BELGIAN BEER DINNER APRIL 8

St. Vincent is very excited to announce beer-pairing dinner event with  the “first couple” of Belgian Beer in the US, Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, founders of Vanberg and DeWulf.  

Amuse/Reception: Whitefish roe, clabber, butter crisp

with “Lambrucha,” Lambic Style Ale with Kombucha, Brouwerij De Troch, Wambeek, BEL

First: Smoked Red Trout, hop tendrils, cured egg yolk
with “Witkap Pater Stimulo” Abbey Singel, Brouwerij Slaghmuylder, Ninove, BEL
 
Second: Charred and Chilled Lamb, ramps, mustard seed
with “Saison Dupont,” Farmhouse Ale,  Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes, BEL  
 
Third: Quail, blackberry, levain, liver mousse
with “Vicaris Tripel Gueuze” Blended Belgian Ale, Brouwerij Dilewyns, Dendermonde, BEL
 
Dessert: Chocolate and Juniper Cake, salted marshmallow
with “Lava,” Smoked Imperial Stout, Ölvisholt Brugghús, Selfoss, Iceland 
 
 
Chef Bill Niles
Cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski
***
 
$65 per person
6-10pm
Please call for reservations 415-285-1200
Monday, April 8th
St. Vincent Tavern and Wine Merchant
1270 Valencia St. SF, CA
limited seating
menu subject to change

About Our Guests

Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield are responsible for introducing many of the world’s best beers to American palates.  The significance of the role that they have played in acquainting the American food and beverage world to Belgian beer and brewing tradition cannot be overstated.  Their work, imagination and passion have served to expand the American definition of what a beer can be.  

Don and Wendy are responsible Saison Dupont, Duvel, and Boon Geuze all making their initial forays into American markets.  They are also the founders of Brewery Ommegang and…

1. In Ommegang built the first US brewery devoted to all bottle conditioned, all belgian style, cork finished bottles,and built the first farmstead brewery in America in a century.
2. They are the first Americans inducted into the CBB Confederation of Belgian Brewers in its 500 year history.
3. The also published the 1st US edition of Michael Jackson’s The Great Beers of Belgium one of the books that kicked off American interest in Belgian Beer.  

This dinner is only the second time we will feature imported beer in an event at SV, a reflection of the esteem we have for Don and Wendy as well Vanberg’s longstanding commitment to only importing the sort of beers that have the ability to travel and improve over time.  As Don puts it,“we only will bring beers that taste 99.9% the same in the US as in their home market.”  

A survey of the Vanberg and DeWulf catalog reveals several products that have an inherent connection to their native terriors, traditions and ingredients.  A tasting reveals a portfolio that masterfully curated, focusing on restrained, well-crafted ales that work with food and do not need to be overwhelming to be interesting.    

What We Will Be Pouring

Today Don and Wendy continue to discover and develop exciting new purveyors from Belgium and beyond.  They are also now pushing the envelope creatively with their own brewing projects.  It was a great pleasure to once again have an excuse to taste through their remarkable portfolio.  

Our menu on Monday Night April 8th will highlight some of the most remarkable of these recent works as well as a couple of the classics we just could not resist the urge to work with….  

1. Lambrucha: This brew is a 3.5% ABV aperitif that is part Belgian Lambic and part Kombucha… Yes, really.  The beer is a result of collaboration between Don and Belgian brewing scientist/yeast sensei, Dr. Roger Mussche.  In the glass it is truly one of a kind, and unlike anything else we’ve ever tried.  The closest approximation we could come up with was “a flute of proseco, infused with a bloomy-rind cheese.” 
2. Witkap Pater Stimulo: The long-standing champion of Belgian “session” beers, this “Singel” is the sort of brew that Monk’s in the Abbey are said to drink with their lunches.  While most monastic brewing is characterized by higher alcohol content this beer packs a large amount of nuance and complexity within a comfortable 6% ABV.  
3. Saison Dupont:  The flagship product from Dupont remains the standard bearer for farmhouse ales the world over.  Saison Dupont is a beer that will inevitably come up in any serious discussion of the best beers in the world.    
4. Vicaris Tripel Gueuze: This was the surprise treat to come out of the tasting we conducted in preparation for this dinner.  A blend of an Abbey-style Tripel and classic spontaneously-fermented, barrel-aged Gueuze.  The Dilewyns family creates a wonderfully tasteful catalog of unfiltered rustic Belgian ales.  “Tripel Gueuze” is created by blending their Tripel with Girandin Gueuze, one of the most sought-after traditionally-produced sour beers on the planet.  
5. Lava Smoked Imperial Stout:  A great departure from the typical VBDW purveyor both geographically and stylistically, the Olvisholt Brugghus is located in Selfoss, Iceland not far from an active Volcano.  That volcano serves as the inspiration behind the brewery’s flagship, “Lava” a 9.4% ABV, Imperial Stout brewed with smoked malts.  Esteemed beer-writer Tim Webb calls “Lava,” “the finest achievement in modern Icelandic brewing.”  

