Monty Python and an Improv Puppet Show

Sometimes things don't work out as you plan.  Sometimes you do everything right:  You set up the event, you  market yourself well, you sell the tickets, you collect all of the tools you need, you get everyone together, and  the smallest piece of equipment lets you down and ruins your night.  Once the night is ruined, you do your best to apologize and do damage control, dealing with people who can't see past their own inconvenience and "will never do business with you again."

After three days in Tallahassee (a town that I happen to like a lot), we were ready for the coolest event that I have seen in my days of being a beer rep.  The guys and gals at Fermentation Lounge had set up not only a promotion for the Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, but took it 100 steps further.

On a property a few addresses down from Fermentation Lounge rests an old Coca Cola building with a field behind it that the folks at F.L. have turned into an area that they refer to as The Hop Yard.  In The Hop Yard they have installed keg coolers, lighting, and seating with the option of stretching a screen to show video.

On this particular day, they had arranged a very special treat with tickets going on sale prior to the event.  Below is the advert for the event from the Fermentation Lounge blog:

 http://thefermentationlounge.com/blog/

Everything is officially set for Holy Grail night.  Here are the details:

• It is Thursday, July 19, at 8:00 at the All Saints Hop Yard.
• Tickets are $25 and will go on sale as soon as we get them printed.  We will make an announcement the moment tickets get in.  There is no pre-ticket list to get on.
• You get a dinner of Killer Rabbit (actually chicken, potatoes, and corn).  You can specify a vegetarian alternative.
• You get one of those super cool Holy Grail chalices that you may have seen in the Lounge recently.
• You get to fill that chalice up twice with Holy Grail Ale.
• At 9:00 the screening of Holy Grail commences.

As you can plainly see (and please read their blog), they take their entertainment seriously.  They recently did a Casablanca Night that I'd have loved to have gone to.

So, after all was set up and the tickets were sold and the beer was flowing and the crowd was primed - 5 minutes into the movie, the projector breaks.  Without warning, without an apology, it just goes.  

Now, as a veteran in the bar and restaurant business, I could only glimpse the people in the crowd, moaning, groaning, yelling, wanting their money back, etc.  Not this crowd.  After cracking a few jokes, these kind folks just kept drinking, being merry, and enjoying their time.  Luckily, we still had audio so we could still hear the film and play out the scenes in our heads.

Then the funniest thing occurred.  

On the screen appeared some shadow figures.  We laughed a tad as a figure of a knight appeared, then another, then a castle, then a rabbit, and suddenly I realized that someone had figured out how to put on the whole movie as a shadow puppet show on the screen.  While two people were showing puppets in front of the projector light, two others were cutting out figures and preparing for subsequent scenes.  In a totally impromptu move, they made a delicious lemonade out of lemons and were now giving us a better and more unique show than we would have gotten if all had gone as planned.  They played out the entire rest of the movie this way and everyone who was at the event thoroughly enjoyed their efforts.  They even got a standing ovation when it was over.  

What's best - these folks didn't even know each other before the event.    

When I think of the things that got me into the hospitality business, it is perfect situations like this that come to mind.  There are so many things that could have gone in the wrong direction.  Despite the failings of technology, it was the humans that took us to Serendip.  We could have had to re-schedule, offer refunds, etc., but instead experienced something great.  This is a testimony not only to the folks who patronize Fermentation Lounge, but also to the people who attract such folks.  I am once again feeling fortunate to be where I am and lucky to know the people I know.  Cheers!

  

Fish Tacos - The Top 10

Well, after visiting what approached 50 different fish taco suppliers and stressing over how I could whittle down so many delicious tacos down to my 10 favorite; I have sat down with a glass of vodka, and will jot down my Top 10.  I have developed a 2X2 grid (thank you once again, Cornell University) to help you make your decision out of my Top 10 which would appeal to you best.

When asked abut my love for Fish Tacos, the best thing that I can come up with as to why I have this crazy fascination is that they are "deceptively simple."  A great fish taco is a few ingredients that produce a massive "Wow Moment."  The list is endless on how you can pull it off; but as with pizza, no two are exactly the same. I have had a very simple fish taco that provided massive WOW and I have had fish tacos with many ingredients that just ended up flabby like a dull red wine.  And of course, the opposite has been true.  The one thread that runs common with all is that the fish must be fresh and there should always be a lime nearby (and Chalula, but that's a matter of personal preference and not a judgement on the tacos themselves).

