With every great beer, comes great snacks.  We all know you have to have a little salt with beer.  It’s a rule of sorts.

Along with that, there are foods where it’s just better if you have beer.  (For all my non-beer drinking friends, I apologize, but it’s true)  These foods include pizza, duh, and tacos, hot dogs, fish and chips and ruebens .  Pretzels, shell-on peanuts and some cheeses…particularly flavorful spread cheeses. 

I have a great affinity for popcorn. Homemade popcorn especially but I have had many a bag of microwave popcorn.  I could probably do a review of microwave popcorn even.  I also love cheese popcorn, but find it’s not a great beer snack. I mean, it’s okay but it’s really better with a soda I think.  A few years ago I was introduced to the Chicago mix.  Cheese and caramel.  Oh my goodness.  Now, I don’t particular care for caramel corn on its own…too sweet…but with the cheese, goodness.

A quick trip to Costco will allow you to snag a big ol’ bag of cheese caramel Chicago mix corn from G.H. Cretors who claims on their bag to have been founded in 1885 and particiapted in the Columbia Exposition ~ can you say Devil in the White City.  That may be awesomely true, but it’s the perfect mix of cheese popcorn with the gently sweet and soft caramel corn that really earns a thumbs up. It’s really good.  It’s just not right with beer.  

There’s a well known popcorn company named Garrett’s in Chicago that produces some great mix, too. I think it’s been open since the mid 1940’so  and when they are popping it fresh, it’s hard to resist. 

It really will be sping soon and next week I am going to look at a few brews that are labeled as spring seasonal.  Usually a bit light for my taste, but I'm going try and find one I like!

I get by with a little help!

We had this fairly important soiree at my work last week and had made plans with a local college for their culinary department to manage the food.  Now, they did a bang up job...but we feared it was a little "light" and made a few frantic calls to local restaurants to see if they could help out with some appetizers.  We ran in to a couple of no answers, seeing that it was 2:00 and after most lunches, and hit the charm with call #3 to Benny's in Michigan City, IN

Managing a huge vegetable tray with some fresh cut vegies and a mega bowl of dip and about a million meatballs, the owner and stud of Benny's, Jon delivered to our door.  What a sweet young man, polite and as handsome as can be.  We were so pleased with what they did for us!

When hubs and I were finishing up our week I suggested we go to Benny's to try their pizza, which I had heard good things about, and return the mega bowl.  We walked in to a quiet Friday evening, sat at the bar, talked a bit with Jon and got some history of Benny's.  Jon has been around for about 15 years so knows his Benny's history. His brother Rob was behind the bar and mentioned the lake perch all you can eat special.  So much for pizza.  They also had Bell's Amber on tap so we were good to go.

Bell's will be a topic of a future blog...dedicated to all it's loveliness...this blog will be about the perch.  Now, there's a couple things about Benny's that maybe should be mentioned.  It is all non-smoking.  It's been there for a long time...so it could handle some updating and if you sit where we did, well, you can get some scary looks into the dishwashing area of the kitchen.  Serious fright.  We sat at the bar you know...left side.  Jon sat next to us for a bit until one of the locals, a regular, came in and politely asked if someone was sitting there, as Jon's coat was on the back of the chair.   Jon replied it was just him, he was finishing his dinner and of course he could have that seat.  This guy was not as good looking as Jon, but I was okay with him sitting next to me...he was very nice. 

The guy approved of our ordering perch, and he did as well although we had fried and he chose sauteed.  Ours was perfect.  I mean perfect...had that great buttery taste, crispy but not coated, just dusted with flour.  The fries were good...hubs enjoyed the cole slaw.  It was all you can eat so we asked for a second serving of perch, which came quickly on a small plate of four fillets.  The guy's plate, to be honest, looked a little better than mine, not that there was anything wrong with mine.  He had a baked potato though and corn instead of cole slaw.  He had salad, which looked fresh and crunchy and we had opted for cream of broccoli soup, which was very good.  The guy smiled at his plate and told me no one does perch as good as Benny's.  I have to say I have not had any better. 

We had a second Bell's and started chatting with the guy.  He was interesting and intelligent.  He has been retired for a couple of years and mentioned his wife and family.  I am not sure why he was eating on Friday night by himself but I didn't sense any drama.  He was a nice man and an example of why I like to eat at the bar.  While we chatted, the place started filling up with a boisterous younger crowd.  I think I heard billiards or something going on but I'll be honest and say I didn't look around much.  

Benny's is outdated and a bit ho hum in appearance inside and out but those guys are trying to do everything they can to be your spot.  It's comfortable and the non-smoking is a real plus.  I think we'll try it for breakfast sometime...I hear they have a great Bloody Mary.  http://www.bennysmichigancity.com/

Go Figure

After a little shopping trip to our neighboring city, we stopped in at their local brew pub to check out their beer offerings and their food.