TONIGHT'S SUNDAY SAUCE MENU

 $35/person

$55/person with wine/beer pairings

“SUNDAY SAUCE”

Palm Sunday, March 24

Green Garlic Bread, grilled levain, olio nuovo

Bisol Valdobbiadene Prosecco “Crede” NV, Veneto

Pork Lasagna, preserved peppers, hazelnuts, pecorino toscano

Caves Cooperative Donnas, Donnas 2007, Valle d’Aosta

Vitellone Piccata, meyer lemon, caper, radicchio di castelfranco

Virgona Salina Bianco 2010, Sicily

Affogato, chocolate ice cream, milk crumb

“Death & Taxes” Black Lager, Moonlight Brewing Co., Santa Rosa

"SUNDAY SAUCE" RETURNS MARCH 24

OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN-AMERICAN FEAST:

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 5 PM TO 9 PM

RESERVE BY PHONE ONLY:  415-285-1200

SV’s “Italian-American” Prix Fixe returns for what promises to be a once-a-month engagement in 2013. Chef Bill Niles returns to his roots on the Jersey Shore Boardwalk to bring some East Coast Grandma food to the Mission.

MENU
($35/per person; $55/person with wine pairings)

Pork Lasagna, pecorino toscano, broccoli shoots, hazelnut

Vitellone Piccata, meyer lemon, caper

“Rita’s Water Ice”, port and sour orange Italian ice

CALL US TO RESERVE: 415-285-1200

VALENTINE'S DAY MENU SET

ST VINCENT VALENTINE’S DAY PRIX FIXE

$55 per person / $85 per person with wine/beer pairing

***NOTE: WE WILL ALSO HAVE VEGETARIAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE

WELCOME

St. Vincent Pretzel, Curd Cheese, Mission Honey 

wine: Avinyò Cava Brut Nature NV, Penedes, Spain

beer: “Heavenly Hefe” Bavarian Style Weizen, Craftsman Brewing, Pasadena, CA

APPETIZER

choice of:

Dungeness Crab, Grapefruit, Wild Onion, Buttermilk

wine: Massican “Annia” Napa Valley White Wine 2011, California

beer (cider!): “Lost Orchard Dry Cider,” Tilted Shed Ciderworks, Forestville, CA

or

White Sausage, Celery Root, Raclette

wine: Julien Labet Cotes du Jura Chardonnay “En Chalasse” 2008, Jura, France

beer: “Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen” Smoked Hefeweizen, Brauerei Heller, Bavaria, Germany

ENTRÉE

choice of:

Half Moon Bay Halibut, Brandade Baked Cauliflower, Fennel

wine: Zidarich Venezia-Giulia Vitovska “Verde” 2011, Friuli, Italy

beer: “Schönramer Festbier,” Brauerei Schönram, Bavaria, Germany

or

Dry Aged Sirloin, Potato Confit, Marrow, Broccoli Shoots

wine: Chateau Semonlon Haut-Medoc 2010, Bordeaux, France

beer: “Atom Splitter” Pale Ale, Pine Street Brewing Co., San Francisco

DESSERT

Nocino Tiramisu, Chocolate Malts

wine: G.D. Vajra Barolo Chinato, Piedmont, Italy

beer: “Chavez” American Robust Porter, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, Capitola, CA

CALL US AT 415-285-1200 WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR EMAIL INFO@STVINCENTSF.COM

February 2013 Events

THREE SUNDAYS IN FEBRUARY, THREE AWESOME EVENTS WITH SOME OF OUR FAVORITE WINE & BEER PRODUCERS

February is shaping up to be a crazy month for us here at St. Vincent, beginning with the arrival of a boatload of Italian vintners for the release of Slow Food’s “Slow Wine Guide” at the Terra Gallery in SF. I can’t wait to see a bunch of old friends and couldn’t resist having some of them in our place for a pig roast and Italian wine tasting on Sunday, February 3 (see details below).

And then there’s SF Beer Week from February 8-15 (which is more than a week, but whatever), which has in-house Cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski all sorts of keyed-up – like a kid on Christmas Eve, if Christmas Eve was many weeks long…

We’ve got two fantastic beer dinners planned, with brews curated by Sayre and menus from Chef Bill Niles. Amazing flavors (and, I must add, amazing VALUE) await. Call us at 415-285-1200 to reserve your spot for one, or all.

My Best,

David Lynch

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3

“FESTA ITALIANA”: PIG ROAST FEATURING WINES FROM AR.PE.PE & MONTERAPONI

1 pm-4 pm, $55/person at the door

****NOTE AMENDED TIME — WITH THE SF 49ERS IN THE SUPERBOWL THIS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED UP!!! COME JOIN US FOR THE BEST PRE-GAME SHOW YOU COULD ASK FOR****

Come over for a casual afternoon/evening of porchetta sandwiches and other snacks from Bill Niles & crew, complimented by reference-point wines from Italy’s Valtellina and Chianti Classico wine zones.

