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Pavil Restaurant and Bar – Not An Average French Restaurant

Jeremy Banas — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:53:46 +0000

What has become part one of my experience with Pavil Restaurant was entitled ‘Brasserie Pavil – Not your Average French Restaurant’ and posted on UpTake.com. Recently however, they have gone through a name change. What was once Brasserie Pavil, is now Pavil Restaurant and Bar. This will serve to be part two. In part one, I spoke of Pavil’s monthly beer dinners, their focus on craft beer and the Stone Brewing Co beer dinner I attended earlier this month. In this article I’ll speak more of the Stone dinner, as well as my talk with Pavil’s manager Luciano Ciorciari.

Classic Decor

Pavil began monthly beer dinners a few months ago and have had the likes of Chimay, Real Ale and Saint Arnold’s breweries here. This months beer dinner focused on the Stone Brewing Co of Escondido, CA. Jason Armstrong, the Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico rep for Stone was the host this night, along with Neal Butler, the assistant manager at Pavil.

Classic French decor, fine craft beer, good friends and lovers of craft beer. The night and the mood was set.

Planned for the evening was a a 5 course meal paired with beers from Stone. Man, I could not wait for this. Admittedly I am a Stone Brewing Co homer, but there is no question they put out consistent, edgy, push the limits, craft beer. With Pavil’s rapidly rising reputation for fine food, this was a match made in beer heaven.

Where do I start?

The first was Honey and Coriander Glazed Beef Skewers paired with Stone’s classic pale Ale. The subtle hop and citrus overtones really brought out the honey in the glaze, as well as the beef.

Course two brought us Mini Crab Wellingtons paired with Stone’s India Pale Ale. The slightly stronger hop notes really pulled out the spice in the dijon cream sauce.

Next up was a Shaved Arugula and Fennel salad with figs, paired with Stone’s Ruination IPA. A much stronger IPA, dry hopped and very bitter, Stone refers to this one as “A liquid Poem to the glory of the hop’. A more piney feel to it it brought out the the sharpness of the arugala and the sweet dryness of the fig.

Just when my senses were heading into overdrive, came out a Shrimp Ceviche served with Stone’s Arrogant bastard. The Arrogant Bastard was the first offering from Stone that I’d had, so I was anxious for this pairing. Ceviche by nature is a seafood dish marinated with citrus, often with lemon or lime. Arrogant Bastard is billed as an American Strong Ale which means in this case that it has a higher alcohol content. The prominent malt and hop character brought out the tartness of the ceviche giving this unlikely pairing my approval (I know that means a lot to yo doesn’t it?).

Ceviche!

A quick exit for an errand and then back I was for the last course before dessert. Bringing up the tail end of this fantastic meal. Put before me was by appearance alone, a mouthwatering plate of Smoke and Grilled Lamb T-Bone. Served with Asparagus in a mint reduction and paired with another favorite: Stone’s Smoked Arrogant Bastard. Still in the American Strong Ale category this takes the Arrogant Bastard to another level, as it is aged with oak chips. the subtle oak flavor in the beer went perfect with the lamb’s smoky flavor. I think they were made for each other.

Lamb!

After settling in a little Jason Armstrong came out to speak to the dinner group. Gracious and charming as always, he explained Stone’s history, how it approaches each beer and the challenges of craft beer in Texas.

Last and certainly not least, was dessert: a chocolate and Banana Brownie Cake served on top of a vanilla Bean gelato. Wow. Wow and Wow. Stone’s Smoked Porter is easily in my top 5 porters. With its chocolate/coffee character and the smoke that creeps in, it brought out the Vanilla Bean in the gelato, the chocolate in the brownie. The banana was the icing on the citrus undertones that subtle in the beer. What would have been interesting would have been to try this dessert with Stone’s occasional local release of the Vanilla Bean Smoked Porter.

Is that a banana in my brownie?

Once the dinner was done, Jason Armstrong sat down and relaxed, mingled with patrons and enjoyed some of the fine cuisine and beer as well. Hopefully this will not be the last Stone beer dinner in San Antonio. Austin has hosted one and none other than Greg Koch showed up (Of course it was a screening of Beer Wars that night..). Perhaps Mr. Koch might head down to the Alamo City sometime?

