Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson addresses diners

This past Saturday The Grill at Torrey Pines welcomed Paso Robles-based Firestone Walker Brewery for a porktastic 5-star beer dinner, guided by Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. The Grill Chef Kyle Bergman pulled out all the stops to create a one-of-a-kind experience for diners, pairing an all-local, pork-themed menu with five FW beers: Cask-conditioned Union Jack IPA, Double Barrel Ale, Double Jack IIPA, Red Nectar Ale, and Abacus Barrel-Aged Barleywine.

Here are a few photos from the dinner, with 30 more over on our Facebook (you don’t need an account to view them).

Terrine of Pork with Local Vegetables – Paired with Cask-Conditioned Union Jack IPA

Terrine of Pork with Local Young Vegetables

Local Salad Chicharones  with Roast Shallot Vinaigrette and Delicata Squash – Paired with Double Barrel Ale

Couldn't get enough of those chicharones

Farro Risotto with Local Maitake Mushrooms and Shaved Speck – Paired with Double Jack IIPA

The main "belly-filling" portion of the meal, according to Chef Kyle Bergman. Job well done.

Roasted Vande Rose Pork Loin with braised local cabbage – Paired with Red Nectar Ale

The sweetness of the cabbage complemented the Red Nectar very well

Candied Bacon (!) Ice Cream – Paired with Barrel-Aged Barleywine

The pairing itself says it all. A fantastic end to the meal.

DrinkAbout with Manzanita @ Sea Rocket
Four beers from 11 in ’11 member Manzanita Brewing will be featured at the ‘Rocket. Riverwalk Blonde, Rustic Horizon, Gillispie Brown Ale and a Double Dry Hopped IPA cask will be served in a $10, 6oz pour taster flight. Manzanita’s beer gets better every time I try it, and now that it’s on the swanky seafood DrinkAbout stop that is Sea Rocket Bistro, I have another excuse to experience their deliciously developing brews.

Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson to make rounds in SD
On the 18th, Firestone Walker’s brewmaster will be in town at Hamilton’s for Firestone’s Firkin Friday. The following day, he will play host for the Grill at Torrey Pines’ Craft Beer Pairing Dinner – where his beer will be paired with the culinary talent of the Grill’s Kyle Bergman. Grill manager Stephen Kurpinsky sent me the following: “5-course family style dinner featuring all pork dishes from 2 heirloom, Vande Rose pigs, paired with delicious beer from Firestone Walker! Union Jack IPA  (ON CASK!  Really excited, it will be our first firkin tapping at The Grill,) Red Nectar Ale DBA (Double Barrel Ale) and Double Jack Abacus (First time that this rare, barrel aged barley wine will be released in the San Diego market!)” $55 for the best food & beer pairing you’ll find in town. For reservations, 858-777-6645.

Coaster Saloon

Upcoming Lightning Events
I’m really digging Lightning’s beers as of late (Prognosis: temporary hop overload.) My timing is excellent because they’re doing more and more events all over town. Today, they’ll be doing a pairing at Sammy’s Woodfried Pizza in Scripps Ranch, and tomorrow, they’ll be doing another pairing at Press Box Sports Lounge.

Coaster gets crafty
I sat down with Darren Renna of the Coaster Saloon on Monday. He brought me up to speed on the beachside bar/grill’s increasing craft beer program. Here’s the rundown: 32 handles, plans to rotate out 3-4 taps per month (with bi-weekly tap line cleanings, I’m told), a cask night in the works,  and upcoming beer + food pairings with BBQ. We’re supportive of the Coaster’s commitment to local craft beer. Darren explained the reasoning behind his choice to embrace better beer: “Local breweries won’t try and shove beers down your throat, and they have a vested interest in their product. Also, it’s easy to switch things up if a beer isn’t working out.” He also asked me to let local breweries know that there’s interest in doing a featured brewery/keep-the-glass night, and there is plenty of room for a jockey box.  On April 8th there’s a keep-the-pint w/ Ommegang. Also, I learned that the Coaster Saloon was one of the first Ballast Point accounts ever, and a ominous cult named the Theosophical society used to run Point Loma.

