craft beer

5 Course Tasting Menu // Devils Backbone Brewing Company + the Black Pig Cleveland

April 4, 2017 by Rachel 23 Comments

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the Devils Backbone Brewing Company release party for Cleveland at Ohio City’s own Black Pig restaurant!

I’ll admit something — I had never heard of Devils Backbone Brewing Company prior to this event. In fact, although I have frequented many of the restaurants in Ohio City, The Black Pig is one of the few that I had yet to make it to! So I was extra excited.

I brought along one of my fave bloggers (and dear friend) Crystal of Eat Drink Cleveland. We arrived early so that we could chat with the DB crew (and because we’re a little OCD and wanted to ensure we found good seats). We were able to convince one of the gals from DB to sneak us a taste of their signature Vienna Lager and it was delicious and left us eagerly anticipating the rest of the beer lineup!

We sat down and awaited our first course, but it was an anything but dull wait! It just so happens the COO, Hayes Humphreys, so we got the scoop on the whole DB Brewing story! Founded in 2008 by Steven Crandall, Devils Backbone Brewing Company is located in the heartland of Virginia — at the base of a mountain in ski country! They’re a 4 star champion brewery that has slowly been expanding down the coast and through the midwest.

And then came the first course from Chef Michael Nowak of The Black Pig — Roasted Butternut squash, topped with Foie Gras, on a bed of Rye Berries.

While some may be offput from the Foie Gras, it really did give the butternut squash a buttery flavor and great contrast to the crunchiness of the squash and rye berries. It really complimented the Vienna Lager, one of 3 year round beers and also their flagship beer. As someone who gravitates towards IPAs over everything else, this lager was delicious, smooth, and I would pair with literally everything I eat.

The 2nd course was Squid Ink Agnolotti filled with Smoked Trout, topped with Mussels and Fennel, in an IPA Beer Broth.

Ya’ll. Holy. heck! I’m in love this pasta. And it paired wonderfully with the Catty Wompus, a Belgian inspired IPA. We learned that this particular IPA has gone through several name changes before this one stuck (apparently they couldn’t get the others approved — which is funny in itself!).

The 3rd course was a Pork Tasting — Bierwurst, Roasted Tenderloin, Braised Collar, Sauteed Spaetzle, Carrot, Cabbage, with a Smoked Demi Glace — and was paired with the Black Lager.

Just after I thought I couldn’t love something more than the pasta with the IPA…. in walks this pig and this lager! First of all, I am generally kind of off-put by any beers quite this dark. My immediate gut reaction is “I don’t like stouts or porters.” And, even though I’m a self-proclaimed IPA aficionado, this Black Lager was the bomb dot com. For serious. It was my favorite. More so than the TWO IPAs we tasted. Woah.

Also? This course? My dreams are made of this pork.

The 4th course — a tamale, of sorts. Braised Venison, Smoked Poblano, Ancho, and Masa De Maiz. Paired with the 8 Point IPA (another one of the 3 year-round DB offerings). All I kept thinking while I was eating this delicious tamale-ish dish was “My husband would absolutely love this.” I liked it a lot — but few things could top the 3rd course for me.

And apparently I forgot to snap a picture of the 8 Point IPA prior to drinking it. Needless to say, it was delicious.

The 5th and final course — Affogato — Espresso Ice Cream, Warm Spiced Chocolate, with Stout Malt Biscotti paired with Cocoa Bear Stout. Crystal told me at the beginning of the night that if I hated the stout, she would drink mine. And not having had dairy in ages, I thought for sure I might have to hand that off to her as well.

But it turns out I liked both! Neither were what I would choose to drink or eat in a million years (truthfully, I am not a fan of chocolate), but I devoured them nonetheless.

I left the event happy, full, and so excited to have this new craft beer available to those of us here in Northeast Ohio!

Thank you to everyone at The Black Pig and Devils Backbone for a great night out. And thanks to Brewmaster Jason Oliver and Chef Michael Nowak for an amazing tasting!

**Disclosure: I received two complimentary tickets to the 5 course tasting, courtesy of Devils Backbone Brewing Company. I was asked for nothing in return; but all of my opinions herein are wholly my own.**

Our Week In Pictures // and My Monday Mantra

March 27, 2017 by Rachel 26 Comments

Shame on me — I’m a bad, bad, blogger! I’ve been doing a fairly decent job of getting lots of sleep + snuggling my babies. So basially I had the best excuses ever.