One disclaimer - this list does not include any stops in the Miami area.  This being the case, I'm sure the list may change a step or two once I dive deeper into the South Florida Fish Taco Scene.

It has been an absorbing phenomena and I'm very excited to come up with the first of what I know is going to be an organic list of my Top 10 Fish Tacos in the State of Florida.


10.  This is one I'm gonna pour out for my homies.  As in any Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, #10 will be left non-declared as a monument to the Fish Tacos who did not come in last, but all tied for 10th.

9.  Midtown Filling Station (Tallahassee)- One thing that I have definitely learned is that if there is a garnish on the side that can go IN the taco, throw that bad-boy in there.  Midtown's tacos definitely hit that description.  The slaw on the side is awesome and the fish is wonderfully fresh.  A great taco indeed!

8.   El Taco Amigo (DeLand) - This obviously is a hometown favorite.  While they use fried fish in this particular dish and the fish itself is somewhat small, the price ($2.25 each) and the red sauce they offer is absolutely phenom!  Get started on these and you will go up and order some more.

7.  Sea Dog Cantina (Tampa) - This is the taco that got me over my fear of avocado.  Not that I love it, but it comes on the taco and it is unfair to ask a chef to alter his recipe.  The avocado was great on this taco and the flavors come together well on this one.  Add a side of Chimay Red and you are set!

6.  Surf Shack (Tampa) - Now this place offers a few different types of fish tacos.  I ordered the Longboard Tacos because I do not get a lot of fried fish tacos and wanted to experience these for the sake of parity.  The key word on these beauties is 'balance."  I dug the slaw and the sauce on these tacos and they definitely left me wondering when I can get back in for the others.

5.  Z Grille (St. Pete) - Another winner and I had to go back a second time to verify.  Add some WTF Fries to your order and you won't be disappointed.

4.  Twisted Cuban Food Truck (Central Florida) - Amazing fish tacos off a food truck?  YES!  As a bonus, the owner (after an in-depth conversation about beer) gave us a bottle of Great Lakes Christmas Ale, one of my favorite beers!

3.  Golden Lion (Flagler Beach) - Another locale that offers a variety of fish tacos.  This is one of the tacos that lend itself to "simple is better."  The standard tacos were OK.  Where we got the POW was in the Thai Fish Tacos.  Described simply as seasoned and grilled white fillet, thai chili purple slaw, wasabi aioli, and steamed yellow rice, the Thai Fish Tacos were and exercise in spicy ambrosia.  Add sitting across from the beach and this is heaven on earth.

2.  The Waterfront (Anna Maria Island) - Definitely the most beautiful setting I have seen to eat fish tacos, the restaurant itself sits on a peninsula and looks out onto the Sunshine Skyway.  I was suggested this place and made a long journey to get there. WORTH IT!  They use fresh blackened grouper and lots of it.  Do not miss out on these.

AND # 1?


This should come as no shock to anyone who knows me well enough.  It's Dunedin Brewery's Fish Tacos.  I do not know what they do to these things but I have taken in the range of 10 different people there to munch on these things and the consensus remains, these are the BEST!

It is going to take a lot of searching to find a taco that will knock Dunedin off the top spot, but I am always on the lookout for the one that will.  I still have a ton more to visit so the updates will not stop.

As promised, I am creating a 2X2 grid of my faves to show you where they sit on the easiest matrix and most appropriate list I could muster.  This grid is in production and will be coming soon.  Cheers!




  

Fish Tacos - The Waterfront

Well, the gauntlet was thrown down by my new friend Fiona at Gecko's in Sarasota.  What she said basically was that the best fish tacos in Florida, I haven't had yet.  She said that, in fact, the best fish tacos in Florida are at The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria Island.

Her level of confidence forced me to try them out.  Nevermind the fact that they have local-legend worthy fish tacos, but they also have a huge beer menu and a view straight from a postcard.  I'm there.

So the Waterfront is at 111 South Bay Blvd in Anna Maria Island and the trek there is no short task.  To look at this place on a map, it is sitting at the tip of a peninsula and not too easy to get to.   But boy, is it worth it.  


