Nora McGunnigle

So, yes. Hurricane Isaac. Even a Cat 1 is incredibly destructive and knowing that "it could be worse" is not comforting, it is terrifying.  I will perhaps muse on this in greater detail in the coming days on my other blog , but here's the beer-related Isaac fallout. First of all, I'm incredibly bummed that the Root beer dinner was cancelled. It was set for Monday night when everyone was bracing for the storm, and I think it was definitely the right call by the restaurant, but I'm just super bummed it didn't happen. I haven't heard about rescheduling, but I hope they do. Feel free to drop them a line asking about rescheduling so they know there's interest! Second, we've been working through our beer hauls from Florida and the internet while sitting around all week.  Beer- it takes the edge off! Especially when you can, like, nap whenever. Been drinking a lot of Lagunitas and Oskar Blues especially. Third, we got out and about this Saturday ni...

Next week!  Awesomeness! The Root Beer dinner is happening on Monday (August 27). We have 6:30 reservations and can't wait. Come on over and say hi! Also, Todd Price for the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com wrote a piece about it which quotes me fairly extensively. (Though, not as extensively as I answered his questions. Lawd, I do go on. Sorry Todd!)   Read about it here!! Also, there will be a beer and cheese extravaganza happening at St. James Cheese Co., with many of the local beer companies represented, including the LAUNCH of two new breweries, Chafunkta Brewery and Gnarley Barley. Can't wait! Check out the St. James website for tickets, and that's happening on Wednesday, August 29. Whee! Delicious beer and delicious food, what more can a girl ask for?

Chef Lopez and Root's management staff have decided to have the one dinner in August so they can really focus on it, and it will be on August 27 (not the previously stated date of two weeks previous). AUGUST 27!  BE THERE! SO THEY WILL DO MORE! I've changed my previous post to reflect the accurate information.

After the Times-Picayune article by Todd Price came out profiling me as a beer blogger and Root as a restaurant that valued the pairing of beer with fine food, we (me and the guys at Root) came together to talk about promoting/expanding/improving their beer menu. Root decided to host a beer dinner on August 27th. They invited me to choose the beer pairings based on the menu that Chef Lopez put together! Obviously a huge honor for me as well as an extremely fun project. See below for the menu with the pairings. Many of the courses chosen are Root's most lauded dishes - the stars of their menu. Although I was given free reign to request any beer that is distributed in this market, I wanted to show how their beer menu as it is now complements the regular food menu. The dinner will $75 per person, not inclusive of tax and gratuity. The beer will be served in five ounce portions. Reservations will be available by phone (504-252-9480) only for seatings at 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 8:30,...

So, although I have about 3 cases of beer from Florida, I've been obsessed with obtaining a beer called Brux which is a collaboration between Russian River Brewing and Sierra Nevada. Because Sierra Nevada is distributed here in Louisiana (and, um, everywhere else in the country), this beer is able to get in this market. However, not a lot (allegedly), so there's been a run on it. Right after I heard about the beer, I went to Stein's after work to pick some up. There weren't any bottles out on the shelves but when I asked Andre, he brought one out from the back. "One per customer," he said. I asked if I could buy one and if Tom could buy one, and was denied. I think they may have milked the "last bottle sold" thing, as I heard that the Beer Buddha got the last bottle on Friday, but then heard about other folks buying bottles through the weekend. It's all a game, a show. Having bought my bottle, I heard that it's a beer meant to continue ...

Been more or less laying low since the fried chicken beer dinner- we went on vacation to our neighboring state of Florida and we were able to drink and buy Bell's, Lagunitas, Sweetwater, Terrapin, Victory, Southern Tier, and others to our hearts' content. Ahh. Couple of awesome things on the horizon: Next week is Coquette's Spirited Dinner that will involve beer and beer cocktails! Also pork. Lots and lots of pork.  Needless to say, I'm super excited. Also super exciting: Root will be doing beer pairing dinners on August 13 and 27 .  I'll have more info on the menu and the pairing next week- I'm going to help choose the beers to go with Chef Lopez's amazing food! That should be early next week so I am hoping to have a formal announcement by this time next week with the menu, pairing, pricing, etc. Needless to say, I'm honored that Root reached out to me to assist them in planning these dinners. The managing partners/owners have a real love of be...

OK, I know that "wine" rhymes better with "dine" but that doesn't mean that beer ain't a serious contender for enjoying with good food. I had a sit down with two of the owners of Root to discuss their plans for their beer program. Both Max Ortiz and Nick Shay are very committed to promoting beer as a viable and legitimate complement to the daring and flavorful food that comes out of Root's kitchen. We talked about rearranging the beer menu so it's easier for patrons not as familiar with different beer styles to make more informed choices. Both men wished that they had more space to store more styles of beer, but we had a fun conversation about how to maximize the space they have to accommodate a diverse selection of beer that will actually sell. It was a great time talking about beer and food, which is an intersection that interests me greatly. Their enthusiasm was inspirational! It looks like there are some very cool beer-related things on the hor...