Chocolate and Wine Is So Fine

January 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A box of Russell Stover for V-Day? Come on, you can do better than that. Instead splurge on two tickets to the Chocolate Wine Trail in Hermann. You and your honey will spend the third weekend of February sampling luscious chocolate and wine pairings at seven stops along the beautiful Hermann Wine Trail.

The tasting menu at the 2013 Chocolate Wine Trail, February 16 and 17, will feature:

• Adam Puchta Winery — Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake, paired with the newly released Cat’s Meow

• Bias Winery — Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Surprise, paired with Strawberry Weisser Flieder

• Dierberg Star Lane Tasting Room — Blueberries in a Black Pepper Chocolate-Syrah Syrup, paired with Three Saints Syrah

• Hermannhof Winery — Chocolate Truffle Torte with Norton-Blackberry Ganache, paired with Norton

• OakGlenn Winery — Cincinnati Chili, paired with Chardonel

• Röbller Winery — Chocolate Whoopie Pie, paired with Villa Rouge

• Stone Hill Winery — White Chocolate Popcorn with Raspberry Drizzle, paired with Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine

The $30 per person ticket price includes a souvenir wine glass. Participants also may enter a drawing for a $30 gift certificate from each winery and a night’s stay at a Hermann B&B. Wine Trail tickets may be purchased online at Visit Hermann or from the Hermann Welcome Center, 800-932-8687. Advance purchase is required. (A word to the wise—tickets usually sell out early for this popular event.)

Information about the Hermann Wine Trail is available at Hermann Wine Trail.

The Chocolate Wine Trail is one of five annual events hosted by the Hermann Wine Trail, which hugs the Missouri River for 20 scenic miles between Hermann and New Haven.

Thinking ahead? Bacon will be the theme of this year’s Wild Card Wine Trail the first weekend of May; Berries & BBQ Wine Trail during the last full weekend of July celebrates the flavors of summer; and the Holiday Fare Wine Trail is the third weekend of November for a festive start to the holiday season. Say Cheese Wine Trail rounds out the year during the second weekend of December which is the same weekend as Hermann’s popular Kristkindl Markt.

Filed Under: CoMo Travel, Wine Tagged With: , , ,

Winter Farmers Market

January 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Columbia Farmers Market will be open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 12 PM at its winter location at Parkade Center through March 30. I had a chance to visit a few weeks ago and loaded up on eggs, veggies and beef. And pumpkin seeds. It feels odd to me to go market shopping without the sun on my back and the wind in my hair, but I’m delighted to be able to get my fresh farm goods during the winter months.

 

Filed Under: CoMo Family, Feed Me CoMo, Misc CoMo Tagged With:

CoMo Beer: CBE Announces Three New Tastings

July 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts (CBE) have come out of hiding to schedule three upcoming tastings. As always, participants are asked to show up with a beer or two that fit the tasting’s theme to share. Typically, two 12 oz. bottles or one bomber (22 oz. or 750 mL) do the trick. If you don’t have beer to share, you can join in by paying $5, but where’s the fun in that?

The three tastings are as follows…

On Sunday, July 22nd at Sycamore, the CBE will hold an “Off the Vine” tasting. Beer enthusiasts are to bring lambics, sours, and fruit beers to share. A nice list of lambicscan be found on Beer Advocate’s site. Technically, lambics fall under the category of sour ales, but sour beers include many more styles such as Berliner Weisse, Flanders red and brown ales, and gueuze. Of course, one could also peruse BA’s list of fruit beers for more choices.

The Best of Summer tasting on August 25th will celebrate the beers of summer. This event will happen at 4PM on 1839 Taphouse’s patio. What defines a “summer beer” is left up to interpretation, but the club suggests summer seasonals, cream ales, golden ales, and blondes as possible styles to enjoy.

Finally, 44 Stone is hosting the “Aged to Perfection” tasting. For this tasting, participants are asked to unearth beers they have been saving for a year or more. Verticals where several vintages of the same beer are tasted in chronological order are encouraged. The tasting will start around 3PM. Then, hang around for dinner afterward. If you don’t have any beers that are over a year old, you can always search local shelves and coolers for older vintages or beers that we can use in a vertical tasting.

For more on these events and all-things-beer-related in CoMo, join the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts on Facebook. Also, be sure to RSVP to these events and participate in the discussion so that members can coordinate beers to share. Also, homebrews are welcome. There’s no better place to get feedback on your homemade brew than a CBE meeting.

