Beers with Chuck: Goin' Coastal IPA with Pineapple from SweetWater Brewing

by Chuck P

I find that people are usually on the fence when it comes to adding pineapple to different foods and drinks. Unless it’s a tropical beverage, I tend to shy away from it, but sometimes you just have to take that chance and when you do you might find out that something like a pineapple IPA might be even more delicious than you previously imagined. That’s where I found myself when I tried the Goin’ Coastal IPA with pineapple from the SweetWater Brewing Company.



I’ve always been a fan of SweetWater’s designs. The bright colors and artwork bounce off of their products when you see them on store shelves and the Goin’ Coastal 16oz can is no exception.

The beer has a hazy golden straw body to it that shined in the glass. The aroma smells fantastic with the pineapple being at the forefront followed by hints of mango and some tangerine coming through as well as solid floral and piney notes; taste wise, you can flip that aroma description around.

The floral and piney notes are what caught me first with the pineapple coming in the middle and finishing with the other citrusy flavors. There’s a nice malt balance from start to finish.

This is a very juicy and refreshing IPA, although I do think the grapefruit and tangerine shown through a bit more than the pineapple.

Make sure to pick up a few of these cans this summer to enjoy; especially if that day is spent in your boat with a line in the water.

To hear more about Goin’ Coastal click below for our On Tap segment sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company on the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Araña: The Only Spider I Welcome

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Generally speaking, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for food. This is not news. There’s so much for your palate to experience, yet so little time.

In the same streets you taste dishes that are new, inventive, and inspiring, you can experience meals that are so old they practically birthed the crescent city. In a place that is so uniquely Louisiana, some of the meals I’ve enjoyed most recently in New Orleans are based around lime, cotiga cheese, and cilantro.

Araña is everything I want in a Mexican restaurant. Their presentation is beautiful, the flavors are on fleek, and it’s simply built for a good time.

When I dine out, I consider three criteria: atmosphere, drinks, and apps & ‘sserts (because you can’t have one without the other).

If a restaurant pulls off all of these elements successfully, they can have my money.

Atmosphere: check.

I prefer when a restaurant is cozy (not too cramped, but not a cave), the design is well thought out, and the seating allows for natural lighting (because I take pictures of everything I ingest). So many restaurants get things wrong: uncomfortable seating, bad lighting, canned, adult-contemporary music playing in the background.

But Araña is a place I could sit and sip for hours.

Drinks: check.

I tried three drinks that were on totally different levels.

First, the Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita: the depth of flavor gave me life. The grilled pineapple has a sultry sweetness from caramelizing on the grill, the fresh jalapeño adds just enough back heat, and I live my life thinking that cilantro improves most things. We’ll call this one a win.

The Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Next up, the Romera Fresca. This puppy is packed with savory, tart confusion in a great way. Juniper-infused tequila hit with a zing of small batch tonic and finished off with a house-made rosemary syrup can grace my glass any day. Another point to Gryffindor. 

The Romera Fresca: Juniper-Infused Tequila,  Small Batch Tonic, and House Made Rosemary Syrup

I’m not into things that are super sweet, so dessert drinks aren’t my jam. I thought it couldn’t be done, but Araña said, “Here’s our frozen, drunken Horchata. Enjoy.”

Enjoy, I did, and to that I say winner winner, chicken dinner. 

Drunken Horchata

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you’re into tequila, Araña has something for you. Joining the Araña Tequilla Society is free. With each tequila you taste, you take another (somewhat more inebriated) step towards rewards ranging from t-shirts to free tequila flights to a free bottle of expensive tequila. Worried about keeping up with your passport? Don’t be—Araña holds on to it for you. They’ve thought of everything!

Apps, shareables, and ‘sserts: Check. 

Apps and ‘sserts is Blair-speak for appetizers and dessert. If I’m meeting up with my friends, I’m all about grabbing apps and ‘sserts. While there are some stellar sandwiches and entrées, if you share more, you taste more. It’s science.

Here’s the lineup:

Atop a velvety bed of milky oaxaca cheese lies a spicy blanket of house-made chorizo just waiting to be spread on warm corn tortillas and drizzled with a magically bold red sauce. Don’t think, just order it. 

Queso Fundido: House-Made Chorizo, Grilled Oaxaca Cheese, and Corn Tortillas

Tacos are the most delicious way to get your fix without feeling too full, and Araña has some great options. I’m a sucker for tacos Al Pastor: I'm into the savory and sweet juicy pork and succulent pineapple chunks.

Tacos Al Pastor: Shaved Pork, Grilled Pineapple, Cilantro, and Onion

I’m pretty sure “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer was written about the Torta Ahogana.

Slow roasted pork on bolillo bread, black bean purée, avocado, crema, cotiga cheese, and cumin pickled onion come together under a waterfall of spicy chili dipping salsa and make for a mountain of flavor.

Mind you, this is literally a quarter of the sandwich that’s on the menu so it’s certifiably shareable. 

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion, Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

The art of the classic fajita has been lost, and Araña has found it in the form of their Poc Chuc.