AleSmith Pairing @ La Gran Terraza
Located on the USD Campus, budding craft beer location La Gran Terraza will host Peter Zien for an AleSmith pairing dinner. The last pairing was with Stone and was ~$22 + tax & tip, so we’re assuming that AleSmith’s pairing will follow suit. 5 courses of gourmet food with generous pours at a great venue makes this one of the best secrets in San Diego Beer. At the gated USD entrance,  make sure to let the guard know your intentions so you can get a free parking permit.

Ahi Tartar, paired with Coronado's Red Devil

Chef Kyle Bergman put on a show once again Wednesday night for The Grill’s increasingly-popular Craft Beer Dinner Series.  This time around, five dishes were paired with five beers from our peninsular friends at Coronado Brewing Co. After being greeted immediately upon entrance by a grilled pork skewer with kumquat glaze (paired with the first batch of Little Red Hoppy Hood), we sat down to a five-star, belly-filling meal. Check out all the photos from the dinner over on our Facebook.

Last night, I crashed The Grill at Torrey Pines for Ballast Point’s beer dinner. The dinner, a result of long interaction between Ballast Point’s Colby Chandler & The Grill’s Stephen Kurpinsky and Kyle Bergman, was a showcase of Ballast Point’s specially brewed chili beers paired with The Grill’s culinary talent.

San Diego Beer was heavily represented, with brewers and employees from 11 in ’11 members Ballast Point, Karl Strauss, and AleSmith in attendance. The President of the San Diego Brewers Guild, Adam Carbonell, sat alongside Luca Banafi of Tendergreens. Also present were Scot & Karen Blair, owner and senior manager of Eleven, Small Bar, and Hamilton’s, along with much of Evans Hotels upper-management. At over 60 people, the event was oversold, but The Grill had tables for everyone.

So how was the pairing?
Thai spiced blackened shrimp skewers paired with Ballast Point’s Bloody Mary Mix & Abandon Ship Smoked Lager came together for a spicy and smokey starter. The crispy roasted quail along with Dried Guajillo Pepper Calico Amber Ale pairing was more cozy than spicy, but delicious. The warm trout salad combined with a Roasted Serrano Green Pepper Yellowtail Ale; the trout salad served as a launching pad for the Yellowtail picante, in which you could nearly taste the skins of the serrano peppers. My mouth aflame, the curry spiced pork loin went along with Smokin’ Hot Habanero Sculpin IPA to create the apex of the event which further ignited my very public love affair with Sculpin as well as my palate. The fire extinguisher pairing was mexican chocolate cake paired with Smoked Chipotle, Cocoa Nib Black Marlin Porter.

As I was crashing (and working), I played wallflower for most of the night. Kyle Bergman poked his head out of the kitchen to check on me, and Scot Blair found us both. To Kyle, Scot stated: “This is the best beer and food event in San Diego. Ever.” Stunning praise, coming from the owner of the 3 hottest beer bars in town and also one of a handful Cicerone certified people in the country. For a beer pairing that was very experimental, it was exciting to see such creativity & risk work so well together.

Eric of Kern River w/ Isabella Blonde shirt

The 30th Street landmark was even more crowded than usual as San Diego Beer Week chugged through midweek with a Kern River/Alpine Night at Toronado.  Kyle Bergman of The Lodge at Torrey Pines and Luca Banfi of Tender Greens were discussing mouth-watering recipes over IPA pints. Brewers Guild President Adam Carbonell popped in as the Alpine Team were enjoying their seemingly never-ending happy hour event.  A bit later, the TapHunter Tweetup crew flowed in from the West Coast Tavern.

Eric and Rebecca of Kern River Brewing Company were also in the house to showcase their Citra Double IPA, Class V Stout, Class X Stout and the just outstanding Just Outstanding IPA, which was named after a famous mountain biking trail in Kernville – hence the tree-hanging bike on the label.