 

Filed Under: Beer, CoMo Events, Feed Me CoMo, What's Going On in CoMo Tagged With: , , , ,

CoMo Beer: Top Ten Reasons to Attend the CBE Summer Picnic

June 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A Maharaja vertical at a past CBE picnic. What will people share this year?

The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts are holding their annual summer picnic this Saturday at Albert-Oakland Park, off of Blue Ridge Road. Everyone is welcome, even if you have never been to a CBE event before. Spouses, friends, children, and dogs are all welcome. (However, anyone expecting to consume beer should be 21+, of course.)

The picnic will take place in Shelter #3, located near a playground, restrooms and an aquatic facility. Here’s the map. There is a Family Aquatic Center with a children’s play area which costs $3.75 for adults and $2.50 for kids.

The picnic starts at noon, but all are welcome to come any time throughout the afternoon. The CBE provides burgers and dogs, but please bring a side or dessert and beers to share.

This is a great opportunity to come meet and greet fellow beer enthusiasts and provide input about the kind of craft and homebrew beer events you’d like to have.

In case you’re still debating whether or not to come, CBE president Jade Elwess provided the following top-ten reasons to attend this weekend’s picnic:

10. Swimming – As mentioned above, the family aquatics center provides families a chance to cool off…or to sober up.

9. Food – The CBE provides burgers and hotdogs, but many CBE members like to bring foods that pair well with various beers. Of course, for many of us, beer is just liquid bread.

8. Games (washers, frisbee golf, volleyball…) – Depending on what equipment people bring with them, friendly games have been known to break out during the picnic. They’re even more challenging after a beer or two.

7. Free to attend – There are few things one can do for free in CoMo. The CBE picnic is one of those things.

6. Hopefully good weather, no monsoons/heat waves in June – We’ve had this picnic in a rain storm as well as 100-degree  weather. Luckily, there’s a shelter and cold beer to keep you dry and cool.

5. Be an active voice in planning future events, tastings, give us feedback – We’d like to hear from you all as to what kinds of events you’d like to see in the future. This is a great opportunity to get your voice heard. Who knows? Maybe you’ll decide to be an officer…

4. See the latest in Cabana wear, Hawaiian shirts, plaid shorts, etc. worn by CBE members – There are hints at a mankini, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

3. Families are welcome – Just because it’s a beer event doesn’t mean kids and spouses can’t come. Besides, you may need someone to drive you home.

2. People–come mix and mingle with the CBE and get to know us – Stop lurking online. Come, meet, and talk to real human beings.

1. Beer, beer, beer. –  There is always a great mix of all kinds of beer. Bring any kind. CBE members often bring homebrews, that special bottle in the back of their cellar, or just a tried and true favorite from the store. Just don’t forget to drink water, too.

Filed Under: Beer, CoMo Weekend, Feed Me CoMo, What's Going On in CoMo Tagged With: , , ,

CoMo Beer: Socially Networking Craft Beer

May 8, 2012 By 1 Comment

Craft beer has been booming for the last decade+, but as with many things, such movements take time reaching the former Soviet Union and Mid-Missouri. Thankfully, craft beer is booming in Columbia and throughout Missouri. No place is this more evident than on social networks.

One CoMo establishment that has been leading the way in this area is 44 Stone Public House, located on Peachtree Drive. Of all the best spots for beer in this town, 44 Stone puts forth a consistent effort to keep its clientele abreast of their ever-evolving tap list through Twitter and Facebook. Plus, one can always find 44 Stone owner Dave Faron frequenting the Facebook wall of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts with beer dinner announcements and tap list updates. Dave even announced the bar’s “tap cams” which are cameras focused on the two chalk boards featuring the offerings from their twelve taps. Plus, the food is pretty good…

Another fine place to find tap lists is COMO Tap, a Google spreadsheet I set up for restaurant and bar owners to update. Some establishments are better than others at updating their tap lists, but it still beats having to call ahead or simply hope your favorite beer is on tap. To view the list, go here. Send this link to your favorite establishment if you want them to participate.

Of course, the best way to get beer information in this town is to find the people in the know. A one-stop location for the best beer knowledge in mid-MO can be found in the Facebook group established by the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. There is also a blog and Twitter feed the CBE maintain. A few members (founding, lapsed, and everything in between) even engage beer discussions on Twitter:

  • @catbacker77 – Seth T regularly reports his Beer Advocate reviews.
  • @ScottMRowson – Tribune food columnist and Show-Me Eats blogger also knows a thing or two about beer.
  • @columbiabeer – If you could see this man’s cellar and or brewing system, you would understand why he’s mentioned here.
  • @josh_rein – Josh brews down at Broadway and is pretty connected in the local beer scene.

