A few of us hooked up sitters and cruised over to Taverna Khione in Shelburne for a dinner pair up w/ Lost Nation Brewing. It was a fun time. After making them move tables around and throwing a beer on the ground it was time to get down to business. First course was the standard pan seared feta crusted in sesame seeds and drizzled w/ honey paired w/ the Petit Ardennes. We usually get the feta and it was a little overdone but I attribute that to trying to bang a bunch out all in short order. It was still delicious and went well w/ the Belgian session ale which has had a new infusion of hops in the recipe that cuts the bready mouthfeel and makes for a nice fresh opener. Next up was a octopus and clam salad paired w/ the Wind. The clams were a bit gritty but the flavors were wonderful and the dressing was light and well structured. A really nice dish. The Wind is a Gose that is one of my favorite Lost Nation offerings and a great summer beer in general w/ coriander and salt that is a little sour but great to crush on a hot day. So far so good. The entree was a coriander encrusted pork (chop?) over a Greek grain and pickled cabbage paired w/ the Saison Lamoille. The pork was flavorful and juicy and the cabbage and grits like grain mash was an understated match of texture and flavor. Another nice dish. The saison was ok, not great. Hard to nail those... this one didn't have the wild yeast zing I like in my saison/farmhouse beers. Finally there was Greek ice cream w/ a grapefruit drizzle paired w/ the Mosaic. Not much to say here other than all a great pairing and f*ing delicious. Several folks noted how surprised they were that a beer and dessert would pair so well together.
I am worried about Taverna because the populace surrounding Shelburne seems to have a pretty unsophisticated palate. The chef could do himself a favor a be a little more friendly and welcoming but he is not making it hard for diners... the food is well proportioned and very well prepared and cooked. Forget what you think Greek food is and give it a run, if you like delicious fresh fare you may very well enjoy this restaurant.
As for Lost Nation... it took me awhile to get on the bandwagon but beers like the Wind and Mosaic have me in the mix. They have some really nice beers that are lower on the ABV side and provide a nice counterpoint to some of the double IPA monsters that dominate the scene. I still haven't been to the brewery and need to make the trip.
OK, on to Some other random stuff... I had no idea Donald Trump had comic book writers now working on foreign policy for him but the search for the Teseract makes a lot of the current political scene make a ton more sense?
" Trump opened his speech Wednesday vowing to "shake the rust off America's foreign policy" and said he would outline a vision for a U.S. foreign policy "that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy and chaos with peace." " -CNN.COM
Apparently Prince was killed by the Illuminati? Weird. It is a shame, my special lady and I peg him as a sure fire top 5 most influential performer from the last 30 years right behind Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the Boss but your cultural ties may flip flop those 2. Maybe throw Billy Joel in there too, go ahead and check out his portfolio. Plus he married the Uptown Girl for f*** sake.
I didn't love Batman vs Superman but I liked it. Sue me. People are way to fired up over that movie, it was too long but pretty entertaining.
What is with this cold and snow?!?! It is almost May. Why do I live in VT? Seriously...
