Clock House brewing with another tasty sounding release coming at us a week from today! On Thursday, October 8th they will be releasing “Southern Cousins” fruited kettle sour with apricots and peaches. This release will be a draft only, so make sure to stop in and try a pour!
There is no better way to ring in fall than an amazing meal, and a few drinks while sitting at picnic table on a beautiful farm. In the last 5 years, fall for me has always started the day of the Kroul Farm/Pullman Diner dinner! In the past, the days were a bit warm at times, a bit chilly, and this year soggy and rainy but the staff from both places always go above and beyond and deliver an absolutely stellar and memorable dinner! Special shout out to the Kroul family, Cory Kent, Ben Smart, T.J. Lytle and all the chefs and staff that made this night happen again! On to the dishes:
We started with a few small bites that were not listed on the menu. I’m not 100% sure on all the ingredients but they were the perfect start to the meal.
DISH #1 – Heirloom Tomato Salad – pickled eggplant, baba ghanoush, toasted seeds, red onion, roasted peppers, olive, tomato tahini vinaigrette, herbs, and wood fired pita – an outstanding dish to start. The grilled pita was superb and the vinaigrette was light but extremely delicious. I think I need more tahini in my life.
DISH #2 – Ricotta and Pecorino Cannelloni – local mushrooms, sweet corn bechamel, shaved black truffle – this might have been my favorite dish of the night and my introduction to black truffles. Why are they so expensive? Because they are one of the best things you’ll ever taste!!! That sweet corn bechamel would taste good with anything and I’ll take any mushrooms anytime! Top notch dish!
DISH #3 – Chicken Roulade – stuffed with fennel sausage, pickled mustard, roasted fennel, grilled stone fruit, stone fruit mostarda, farm greens, chicken jus – wonderful combination of flavors with this roulade as you get something delicious in every bite. Stunning dish as well!
DISH #4 – Duo of beef – braised greens, glazed pumpkin, pickled chiles, salsa verde, pumpkin seeds, and short rib bourguignon – the beef was cooked perfectly and the addition of the pickled chiles and salsa verde really made this dish stand out. I could eat short rib for the rest of my life and be a happy man!
DISH #5 – Jonathan Apple Crisp – brown butter financier, pecan crumble, maple syrup compressed apples, butterscotch, cream fraiche ice cream – after all the amazing food the most underrated part of the dinner is the dessert these chefs come up with. Dessert is not something I get excited about but every year they come up with some best desserts I’ve had!
I look forward to this event every year and it never disappoints! An amazing accomplishment from the chefs and staff to put together a meal this lavish and decadent. Another note about the event was how well spaced everything was in accordance with social distancing measures as well as everyone being masked, all staff and attendees were respectful of one another throughout the evening.
This one is sure to be a can’t miss for coconut lovers! Batch 1,001 coming from Lion Bridge! Here’s more:
Oco Noco (Imperial Milk Stout w/Coconut, 10.5%) – For batch 1001 we wanted to make something special. We decided to take an exceptional Imperial Milk Stout base beer and put an obscene amount of toasted and un-toasted coconut into it until beer and confectionary treat melded seamlessly together. Simple, but oh so decadent.$21.99 4-pack.
Available to place orders on Sunday Oct 11 at 9pm for pick up on Wednesday.
I’m a little late to the party on this event, but get your tickets to this years Big Grove “Oktoberfest”! The Iowa City location will be hosting this event, below are the details and the only thing I see missing from the event is a good old fashioned “slap off”! Chad Young v. Kent Ball anyone?
Here are the details:
Dust off the lederhosen! The chefs and brewers of Big Grove are coming together for a one-night-only, German beer dinner in Iowa City 
Throughout this five-course meal, prepared by our award-winning chefs, we’ll celebrate our very own Oktoberfest with socially distant games and good times. We’ll have hammerschlagen (each table gets its own hammer), stein holding contests, and maybe even a lil’ yodle-ay-hee-hoo!Each guest will receive their own Big Grove stein and a complimentary pour of their Big Grove lager of choice. The menu will be released closer to the event date.Tables are available in groups of 4 ($200), 6 ($300), or 8 ($400). Guests will be spaced throughout the taproom and patio areas in their groups of 4, 6, or 8.Any questions regarding table sizes, please email events@biggrovebrewery.com
Huge Prairie drop coming from Abu Nawas which includes a sour mix pack and some of our old favorites plus Stillwater getting into the world of seltzers! Here we go:
STILLWATER
PRAIRIE
From the folks who brought you 30hop, comes Tribute! A new restaurant that should be opening its doors in mid to late October! Here’s more on this new dining option:
IOWA RIVER LANDING LOCATION UNDERGOES RENOVATION ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NEW XTREAM ARENA!
CORALVILLE, IA – 30hop Restaurant is excited to introduce it’s newest full service concept, Tribute Eatery & Bar to the corridor. With an anticipated opening date in the second half of October, Tribute is currently undergoing a full renovation with a brand new design.
Tribute aims to bring sophisticated and fresh cuisine to a smart and convivial crowd. Its menu focuses on delivering artisanal sandwiches, shareable snacks, hearty salads and seasonal favorites with its inviting, classic space and laid back vibe anchored by a spanning warm wood bartop.
Tribute Eatery & Bar is brought to you by the 30hop team. We are exciting to announce 30hop Cedar Rapids Managing Partner, Darin Blum, will function as its General Manager. Coralville’s current Sous Chef, Cody Sammons, has been appointed to Executive Chef and current Assistant Manager, Blake Laughton, will act as the Assistant General Manager!
Tribute is now hiring for all front and back house positions. We encourage those will all degrees of experience to apply!
Another week and another release of some delicious sounding beers from our amazing Iowa breweries. This time around, it will be Clock House Brewing in CR releasing two new milkshake IPAs on September 24th! Blueberry Bubbler and Mango Bubbler will have a presale release this Sunday! Here’s more on these two:
Blueberry Bubbler is a Milkshake IPA with milk sugar and vanilla beans. Dry hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Azacca. Rested on real blueberries to finish. The Mango Bubbler is a Milkshake IPA with milk sugar and vanilla beans. Dry hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe, and Azacca. Rested on real Mango pieces to finish. The preorder form for cans of the Milkshake IPA’s will be posted on Sunday at Noon.
Some exciting news from Big Grove Brewery this week as they plan to release their hazy double ipa “Starla” in cans this weekend. Showcasing citra and Idaho 7 hops, the first release of “Starla” clocked in at 6.4%, not sure if the 2nd run will be the same or not. Along with “Starla” Big Grove has also released “All New Everything” double IPA in cans.
A busy week for BG for sure and to top it off, their collab with Adventurous Brewing, “Big Adventure” hazy double IPA and “Northside” Helles Lager will be featured in Northside Oktoberfest in a box. So, if you got in on the Northside release you’re getting what are sure to be some tasty brews! The weekend approaches and cold beer will be welcomed! Support your local breweries, bars, and restaurants! Cheers!
If you find yourself in or around the lovely town of Dewitt, Iowa on November 7th, drive on over to Murphy’s Pub and sip on some delicious Big Grove Brewery Richard the Whale! That’s not all that will be on tap: Color TV and Turtle Hunter will also be there to wet your whistle! Here’s more courtesy of Murphy’s Pub:
Join us as we tap our first ever keg of Richard the Whale from Iowa’s own Big Grove Brewery! This Russian Imperial Stout is Bourbon Barrel Aged and comes in at 11.5% ABV. This particular keg is the 2019 Richard aged for about 11 months.
We will also be tapping Big Grove’s Turtle Hunter & Color TV! No carry-out / no growlers. More details to come.
