I first sifted through the hefty calendar, there was one event that jumped off the page at me. The Empire Brewing Company hosted a New York State Farm and Empire Beer Dinner. I could dedicate an entire entry just to Empire's commitment to using local ingredients, both in their beer and their food. This dinner highlighted the very best of what makes Empire such a special place in the Syracuse food scene. $45 (tax and tip included) bought 6 courses of food paired with 6 of Empire's beers.

When we sat down, our waiter brought us a a head of roasted garlic with stretch bread, and poured us some cream ale (my favorite brew at the Empire). Apparently there was some concern that we may go hungry and thirsty while we waited for the enormous main service to begin. Owner David Katleski spoke briefly before the meal began, outlining some of Empire's local buying practices. The beers were introduced as they were served by Director of Brewing Operations, Tim Butler. A complete review of this enormous dinner would fill a volume, so I'll spare you some of the details. For a look at the complete menu click here. I don't mean to kill the drama, but every course and every beer was fantastic. So let's get to the highlights show, with apologies in advance for the low quality pictures.

Profiterole of duck confit. I'll let the menu describe it: "puff pastry filled with Hudson Valley duck confit, accompanied Liehs & Steigerwald slab bacon braised in Raindrop Farm Maple syrup." The smoky sweetness stuck to my tongue. It was appropriately paired with the Smoked Maple Porter. While I enjoy the porter, I rarely order it because of my love of the Cream Ale, the Downtown Brown, and the Critz Farm Pumpkin Ale. But it's a well balanced beer that couldn't have complemented the dish more perfectly. Like all of Empire's beers, it tastes like beer first, and the other flavors come second.

The previous two weeks in a row found me at the Regional Market too late to get any short ribs from June Wood of the W.W. Texas Longhorn ranch. So I was delighted to see my desires manifested on the menu. Braised short ribs from Maple Ave Farm served with pureed Frosty Morning Farm parsnips and barley wine demi-glace. It was paired with a sneak preview of Empire's annual Election Day Barley Wine. It wasn't going to be released to the public until the next day, but we were lucky enough to get a taste. It was bold, smooth, and at 12.5% alcohol, it really packed a punch.

As a last unexpected treat that we didn't find on the menu, we were fed chocolate beer truffles after dessert. After letting the lighter truffle melt away on my tongue, I tossed the darker in there. It proved to be one bite of food too many. I went from contently full (and a little drunk), to painfully full. It was worth it though, as Empire Brewing Company once again showcased the Central New York bounty.