Smoked pork loin, escabecbe (pickled veggies), crisp red cabbage, and a pork-fried onion poblano sauce were meant to live inside of that corn tortilla, y’all. Pair that with a flight of tequila and I’m in.

Poc Chuc: Smoked Pork Loin, Escabeche, Red Cabbage, Pork Fried Onion Poblano Sauce, and Corn Tortilla

Bite and Booze Bonus: Araña also has brunch (word on the street is that it’s killer). 

Desserts are tricky with me. I can't get more than a bite or two in to a super sweet dessert, but I could get after this Trés Leches cake with fresh berries all day. A little sweet, a little creamy, and totally traditional, it’s definitely worth the caloric sacrifice.

Trés Leches Cake

I know there's a mess of restaurants to try out in New Orleans, but Araña has something special going on that's worth your money.

Ecuador: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another dish and drink along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Ecuador, located in Northwestern South America is a coastal country. Being located in a coastal state, we know that means there is plenty of seafood to go around! Today we're going to take a look at the art of ceviche and the fruity Chicha de Piña.

Photo Credit: Laylita.com

Ceviche is the method of "cooking" seafood (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, or mussels) in the natural acid of fresh limes. There are many South American coastal countries that do this and each method has it similarities and differences. Ecuadorian ceviche tends to be a little soupier than others because the juices of the limes and oils are served with the ceviche. You can find a fresh cup of ceviche all along the docks! This particular recipe calls for langostino which is Spanish for squat lobster. The squat lobster is not quite a lobster or a prawn. If you can't find any of these feel free to use shrimp, lobster, scallops or whatever fresh seafood you can get your hands on! The tender meat of the seafood married with the acidity of fresh limes is sweetened by olive oil and red onions. The added zest comes from fresh cilantro and garlic with a healthy kick of spicy peppers to make for a great, chilled summer bite! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Photo Credit: Laylita.com

Chicha is an ancient form of beer commonly found in African and South American countries indigenous to their ancestors. As off-putting as it may sound, people chew a specific variety of corn and spit it into a strainer where the liquid is boiled and brewed into a beer. This is a method still used today and has even been recreated by a few hardcore brewers. The founder of Dogfish Head Brewery actually had his entire staff chew pound and pounds of corn just to make an experimental batch to serve in their taproom. Due to jaw fatigue, the staff didn't try this feat for a second time, but it was a fun experiment. Chicha de Piña is not made by chewing anything and spiting it out. It's the simmering  of the skins and core of pineapple with hard brown sugar and spices. This makes for a savory/sweet cocktail not containing saliva.

Beer and Pizza at the St. Elias Brewing Company in Soldotna, AK

Our second day in Alaska brought a road trip from Anchorage, down the Kenai Peninsula, to the town of Homer where we had a house rented for the week.  Along the way we passed through a town called Soldotna which is home to two craft breweries.  Ready for lunch and brews for the non-drivers, our caravan stopped in to see what the St. Elias Brewing Company had to offer.

While St. Elias only opened its doors and tapped its first kegs in 2007, the brewery and pizza joint is already well known for producing high quality bites and boozes.  They claim that their beer matches the personality of their business: fun and lively yet historic and eclectic.  In addition, the brewery also serves brick-oven baked, rustic, traditional Neapolitan style pizzas.  I was ready to get started and see what I thought about these proclamations.

Our party of seven arrived at St. Elias and were promptly greeted by the aromas of baking pies and boiling mash.  Within minutes we had a table and began ordering brews.  My first choice was a pint of Marathon Mild.  The Marathon Mild is a seasonal that is brewed in the style of a  English working class ale.  Though the beer is very dark in color, it actually tastes a fair amount lighter than it appears.  I enjoyed the brew and prepared myself for more.

The St. Elias Brewing Company, Soldotna, Alaska

Brew Tanks and Brick Oven at the St. Elias Brewing Company

Since there were seven of us there, we decided to order seven different pizzas and share the variety amongst ourselves.  Boo tried to mess this process up, but in the end we got it taken care of.  All of the pizzas were pretty good, though I think my favorites were these two:

Brewhouse and Chicken on the Ranch Pizzas

The Brewhouse pizza is loaded with garlic oil, mozzarella, provolone, bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, marinated mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  The salty pie tasted fresh and delicious with the meats, mushrooms, and onions all melting together with the cheese blend.  The Chicken on the Ranch pizza had garlic oil, ranch, mozzarella, provolone, garlic chicken, marinated mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil.  Although the pizza seems very similar to the Brewhouse pie, the flavors were actually a good bit different.  The real killer ingredient in all the pizzas was the dough.  The fire-baked crust had a crisp and flavorful outside with a remarkably chewy inside for a small thin crust pizza.

Hawaiian, Chicken Pesto, and Lonestar Pizzas

Running in the close second tier were the Hawaiian, Chicken Pesto, and Lonestar pizzas.  The Hawaiian was an average version of the classic pineapple and ham combination.  St. Elias's Chicken Pesto was a like a the second cousin to the superior Chicken on the Ranch.  Finally, the Lonestar showed a little originality by putting red peppers, chicken, onions, and pineapples on a homemade barbeque sauce base.  It proved to be an interesting combination that succeeded in offering something other than the typical pies.

