Fred Foodie- Eating And Drinking In And Around Frederick, Maryland

What are tannins in wine?

Fred — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:42:06 +0000

An excellent post from Wine Folly about tannins. Just had this discussion the other night with my youngest son. We were talking about the wine we were drinking as “having nice tannins” and he asked what they were. The way I always describe them is that feeling you get on the middle sides of your tongue when you drink plain black tea. Most people can relate to that.

So Much Going On!

Fred — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:51:33 +0000

Two spirit oriented events coming up fast:

Friday May 3rd: Bourbon 101. A tasting featuring small-batch bourbons. This is part of the Frederick First Friday celebration. I had no idea this existed. If you check out their web page you can see they have a whole series of spirits tastings lined up for 2013. I’d love to try the Bourbon one, but can’t make it on such short notice. But scotch in September and rum in October? I’m there.

Saturday May 4th is the 2013 Cigar and Whiskey Night to benefit Pry House Museum and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. More information HERE

Victory For Breweries

Fred — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:02:39 +0000

As of the time I write this there is a bill waiting to be signed by the Governor that would allow Maryland’s breweries to allow customers who come for tours to purchase beer at the brewery. It is my understanding that this would include growlers. To be more specific this new law, which if signed, goes into effect July 1st would allow holders of Class 5 brewer licenses to sell beer for on-site consumption. As the law stands now these licensees can only offer six 3-ounce samples to tour participants. They can also currently sell beer for off-site drinking.

This is a great development and sure to help the craft brewing industry in Maryland. I knew if I waited long enough the legislature would finally pass something good. After this session I need a drink.

Cheers!

VOLT Spring 2013 menu

Fred — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:01:41 +0000

VOLT announced its new Spring 2013 menu. Here is a stylish two minute video they put out. I thought it was interesting that, if accurate, their recipes use both metric and English measurements in the same recipe. I’m far to anal to allow that. Of course I’m also not a world class chef either, just a guy with an internet connection. That corn gnocchetti looks awesome.

Howdy & Drink Local Conference

Fred — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:01:19 +0000

I know I’ve been MIA around here. I’ve been out of the country for a stretch and have returned rested and ready to resume blogging. I have a new cocktail that I grew fond of while I was abroad: The Paloma. Anyone guess where I was? In my exhaustive research I noticed a wide variation in the making of this cocktail. I always asked the bartender how they made it. Not sure I can remember all the answers though. I have been experimenting with my own recipe and as soon as I perfect it I will post it here. Anyone care to share their favorite recipe? It’s certainly in the running for pool drink 2013.

Also of note the Drink Local Wine’s Fifth Annual Conference is going to be in Baltimore this weekend. You can find more information HERE. The grand finale taste-off looks especially intriguing. The list of participants is exciting. At $40 it seems like a really good deal as well and a unique opportunity to taste all these fine Maryland wines in one place. This conferene moves around the country so this may be your one chance to go when it is close by.

Score!

Fred — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:06:35 +0000

Taste test coming!

Some Cliches Must Be Honored

Fred — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:10:30 +0000

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Odds and Ends

Fred — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:24:52 +0000

A few tidbits: Eight Loudoun Wines you should drink this spring

The Maryland Drink Local Wine Conference will be held in Baltimore April 13th, 2013

The Frederick Wine House is having a tasting (tonight March 14th 6-8pm) with the owner and winemaker of Roots Wine.

Flying Dog Horn Dog Barrel-Aged Barleywine and Big Bottles

Fred — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:01:42 +0000

I got this email notification yesterday: Barrel-Aged Horn Dog barleywine to be released at the brewery March 26th. I reviewed their regular horn dog back in 2009 , and liked it. I am really psyched to try this one. Oak port wine barrels from Elk Run vineyards and horn dog ale sounds like a divine match. Its only available at the winery, so I forwarded the email to a friend to see if he was up for getting some. The reply: “Twenty dollars? No way.” I pointed out that this was for a 750ml bottle not the usual 12 ouncer but he was still not interested. As we were having this exchange I came across this article in the New York Times about how some craft breweries are moving towards larger format bottles : Craft Beer’s Larger Aspirations Cause a Stir. The article presents an interesting set of issues and is worth reading. Are the larger bottles part of the wine-ification of beer? Is it really just a ploy to get consumers who are used to spending in that range for wine to accept beer at a similar price? My friend is not a wine drinker. He’s also really cheap. Not sure which is responsible for his reaction.

What do you think about this whole debate?

Acacia- Thanks Frederick Restaurant Week

Fred — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 05:01:45 +0000

Just had a delightful lunch at Acacia courtesy of Frederick restaurant week. For those of you whose experience with this establishment has been limited to looking at the small area visible from the sidewalk on Market Street you should know that Acacia is truly a lovely space. You will also be surprised by how large it is. Tastefully decorated in muted, contemporary tones, the space continues back through two more separate dining areas and culminates in a beautiful courtyard. The food is contemporary American mixed with Asian influences. I know the term fusion has become a clichéd term in food circles, but Acacia does it well and does it authentically. I also really liked that they try to use all local and natural meats. Their menu states they use all natural pork products from Dorsey’s Meats of Woodsboro and local grass fed beef from Hedgeapple Farm of Buckeystown. There was also at least one vegetarian option for each course of the restaurant week menu.

