When I think about craft beer in New Jersey, I don’t think “Lakehurst.” That is, until now. It seems like craft beer is rapidly finding it’s way into all corners of the Garden State. I attended the first beer tasting dinner at the recently opened Tipperary Pub and they kicked it off with Kane Brewing (Ocean Township). That’s what I call hedging your bets!
Kane’s rep, Glenn, was on hand to talk about the beers, wander the tables to answer questions and shoot the breeze. This was a comfortably casual event. We were seated in their appropriately cozy whiskey tasting room which boasts a crazy big whiskey menu and a fireplace that’s perfect for sipping a single malt when the mercury starts to sink. If you’re into whiskey this place is a must! Since I’m here to talk about beer, let’s get back on track.
The tasting started with fried Chicken Murphy dumplings with a spicy sweet and sour dipping sauce paired with Kane Single Fin. I honestly don’t know where the “Murphy” part came in with the dumplings but they packed some heat which was checked nicely by the sweetness of a typical Belgian Single. Good start.
Next up was your choice of burgers from their regular menu. Since Kane Head High IPA was the accompaniment, I went with the Steakhouse burger. Real-deal onion rings and horseradish sauce went great with Kane’s no holes barred IPA. Even though the kitchen had to crank out 20 burgers at once, mine was cooked to a perfect medium rare. That’s no small feat.
The pairing of the night came with dessert: A surprisingly light bread pudding with Kane Malus. I don’t eat dessert ever, but I did this night. Malus is a Belgian strong dark ale brewed with Delicious Orchards apple cider which was reduced and added to the boil. It delivers sweet cider up front but finishes bone dry so it met the bread pudding‘s sweetness but then cleansed the palate for the next bite. Glenn told us that Malus was very labor intensive to brew so don’t expect to see it very often. It’s their first bottled beer (cork and cage 750’s) so buy it if you find it at your local liquor store!
Tipperary, like any self respecting Irish themed pub, will pour you a perfect Guinness. However, Mark, one of the owners, is an IPA nut so you can expect to find plenty of them on tap too. Of their 12 taps, at least 4 or 5 were IPA’s! And, like any self respecting real Irish pub, there’s curry on the menu. The Chicken Tikka sandwich is a spicy hot curry bomb that cries out for a hop bomb pairing. That’s worth the trip right there.
I guess that the Pine Barrens aren’t barren of piney hops after all.
Peter Culos is the editor of “Beer Bites,” a new monthly feature about breweries, bars and good beer in the garden state. A graphic designer by day, and a life long New Jersey resident, Peter was first introduced to the novel idea that beer could actually have flavor during several visits to the UK. He’s been riding the craft beer bus ever since. It has been called the ultimate social lubricant and Peter’s philosophy on beer is, “I’d rather split my last good beer with a friend than drink the whole thing by myself.” Besides beer he also likes history, dogs, Jeeps and painting. In the past, he has written a History and Art blog for the Weider History Group and occasionally contributes to his own blog, history-geek.com. Life is short. Drink good beer.
Wayne and Anne Galya
Lunch Break’s Fall Gala, Friday, October 5th from 6pm-10pm at Two River Theater in Red Bank. Enjoy wine and beer tastings, food by Red Bank Flavour, a special guest entertainer, live and silent auctions, raffles, and a presentation. Click for more info and tickets.
RHO Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 6th at 3pm. This is a cultural event that will be held at Rho Waterfront in Trenton celebrating the German culture with authentic German food, German beers, live entertainment, and more! Click here for more info and tickets.
Lima Bean Festival, Saturday, October 6th in West Cape May. Get your bean on with lima bean t-shirts from Flying Fish, lima bean chili, lima bean taco soup, lima bean jewelry, lima bean stained glass, lima bean birdhouses, lima bean pottery and this year a special treat- lima bean ice cream from Bliss of Cape May. Almost 100 vendors will also sell barbeque, turkey legs, crab cakes, smoothies, flowers, produce, collectibles, antiques and art… and of course fresh lima beans! 
Avalon Seafood Festival, Saturday & Sunday, October 6th & 7th. Taste delectable treats from the sea at the Chamber’s Annual Seafood Festival. Featuring fresh seafood vendors, chowder contest, live music, vendors and 
Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival, Thursday – Sunday, October 11th – 14th. The sister festival to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. The festival will bring together the world’s greatest chefs, winemakers, spirits producers and personalities to educate palates and entertain patrons in high style—all while helping to fight hunger. For event information, 
9th Annual SJ Pumpkin Show, Friday – Sunday, October 12th-14th. Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown. The South Jersey Pumpkin Show and Festival is one of the largest and best in New Jersey. Come out and enjoy live bands, great food, contests, Fall Home Show, over 150 craftsmen, NJ Largest Baked Pumpkin Pie, Amusement Rides and Pumpkin Baking Contest and 
HarvestFest, Saturday, October 20th from 11:30am-5pm. Downtown Toms River. There will be lots of kids activities, live entertainment, pumpkin decorating, fall dessert contest, a beer garden, football games on large screen TVs, food and merchandise vendors and more.
