Yes, indeedy, it was quite a dinner. Last Wednesday, the 24th, we enjoyed a four-course dinner at Branch 27, courses lovingly prepared by Chef John Manion with Chimay beer pairings. We all know about Chimay, right? Chimay beers are brewed under the auspices of the monastery at the Abbey D'Scourmont in Chimay, Belgium. They have been brewing beer there since 1850, and it has been available for sale outside the abbey since 1863. Chimay beers have been available here in the United States for the past 20-ish years. There are three available -- the Premier or "red label", which is their Belgian Double style, the Cinq Cent or "white label", which is their triple style, and the super-rich and delicious Grand Reserve, or "blue", which was originally brewed as a special Christmas beer.
We stopped eating long enough to take pictures of Chef Manion's Parmesan Gnocchi with pork meatballs (think sausage meatballs, ridiculously good!) and braised kale. This was the second course, and it was so good and we ate so much of it that we forgot to take pictures of the third course, the Gunthorp Farms Porchetta with polenta.
Dessert was a Chocolate and Walnut Tart with CHOCOLATE BACON, served with a Jereboam of the Chimay Grand Reserve from 2008. A Jereboam is a large-format bottle, and beer ages differently in large bottles. This beer had a smooth, almost-port-like quality.
The Branch 27 dinner for March will be paired with DOGFISH HEAD BEERS! We are starting to put that together now, so call Branch 27 for reservations. It will sell out fast! www.branch27.com
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