A few establishments work hard to get the work out concerning their tap lists and beer shipments out there. Be sure to follow these businesses on Twitter and Facebook.

Of course, there are always the breweries here in CoMo. All three have Facebook and Twitter feeds to watch for releases and deals. Give them all a follow then give them your money.

If you’re into craft beer, you need to follow the people and organizations listed above. If you sell craft beer and aren’t mentioned above, what are you waiting for? Make your case in the comments and engage the growing craft beer community in CoMo!

Filed Under: Beer, Feed Me CoMo Tagged With: ,

Dinner and Movie Nights at Centro Latino

April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Centro Latino is holding spring dinner and movie nights as part of their health literacy program. The dinners look delicious–fresh, hardy, plant-based fare. The films are the sort that prompt much discussion and reflection.


Friday 4-27-2012 @ 6pm FORKS OVER KNIVES: Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.

Saturday 4-28-2012 @ 6pm REVERSING THE IRREVERSIBLE: While traveling around the United States and Canada teaching about the raw food lifestyle, Valya Boutenko has encountered many individuals who improved their health naturally. Inspired by their stories, Valya decided to film some of the most amazing turn-arounds and to share them with the rest of the world.

Sunday 4-29-2012 @ 6pm HOLLISTIC WELLNESS for the HipHop Generation: This film is dedicated to all of those who are willing to thug, ride and freedom fight against the mind, body and soul sickness that we have internalized. This film is represented in three parts; mind, body and spirit/soul. Each being a vessel to motivate and inform the youth about the importance of liberating their minds, cells and stomachs from the clutches of disease. Before we can change and affect the world, we must first affect and change ourselves.

Friday 5-4-2012 @ 6pm THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: When Cuba lost access to Soviet oil in the early 1990’s the country faced an immediate crisis – feeding the population – and an ongoing challenge: how to create a new low-energy society. Cuba transitioned from large, fossil-fuel intensive farming to small, less energy intensive organic farms and urban gardens, and from a highly industrial society to a more sustainable one.

The movie/dinner nights are being held at Centro Latino, 609 N. Garth St. in the Comedor Popular (People’s Diner). A ten dollar donation is suggested.  I am particularly interested in the last two films; maybe I’ll see you there.

Filed Under: Feed Me CoMo, Misc CoMo, What's Going On in CoMo Tagged With:

CoMo Beer: Rock Bridge Brewing

April 12, 2012 By 1 Comment

Last night, Rock Bridge Brewing Company cut a symbolic ribbon outside of Shakespeare’s Pizza, the first CoMo restaurant/bar to host the newest craft beer addition in Missouri. Shakespeare’s served three of the new brewery’s beers: Sif’s Blonde, Farmer’s Daughter Peppered Rye Saison, and Cysquatch IPA. I had the opportunity to try two of the three brews and the results were promising.

Sif’s Blonde is a style I don’t normally go for. It’s sort of gateway into craft beer. However, Broadway Brewery brewer Josh Rein suggested I try it first. I was not disappointed. Although not a style known for bitterness, this beer featured a sharp, hoppy bite. That was followed with a pleasantly dry finish. Too many blonde ales feature a bit of sweetness at the end. Sif’s finish comes correct. It’s one of the better blonde ales I’ve had. If you’re not into heavy beers, this is probably the place to start. I’d even recommend the beer to die-hard hop heads, scared of something malty.

I had time for a second beer, choosing between the Saison and IPA, probably my two favorite styles. Again, Josh suggested that the IPA was in a cask. How could I turn down cask beer?

Because it came from the cask, Cysquatch IPA came out a murky brown with lots of floaties. Despite all the yeast (and most likely a healthy dose of additional hops in the cask), it was a balanced beer, more bitter than sweet. It was a heavy drinker, just how I’ve grown to love IPA’s. It will be interesting to try this beer again from a regular keg or eventually bottles.

Cyclops + Sasquatch = Cysquatch

As of now, Rock Bridge beers can be had at Shakespeare’s downtown location. In the near future, they are set to be served at Bengals Bar & Grill, Shiloh Bar & Grill, Bleu Restaurant & Wine Bar, 44 Stone Public House and 1839 Taphouse. As CoMo’s first wholesale brewery, expect to see them around town, eventually finding space on retail shelves.

This event marks what has been a busy year in Missouri craft beer expansion. Just last week, St. Louis’ Perennial Artisan Ales arrived with a release party extending between several local bars and retailers. Before that, 2nd Shift Brewing, also of St. Louis, entered the CoMo market. Additionally, Four Hands Brewing has made a splash in St. Louis with their impressive opening lineup of beers, hopefully headed to Mid-MO soon. With established Missouri breweries like Saint Louis (Schlafly), Boulevard, and O’Fallon, among others, already in the fold, it’s a great time to be a beer enthusiast in Columbia – or even a Columbia Beer Enthusiast.