What a fantastic meal paired very well with Stone’s beers. I had some questions though. Luciano was kind enough to sit down with me and answer them:

1) How did it come about that Pavil would carry craft beer? Seems unusual for a French Restaurant. Luciano advised that most brasserie’s will offer a wide selection of beer typically, as the name translates to Brewery. Wine is most often not the only beverage. Originally that was the idea for Pavil. In fact, in France many Brasserie’s brew their own beer. When opening the Brasserie, they decided to do this right, as they would be the first Brasserie in San Antonio. Not just offering the usual fare with regards to beer, but to support smaller breweries in the United States an locally in Texas. The public has become more educated recently with the wider flavor profile of craft beer. They wanted to attract the craft beer market, as they were as serious about the wine and beer as they are the food.

2) Beer dinners aren’t exactly common in San Antonio. Brasserie is a French restaurant that has a monthly beer dinner. How exactly did this come about? Luciano advised that they wanted to really accent the finer craft beer that they carry. Other places such as the Flying Saucer, are known for the quantity and variety of craft beer. In order to show the beer community in San Antonio that they are serious and to bring attention to them, they decided on the beer dinners. Feedback from customers has been great.

3) What is Pavil’s background? How long has it been in San Antonio? Contribution between Patrick Kennedy (the mastermind behind the La Mansion Del Rio and the Watermark Hotel in San Antonio) and Chef Scott Cohen a renowned chef in San Antonio who has gained quite a reputation. They got together with others to decide what San Antonio needed. After researching and seeing that French cuisine was doing well in San Antonio, but could do more. Hence Pavil Restaurant and Bar was born, with a brasserie approach to the cuisine and the drinks.

4) Are there plans to expand beyond the beer dinners, to other events involving craft beer? Yes. Several options in mind. Nothing concrete. Craft beer festivals are an idea, with invites different brewers and breweries. Much more planned, but nothing concrete at this time.

5) Anything you’d like the craft beer community in South Texas, Texas and the U.S. to know? Want to show that they are very serious about the quality of the beer as much as they are the quality of the food. They are an everyday place. A friendly place where it is ok to come in just have a craft beer as much as the finer food and wine. The selection of beer is there for those who want a different atmosphere with craft beer and very nice food. A menu that suits everyone and many different types of food. You can have a burger and watch the game with a Stone Arrogant Bastard, or have finer French cuisine and fine wine. They have in addition specials during happy hour featuring the craft beer between 4-7 every night.

To me it seems that Pavil is on the right track. They want to promote not beer, but craft beer and craft beer in Texas. A very pace change of pace from the every day.

Nebraska Brewing Co and Black Betty, A Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Jeremy Banas — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:27:57 +0000

I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to the Nebraska Brewing Co. I’ve haven’t been to many of the breweries who make the fine hoppy, fermented beverages I enjoy. With Nebraska Brewing though it certainly seems as if I have been there many times. Such is the fantastic atmosphere that they seem to exude through their contact with everyone in the beer world and beyond.

I first heard of Nebraska through Angela Arp, the wife of one their brewers, Tyson Arp. Angela is all over twitter promoting Nebraska Brewing, craft beer and supporting others craft brewers in the U.S. A look at their website instantly warm comes out. The bio’s of each brewer read as if it was someone you knew personally. Their website has this to say “Located in Papillion’s hoppin’ Shadow Lake Town Centre, Nebraska Brewing Company is a relaxed dining destination complemented by incredible, fresh handcrafted ales. Locally owned and operated, it’s our aim to share our passion for beer and food with everyone who walks through the door. When your stomach’s growling and you’re feelin’ parched, head to Nebraska Brewing Company for casual American fare, a full bar, and a great time. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in creating the perfect beer and food combination. Oh, and on your way out, be sure to grab a growler of one (or two) of our fine ales.”