Oh, and I worked — a LOT.

But here are the exciting parts of our week, as told by pictures:

[a trip to the akron zoo to see the ‘fla-mangoes!’]

[visited the new local craft brewery, HiHo]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gZPbEVZEDE]

[ari’s first t-ball practice]

[a pizza birthday party with friends]

[lots of playing]

[a teensy bit of work, a lot of coffee from akron coffee roasters]

[miss bea’s first taste of ice cream, courtesy of chill artisan ice cream]

Not pictured: A low-grade fever from one silly toddler; loads and loads of unfolded laundry; and lots of chaos. Like every week, our days were filled with lots of ups and even more downs. But I’m trying to keep on the brightside. And this upcoming week is no different. Well, it’s a little different because Ari is on Spring break — and that means I’m taking a little time off to do a few special things with the kiddos!

And here’s my Mantra for the week:

Happy Monday, friends! Find some joy by doing little things! xo

FeBREWary Beer School at Ohio Beergarden

February 28, 2017 by Rachel 23 Comments

I’m finally just catching my breath coming off my crazy-busy week last week. While things had been crazy since Monday, the fun really took off on Wednesday when I had the pleasure of attending FeBREWary Beer School at Ohio Beergarden in North Olmstead.

While Chad and I have frequented The Rail since it’s early beginnings in Akron, this was my first visit to it’s sister ‘restaurant,’ the Ohio Beergarden, which features strictly 24 taps of all-Ohio beers! Even their bottles, cans, and wine offerings are sourced locally from Ohio breweries and wineries!

But we were there for a special Beer School of new Ohio brewery, Goldhorn Brewery. Goldhorn Brewery is located in the Hub-55 development on E.55th street in Cleveland. While it’s been open less than a year, the head brewer Joel Warger, formerly of Great Lakes Brewery, has made a mark on the local craft beer market.

We started the night with Soft Pretzel Bites and Beer Cheese paired with Goldhorn Brewery’s Polka City Pilsner. Admittedly, I almost always (okay… always) gravitate towards super hoppy IPAs, but I was so into this beer. It was super light, crisp, and I could still taste quite a bit of hops!

Next up, the Fire Pug Pale Ale, which is a smoked pale ale with Azacca and Chinook hops. I definitely could taste the smokey flavor and it was delicious! Still very light and easy on the palate!

Finally it was time to taste a few burgers, courtesy of The Rail. I’m not going to lie, and I’ve talked about it extensively here on this blog, but The Rail is one of my favorite restaurants of all time.

The burgers were paired with Play That Funky Music Witbier. Yep. Cheesy – ha! And apparently derived from a joke. But, like many jokes, they sometimes turn into reality. For a Belgian beer, definitely one of the best — even if Belgians aren’t my favorite! I could big time taste the coriander and orange peel! Yum!

Last but not least we were able to taste some of Ohio Beergarden’s pizza. The previous restaurant that was located in this space built a stone pizza oven so the folks at Ohio Beergarden are totally taking advantage of that hidden gem — and they’re doing it OH SO WELL!

I have to admit — I may have cheated a teeny tiny bit with the ‘no dairy’ thing. I did eat two crust pieces, but for the first time in a year, I didn’t pick off the cheese. And it was incredible!

Our last beer was the St. Clair Stout. Admittedly, I despise stouts. They are… heavy; thick; and overwhelming. But I tasted it. It was much lighter than other stouts I’ve tasted. It almost tasted like a Christmas ale of sorts, thanks to the cinnamon, ginger and honey. In recent years I’ve turned my nose up at Christmasy beers. And after tasting this stout, I immediately handed it to my friend Cristin and was like “Nope. You have it.” Except I kept coming back to it. I kept tasting it. It kept growing on me. Of all stouts, I think it’s the best I’ve tasted. I ended up finishing it; I just wouldn’t go as far as liking it.

It was so awesome hearing about the story of Goldhorn Brewery and spending an evening surrounded by friends! I have to say that my absolute favorite beer of the evening was the Polka City Pilsner and, as delicious as the pretzels and pizza were, my heart belongs to The Rail burgers.

Thank you so much to the folks over at The Rail and Ohio Beergarden for hosting! I can’t wait for our next event.