Since this was restaurant week the worst part of the meal was having to choose only two courses out of appetizer, entrée and dessert. I opted for the appetizer/entrée option and started with the seared brussels sprouts. Wonderfully charred with just the right amount of salt and oil they were spectacular. I would have been satisfied to stop right there. Bravely, however I soldiered on with the Kung Pao chicken. The menu describes this dish as :”natural raised chicken stir fry, spicy hoisin glaze, peanuts, jasmine rice, black sesame-pea shoot salad.” It was perfectly spicy with delicious bits of chicken in a savory brown sauce. I also sampled the Jagerschnitzel- wonderfully crispy breaded pork tenderloin. The red cabbage marmalade was a terrific accompaniment to this dish.

Any food blogger can take a picture of the dish before you eat it. The remains of my Kung Pao chicken

I would also be remiss without mentioning that they had an excellent and varied wine list. Also available were nearly two dozen wines by the glass. I had a the top-notch Dr Loosen Reisling. It was great with the appetizer, but completely overpowered by the spice in the chicken. The negatives? First I thought the service was a trifle slow. The only complaint with the food was the pre-appetizer bread they served. Both I and my companion thought that it was not as fresh as it should be.

Overall I give Acacia high marks. It certainly is in the top tier of dining in Frederick . The ambiance is quite romantic and it would be a wonderful place to take a date. I plan on going back and enjoying the patio area once the weather warms up. I would also like to visit the bar one afternoon- their collection of scotches looks excellent.

Cheers!

Restaurant Reviews

Fred — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:52:25 +0000

Just a reminder in honor of Frederick’s restaurant week that the master list of my restaurant reviews can be found on FredList HERE. Please feel free to leave feedback!

Frederick Restaurant Week 2013

Fred — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:01:12 +0000

Is nearly upon us! It will be March 4th through 10th. 22 local restaurants are offering prix fixe, multi course lunch and dinner menus. Full details HERE. I plan on hitting a couple, how about you?

Liquor Board Minutes

Fred — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:01:02 +0000

I have to admit that I am such a geek that I regularly read the liquor board minutes. Having attended a few hearings in my other capacity I am always stunned by how antiquated the laws and procedures are. It offends the libertarian in me how controlled the process is (and that other owners can get up there and protest the issuance of a new license because there are already other stores in the area). However as an avid beer wine and liquor consumer you can find some interesting tidbits in the minutes. From the most recent hearing on February 11th, 2013 besides the usual transfer requests I did note the following items:

A store called Spin the Bottle was granted a conditional license for 220 East Patrick Street. Another store called Viniculture put their license application on hold because they could not come to terms with the landlord at their proposed 57 East Patrick Street location. If memory serves that was the location of the old Deli?

Lastly a conditional license was issued for a new store down in Urbana in the Fingerboard Plaza shopping center (same place where Mangie e Bevi is located). The name on the application is Orion Wine and Spirits.

National Margarita Day 2013

Fred — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:01:09 +0000

Well apparently the 22nd was National Margarita Day. I’m not sure how I could have missed such a momentous milestone, but I did. Not sure who’s behind it, but probably a bunch of tequila marketers! Honestly seems wrong to me … Continue reading →

Firestone’s Culinary Tavern

Fred — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:03:18 +0000

I’ve been meaning to review this place for a long time. There’s something about Firestone’s that seems to slide under my radar, and it really shouldn’t and I can’t give no good reason why it does. Perhaps its just my radar is off? It has certainly had its’ share of accolades: Firestone’s is one of the few Frederick area restaurants to hold a Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence. Not only that but they’ve done it for eight consecutive years! It is consistently mentioned in the top restaurants in Frederick Magazine’s annual awards. Anyway on a recent afternoon I went there with two friends for lunch. The first thing that strikes you is the space: it has a beautiful old feel. Lots of dark wood and brick. Large two-story windows overlooking Market street prevent the space from feeling too dark. The bar is a masterpiece of woodwork. There are tables on the bar level and on a mezzanine level that overlooks the bar level. The whole effect is making the place feel cozy and inviting in an old-fashioned way without the slightest hint of cliché or kitsch.
The food is what I’d call classic American. On the day I visited I sampled the pulled smoked pork shoulder sandwich, the grilled free range chicken breast sandwich and the smokey grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and tomato. They were all quite good. If I had to pick my least favorite it would have been the chicken. I was a trifle bland and overcooked. The accompanying sides were excellent. You had the option of fries, but also a pasta (orzo) salad (really good) and a cucumber-vidalia onion salad (also excellent). Unfortunately after two Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ales I was too full to sample anything else, and also completely useless for the remainder of the afternoon.
And speaking of drinks the drink selection was top-notch: They have something like eighty beers and a constantly rotating selection of drafts. Also as expected from a Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence winner a great wine list. About 20 of those wines are available by the glass. I was also happy to see that nestled amongst the world spanning list they have a Maryland wine or two. Wine prices were decent.
Overall a place I have been to before and will continue to visit in the future. A great place to take guests since there really is something for everyone on the menu (vegetarian options as well). Next time I think I’d like to go back and sit at the bar and sample some of their wines and appetizers.
Firestone’s Culinary Tavern. 105 North Market Street, Frederick, Maryland