Sampler Platter of Brews

To get off the subject of pizza for a bit, let's switch gears back to beers!  Not knowing what to order and wanting to try them all, the logical choice involved something that brewpubs like to call "samplers."  I got eight 3-ounce pours of brews to indulge on.  Starting on the left and going clockwise: Even Keel Kolsch, The Farmer's Friend, Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Mother's Milk Irish Stout, Williwaw IPA, Vanilla Bean Porter, Brass Monkey ESB, and Marathon Mild.  I'd tell you what my favorites were, but after a week of drinking I really don't recall.  I'm pretty sure that the darker the beer, the more I liked it.  The light beers were just average, but some of the others like the Vanilla Bean Porter and the Brass Monkey ESB were fantastic!

Peter Rabbit and Smokestack Pizzas

My bottom rung of pizzas were still tasty, but they would be the least likely for me to order again.  The Peter Rabbit filled the role of St. Elias's vegetarian pie.  Broccoli on pizza just doesn't fit with me despite it being quite edible.  For a veggie pizza it did the trick, but not being a vegetarian myself, I'd shy away from it next time.  Finally, the Smokestack had bacon, olives, and rosemary.  Again, the pizza was fine, just not up to par with some of the other ones.  I would have appreciated a little pizazz.  Still, simple is okay when you have bacon, so it's not all bad!

Yukon Gold Tater

Eusebio took the adventure of ordering a dessert.  The Yukon Gold Tater is not actually a baked potato at all!  The artistic creation is actually a larger portion of cookies 'n' cream ice cream rolled in powdered cocoa, then topped with whipped cream, pistachios, and a little custard that looked like butter.  The dessert could maybe earn credit for creativity, but I'd have a hard time saying that it earns much merit otherwise.  The ice cream is Dreyer's and isn't anything special or homemade.  The cocoa powder that is used to give the potato skin appearance is so fine that both Eusebio and I both accidentally inhaled it to the point that we choked.  After coughing a bit and drinking some beer to clear my throat, it became obvious that the dessert did not quite tickle my fancy.  Oh well, I still enjoyed the pizza and beer, and I had plenty more of Alaska to eat and drink!  

Things To Do
Soldotna

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant - Baton Rouge

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant is another venue on the list of places to get its start in New Orleans and then open another location in Baton Rouge.  This most certainly is not a problem though, as Lucy's has brought a new type of establishment downtown.  Sitting right next to the Roux House on Third Street, Lucy's took over the space previously occupied by D'Agastino's.  With a complete renovation, Lucy's now serves lunch and dinner thoughout the day and stays open for bar patrons at night.

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant, Third Street, Downtown Baton Rouge

I went to Lucy's twice during the week that it opened to check out the menu and the overall vibe of their new location.  It definitely has a surfer theme with surf boards hanging on the wall and surfing videos playing on the TVs that are scattered around. 

Chips and Salsa from Lucy's

On my first visit I sat at the bar (unfortunately it was my lunch break so there was no drinking this time) and ordered the chips and salsa appetizer while I waited for Eric to meet me.  The salsa was made made fresh and the tortilla chips were home-fried, which is always a good way to start a meal.  The salsa contained fresh chunks of tomato and a lovely mixture of spices that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Lucy's Floral and Surfer Themed Menu Cover

Lucy's Assortment of Hot Sauces

Lucy's keeps three different hot sauces on the table for their customers who want to add a little extra kick to their meals.  They have Tabasco which is a staple in Louisiana and all over the world that needs no introduction.  The other two sauces are produced exclusively for Lucy's.  One is a vinegar based hot sauce which is very similar to other Louisiana hot sauces, but the other is a truly unique blend of sweet and spice that uses molasses and various chilis.  It took a couple tastes to decide if I liked it or not, but the end I really did!

Lucy's Club Sandwich With Fries

Lucy's club sandwich came double-decked with turkey, ham, and bacon as the protiens which were complimented nicely by cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers.  The cucumbers added a twist to the sandwich that I enjoyed, though it certainly did not blow me away.

Havanna Tacos with Pulled Pork, Grilled Pineapple Relish, and Crisp Red Cabbage

The Havanna Tacos grabbed my attention on the first visit that I made to Lucy's and I most certainly did not regret that decision.  I ordered my tacos on soft flour tortillas and they came stuffed with juicy cuban-style pulled pork, grilled pineapple relish, and some crisp red cabbage.  Along side the tacos sat a generous portion of black beans and rice.  The tacos offered a good twist on latin food that were certainly not pure tex-mex like most places in Baton Rouge that offer tacos. 

I'm going to make sure to go back Lucy's during the evening on Tuesdays because, like any good taco stand that wants to get close to my heart, they have a Taco Tuesday special that deals out $1 tacos from 4-10 pm.  How you can you go wrong with that?!