“Fun not Fancy” group teaming with Backpocket for beer dinner set for 10/24!

October 9, 2024Leave a comment

Courtesy of FNF Facebook page:

It’s more important to be fun than fancy. Join us as the FNF chefs take over our kitchen with a curated Fun Not Fancy dinner and beer pairing on Thursday, October 24th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Ticket sales are now live, and we have a limited quantity available – so make sure to reserve your spot now!

The dinner will have several courses including…
Giant Pizza Amuse Bouche, Baked Oysters, Pork Belly, Beef Short Rib, Charred Pumpkin Coconut Soup & more. Each course will be perfectly paired with a 5oz Backpocket beer.

Stay tuned for the full menu & pairing reveal soon!

Big Grove IC hosting “Okotberfest” beer dinner on Thursday October 13th!

September 13, 2022Leave a comment

Tickets are available for Big Grove’s latest beer and food pairing, this time emanating from their Iowa City location. Menu and beers not released yet, but stay tuned for more info on that as the date nears! Get your tickets HERE. Here’s more from BG on this dinner:

Dust off the lederhosen and get ready for another Oktoberfest at Big Grove! The chefs and brewers of Big Grove are coming together for a one-night, 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 games and good times. We’ll have a pretzel flip, stein hold, hammerschlagen, and a special surprise at the end!

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and dinner service will begin at 6:30 p.m. 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.

This event will be hosted in our private game room area with tables of 4 or 8.

Tickets are sold as a whole table.

Big Grove Richard the Whale Dinner: Food and Beer Event of the Year!

December 6, 2021Leave a comment

Friday night, December 3rd, sitting on a high raise table overlooking some of the best chefs in the state, maybe even the country, put on an absolute clinic on cooking, plating, and presenting some of the most wonderful food I’ve ever had put in front of me, all the while sipping on the yet to be released Richard the Whale Well Baked and Shadeshine IPA….I thought to myself…all food/beer lovers need to experience this one day and how lucky I was at that moment to get to take part in it. Big Grove has been the upper echelon on their releases, especially the Richard the Whale release, and every year they make it even more enjoyable with their food and beer offerings, but the one thing that shines even more than those things is just how amazing their staff is. Friendly, helpful, and just overall looking like they are happy to be there. This setup was a spectacle, setup like an Iron Chef type feel, video displayed on TVs showing the chefs plating, the amount of work and thought put into everything was evident. I won’t be breaking down every dish, I’ll trickle some pictures here and there, take a look and let your mouth water.

Watching the chefs put their talents on display for a 15 course dinner of foods that elegant was the ultimate treat. The care about what they serve, the interaction with the diners, and pure joy and smiles they had throughout the night was reflected in every dish. I do want to implore you, that if the chance to go to a Big Grove beer dinner is ever on the table for you, no matter what..do it…it’s worth it..it will be completely worth it….do not hesitate…this group of people simply do it the best!

Thank you Janelle for having me, thanks to all the chefs especially Ben, Sean, and T.J., thanks do Doug and Matt, thanks to Andy for sampling out some of their amazing beers…now it’s time to make your mouth water with some pictures! Cheers and thank you BG!

Big Grove “Oktoberfest” beer dinner set for Thursday, October 22nd!

September 29, 2020Leave a comment

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

Cobble Hill/Lion Bridge Beer Dinner Set for April 4th!

March 15, 2019March 15, 2019Leave a comment

Lion Bridge Brewing and Cobble Hill restaurant, both in CR, have announced the date for their popular beer dinner. April 4th is the date, and if you want tickets you might want to jump on this quick as last year’s event sold out in 2 days. One of Iowa’s best breweries and one of Iowa’s best restaurants together for a night leading to a can’t miss event. Click HERE for the link to tickets and more info on the event below.

Come celebrate the birthdays of two of your favorite local businesses: Cobble Hill and Lion Bridge Brewing! Cobble Hill turned 6 in February and Lion Bridge is coming up on year 5, this month!

