EDP’s Big Giveaway Gets Bubbly
Beer. Do you remember when it was blue collar? Some canned refreshment downed after a hard day’s grind? Well, the icy, yellow fizz of Ralph Kramden and Archie Bunker is OVAH, folks—beer’s gotten deep, rich, and upscale. These days, you’ll find boutique brews flitting around the tables of top restaurants, with some of the swankest spots (like X2O and Blue Hill at Stone Barns) tailoring fabulous dishes to pair with elite ales.
This week in EDP’s Big WM Wine & Food Giveaway, we’re throwing it out to all you brewphiles: EDP is giving away a killer basket of locally brewed Captain Lawrence beers for you to enjoy in the privacy and comfort of your home. Oh, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, the local business that put Pleasantville on the foodie map; it’s the only Westchester-made product that graces the tables of chic Breslin Bar & Dining Room, Eleven Madison Park, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. You’ll find Captain Lawrence beers at The Spotted Pig, d.b.a., Gramercy Tavern, Blind Tiger, Hearth, and Blue Ribbon. Folks, let me tell you, Scott Vaccaro is a food-world rock star and Captain Lawrence is his jam.
Now Captain Lawrence just celebrated its five-year anniversary yesterday with a massive pig roast at its brewery on Castleton Street. I hear there were five bands playing at the six-hour event, roasted pork, and lots and lots of beer. People, it was the kegger of the century, and we know that some of you couldn’t make it, which is why this week’s EDP prize is a basket of great Captain Lawrence beer—so you can party at home. (And, look, I love Scotty, but, like most high-quality things, his beer ain’t cheap. Each 750 ml bottle retails for at least $10, with some of his specialty brews going even higher.) We at WM are thrilled to have Captain Lawrence’s participation at Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Weekend which, in case you don’t know, will be the elegant wine and food gala of the season (and, PS: tix are going fast).
Okay, put your thinking caps on! This clue is answered in the first sentence of this Wikipedia link, but what is the name of the 18th-century English artist who created the dual works, Gin Lane and Beer Street (1751), which depict gin drinking as corrosive to family and social order—while, in contrast, beer is shown to be the healthy quaff of productive, family-centered, morally upright folks like young Scott Vaccaro? Post your answer in the comments section of EDP before Friday, May 20 at noon—and, sadly, employees of Westchester Magazine and its affiliates are not eligible for prizes. Good Luck!
Millbrook Wine-Tasting at Haven Restaurant
May 17, 7pm, $75 per person, exclusive of tax and tip
Chef Daniel Petrilli and Haven Restaurant will be welcoming local Millbrook Winery with a special five- course dinner. Look for braised artichoke soup with jumbo lump crab dumplings (Millbrook Tocai Friulano 2010); wild-mushroom and asparagus gratin with crisp goat cheese (Millbrook State Chardonnay 2009); lemon poached halibut with crispy “birds’ nest” in sweet pea broth (Millbrook Pinot Noir 2009); grilled ostrich steak with herbed buckwheat polenta, sautéed dandelion, and wild blueberry demi-glace (Millbrook Cabernet Franc 2008); and. for dessert, spring berry custard with lemon tuille (Kalleske Lorraine Late Harvest Semillon, Australia, 2006).
Vegan BBQ Chicken at Jolo’s Kitchen Vegan Cultural Restaurant
Let’s thank the silk-clad Marquise of the mom-and-pop joint, Baron Ambrosia, for alerting me to the presence of the Rastafarian restaurant genre, “Ital” eateries. In his Bronx Flavor episode “Mistress of Fire” (devoted to HIM Ital Rastarant & Juice Bar), I learned that among Rastafarians, “Ital” means vital food, and includes loads of fresh vegetables, freshly squeezed juices, and delicious non-meat proteins. In fact, in accordance with the Rastafarian Movement, Ital food is strictly vegan and includes no meat, no dairy, and no animal products whatsoever. So imagine my thrill when I discovered Jolo’s, a friendly, very welcoming “Rastarant” in Westchester that slings delicious soy-based curries, barbecue, soups, salads, and juices in my own neighborhood. The yummy barbecue “chicken” pictured here effectively mimicked poultry (right down to its skewer “bone”). It’s spicy, and succulent, with plenty of curry/ginger sauce to mix with partnering rice. The entrees come with generous sides of veggies—on the day that we visited, we saw yummy collards and sweet mashed pumpkins—and for only $12, it felt like a steal. We paired the pretend poultry with a sweet and fiery beet/ginger/carrot juice, and couldn’t have been more happy if six pigs had died for the meal—plus Jolo’s website has a rocking Bob Marley playlist. One love.