*Disclosure: I received to complimentary seats to The Rail Beer School in return for my honest opinions and review. As always, all opinions are my own.*

Weekend Wrap Up // and a Weekly Mantra

February 20, 2017 by Rachel 26 Comments

Ya’ll! I am beyond — BEYOND — excited for this week! I’ve been very ‘mum’s the word’ about my world, as of late. But this week is going to be amazing! Not only does Ari have 3 karate classes this week [which is just beyond adorable], but I have an all-Ohio beer and food pairing event AND an event at the Vitamix store [insert 500 exclamation points!]!

All of this comes on the tailend of a super beautiful weekend that included movie nights with Ari, a trip to RetroDog after Ari’s karate class, dinner dates, and a family hike + climb at the Gorge Metropark! I mean, it was sixty degrees in February — in OHIO. Say, whaaaat?! The only thing that could have made it better would be if Chad hadn’t had to work all weekend. But lucky for me and the kids, we had Mimi + Poppy in town to hang out with us.

I’m grateful for opportunities and connections that blogging and social media have brought into my life. It may seem weird, but I’ve created awesome IRL (in real life) connections and friendships with SO many of these awesome women!

I’m so content when my children and I are on a schedule. Last week was so crazy busy, but we worked like a well-oiled machine. Sure, it was hectic; but it went by so quickly and with very few hiccups (considering).

I wish for the blessing of health this week. We’ve been semi-healthy as of late, but all of us have battled a cold or cough off and on for a while now. And I’d really just love — and need — everyone to be on their a-game, healthwise, this week.

I’m really happy that I was able to spend another weekend surrounded by love and family and sunshine. These silly weekends — the ones where nothing in particular is planned — are what truly make my heart happy.

Weekly Mantra:

This just feels really right! Hoping to shed some negative energy and invite in all of the positive vibes this week! Anyone have tips as to how they stay positive?!

Things To Do This Weekend // Fall Fun Guide!

September 16, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Just because Summer is coming to an end in Northeast Ohio, it doesn’t mean that the social calendar slows down! In fact, there are plenty of fun things happening THIS WEEK!

Aviation Heritage Fair // Kent State Airfield // Saturday, September 19th, 7am – 5pm // FREE

The event kicks off with a pancake breakfast to benefit the Stow-Monroe Falls Kiwanis Aviation Scholarship Program. At sunrise, you can catch a ride on a hot air balloon. Shortly thereafter the rest of the fun begins! Airplane rides in WWII aircraft, museum exhibits and food! I’m not 100% sure on the details of cash versus credit, so bring cash to be safe! See event information here.

Crafty Mart // Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. // Saturday, September 19th, 11am – 5pm // FREE

Spend the afternoon shopping at the Pop Up Market and sippin’ on some tasty craft brews! Artists will be selling their finely crafted goods and the brewery will be open! This event is sure to be jam-packed with our favorite local artisans and a fun crowd! In addition to the vendors, the Akron Art Museum is hosting a free art-making activity from 11am-3pm! Most vendors have card readers so either cash or credit is available! See event information here.

Maize Valley Fall Family Outing // Maize Valley Winery, Hartville, OH // Open Daily, Hours Vary // $10 age 2+

While the winery and store itself are free of admission charges, the fall family festival area does have an admission charge of $10 for anyone over the age of 2. I highly recommend getting to the event early (and on a weekday) to take full advantage of the hayride and pumpkin picking! There is also a huge corn maze and lots of activities for little kids. Ari was wiped out after our trip last year. See full list of hours and event information here.

Sunday Market in Hingetown // Ohio City, Cleveland // Sunday, September 20th, 10am – 4pm // FREE

From the people who bring us the Cleveland Flea, enjoy a smaller-scale version of the event in Hingetown! Vendors and makers will be selling their goods while attendees brunch their way through the streets of Hingetown! See event information here.

What fun things are you planning on doing this Fall!?

life lately // a wrap up

May 15, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Life has been crazy pants over the last month or so. But isn’t that kind of always the case when you’re working and raising a toddler and taking care of family responsibilities and training for races and trying to actually fit in some fun, too?

Moosh started a new session of tumbling at the YMCA. The class is PACKED, which makes me mega anxious. But it turns out his ‘girlfriend’ we met on Valentine’s Day at Café O’Play — Veronique — is in his tumbling class. These two are SO cute! They are a week apart in age; plus they are both pretty much exactly the same size (aka — tiny).

