Meet the Bourbonians

It's not often you meet a Kentucky Colonel. Let alone three at one sitting--and not a bucket of fried chicken in sight.

Gathered at the behest of local bourbon connoisseur and Straightbourbon.com webmaster Jim Butler, folks from around the globe (and closer to home) trek to Santa Rosa each year to meet up with similarly passionate drinkers to talk bourbon, share bourbon, sip bourbon, admire bourbon, smoke a stogie or two and then get back to all things bourbon. These are serious bourbonians. Including--I kid you not--several who've been tapped as real-life Kentucky Colonels for their dedication to the state's righteous brew. (Most wear t-shirts and jeans instead of white suits, however.)

Turns out this was the weekend for the big meet up in Santa Rosa and the bourbon crew counted some 15 states and several countries among those represented at the Bourbon Fest. And somehow BiteClub got invited. Mostly because I accidentally crashed their pre-party on Friday night while making a beeline for a Jack and Coke.

Now in case, like me, you're a little rusty on the difference between whisky and bourbon, the kindly StraightBourbon.com folks are happy to explain it while you try not to cough and choke on your first shot of 141 proof bourbon. Unlike whisky, there are some rather stringent requirements on what can and can't be labeled bourbon. Though they share some similar qualities, bourbon must be made with a minimum of 51 percent corn (most distillers use 65 to 75 percent corn, according to the website) and bourbon must be aged for a minimum of two years in new, white oak barrels that have been charred. Nothing can be added at bottling to enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter color.

A few other interesting facts gleaned while hobnobbing with the Bourbons: Bourbon is a uniquely American drink and no other country has license to create "bourbon" "kind of like the whole flap about sparkling wine makers not using the term "champagne". In addition, Bourbon doesn't really change or age (like wine) after it's bottled. So at the party, there were more than a few bottles that dated back 20 or 30 years "a real treat to crack open those old time tax tabs.

So, here's the big question: Is Jack Daniel's bourbon? Nope, though the process is similar, Daniel's uses a special process of filtering that makes it straight-up whisky. Not that anyone's complaining. It just isn't bourbon. But mention Scotch and you'd think I'd just brought a bottle of Hearty Burgundy to a dinner with Robert Parker Jr. Apparently there's no love-loss between Scotch-drinkers and Bourbonians.

To find out why, check out Jim's website,straighbourbon.com for a FAQ, forums and plenty of discussion about all thinks mashed, filtered, distilled and sipped. Just don't mention Scotch.

BOURBON FOR WINE DRINKERS: Bourbon drinkers from Wine Country were excited about a new Woodford Reserve Bourbon that is "finished" for several months in Chardonnay barrels from Sonoma Cutrer winery after aging in new oak. The bourbon, which is rumored to be released shortly will retail for $89.99 and only 900 cases are being produced.

Odyssey: Hidden Windsor spot won't stay secret long

Chefs are a notoriously fickle bunch to feed. Anyone worth their whites can sniff out undercooked pasta at 100 yards and won't hesitate to dress down a fellow cook (usually behind their back) with devastating candor if the fries are frozen or the spinach wilted. Suffice to say it's not just their knives that are razor sharp.

So, when word gets out that local toques have been frequenting Windsor's new Odyssey Restaurant after-hours, my foodie feelers start tingling. When I find out that the chef, Rudy Mihall, cut his teeth at Gramercy Tavern, spent two years in Italy and, according to an email from Jeff Mall "won't be under the radar much longer", my wheels are pretty much smoking in the rush to get there.

Nestled into the tiny space formerly occupied by L'Assiette, Odyssey has just 10 tables and a long, glowing bar that dominates the space. There's little room to maneuver, but proximity can have its benefits--like the ability to chum up to your neighbors and pilfer a little nibble from their plate. Not that I'm suggesting you do this uninvited. But when a ridiculously huge foie gras burger comes to the table, the urge is, well, irresistible.

In the six weeks since opening, Odyssey has breezed past the nervous tension and bungling that are the hallmark of first-timers and settled comfortably into wowing the locals. Mihall has clearly mastered the confines of his small kitchen (allowing more time for his creative coiffures) while friend and SF restaurateur Tom Gordon manages the front of the house.

The menu changes up daily, with house favorites like the pizza, burger and beet tartare as staples. Despite not having a wood-fired oven, Mihall cranks out impossibly thin and crispy pizzas, topped with arugula, pancetta and fresh mozzarella ($13-$15). And no, he won't tell you the secret to how he makes them. Starters show off Mihall's flair for the dramatic: Beet tartare ($10) with sunflower greens is a jewel-toned vision almost too pretty to eat and chilled pea soup with poached lobster (with, get this, pickled ramps) is packed with bits of meat that make its $12 price tag seem a bargain.