From the Valtellina – the rock-strewn, steeply terraced vineyard land hugging Italy’s border with Switzerland – we’ll welcome Isabella Pelizzatti Perego of the famed AR.PE.PE winery. Founded by Isabella’s father, Arturo Pelizzatti Perego, in the early eighties, AR.PE.PE is known for pure, earth-driven expressions of Nebbiolo from Valtellina “cru” vineyards such as Sassella, Inferno and Grumello – vineyards in which Nebbiolo (here called Chiavennasca) roots in steep, rocky terraces on the north banks of the Adda River. This is Alpine viticulture, well north of Nebbiolo’s more famous homes in Barbaresco and Barolo, and the wines of AR.PE.PE. are lean, stony, perfumed reflections of this stunningly unique terroir. We’ll have an assortment of AR.PE.PE. bottlings on hand for sampling, with Isabella and friends on hand to answer questions and eat some pork.

 

And from Chianti in Tuscany, Michele Braganti will be in the house to showcase the stellar Sangioveses he turns out at the picturesque MONTERAPONI estate in the village of Radda. His are some of the highest-altitude vineyards in the Chianti Classico, tumbling down around a beautiful former borgo (medieval village), and the wines of Monteraponi perfectly capture the nerve and smoky savor of Sangiovese. This is some of the purest, most aromatically complex Chianti you’ll ever taste, period.

Your $55 at the door gets you food and lots of different wines, presented in a “walk-around,” come-and-go-as-you-please format. We’ll be sure to have some older vintages from both producers on hand as well, so get down hereon Sunday the 3rd – Bill just ordered the pigs!

 

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10

SF BEER WEEK DINNER #1: “POINTS SOUTH” FEATURING CRAFTSMAN BREWING CO. (PASADENA, CA) AND SANTE ADAIRIUS RUSTIC  ALES (CAPITOLA, CA)

$85/person for a four-course dinner and beers paired by Certified Cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski (surely one of the best, if not THE best, value during SF Beer Week).

5:30 pm-10 pm

For San Francisco Beer Week 2013 St. Vincent has chosen to host two dinners, each one featuring two breweries.  We are calling this two-part series “From The Seed To The Kernel” (beer’s answer to “from the root to the fruit”).  Each dinner will match one of our favorite veteran brewers with a brewery that has opened up shop in the past year.   There is something about pairing the mastery of a brewery like Craftsman with the unstrung enthusiastic spirit surrounding a budding brewery like Sante Adairius that appeals to us.  The idea is to highlight the best of what our brewery-direct draft beer program has brought to St. Vincent.   A combination of well-established brewers who have made a point of maintaining a proprietary stake in every aspect of their operation, and creative entrepreneurial newcomers who have no choice but to do so.  Both dinners will be hosted by our in-house Certified Cicerone, Sayre Piotrkowski, who eater.com calls “one of the country’s top beer sommeliers.”

About Craftsman Brewing Company: Mark Jilg, founder and brewmaster of Pasadena’s Craftsman Brewery, has been producing some of the most extraordinary beers in the state for almost 18 years.  Today his eclectic line includes a uniquely polished selection of  “sour” beers, the only domestic Hefeweizen we have ever carried, and an impressive diversity of seasonal ales - all handmade, unpasteurized, and definitively Californian.

Tim Clifford and Adair Paterno opened Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA earlier this year.   Shortly thereafter the brewery’s blended black sour ale “Love’s Armor” took home the first prize at The Bistro’s Barrel-Aged Beer Festival, beating out a roster of entries from area’s most respected breweries.  St. Vincent was honored to be the first account in the Bay Area for this innovative and exciting brewery.  We have no doubt that Sante Adairius is poised to be a major name in the Bay Area beer scene for years to come. 

 

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17

SF BEER WEEK DINNER #2: “POINTS NORTH” FEATURING MARIN BREWING CO. (LARKSPUR, CA) AND HENHOUSE BREWING ( PETALUMA, CA)

$85/person for a four-course meal with beers paired by Certified Cicerone Sayre Piotrkowski

5:30 pm-10 pm

As with our Craftsman/Sante Adairius dinner on Feb. 10, expect delicious food from Chef Bill Niles, with expertly paired beers from two spectacular local brewers – including many exclusives that you won’t get to try anywhere else during beer week!!

About Marin Brewing Company:  Founded in 1989 Marin Brewing Company is one of the Bay Area’s most decorated and consistent operations.  Winning its first GABF medal that very year and its most recent in 2011, Marin has remained a model of consistency amongst one of the country’s most exciting craft brewing communities.   Brewmaster Arne Johnson has been at the helm since 1995 displaying a master-brewer’s touch across a catalog that boast everything from massive West Coast IPA’s to delicately balanced Belgian ales. 

Longtime buddies Collin McDonnell and Shane Goepel opened HenHouse Brewing Company this past February with a raucous party at TAPS beer bar in their hometown of Petaluma, CA.   The brewery’s quirky three-beer catalog consists of a remarkably tasteful Saison with black pepper, an 11% ABV Belgian Golden Ale that boasts a wine-like impact and complexity, and our favorite, a precocious Oyster Stout designed to “smell like an ocean breeze.”  In-spite of their neophyte status, HenHouse brews have become extremely sought-after in the restaurant world.  Their Saison can already been found on the list at The French Laundry. St. Vincent is the only SF restaurant to have HenHouse beers on tap!

 

***

CALL US TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE GREAT EVENTS: 415-285-1200