The Beer List

Someone asked me recently to name my five all-time favorite beers. It's pretty easy, actually, so here's the list:

Guinness Stout
Draught only. The classic dry stout, and when served fresh, properly poured, and not too cold, it can not be matched.
My favorite pint is at Kehoe's in Dublin.

Anchor Steam
World class beer and an amazingly successful hybrid of ale and lager styles. Refreshing, drinkable, and a perfect balance between hops and malt. I have been drinking this beer since college and have made the pilgrimmage to the historic brewery in San Francisco at least a half dozen times.

Anchor Liberty Ale
Bitter, hoppy, and assertive. For a long time, it was at the top of my list, and finding it on tap is always a thrill. Last I know, it is still being served at The Ginger Man and The Kinsale Tavern in New York.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale
A big bad barleywine, and not for wimps. Very dense, but with tremendous flavor, almost fruity. Strongly alcoholic, too. Annual vintage arrives every Spring.

Fuller's ESB
The best English strong ale. Beautiful caramel malt flavor but not too sweet. Quite good in bottles and superb on draught, where you can find it. In London, I always gravitate to the Fuller or Sam Smith pubs.

Honorable Mention: Samuel Smith Taddy Porter, Sierra Nevada Tornado Ale, Hop Devil IPA, North Coast Eye of the Hawk, Anchor Porter, Goose Island IPA, Samuel Smith Imperial Stout.

ARNAUD'S FRENCH 75 BAR in New Orleans

This may be the best cocktail bar in New Orleans. It may also be one of the best cocktail bars in America. Normally I'm in residence at The Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street, but on my most recent trip to the Big Easy, I spent some time in Arnaud's French 75 Bar. It looks like it has been around forever, but in fact has only been open since 2008. Cigars are sold and patrons are welcome to smoke. Believe me, it's been a long time since I've seen bartenders whip out their lighters to fire up cigarettes for folks at the bar. But smoking aside, the place is absolutely gorgeous. Amber lighting, soft New Orleans jazz, no television. And some of best Creole food in town is available from Arnaud's next door.

Behind the bar is mixologist extraordinaire Chris Hannah, widely regarded as one of the best bartenders in New Orleans. On my first visit last Christmas, I walked in and he was elaborately preparing an authentic Tom and Jerry - whisking away at the cream in a huge copper bowl behind the bar. I was astounded with the care and preparation he put in to it. He's a soft-spoken guy - polite, professional, and a real master at making drinks. I was lucky to get to know him after a couple of visits, and discovered that he's not only a student of spirits and cocktail history, he's a great storyteller and conversationalist. (Full disclosure: he really opened up when I brought in a fresh chocolate praline from a private party catered by Chef Paul Prudhomme).

The bar's namesake drink is the classic French 75, a refreshing blend of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. The French 75 is frequently made with cognac instead of gin - afterall, it was named after the French 75mm field gun, a popular weapon of World War I. Chris serves it either way.

The cocktail list is thrilling, and topping my list is the Curari.

Here's the recipe:

2 oz. rye
3/4 oz. ruby port
3/4 oz. Amaro Cora
2 dashes Regan's Orange Bitters #6

And here's Chris Hannah bringing the joy.

Cheers!

CASA MONO Delicioso!

Bright and sunny Saturday afternoon in New York City. Walked around the Union Square Greenmarket and then stopped in for lunch at Casa Mono on East 17th St and Irving Place. This tiny Spanish, or rather, Catalan, spot has always been a favorite of mine, and I'm happy to say it is just as good as ever.

I began with a glass with the house Cava ($9), which was delicious paired with bacalao croquetas. Delicious, salty, and served with orange aioli. Followed shortly by duck breast with roasted sunchokes and tomatoes and lamb chops with garbanzos and harissa. Casa Mono is also doing a very unusual take on patatas bravas. Traditionally fried and served with aioli, these patatas bravas were fingerling potatoes served in whole chunks, tossed in an amazingly rich tomato sauce that was spiked with smoky paprika and garnished with a handful of thinly cut scallions. Not at all what I was expecting, but very satisfying.

New at Casa Mono these days is a selection of plates from a "whole Hudson Valley pig:" Charcuterie with Sour Puss Pickles, Crispy Pork Belly with Greenmarket Apples, Pork Croquetas with Green Tomatoes and Spicy Alioli, and Chorizo with Fabada and Horseradish. Other can't-miss items on the menu I've had in the past: Pan Con Tomate, Skirt Steak with Onion Marmelaide, Scallops with Clementines.

The tables are cramped at Casa Mono - I received four or five solid thumps in back from waiters scurrying past- but there's ample space at the bar. Service is professional and efficient - I asked about the fantastic olive oil that was served with a basket of crusty bread, and our waiter explained how it was their own Spanish blend, infused with herbs.

The magnificent wine list of Casa Mono and Bar Jamon, next door, is quite simply the best selection of vino des Espana in New York. In a city where Spanish cuisine is notoriously inauthentic, Casa Mono is the real deal. Delicioso!

Burger Bash at LURE FISH BAR

My intrepid Burger Club met last night at a most unlikely spot for a great New York City hamburger: Lure Fish Bar on Mercer Street in SoHo. Little did we know that Lure's chef Josh Capon had recently won the People's Choice award at Rachael Ray's "Burger Bash" competition at Madison Square Garden last October, edging out quite a few big-name celebrity chefs. So when we discovered that this big, modern seafood restaurant had two different burgers on the menu and a specialty burger off-the-menu, we knew we were in for something good.

First, on the menu there is a Lure Style Burger - lettuce, tomato, American cheese, brioche bun. Then there is the off-the-menu surprise: the prize-winning Bash Burger ($14), a 6oz patty from Pat La Freida (premium blend), caramelized onion and bacon jam, shaved pickles, american cheese, and secret sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun. Served with french fries and 2 big fat onion rings atop the burgers. This is a seriously tasty cheeseburger, loosely packed, perfectly seasoned, and bursting with flavor.

Now when the kitchen in a seafood restaurant gets an order of seven burgers from one table, they get excited. Shortly after our order was taken, Lure's Executive Chef Josh Capon came bounding out of the kitchen to announce they were out of burgers and buns. We groaned, and he laughed: "what's going on guys?" Capon is a loud, gregarious New Yorker, and he happily boasted about the whole Burger Bash deal. But he was up to the challenge: "I'm gonna kill this for you guys!" We were promptly served, and except for one hamburger that mistakenly came with cheese, he nailed it. He appeared at the table once more, soaking up the compliments, and before he left, pointed to my burger and exclaimed "look at that: perfect!" It was indeed.