Food Quote Friday: The Guardian

"Anticipating the long and tense night ahead for him and his team, Darling had taken matters in hand at 8.30pm, personally ringing one of his favourite restaurants, Gandhi's in Kennington, south London, to order £245 worth of rice, karahi lamb, tandoori chicken, vegetable curry and aloo gobi."

— Patrick Wintour, Jill Treanor & David Teather for The Guardian
in "How an era in banking was brought to an end — over a curry"

A feast of spicy food quotes can be found in the Food Quote Archive.

Beer Respect: May Edition

I'm trying to stick to domestic beers. I really am.

As I continue my "new beer each week" resolution, the price of import brews (and just about everything else, it seems) also marches onward and upward.



Meanwhile, I know there's plenty of high-quality U.S. beers to sample... I just keep getting sucked in by exotic things like the Innis & Gunn English Pale Ale which is a rich, smooth brew aged in oak barrels. But really, can you blame me? How exciting is that?

So three out of four beer reviews this month cover domestics. The Goose Island and I will definitely meet again. Hair of the Dog scores one yes and one Amy Winehouse-style no, no, no. The last is that crazy oaky Englander... a bit dear at $4.99/bottle. (The cashier at my local grocery store seemed to think I'd separated it from a four-pack or six-pack and was being charged the entire pack price for a single bottle. Sadly, I had to fess up to being the dumb schmuck that willingly pays $5 (plus bottle deposit) for 11.2 ounces of beer at Key Food.)

Matilda
Goose Island
Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Grade: A / 4.35
I love the farmhouse Belgians, and you could pour me a pint of one of these and I'd be absolutely delighted and fooled into thinking it was an import. Goose Island just keeps doing me right.

Fred
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
American Barleywine
Grade: B+ / 4
It's thick-bodied with a sweet, rich molasses flavor, but it remains entirely drinkable, thanks to some bright balance from the hops.

Ruth
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
American Pale Ale (APA)
Grade: C+ / 3.15
Despite a sweet, fruity scent this beer is quite dry with a sour-bitter hoppyness. Frankly, I'm not crazy about it. I feel like it's off-kilter.

Innis And Gunn Oak Aged Beer
Innis & Gunn
English Pale Ale
Grade: A / 4.45
A really fascinating flavor! It's a bit smoky and savory... almost vegetal. There's a lot of aroma in the nose.

Cheers, ya'll!