Figure 8 is located downtown Valparaiso, Indiana and boasts a terrific corner location on the southwest corner of their town square.  Their town square has always been lively and a vital part of their city.  Known also as a dining mecca...I'm not 100% sold on that particular view, but, whatever.  They do a lot of things right in Valparaiso.

The first difference you might notice with Figure 8 is it's brightly lit space.  I mean, it's bright, like drug store bright.  It is kind of a nice deviation from the psuedo industrial spaces that seem to be the theme for brew pubs.  I liked it.  They have a bit of a system when bringing two menus to your table...vinyl sleeves trimmed in red for beer, trimmed in black for food.  Straightforward.  Liked it.

Now, the sandwiches...and they have more to offer food wise than any of the others I've reviewed so far...and named after rock climbing things.  Okay, that's cute.  Figure 8 has something to do with that sport as well but I'm not sure what, to be honest.  But, hey, it's okay to have a theme.  Hubs started with a bowl of soup, a hearty Potato Brat.  Interesting spin and it was tasty.  Maybe a bit long in the pot as the potatoes were mush but still had good flavor and I'm sure some people like their potato soup that way.  It could have used a bit more brat, but overall it was pleasant. 

Now the sandwiches have these names right? But, they are traditional sandwiches, maybe served on a different bread or bun.  I had corn beef, sauer kraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing which I am pretty sure in anyone's book is a rueben but they called it Redpoint. They offered a couple other dressings other than thousand island but I went all in traditional.  Hubs had an italian beef, straight up but called some rock climbing thing which we can't remember.  Both were good...not fantastic, not horrible.  Good. We didn't have dessert, but they have a few. 

Beer. They had about 12 to 16 to choose from.  Their standards and the special or seasonal brews.  I was pretty sure I was going to have Raven Tor, which is an oatmeal stout, with my rueben but I wanted to taste a couple others.  Very accommodating...$1 per 2 ounce taste.  I tried the Dogma Dubbel, which I tried because of the name and ending up liking it quite a lot.  Hubs and I and some old friends shared an inside joke over the word "dogma" and so, I just had to taste it but the description included lots of fruit notes.  Although I'm not much of a fan of fruity beers I liked it.  Would like it in summer.  If you aren't much of a beer drinker, this would be a good choice.

The other one I tried and it was just okay was called Belly Pat ~ listed as the winner of the employee brew contest, a pale ale.  I looked forward to it but thought it fell a bit short, was kind of "meh".  The Raven Tor, which was the pint I ordered, was very good.

Figure 8 was pleasant, efficient, bright and adequate.  We weren't wowed by anything but would think of it if we were in the mood to go somewhere a bit further out, or were in Valpo for shopping or something.  I did really like our server and wish I could tell you his name.  He just made me feel good.  www.figure8brewing.com

It is a small world.

Did ya wonder where I was? Did ya wonder why I said there would be an update on Sundays but last week there wasn't? It's alright if you didn't wonder, didn't check, didn't miss me or even consider me missing...but I was.

I left my snow encased abode and traveled south to the land of sunshine ~ daughter, SNL and two grandchildren in tow, to visit Mickey and the other rodents and mammals of his kingdom.  It was grand, I tell ya, just grand although it was colder than one would prefer when traveling south at this time of year.

We had a big time, thanks in large part to the help of a sister in law who happens to also be a Disney beast, I mean, employee.  She helped with rooms and recommendations.  We also partook of the Disney Dining Plan, which I don't care what any one might say...it's so totally worth it because it forces you to actually eat something other than park food or fast food while you are there, and Disney is well known for its food options.  It can also force you in to a schedule, which some might not like but schedules have benefits and good eatin' is one of them.

Such is Raglan Road at Downtown Disney...my review of the week.  We dined there in fine fashion on Wednesday evening.  Had a beer I had never had before, which was the publican special that day ~ Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale.  It was tasty with the fish n' chips.  That's what I use as a benchmark when I visit places that serve and boast fish n' chips.  Then wow me.   This particular serving was fine...not the best but certainly not the worst I have had.  The Irish step dancers were a treat as well.  A little loud in there for casual conversation but  a fun spot.  You should go.  Before you go, check out beersandears.net a blog about beers available at Disney...and there are lots and lots of 'em.

The other people in our party seemed to really enjoy the food and the atmosphere also.  SNL had what he called one of the best steaks he had ever had.  Hubs and daughter enjoyed a hearty beef stew.  The menu offers a lot of things we didn't try at our table as we were a fish n' chips crowd ~ but other tables seemed to be quite satisfied with their meals, and all were toe tapping a bit.

You should go to Disney if you have never been, and you should go if you haven't been to any of the resorts or the dining opportunities at the parks and resorts.  Teppan Edo in Japan in EPCOT? Superb.  Seriously good. 

But, our main reason for visiting Disney this year was not for the food or beer, nor necessarily even  for the rodent..it was for the princesses.  I have a princess you know...my 4 year old granddaughter.  She was made over into a princess at Disney and came face to face with her favorites at a "character" breakfast...the look on her face was like nothing I have ever seen and hope never to forget.  It was a spectacular week.