Category Archives: blonde ale

Christmas Eve at Ladyface!

     Merry Christmas Eve!!! My brother and his wife (whom shall now be referred to as “the vegans“) are in town for the holidays. They’re home-brewers and total beer snobs (that’s where I learned my beer-snobbery), so we went to Ladyface for an early lunch and beer tasting.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Ladyface Mountain!
We all started off with different beers. Starting from the top left and going clockwise: Picture City Porter, Ladyface IPA, Blind Ambition Amber, La Blonde, and the seasonal “O Smokey Night”.
I was very happy with my Blind Ambition – I’ve always been partial to ambers.
 Blind Ambition post-swirling.
It’s always necessary to start with sweet potato fries, especially if they come with red ale ketchup! The taste of the ale was actually present in the sauce and added a malty depth to the ketchup. I could’ve sipped it straight from the cup!
Having “the vegans” in the house always makes me crave meat to compensate for the overload of tofu and legumes that they use to fill our fridge. I ordered the grass-fed, free-range burger with white cheddar on a pretzel bun. It came with sliced red onions bathed in balsamic vinegar, organic tomatoes and butter lettuce on the side.
Dessert consisted of dreamy, delicate chocolate crepes stuffed with slightly-sweet chantilly cream and drizzled with raspberry compote.
They suggested that the crepes be paired with Liefman’s slightly sour lambic brewed with cherries.
It actually had small fragments of cherries in it!
 Obviously we weren’t satisfied with the dessert, OR the beer-pairing.
We were so unimpressed that we bought another bottle to take home for post-church enjoyment.
Such suffering 🙂
After a long lunch, we ventured back to the brewery section of the alehouse and brasserie.
They were in the middle of boiling their La Blanche Witbier, and we got a chance to talk with the brewmaster, David Griffiths, as well as the owner of the restaurant, Cyrena Nouzille.
Some of their seasonals were being fermented in French oak barrels.
     It was a really tough way to spend Christmas Eve, but we felt it was our duty to help support the local business. We’re off to attend Christmas Eve service, and then we’ll be spending the evening sipping fine brews and enjoying some quality time with our little family. I’m feeling extremely blessed this season.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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Filed under Agoura, blonde ale, brewery, burgers, IPA, Ladyface, Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie, Liefmans, O Smokey Night, Picture City Porter, sweet potato fries, vegan

Tucson: Part Four!

     Last Sunday, I did something I’ve NEVER done before… I purchased a beer, drank a quarter of it and LEFT THE REST! I know, I don’t believe it either!

At lunch, the waiter recommended Old Monkeyshine by Nimbus. This is a VERY potent beer. I didn’t leave it because I didn’t like it, I left it because after a quarter of it, I was feeling quite fuzzy around the edges – not good when you have to go back to work.
I also had half of a roast beef and cheddar sandwich on a french roll from Delectables. I LOVE it when restaurants use white cheddar. It makes me feel a bit healthier not having all that artificial dye weaving its way through my system.
In an attempt to get back to my booth, I had to take on a powerful force of nature: crowds at a stoplight.
Aaaaaaah, here they come!!!!

     I barely survived. I hid away in the booth until it was time for dinner.
After we broke down the booth (in a record hour and forty-five minutes!!!), we went to Caruso’s for some massive portions of pasta. And bread.
Since I didn’t finish my brew at lunch, I decided to give it another go. This time I got Dirty Guera by Nimbus – nice and smooth, with a much lower ABV than Old Monkeyshine.
I ordered the “spinach ravioli” which ended up being green ravioli stuffed with cheese. Not quite what I had in mind…
     The next day we rose at 6am and headed back to Cali. We stopped for lunch at Hadley, which is apparently famous for its date shakes. I know, I’ve never heard of it either.
The place is covered with autographed headshots…
…which begs the question, do these people carry around headshots with them, just waiting for the opportunity to pass them out?
I got a small date shake – if they’re famous, you gotta try!
I was not impressed. However, if you like gritty vanilla milkshakes, these are for you!
I ordered the vegetarian sandwich topped with blended avocado and cream cheese, sprouts, lettuce and tomato. Again, not impressed.

     I finally made it back after a NINE HOUR drive and collapsed in a happy heap on the couch with a book, a cup of tea and a blanket.
It’s so good to be home.

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Filed under blonde ale, Caruso's, date shake, David Carradine, Delectables, Dirty Guera, Hadley, Hadley Fruit Orchards, Nimbus, Old Monkeyshine, Smallville, Tucson, white cheddar