Capping off the food frenzy, you'll want to check out the foie gras burger ($21), if just to say you've done it. It's a layer upon layer of flavor (and cholesterol): black truffles, braised short ribs and foie gras encased by beef sirloin. It's not an easy thing to pull off--keeping the exterior from drying out completely, while making sure the inside isn't blood raw. Mihall gets it as close to right as anyone possibly could, searing the outside and finishing the whole affair in the oven. Roasted tomatoes and a brioche bun just add to the dedadence. Thing is, the burger's far too large to actually fit in your mouth, so just split one round the table. I don't want to be responsible for any of you keeling over in coronary arrest if you brave it alone.

Dessert hasn't quite worked itself out yet. Considering the sweet teeth of local clientele and late(ish) hours, we'll look forward to some creativity in this department to cap off the meal. No worries. Just ask the chef sitting at the end of the bar for a few ideas.

If you go: The spot is a little hard to find, hidden in a far corner of the Town Green and signage is minimal. Considering the buzz, you may want to call ahead for reservations. The restaurant has a considerable wine list featuring many local wines, in addition to a large selection of Italian reds and whites.

Odyssey Restaurant, 426 Emily Rose, Circle, Windsor, 707.836.7600. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 5pm to 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 11pm.

Get Buzzed: Summer's all about honey booze

Just in time for a mass bee die-off, honey has become the hottest alcohol flavoring of the year. Seems whatever apiaries are left will be putting in some serious overtime.

No longer relegated to Renaissance Fairs, mead (an ancient recipe for wine made with honey instead of grapes) is among the most popular bee brews, with companies like Colorado's Medovina refining the process to create high-end wines ranging from super sweet to off-dry sippers perfect for a late summer evening. Closer to home Enat Winery in Oakland brews Ethiopian mead called tej using an old family recipe. But because of its relative simplicity to make and similarity to beer brewing, local honey purveyors say there are dozens of home mead makers throughout the county cooking up their own batches.

More accessible to honey, uh, newbees are honey beers and ciders. Near Graton, Ace Cider makes Apple Honey Cider using Gibson's Golden Wildflower Honey from Sonoma County. Claiming to be the first commercially produced in California, the cider is a mix of 5% honey and 95% Sonoma apple juice. Cider Master Lou Markarian says that despite its sweet honey taste, the cider is balanced by a tart acidity from the apples.

Though they only brew about 5,000 gallons of the honey cider a year (it's an acquired taste, reportedly), Ace uses a whopping 150 gallons of honey per year. That's about a year's production for two hives, according to the San Francisco Bee Keeper's Association. The honey cider is available on tap at Ace Pub, as well as in bottles at select Whole Foods, Bevmo, Costco and Trader Joe's.

While at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, BiteClub was two-fisting Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale, which marries flavors of orange peel and organic honey with a light, crisp beer. A winner at the 2007 American Beer Festival, it's available through BevMo.com.

Still can't get enough of the sweet stuff? Check out Matrioshka Honey Vodka, Modern Spirit Grapefruit Honey Vodka or Wild Turkey American Honey Liqueur which can also be found through BevMo. Whisky mead is available from Friary Vintners in the UK.

But no matter what your drink, this summer you're in for a serious buzz.

Find out more:
- Create your own mead
-San Francisco Beekeeper's Association
- Ace Cider
-Medovina
- Mead Resource Guide

Battle of the Chefs: Thirty minutes and 10 mystery ingredients: Allez cuisine!

If you've ever watched Iron Chef, you'll pretty much get the premise of the recent Steel Chef cook-off during Sonoma Showcase last weekend--throw a good-natured group of chefs into an impossibly stressful cooking situation in front of an audience; keep the key ingredients a mystery until the last second; set the timer for 30 minutes (30 minutes less than the real Iron Chef) and then judge the outcome. Publicly.

Chosen by SRJC's Culinary Arts Director Michael Salinger, the mystery foods for round one included gulf shrimp, pork loin, figs, nectarines, corn, Andouille sausage cherry tomatoes and fresh pasta. For the championship round, the bag nicluded rack of lamb, loin of lamb,squash, tomatoes, Santa Rosa plums, fingerling potatoes, portabella mushrooms and Belgian endive.

I'm always surprised, frankly, that there aren't more mental breakdowns during these things. Because if you threw a bag of random ingredients at me with 30 minutes on the clock I'd probably start crying hysterically.

But these are pros. First round competition pitted Jack Mitchell of Sassafras Restaurant against Jeff Mall of Zin Restaurant. Using the first mystery bag, Mall swayed the judges with an impromptu dish of shrimp and grits, pork loin with peppers and pinot sauce and the sliced fruit.

