Hoisting a Pint to Moms everywhere!

Most women are capable of bearing children, hence earning the title of "mother."

But not all of them can be a "Mom," with all the duties, responsibilities, respect and love that title commands. It is a sacred position, because the "hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." A very Happy Mother's Day to all you "Moms" in FB land.

And a special one for the Mom who blesses my life and my sons' lives.

God bless you all.

The Ledger's (Light) Lager Reading on Jersey Beer...

There are many more stories to be told than are shared in this saga, but give credit where it's due...here's an interesting article to read while you enjoy a good craft beer from any of NJ's craft breweries or brewpubs.

 

The history of beer in New Jersey | - New Jersey Magazine | Living in New Jersey | Inside Jersey - NJ.com

Irish Pub and Italian Food? Fuggeddahboutit!

By Kurt Epps—The PubScout

I can just hear Paulie Walnuts, Sylvio Dante and the big kahuna himself—Tony Soprano—speaking the words in this title.

But that's only because they probably don't know Chef Johnny La Barbera, the dyed-in-the-wool Italian kid who runs the scullery at Hailey's Harp and Pub in Metuchen, NJ. The guy just keeps on impressing with his homemade creations, and since his home was most definitely Calabrese, Napolitano or Siciliano, the love of Italian cooking runs through his blood.

I should have known the night was going to be unusual for two reasons. First, I found a parking place right in front of Hailey's, and second, Owner Chris Flynn was sashaying about the pub in a kilt wearing green sneakers. With those omens, I decided to forego my usual Potato-Leek soup and Shepherd's Pie accompanied by a few Hailey's Ales. With Chris's sporran at my eye-height, I ventured into the culinary unknown and ordered a Baked Eggplant Rollatini dish. On an earlier visit, the missus had raved about the Penne Pasta, so I knew I wasn't getting a pig in a poke.

Although that's what I felt like when I tried to get up after eating Johnny's creation. One word describes this dish: Un-friggin'-believable. Thin slices of finely breaded, flavorful eggplant over a bed of ziti in an incredible homemade sauce were topped by a thick layer of homemade mozzarella. The combination was nothing short of incredible, and the missus—of Italian extraction herself—concurred with gusto.

As usual, there was no room for dessert, but I must confess to a dilemma. Of all the foods I have paired with beer, Italian food, especially with red sauce, is very difficult to match. Quite honestly, my favorite beverage with that food is a good Bardolino, Chianti or Barbaresco. So what to do in an irish pub with a favorite beer (made by brewmeister Dave Hoffman)?

Fuggeddahboutit. Have a Hailey's Ale when you sit down at the table. Finish it before the eggplant comes. Eat the baked eggplant. Have another Hailey's for dessert.

Ya see, T? It ain't so hard. And I'm pretty sure Johnny's sauce would stack up well against Carmella's.

And don't whack Chris for the kilt. He's a man's man. He's good people.

©Kurt E. Epps 2010 All rights reserved.

Bikes, Butts and Beer

Surfing the Net after picking up my new bike, I did a search for a combination of three of my favorite things: motorcycles, cigars and beer, not necessarily in that order. And I came upon this cool site run by one Aaron Morris:

http://www.beerbikesbutts.com/

Check it out, if you're a mind to...

Cheers till next time!
The PubScout

Big Sam’s and The Perfect Storm

By Kurt Epps, The PubScout

I had sold my last motorcycle some years ago, having no time to ride it. Now I do, and I had the itch to get a new one. I found one on eBay that was used, but it only had 1990 miles on it, and it was in mint—I mean MINT-- condition. The fellow I was dealing with was in Virginia Beach, so I'd have to go get it. His name was Oscar Barber and he ran, among other things, a self storage facility there.

I drove down to the commonwealth to seal the deal, and, besides arranging for the U-haul trailer that would carry my prize back to the Tax State, Oscar was nice enough to arrange for me to have an oceanfront room right on Virginia Beach—for just $49 for the night. The proprietor told me that my room would fetch $249 per night a month from now when The Season kicked in.

I got settled and Oscar, his son, Ricky and I went out to dinner to conclude the process. I know as many bars in Virginia Beach as Oscar knows in Perth Amboy so I let him pick the place. My only caveat was that it had to have decent beer. Oscar eschewed all the fancy places on the strip that charge July prices in April, and he pulled up in front of a ramshackle looking place called Big Sam's. I don't know how big Sam actually is, but if he was on the premises, from the outside, the place looked as if it could hold the three of us and maybe Olive Oyl.

Stepping into the place did nothing to dispel my original assessment. Four foot flames licked out from a galley on the right as two cooks dodged the fiery tongues and did their best to manage the meals. A quick look about as the waitress led us to our corner table revealed that Big Sam's was anything but. Still, it sat right on the water of the marina and the menu looked about as down home as you could get. The more I looked about, the more I felt a baseball-hatted George Clooney and his fishing crew from the ill-fated Andrea Gale might be having some beers at the next table.

It wasn't the fanciest of places, for sure. The best places rarely are fancy. But there was a definite charm about it that made it feel like a haven from life's storms. In fact, it was, because no sooner did we sit, than a monster thunderboomer broke over the whole area, with lightning flashes bathing the marina and its tenants in an eerie light. The rain was torrential, and the thunder terrific, but we sat safe and warm in the hands of a friendly waitress who made us feel like we were her relatives.

The beer list had a few good choices on it. I ordered a Sierra Nevada, and as it turned out, that classic matched perfectly with Big Sam's Hatteras Clam Chowder, quite possibly the best chowder of any variety I have ever had anywhere. Clear broth, chock full of delectable, tender clams and peppery to the palate, it might be worth a six-hour return trip just for that combo.

My Fried Shrimp were huge, succulent and perfectly done, so it was clear the "flame dodgers" out front knew their business. And whatever was in the batter also went perfectly with the beer from Chico, CA. The portions were massive—there must have been eight large shrimp on my plate.

We waited out the storm, although mostly oblivious to it, as we chatted and got to know each other beyond the basics of the business transaction, and before we knew it, the meal was over and it was time to leave the shelter of Big Sam's and head back to my room to prep for the next day's journey.

"Nice fellas, good men," I thought to myself, as I leaned back on my balcony chair, enjoying a cigar and watching the remnants of The Perfect Storm head out to sea. "And a neat place," I mused. Big Sam's was a perfect place to ride out that storm, too. I'd go back there in a minute, fair weather or foul.

I savored the moment. My only regret was that I didn't have another Sierra Nevada to increase the enjoyment of it.

Check photos out here.

©Kurt E. Epps 2010 All Rights Reserved

Would you want to be Gray Powell today?

Maybe. Especially if the German beer was as good as he says.

According to Gizmodo, Apple software engineer Gray Powell took a prototype of the phone out to a birthday party at a Redwood City beer garden on March 18.

"I underestimated how good German beer is," Powell reportedly typed into the next-generation iPhone he was testing in the field, which was cleverly disguised as an iPhone 3GS. It was his last Facebook update from the secret iPhone, reports Gizmodo, and the last time he saw the iPhone before leaving it on a bar stool and stumbling home.

 

FOXNews.com - Apple Gets Back Its No-Longer-a-Secret Secret iPhone

Relax! Have a Homebrew...or two

Check the link below if you are a Middlesex or Mercer County homebrewer. Should be a fun time for all on June 5 at Hailey's Harp and Pub in Metuchen. BTW, any homebrewer worth his malt should know what and who the first four words in the title refer to...

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