What I found most exciting about this location is that it gives you a beautiful distant view of my old nemesis, the Sunshine Skyway (the tallest bridge in Florida that makes me "wet ma draws" every time I have to drive over it.  The spot that the restaurant sits on looks right out onto this view and sitting here I feel like I've found the greatest hidden gem in all of Florida.  This place is cool.


When we arrived, we were greeted by a nice fella who we thought was a customer.  He told us about the place and as the conversation continued I finally came to realize he was in charge.  Turns out this down to earth human is the famous "Bill" who I was told to meet up with by Fiona when she suggested the place.  Furthermore, she told him we were coming!  How awesome is that?

I let him Bill know that we worked for Chimay and he let me know that they have had it on tap for six years running.  Love to see that type of devotion and since we had just picked up 60 cases of Chimay glasses in my car, I gave him an extra case to celebrate Belgian Independence Day on July 21st.  As it turns out, we set up an event with them at a later date, but I'll get into that after the tacos.  


To give a nod to Fiona, she was right - these fish tacos are amazing.  They are described by The Waterfront as:  Grouper Tacos - Seasoned seared fresh premium Gulf black grouper in grilled soft flour tortillas with fresh chopped pico de gallo, shredded cheddar jack, and jicama tartar slaw.  


To start, these tacos had more fish than any other fish tacos I have ever had - by far.  I swear there is a good 10 ounces of fish in these things.  And it is deliciously fresh.  This served with a side of couscous salad, they definitely know how to do it up.

On the scale of my crazy favorites, these tacos are right near the top.  They were incredibly refreshing and light, and left me perfectly full.  When I build my eventual list, you can bet The Waterfront is in single digits.  The tacos were great and the staff was rock-solid.

On another note, we planned an event for Boulder / Lazy Magnolia for Thursday, September 6 that is going to be AWESOME!  If anyone wants to attend, i would recommend staying on Anna Maria Island for the a few nights and make a weekend of it.  Cheers!



  

St. Peters Ale Night at World of Beer in Carrollwood

First, I'd like to thank Mr. Tyler Sankey for hosting us for our first St. Peters Event.  I love this brand and feel it is very under-appreciated in this ever-crowded beer market we are seeing in the state of Florida.  The brew itself is great, the packaging is awesome, and it is a very rounded brand.  I'm very excited to get the chance to help them grow in Florida.

A little about the brewery.  As always, I feel it can be best described by the folks themselves, so here is a little blurb from their website describing who they are:


"The St. Peter’s Brewery company is based at St. Peter, South Elmham, near Bungay in Suffolk. The brewery itself was built in 1996 is housed in an attractive range of traditional former agricultural buildings adjacent to St. Peter’s Hall.



Siting the brewery at St. Peter’s was ideal because of the excellent water quality from our own deep bore-hole. Locally malted barley is used, together with Kentish hops to produce a range of classical English cask-conditioned ales. In addition the company produces a range of superb bottled beers.


We brew 'traditional' beers - bitters, mild etc. - as well as some more unusual beers such as honey porter and fruit beer. (We are replicating what was common practice up to the Nineteenth Century to add fruits and honey to beers to create special seasonal brews.)

Thus blackcurrant and gooseberry beers would be brewed when soft fruits were readily available while at Christmas-time dried fruits, spices and orange peel would be added to ceate a special Christmas Ale.



At St. Peter’s we aim to carry on traditional brewing practices but hope always to have something new and exciting for you to try."




As you can see, this is the type of brewery that you like to imagine in your head when you're pouring a delicious glass of brew and enjoying with friends and family.  

So despite the fact that St. Peters is not the "next new thing," Mr. Tyler asked us to set up something a little different and we got this great event going.

The staff embraced the brand right away and I am very thankful to the folks at World of Beer for carrying the Golden Ale, the IPA, the Old Style Porter, and the Cream Stout.  Tyler also snagged a keg for the event,  and I was able to have St. Peters on draft for the first time!  Additionally, they had traditional English pints to serve the draft in.  This was great!  I was even able to meet one of their most loyal customers who dedicated himself to having the entire line of St. Peters while he was there and I got a great shot of him sitting in front of the empties of these interesting little medicine bottles.  Diggit!

As we were hanging, we also had some of our new brews, Rince Cochon (Cheers Big Ears!) and 3 Monts to sample out and get the folks at WOB to try out.  Rip and I got to hang with Tyler and his brother, enjoy some St. Peters and share around the two that we are also very happy to get out in the market.  This was a great night.  Cheers!