Cranberry Festival, Saturday & Sunday, October 20th & 21st from 9am-4pm. Chatsworth. Paying tribute to the 3rd largest cranberry harvest in the United States, this annual festival is filled with lots of great food, baked goods, crafts, vendors, and 
Coffee & Tea Festival Atlantic City, Saturday & Sunday, November 3rd and 4th. The event will offer two days of programming including tastings, classes, lectures and demonstrations from well-known industry professionals and pioneers. Chocolates and other sweet treats will offer a wonderful compliment to the spectacular collection of coffees and teas. Click for more info.
Ahhh, the Jersey Shore in the fall. A slight chill is in the night air, the crowds are gone, you can get a restaurant reservation for a Saturday night, and the traffic on the Garden State Parkway is bearable. These reasons are what drove me to Rumson last Saturday for dinner at 
I had read that Francesco makes pasta every day, and even though there were many wonderful sounding entrees offered, I was not passing up fresh, house-made pasta. I chose the tagliatelle Bolognese. Pure delight on every level. A hearty, savory meat sauce clung to the pasta like it was emotionally involved.
My husband’s standard test meal at every new Italian restaurant is veal saltimbocca alla Romana. And he’s disappointed 9 out of 10 times. Happily, the 10th time was the charm. Tender veal scaloppini topped with prosciutto, sage, and sautéed with white wine and served over spinach, but my husband asked for escarole instead and they were happy to accommodate his request. What makes this stand out from other saltimboccas (besides the ethereal veal) was the lack of cheese, which usually tops this dish. Hands down, this was the best veal saltimbocca we’ve tasted in years.
All the desserts are homemade (other than the gelato) and I’m sure you would not go wrong with any of them. However, I am a biscotti girl through and through and Francesco’s right-out-of-the-village Italian cookies served with exquisite cannoli cream called me. And, as Snoopy says, when a cookie calls, you answer. Nary was a crumb or drop of cream left when we got done. I managed to snag two cookies from the quick hands around the table and counted myself lucky!
It’s always great to get together with friends as the weather cools down and our thoughts turn to indoor entertaining. Recently, I was engaged in a bit of creative head-scratching as I tried to come up with ideas for a dessert gathering with a twist. The old potluck idea just wasn’t doing it for me. Luckily, I was offered the opportunity to try a new type of candy at a chocolate sampling party sponsored by the makers of UNREAL Candy ™. Since several of my friends share the same mad passion for chocolate that I do, I eagerly signed up for this tantalizing tasting task.
To make the tasting experience more sensual, I decided to serve the candy bars naked and unadorned. Since Unreal Candy ™ is similar to other well known confections (such as those multicolored plain and peanut treats), I did a blind tasting. I put the “original” candy on one side, and the similar tasting UNREAL Candy ™ right next to it. Aren’t my tiny tasting plates cute?
I thought that a wine and chocolate combination sounded interesting, so I served the chocolate confections with a “Diva” sparkling wine from Buttonwood Winery in New York’s Finger Lakes, as well as “Alycone,” a red wine with chocolate undertones from Uruguay that I picked up at Passion Vines in Princeton. The sparkling wine paired wonderfully with the chocolate, while my guests enjoyed the red wine after chocolate.
New Jersey has received an $816,127 Specialty Crop Block Grant to fund 13 initiatives to benefit Garden State crops such as fruits, vegetables, as well as horticulture and nursery. The grants are part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to promote specialty crops in the nation. Most of New Jersey agriculture falls into the specialty crop category. Specialty crops account for $882.4 million in sales annually in the Garden State.
It’s never too early to start planning for Thanksgiving and this 
Bergenfest 2012 Party & Expo, Thursday, September 27th from 5pm-9pm. Held at the Sheraton in Mahwah. Over 30 Bergen restaurants will be providing samples of signature dishes. There will also be live music, belly dancers and giveaways. 
Golden Nugget Beer Festival:
Le Taste of France Show + La Soiree, Saturday & Sunday, September 29th & 30th at Pier 54, New York. The most renowned French food personalities and skilled chefs from New York’s top restaurants will join forces and prepare a comprehensive guide to the diverse offerings. Besides French food & drink the show will have a French flea market, live music by popular French musicians, wine tastings, the classic French game of pétanque, artwork by modern French artists, and even a French bulldog show and contest to choose the cutest French bulldog! Le Soiré will be the best chance for attendees to meet and interact with the participating chefs and personalities. A portion of the proceeds from Le Taste of France will go to benefit Action Against Hunger. 
Chowderfest, Sunday, September 30th from 11am-4pm in Beach Haven, LBI. This family fun festival features live music, activities and unlimited Chowder tasting with the opportunity for each ticket holder to vote for their favorite red and white chowder. The event is nestled in Beach Haven surrounded by beautiful views of the bay and plenty of year end discounted shopping. It has become a tradition for family and friends to gather together to say good bye to summer and welcome in the fall.
Oktoberfest at Jersey Boys Grill, Sunday, October 7th from 12pm-8pm. New Milford, NJ. This year’s event will be the biggest Oktoberfest in Bergen County. Enjoy all you can eat and drink. Beer, wine, sangria and authentic German food, as well as live music. Click for tickets and more info.
Directions:
Italian Mac and Cheese
Italian Green Salad with Vinegar Peppers