We took a short trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Mimi and Poppy. And we jam-packed it with fun and adventures! The first of which was to the Zoo. Here is my review of the zoo in Louisville: dirty; packed; but we still had fun. Moosh wanted to walk everywhere, which was exhausting for us, but we were hoping it would wear him out so he would take a nap (newsflash: he didn’t.)

The zoo did have some cool Lego thing going on though. Moosh wasn’t nearly as interested in the Legos as we were. Ha! Some day, kid, you’ll realize how freaking cool it was.

Chad, my parents, Moosh, and I went to the Louisville version of the Cleveland Flea — which is appropriately named The Flea Off Market. It was like an early version of the Cleveland Flea. It was cute and crowded and full of local finds, foods and brews — which is pretty much my paradise. So while I was sad we were out of town for the Cleveland Flea, it was exciting to experience something similar as an out-of-towner!

I had the chicken and waffles from something that is not considered a food truck — it was a food wagon. And it was DELICIOUS. And I tried a (new-to-me) brew from Bluegrass Brewing Company — a red IPA! Perfection.

And Moosh ate the crap out of some plantains. This kid loves the most random fruits and veggies! My dad had this delicious cuban food. He loved it; I thought it was spicy-ish. I’ll stick to my chicken and waffles.

We took a family-friendly betting trip to Churchill Downs — just one week after the Kentucky Derby. My thoughts? Churchill Downs is huge; there were a ton of people (even for an “off” day); the horses are beautiful; and betting has never been my thang. It was still cool to experience all of it. Moosh ‘bet’ on the “orange horse,” aka the horse with the rider who was wearing orange.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6No4I_CHZY]It’s a good thing the chicken and waffles were small because we had a date night at an Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheba, — a first for us! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. Sure, it sounded great; but my dad referred to it as a “hole in the wall.” Then recanted and said “Well, it’s not a hole in the wall…” and I was like…. Yay [sarcasm]. But when we showed up I immediately felt at ease.

The food was incredible. I mean that in the most serious way. I told Chad that I wish we had eaten at this restaurant for every meal while we were there. The meals come “family style” on the same big plate… really it’s a platter, not a plate. And there isn’t any silverware. You eat with your hands and the injera, the Ethiopian bread, serves as your utensil. Mine was the Shifta Chicken (the meal on the bottom) and Chad had the Gored-Gored (the spicy beef dish on top).

Moosh played HARD at the playgrounds in Kentucky. And he came back with the bruises to prove it. I seriously wonder if our sitter thinks we beat him. (PS. We did not. Dude just doesn’t know how small and fragile he is. Ha!)

Mother’s Day consisted of a long drive home. Which was accompanied by Moosh sleeping — HOORAY! The perfect gift. 🙂

But we did at least watch some Monsters Inc before we hit the road… <3 Chad happened to snap this photo of us. Too cute!

I took another canvas painting class! I’ve taken several (ie. SEVEN) Wine + Canvas classes. This time I used Paint Nite in Akron. I have to say, it seemed to be a bit more lively and fun; but the teaching of technique was severely lacking. However, I still love the outcome!

We celebrated Chad’s birthday with a low-key night. A quick trip to Café O’Play, then dinner at Aladdin’s new space in Portage Crossings, followed by cake and presents at home.

I think we try not to get each other “things” because if we needed something (or wanted something) we would get it. We try to celebrate with experiences that last a lifetime. So I got Chad tickets to see Joe Machi at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic. If you’re not familiar with Joe Machi, he was on Last Comic Standing and placed 4th. The dude is funny in just our sort of way — dry humor. However, he is not attractive like my boy Tommy Jonaghin. Sigh. I love that man (sorry Chad). Regardless of his level of attractiveness, it’s going to be fun. Too bad we have to wait until July to see the show!

I cooked another Blue Apron meal. I feel like this needs to be documented every time. Because it doesn’t happen often. Technically, I cooked the meal pictured on the top — Baked Empanadas de Picadillo with Arugula, Queso Fresco, & Pickled Onion Salad! Chad made the meal on the bottom — Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Avocado salsa.

Basically, life has been busy, but perfectly lovely. When I look at this blog post and all of our pictures, it fills my heart up completely!