Head Brewer of Lion Bridge, Quinton McClain, and Executive Chef Andy Schumacher, and their teams, have put together a 5 – course meal with beer pairings, beginning with a welcome pint and a snack at the bar for your first course. The menu and pairings will highlight, complement, and celebrate the skills of these two talented individuals and the diverse teams that assist them.

This will be an experience not to be missed! Unique and well loved beers from Lion Bridge will be paired with imaginative dishes from the Cobble Hill team.

Price includes all tax and gratuity. All you have to do is show up and enjoy!

Big Grove Brewery and Taproom Hosting “Chef’s Night Off” Potluck Event August 12th!

July 30, 2018July 30, 2018Leave a comment

In what will no doubt be an amazing time with terrific food, beer, and socializing, “Chef’s Night Off” will feature chefs from Big Grove, Pullman, and Saint Burch, cooking you a feast potluck style right before your eyes. Here are the deets on this Big Grove inspired summer BBQ!

Here’s your invitation to:

…a beautiful summer day
…a backyard barbecue
…8 talented local chefs cooking for you.

Ever wonder what chefs are cooking for their friends and family on their day off? This is your opportunity to go behind the scenes and experience a bountiful potluck style meal, cooked right in front of you and served al fresco on a wonderful Iowa summer night. Chef’s from Big Grove Iowa City, Big Grove Solon, Pullman Bar & Diner and St. Burch Tavern will be pulling back the curtain and sharing their passion (and maybe a beer or two) with you!

In the wake of several high profile suicides, and the rampant metal illness issues that plague the service industry, a portion of our proceeds will be donated to support The Crisis Center to aid suicide awareness and prevention. https://www.jccrisiscenter.org/

Tickets are $30 for this all you can eat potluck. Visit the link below to order, cheers!

Chef’s Night Off Tickets

Lion Bridge Brewery Presents: Dinner w/ Chef Regina Escalante!

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018Leave a comment

A wonderful sounding menu that will no doubt include some wonderful beers, here’s the press release on the latest local beer dinner courtesy of Lion Bridge and Chef Escalante! This sounds like a can’t miss event!

Join us for a unique evening with Chef Regina Escalante from Merida, Mexico on August 6th at Lion Bridge Brewing Company.

Regina studied Culinary School and Restaurant Management at the prestigious Paul Bocuse Institute in France. She has worked at some of the finest restaurants in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille before returning to her hometown in Merida, Yucatan to start her own restaurant, Merci. She worked at Michelin star restaurants such as La Table de Lancaster with Chef Rochetau; the Hotel Crillon, with Chef Christopher Hache in Paris; and at Le Petite Nice, under Chef Gerald Passedat in Marseille.

Regina started her career under the tutelage of Chef Cheryl Lewis in Portland, Maine as well as Chef Roberto Solis from Mexico at the young age of 17. Regina’s mother is American and her father is from Merida, Mexico. The fusion of Mexican, American, and French cultures from her upbringing manifests itself in her dishes and creations.

Regina and her husband Vincent Ros opened the doors of their own restaurant Merci in 2014, where they focus on serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch chef-inspired, locally sourced dishes.

Regina was named one of “Mexico’s Top Chefs” by The Larousse Institute at the young age of 29.

Chef Regina Escalante has worked with The Nature Conservancy on a project to protect the traditional milpa systems of the Mayan and supports urban farming projects to empower her French-style cuisine and invite her consumers to support local products; in this meeting of worlds we are taken deep into the Maya Forest to discover how milpa farming systems continue to evolve to protect seed diversity and stop deforestation.

Regina is also part of the Slow Food Movement.

She will be presenting at Newbo Evolve™ in Cedar Rapids the weekend of August 4-5 and hosting a 4-course dinner at Lion Bridge Brewing Company on August 6. We will have suggested beer pairings with all of her courses.