"I barely had time to get the pork on the plate. I didn't have time to slice it, and the judges were eating with plastic forks and knives. I honestly thought Jack had won," Mall said.

Facing off in the championship round against Janine Falvo of Carneros Bistro (who had topped Jeffrey Madura of John Ash & Co.), Mall did a 'Ratatouille' inspired, uh, ratatouille. But not just ratatouille--curry rubbed rack of lamb, ratatouille, grilled endive and a pinot noir sauce with a Remy Pez dispenser garnish. "It was the fastest 20 minutes of my life," says Mall, who ultimately won the coveted Steel Chef title.

Never doubt the power of Pez. Congrats, Jeff.

---

Want to know how how he did it? Mall dishes on his dishes.

For my first dish, I did shrimp and grits. I took the corn shucked it, cooked it in some boiling water, took the kernels off the cob and added the cob back to the water to make a corn stock. I then stirred in polenta, I know -not really grits into the corn stock to make grits. I also added cream, butter, salt and the corn kernels. I rendered out the sausage and sautéed the shrimp in the fat with some tomatoes, peppers and white wine, and added just a touch more cream. I took the pork loin and pan roasted it, I also added some red peppers and Anaheim and jalapeno peppers I had diced. I then added some fresh figs and sliced nectarines. Deglazed with pinot noir and served over some fresh pasta.

For the championship battle I rubbed the rack with curry powder, salt and olive oil and grilled it. I dropped the potatoes in boiling water to cook half way, pulled them out and sliced them and threw them into the oven with butter and salt to roast. Grilled the lamb loin, endive and portabella mushroom. Threw the plums in a blender with some port wine and salt. Sautéed the squash with onion, garlic and the tomatoes. Reduced some pinot noir with chicken stock and balsamic vinegar. My first dish was the curry rubbed rack of lamb with ratatouille, grilled endive and a pinot noir sauce. I did not have eggplant, so I could not make a real ratatouille. I did have a 'Remy' Pez Dispenser from the movie ratatouille in my pocket. I used 'Remy' as a garnish. For the second dish I served the lamb loin with the roasted fingerlings, grilled portabellas and Plum Port sauce.

Truffle Pigs:

Snuggled against the base of a sheer limestone mountain, the town of Field, British Columbia is just about the quaintest place on earth. The hamlet of 200 is little more than a way-station for summer vacationers who have the inside track on the popular eight-table bistro, The Truffle Pigs, who serve happily sweating diners beef bourguignon in 95 degree weather.

We've traveled off our Calgary-bound route along Canada's Highway One to get here. A bit cramped, with knickknacks and souvenirs hanging from the ceiling and a small general store attached to the back, the restaurant is nothing much, really to look at. There are prime Alberta steaks on the barbecue, mussels with white wine sauce bubbling on the small stove, and their famous bourguignon--beef, carrots and potatoes simmered in red wine and all other sorts of goodness.

It's unseasonably muggy here in the Rockies. Despite snow-capped mountains, the valley feels like a Lousiana swamp, with twice the number of mosquitoes. But there's no way I'm passing up the opportunity for the Pigs' stew. And when it arrives, this steaming and hearty winter fare it's all we can do to not to cram it into our mouths in under 60 seconds flat. Hey, we've been eating campground hot dogs for three days. Melt-in-your mouth meat, potatoes and plenty of sauce to be sopped by a crusty slice of bread. Tres French.

The Truffle Pigs is run by a young Toronto couple who made their escape from urban life in 2001, the vibe is ultra-relaxed, with summer afternoon chat and "Where you folks from, eh?" After a cold glass of beer and a bit of rum as we wait for dinner, we're all feeling pretty relaxed.

Then my mom drops the bomb that the entire town was squashed like a bug when half the mountain fell on it a hundred years or so ago. Maybe I'll take my dessert to go.

Truffle Pigs Bistro, Field, British Columbia. http://www.trufflepigs.com/

PS: BiteClub heads back to work today. Stay tuned for a follow-up on Showcase and more SoCo eats.

BBQ brisket with a side of guilt: Franzi's Swiss Italian Deli

I feel so wrong. So very, very wrong.

Wafts of my lunch chastise me at regular intervals from the patchwork of drips and stains covering my clothes. My sated stomach gurgles. My conscience is troubled.

Without a second thought or even a napkin, I have scarfed down a sandwich the size of Cleveland--beef brisket covered in melty smoked cheddar with mayonnaise, pickles, onions and peppers on a sourdough bun.

There, I said it.

