07 Jul 4 Course Chef and Brewer Pairing Menu at the Brewer’s Table
Food and wine pairings are a common occurrence, but pairing food with beer isn’t something that is done all too often. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants that suggest food and beer combinations, but creating an entire menu that revolves around harmonizing beer and food flavors is definitely a unique concept, and the Brewer’s Table in Minneapolis does just that.
Located in the upstairs section of Surly Brewery, the Brewer’s Table is a restaurant that focuses on “trailblazing pairings that showcase an extensive representation of flavor profiles, of both food and beer.” The executive chef, Jorge Guzman, has created a fantastic menu where you can pick and choose individual dishes or go all out and order the 4 course chef and brewer pairing menu. This place is so great, it was voted one of the “2016 Restaurants of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine.
I’ve been wanting to check out this restaurant for quite some time, so I was excited when we had the opportunity to finally stop in for a visit. The Brewer’s Table generously hosted our evening and we had the chance to experience the incredible 4 course chef and brewer pairing menu. Seating is offered both inside, as well as outside on the patio, and since it was such a gorgeous evening, we decided to sit outside on the balcony for views overlooking the brewery patio below. After looking over the menu and antagonizing over all the creative options, we made our selections for all four courses.
While the restaurant and atmosphere are casual, the food is anything but, and every dish and beer pairing that came out made my mind spin. The flavor profiles were all amazingly intense and delicious–I couldn’t get over how the different notes in the beer were brought out by the food and vice versa. Throughout the entire evening, I was tasting flavors that I never knew existed and by the reactions of my dining companions, they were experiencing some out of this world flavors, as well.
Micah and I ordered different selections for each course so we could taste multiple dishes, and that was definitely a good decision!
Course 1:
My first course was the caesar salad with garlic pains, asparagus, parmesan and hazelnuts, paired with the Smoke Baltic Porter.
Micah ordered the sofa de lima with tsi’ik de pollo, lime and cilantro paired with the Gose Kettle Sour Ale.
Course 2:
Next up, I ordered the tamale with squash mole, pickled ahi dulce, mushrooms and currant, and it came paired with the Cacao Bender American Brown Ale.
Micah’s second course was the arctic char with charred pickles, dill and sour cream paired with the Hell German Style Munich Helles Lager.
Course 3:
For my main course, I picked the market fish, which was mackerel, olives and orange and paired with the Ginger Bear Session Sour Ale. Unfortunately I don’t remember all the details of this dish and it was only listed as the market fish on the menu and I didn’t jot my notes down quick enough!
For his main, Micah went with the steak frites with bordelaise, marrow, hyssop and potato pave, and it was paired with Bender American Oatmeal Brown Ale.
Course 4:
And, last but not least, I had the strawberry rhubarb cake with Xtra-Citra Sessionable Hoppy Pale Ale for dessert!
Micah picked the carrot cake with brown sugar, orange and ginger, paired with Furious which is a hybrid of American IPA and British ESB style beer.
All of the dishes were absolutely delicious, and I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite. On one hand, I was so blown away by the caesar salad and smoke beer combination–I never thought such a simple dish could be filled with so many contrasting and delectable flavors. But, on the other hand, the tamale pairing was incredibly tasty, and it might have come in as my favorite dish from the evening. Micah’s favorite was his main course, the steak and potatoes–he’s always been a meat and potato kind of guy, so any other dish has a hard time coming in first for him!
The 4 course chef and brewer pairing menu is $70 per person and single dishes run from around $10-$30. The menu frequently changes, and the current menu can be found on the Brewer’s Table website.
We had a fantastic evening enjoying the tasting menu, and would definitely love to head back to check out some of the new creations and pairings on the menu!
Many thanks to the Brewer’s Table for providing us with complimentary dinner from the Chef and Brewer Pairing Menu. As always, all opinions are our own!