FLOWER MOUND – My second beer-pairing dinner at Local Pint, and one as equally impressive as the first. Although the courses and pairings risk becoming formulaic, the quality remains shockingly good for a small suburban gastropub still below the local craft beer radar. This evening strongly demonstrated the previous dinner was not a fluke.
This menu featured beers from California’s Firestone Walker Brewing, which provided some better quality and variety for the course pairings. The chef’s talent is revealed in every dish, not only in the food itself but its selection, presentation and restraint. One example is the house-made pasta (shown below), which was quite rich and heavy yet portioned well enough to be satisfying without disrupting a multi-course meal.
As usual, each course sent me scrambling to Google to look up dishes, ingredients and terminology. Beyond being showy, the culinary vocabulary provides a challenging (in a good way) and engaging dining experience. Eagerly looking forward to the next event.
First: House-Made Charcuterie including fig leaf-wrapped terrine, chicken liver mousse with orange marmalade, whey caramel glazed ham, ventricina d’abruzzo, n’duja, crackers, focaccia. Paired with Firestone Walker Lager.
Second: Burrata Salad with mixed greens, smoked strawberries, shaved cotton candy grapes, strawberry-hibiscus vinaigrette, puffed grains. Paired with Rosalie (rosé beer).
Third: Summer Casarecce pasta with corn panna, grilled baby corn, cherry tomatoes, mixed pepper conserva, Parmesan, charred hatch chile powder, pancetta. Paired with Mind Haze IPA.
Fourth: 36-Hour Pork Collar with mustard buerre blanc, caramelized cauliflower puree, cured carrots in carrot vinegar, mustard frills. Paired with Firestone Walker DBA.
Fifth: Bombolini with brioche, whiskey sugar, blood orange ice cream, smashed tart cherries, pistachio cream, shortbread cookie crumbs. Paired with Old Manhattan.
dcbe 
1 Comment