A surprise find in the Petaluma's OSH shopping center (I was actually on my way elsewhere on a food tip), I was pulled in by the undeniable gravitational pull of fresh barbecue. (You'll see the smoking 'cue on the sidewalk just down from Jerome's BBQ).

On Franzi's menu board (aside from the brisket) is a United Nations of sandwiches including the BBQ Tri Tip, pulled pork, Louisiana hot links and Petaluma BBQ chicken, Rueben, Panini and Persian in addition to St. Louis ribs and fresh made Baklava. Most specialities are under $8, which is a pretty good deal for that much meaty goodness.

But oh that evil, delicious gigantic beef brisket! BiteClub could not resist wolfing down every last morsel on the ride home. Then licking fingers and searching around for any missed morsels that have escaped the carnage. My dry cleaner will be horrified.

Not that I wasn't warned. "You eat half now, half for dinner," said the kindly lady at the Franzi's Swiss Italian Deli, nearly toppling from the weight of my sandwich. Cha, right.

Oh, the guilt. Oh, the shame. Oh, the stains. Oh, what a sandwich.

Franzi's Swiss Italian Deli, 1390 North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707.664.1339

Trip to Bountiful: Eating your way to Point Reyes

Need a little summer getaway? BiteClub heads for the beach, stopping to pick up plenty of provisions along the way.

Santa Rosa to Tomales: Passing through Petaluma, head out toward the town of Tomales. It's an incredibly scenic ride through golden hillsides dotted with eucalyptus groves. About 30 minutes out, you'll enter this cozy historic outpost that's home to the Tomales Bakery. And, uh, not a whole lot else. Best known for their fresh-made breakfast pastries, the shop opens at 7:30am, usually to a waiting crowd. By early afternoon, the shop is pretty picked over, but you can usually find a pizzetta or two to tide you over until you hit Tomales Bay. Need provisions? If you've just gotta get a sandwich, there's also a deli next door with coffee and the usual lunchtime suspects. (But hey, you're holding out for the oysters!) Tomales Bakery, 27000 Highway 1, Tomales, 707.878.2429. Open Thursday through Sunday from 7:30am until they run out of food.

Hog Island Oysters: As you get to the bay, the signs for BBQ oysters abound. If you're feeling adventurous (and have made a reservation well in advance) Hog Island Oysters sells fresh-from-the-bay oysters onsite and has a popular picnic spot right on the bay for grilling them up yourself. Not lucky enough to get a picnic spot, it's worth crunching over the oyster shells in the parking lot and stopping in just to see the "Farm" where the oysters spend their last 24 hours in huge tanks getting cleaned. Note: You can't buy prepared oysters here (aw shucks!) The Farm: Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm; located on Highway 1 in Marshall, about 15 minutes north of Point Reyes Station and 45 minutes south of Bodega Bay. 415.663.9218.

The Marshall Store: Don't let it's shabby looks deceive you. Inside this oyster shack are some of the best oysters to be found in the area. Barbequed, Rockefellered or raw (or all three), they're prepared while you wait and served up with hearty local bread for dipping all that juice. And the best part? The view is free. Located on Highway 1 in Marshall, Open seven days a week, 10am to 6pm.

ADDED Nick's Cove: If you've got a little more time, don't miss stopping at the new Pat Kuleto project--a reimagined Nick's Cove. The menu includes plenty of oysters, along with the Cove Oyster PoBoy, a Niman Ranch chuckburger, Marin Sun Farms Beef Carpaccio and fish and chips made with local Petrole sole. Plus, should all those oysters leave you feeling a bit randy, you can grab your cutie and head to a the remodeled cottages along the beach. Nicks Cove and Cottages, 23240 Highway 1, Marshall.

ADDED Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop: Sustainably raised beef from the Marin ranches is sold at the Pt. Reyes butcher shop to the delight of meat-eaters from through the Bay Area. Though you can get this high-quality meat at plenty of local restaurants, the butcher shop is one of the only retail sellers in the North Bay. Plus, farm fresh eggs. Nothin' better. 10905 Hwy 1, Point Reyes Station, 415.663.8997, ext. 204

Tomales Bay Foods: Yes, you have reached nirvana. Combining the Cowgirl Creamery, an mini indoor farmer's market, a case of prepared salads and lunch nibbles, a wine shop and coffeehouse, this is picnic bliss. On weekends, you'll likely have to fight your way through the throngs of city folk to pick up some Cowgirl cheese and organic nectarines, but oh, how worth it. Don't miss watching the curds getting stirred through the big window at the back of the store. Point Reyes, 415 663-9335. While in town, don't miss Marin Organics' Pt. Reyes Farm Market and nearby Bovine Bakery.