Because you can’t have enough beer, we put off editing our Munich photos another day to attend a beer dinner in Chapel Hill last night. One look at the menu and I knew I would like everything offered but the key was how well the beer would match the food. The verdict? Chef Gallis used each of the paired beers in their respective dishes. Awesome!
We had a bit of a mix up upon arrival as the guy who wrote us back about having two spots apparently never told the restaurant, so we were missing from the list. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us and we found ourselves sitting across from the brewery rep, Scott and his girlfriend. As is true with many meals, those seated around you affect your dinner experience and we had a lively and friendly bunch at our table, especially as the night wore on. Cypress was pouring at least a half pint per course, so although we managed to consume all our beer (go us!), many tables left abandoned beer.
The menu and our notes are below…
1st Course
Belgian Style Beer Braised Icy Blue Mussels with Garlic, Shallots, Tomatoes, House-Made Pancetta & Fresh Herbs
Beer: Torch Pilsner
Notes: Mussels had great flavor and were cooked well and the sauce was light, but no bread? Can’t serve mussels without something to mop up the sauce!
2nd Course
House-Made Green Chorizo Fundito with Warm Fresh Corn Tortillas
Beer: Pilot Mountain Pale Ale
Notes: Probably Eric’s second favorite dish of the night, this dish was served family style. Directions included stir, scoop, roll and eat. Tasty. Really balanced the hops in the Pale Ale.
3rd Course
Randy’s Boudin Blanc (White Pork Sausage) with Beer Braised Purple Cabbage, Roasted Apples, and Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce
Beer: India Style Brown Ale
Notes: My favorite dish, the sausage was light and fluffy and grilled to perfection. The purple cabbage had a nice vinegar flavor but I could have used even more mustard to offset the sweetness of the sausage.
4th Course
Cypress Black Angus Sliders on Stephen’s House-Made Yeast Rolls with Applewood Smoked Bacon, English Cheddar, and House-Made Ketchup
Beer: People’s Porter
Notes: My favorite beer of the night paired with beef, hooray! Everything on the plate was delicious, but Eric’s burger was underdone for him so we wound up switching. The rolls were especially tasty.
Dessert Course
Chocolate Cake and Total Eclipse Stout Ice Cream Sandwich
Beer: Total Eclipse Stout
Notes: Delicious. You could really taste the beer in the ice cream and the ice cream took a little bitterness away from the beer.
Overall, we thought the dinner was a good value, and we really enjoyed the night at Cypress on the Hill.
Complete side-note: We always seem to get the same (incompetent) waiter the last few times we’ve visited the actual brewery in Winston-Salem, so it was a welcome change to have the good Foothills brew and good service.