I have been fortunate to have a fair amount of contact with Angela through twitter, her husband Tyson and Paul Kavulak co-owner and brewer. With all the buzz and hubbub on the web and from friends in the beer world, I had to try some. Unfortunately, they are not yet available in Texas. Fortunately, I was able to procure some and so far, they have not disappointed.

I spoke with Paul for a bit to what her could tell me about Nebraska Brewing, that isn’t on their website. After all, they’ve won an award or two already. Paul had this to say:

‘Nebraska Brewing Company is a brewpub located in Papillion, NE and was started by the Husband & Wife team of Paul & Kim Kavulak.

Born of a deep-rooted passion in all things Craft Beer, Nebraska Brewing Company opened its doors in late 2007. An American Casual menu keeps pace with the seasons and works to provide excellent pairings for many of our craft Ales.

Our Brewer Tyson Arp works very hard to ensure that our Craft Beers are among the best the No-Coast has to offer. Each and every beer produced at Nebraska Brewing Company is truly unique and stands as a great example of the targeted style. Our beers exist to please the aficionado and stretch the minds of our diners.

The barrel aging program was begun almost immediately and exists to satisfy our desire to take remarkable base beers and make them something more. Toasted & charred oak from wineries and craft distilleries form the backdrop for adding character, aromatics, and flavors only found through time and patience.

Nebraska Brewing Company is currently distributed in Nebraska and Iowa only but is also exploring distribution in areas with a strong desire for excellent craft beers.

With the beer, a personal goal has always been to have people who truly understand wonderfully crafted beers wake up one day and say “Hey, there’s something really great going on in Nebraska”. We work hard every day to make that happen…’.

Suffice to say, that when in Nebraska, I’ll be stopping by! But I digress, on to the beer!

This one falls into the Russian imperial Stout category. Historically, touts are originally British in origin, with some hailing from the Emerald Isle as well. American stouts deviate a little by having a little more hopped up character and these days like to have their morning coffee while being brewed. Hops range in variety, as well as the amount of bitter taste and often a roasted malt flavor. Imperial Stouts tend to be much higher in alcohol, lots of malt with big chocolate and roasted character. Often a bit of fruit can be found as well.

Betty sure was something special

Paul gave a little background on the Black Betty himself ”

Black Betty is a Russian Imperial Stout that Tyson created in his desire to turn out something big, bold and flavorful which would make Stout drinkers smile a little more broadly than usual. The base beer won a Silver Medal in the 2009 US Open Beer Championships as Nebraskan Imperial Stout before the barrel-aged version (Black Betty) ever saw the light of day. During a distillery tour of Stranahan’s Whiskey, the mental note was filed away to find some really cool beers to marry up with the essence of their spirit. 2 beers – this RIS and a Barley Wine made their way into used Stranahan’s barrels where they spent 6 months aging and picking up a wonderfully sweet nose, dryness from the oak tannins, and a subtle whiskey note in the taste. We believe that both of these beers continue the entire Reserve Series in a fashion that continues to escalate and reward Craft Beer creativity. Black Betty & Fathead join our first Reserve Series Beer – Chardonnay Blonde. The bar has been set.”

I poured this one into a tulip glass. Pours a very deep mahogany into a tulip glass. There’s no seeing through this one. Carbonation is good, kind of what you’d expect from an imperial stout producing a slow carbonation that lends to a nice thin, but sustainable head with a beautiful lacing that clings to the glass for dear life. The bubbles just seemed to float to the top.

When I bring this one closer, a rich chocolate aroma comes forth. Hints of caramel and coffee as well. Another sniff and I get a strong hint of Raspberry and a little banana as well.

After swirling it around a little to bring the carbonation back to life, I took a taste. Wow. The raspberry and banana I smelled came out in abundance, scented nicely by a very distinct whiskey flavor. The chocolate is definitely there, but all these other flavors take center stage. A fair amount of roasted malt comes out with another taste, showing the complexity of this stout.

Mouthfeel is what I’d expect from and RIS. Heavy, full of substance, yet a crispness that speaks hops all over.

Overall, one of the best Imperial Stouts I’ve ever had. Weighs in at 9.3% ABV, so I sipped this one while enjoying some ravioli with my homemade sauce and carrot cake for dessert.