Mad Fox Brewing Company – First Beer Dinner

Just a few weeks ago, I came across the first ever Mad Fox Brewing Company beer dinner in my google reader.  With so many reader items, I’m glad that I didn’t miss this.  The Mad Fox Brewing Company just opened about four months ago and this was my first chance to make it out there.  A portion of the proceeds from the beer dinner was donated to a family with a lot of recent medical expenses, which I thought, was a very nice touch, especially during the holiday season.

The beer dinner was set in the back area of the large restaurant area, at long tables of about 12-14 each.  It was a bit crowded and tightly packed, but the food and beer made up for that.  Here is a break down of the courses and beer pairings.

The first course was light and fresh, with a butter poached lobster with a celery root puree, micro-greens and a lemon butter sauce.  The lobster was cooked perfectly and while it was really covered in a lot of butter, it wasn’t overly rich.  This dish was paired with the kolsch, which was a light refreshing beer that complimented the lobster perfectly.

The second course was a roasted chicken consomme with julienned vegetables and a chicken dumpling (though, it was only the filling).  The soup wasn’t as hot as I would have liked, but the the chicken flavor was excellent and the broth was clear and not overly salty.  The beer with this course was the saison, or farmhouse beer.  I am a huge fan of saisons, and while some are overly sweet, the Mad Fox beer was not at all.  It was probably my favorite for the night.

The third course featured smoke duck breast atop baby greens with an orange cranberry compote and a pistachio tuile.  The duck was tender and cut easily without a knife.  The compote was a nice compliment and felt very fall/thanksgiving-like.  The compote was placed inside the tuile, and while tasty, the tuile seemed unnecessary. Paired with this course was an altbier.

Course four was what I consider the main course, which was a venison lion, wrapped in venison sausage, served with butternut squash mash, asparagus and a porter demi-glace.  The perfect pairing, a dark beer, was served with the venison, the porter.

The final course was incredible.  It was a salted caramel chocolate tart with whipped cream. The tart was enormous, rich and truly amazing.  Serving this with the wee heavy was a nice choice, but honestly, i could have use the kolsch, for a litter touch.The overall meal was amazing.  The pairings, the individual elements of each dish were well crafted and planned.  The master brewer provide great detail on why each was paired with the courses and the history of that beer.  If you love beer and you love food, you should attend the next beer dinner.  You will not be disappointed.

About Evan

I like to eat. I like to cook. I like to eat what I cook. Now, I will share with you what I like to cook. My wife and I may be a vegetarian and a carnivore, but it doesn’t mean we can’t cook a nice meal with both, without compromising taste. I will share my creative meals of the Carnivore and the Vegetarian.
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7 Responses to Mad Fox Brewing Company – First Beer Dinner

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Mad Fox Brewing Company – First Beer Dinner | The Carnivore and the Vegetarian -- Topsy.com

  2. Debbie B. says:

    The dinner and pairing sounds awesome! So glad you liked the brewery – I love going there! Their happy hours are great too.

  3. Kate says:

    Is there anything for vegetarians there? I’m a carnivore dating a (pesca-)vegetarian too.

  4. There was not a Vegetarian beer dinner menu, but the regular menu at Mad Fox does have food for a vegetarian.

  5. Annapet says:

    Wow, that was indeed one amazing meal. And my lunch won’t even be close. Sigh.

    Thanks for sharing! =)

  6. Angela says:

    Ack! That dessert looks and sounds like I want it right now. Also, what a fun dinner!

  7. What’s funny is that I am making something slightly similar. I’ll have a post later this week. Shortbread with a chocolate-caramel top.

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