That said, it’s a big step for CoMo to add our own production brewery in Rock Bridge. With established brewpubs like Flat Branch and Broadway brewing their own beers, no longer do we have to pine for new breweries to distribute here. Yes, it’s been a big deal to get the likes of Firestone Walker, Founders, Stone, among others, but the growth of our own beer culture is dependent on homegrown brews. Rock Bridge Brewing Company is welcome step forward for craft beer in Columbia.

Filed Under: Beer, Feed Me CoMo Tagged With: , , , ,

Feed Me CoMo: Oasis Cafe

April 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Chicken Shawarma with Hummus

I had heard some good reviews about the new Oasis Cafe here in Columbia, so today I grabbed a friend and we headed out to lunch. There are signs on the wall with pictures and descriptions of the different menu items, and the owner Ayman Harb will be glad to explain them to you as well if you aren’t familiar with an item. We placed our order and went to sit and wait for our food, which was quickly prepared and out to us within five minutes.

My friend ordered #17, the Gyro plate with salad. It was a large platter full of rice, gyro meat, grilled onions and peppers, and came with a large Mediterranean type salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, Greek olives and dressing). She reported that everything was delicious. I ordered #8, Chicken Shawarma with Hummus (as you can see in the picture above; it also came with pita that I couldn’t squeeze in the frame). The chicken had wonderful flavor to it (it was described as having 20 spices) and was cooked well with a slight crispness to it that could be described as blackening, but in a good way. The hummus was smooth and nutty and came with olive oil in the middle and a spicy-but-not-too-much-so chili paste. Either meal would have been plenty had we decided to split one (and yet I still ate all of mine, which is why I need a nap this afternoon).

The cafe itself is clean, simple and utilitarian; I’m guessing not much remodeling was done after the last tenant left. There are plenty of tables inside for the small size of the store, and a couple outside as well.

Prices range from$6.95 to $11.95 and are worth every penny.

The Oasis Cafe is located at 2609 E. Broadway, Suite 204 (the old Roly Poly location). Phone is (573) 442-8727.

Filed Under: Feed Me CoMo, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With:

Art + Food = Let Them Eat Art!

April 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

On Thursday, April 5, the Columbia Art League hosted Let Them Eat Art!, an evening event pairing creative art with creative food. The event was held in conjunction with CAL’s current exhibit, Eat Me!, featuring food-inspired works of art. For Let Them Eat Art! a dozen local chefs were invited to choose a piece of art as inspiration for a platter of tapas-style dishes. Guests sampled the tapas and voted on the most creative dish. I heard the evening was so successful that CAL may consider it as an annual event. If so, keep an eye out for this on their calendar next Spring. If you appreciate good food and art, this is something you don’t want to miss!

Also, please visit our facebook page to see more photos from the event!

 

Filed Under: Art Galleries, CoMo Arts and Music, Feed Me CoMo, Misc CoMo Tagged With: , , , ,

CoMo Food : Friday Bites

February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A few quick bites of information about food here in Columbia, Missouri…

  • The Bleu move: In case you missed the uproar, Bleu is picking up and moving to the Boone Tavern space. We were given the lowdown by an insider and the move wasn’t Bleu’s choice but is probably the best thing since relations with The Tiger were quite strained. Get the scoop on Show Me Eats. Note: Bleu won’t be reopening until April so plan to get your True/False eats elsewhere.
  • Penn Station, a popular sub chain, just opened a franchise location in the Gerbes shopping center on Grindstone (next to Hallmark.)  The fresh lemonade has gotten high marks from friends.
  • Get your tickets now for the Art of Food evening benefiting North Village Arts District Farmers and Artisans Market. For $30 a ticket (or $50 for two) you can enjoy food and beverages. Local chefs from  local chefs from Broadway Brewery, Les Bourgeois, Red and Moe’s, Sycamore, and The Wine Cellar & Bistro will be preparing appetizers.  The event is March 15th from 6-9 and a limited number of tickets are available at PS Gallery and the Root Cellar.
  • The second wave of Bell’s limited release Hopslam is at local outlets like HyVee and Schnucks. Schnucks seems to have the best price, $18.99 a six pack. Here’s what The COMO Collective’s own Zac Early thought of this year’s release.

 

Filed Under: Feed Me CoMo, Quick Bites
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