Kern River on tap is an experience in itself.  The Citra was even tastier than I had imagined (and been told), and the Class X was heaven in a glass.  The bottles, though, tell an interesting story.  Each label has an illustration of a miner and a donkey which pays homage to Kernville’s mining history.  As the story goes, the donkey got lost one day and gold was found during the search.

The celebratory vibe saw strangers and friends alike sharing and trying each others’ beers.  A glass of The Lost Abbey’s Cable Car Ale even made it our way.  While Alpine is obviously a favorite here in town, the fact that Kern River came down for the event was another clear-cut example of the quality that San Diego locales like Toronado attract.  At this rate, making it through Sunday will be quite the accomplishment.

The sunset at Torrey Pines (staff photo)

Arriving early,  I took a seat at the concise yet elegant bar tucked away behind the cozy dining room of The Grill. AleSmith X was on tap – always a treat.  With full glass in hand I made my way to mingle with the other patrons on the patio.

I introduced myself to Loren Miraglia, Co-Organizer of the National Homebrewers Conference & Encinitas resident. I asked why the NHC decided to set up shop in our hometown this year.  He pointed to the sunset and then added, “the economy made hotel and venue prices much more affordable, so a San Diegan NHC was a no-brainer.” When pressed for more info, he simply smiled and referred me to the NHC website.

Waiters politely hovered through the crowd, their elegant trays offering the House Made Mini Pork Corn Dogs with a tomato confit as well as fresh glasses of X to accompany. Soon, the announcement was made that dinner was imminent.  We took to our assigned seats on the two long tables that were set to accompany the 40 or so people present.

Upon settling in, Head Chef and mastermind behind The Grill’s beer pairing, Kyle Bergman gave an introduction and told us what to expect:

The first dish was to be a Smokey Pork Belly Salad with various fresh leafy greens and a dressing called “Green Goddess.” AleSmith’s Nautical Nut Brown Ale was the pairing choice.
For the second course was the Roasted Day Boat Baja Scallops with Beer Tempura Eggplant and Okra “Creamed Corn.” Evil Dead Red Ale was the choice for this dish.

Photo courtesy of The Grill at Torrey Pines

The third course, a slow-roasted New York Strip with Fennel, Horseradish Potatoe Gratin, Roast Cauliflower, & Bordelaise Sauce, was paired with Decadance 2010.

After Kyle’s friendly introduction, AleSmith’s Peter Zien greeted us and elaborated briefly on the beers that would be coming with the dishes. Immediately after Peter took his seat, large plates were then placed in unison on the tables. Family style, the plates were passed around, and we began to dig in.

As one of few 5 Star locations in San Diego, Torrey Pines holds itself to a high standard of quality. Having dined at The Grill & stayed at The Lodge, as well as tasted all of the AleSmith offerings previously, I thought I knew what to expect.  The pairings were flawless, and I was happily blown away. Specifically, the robust carmel/coffee notes from the Decadence 2010 formed a delicious duet of flavor with the New York Strip dish. This beer pairing was out of this world. As craft beer lovers, we are so fortunate that one of the most gorgeous hotels in the world is on board with beer pairings.  It’s the talk of the region.

Photo courtesy of The Grill at Torrey Pines

Luckily, The Grill chefs Luca Banfi (now at Tender Greens in Point Loma) and Kyle Bergman are both fellow North Parkers, so I caught a ride with them.  I was in no position to operate a motor vehicle, not only because of the ABV, but also because I was in a sort of food-coma that can only come from a really great meal. Keep this in mind if you choose to attend in the future, and I recommend you do. For October, the Lodge brew and cuisine crew are offering a Lightning-themed beer pairing dinner on the 27th.  Of course, they are going to be hosting the closing ceremonies for SDBW. See http://lodgetorreypines.com/beer/ for more information.