Nestled at the base of the Pacific Coast mountain range sits the tiny town of Los Gatos. Cruising along Santa Cruz Avenue, you will find a range of galleries, boutiques, bars, restaurants and even a brewpub. What many people may not know is that Los Gatos is home to not one, but two Michelin Star rated restaurants. To receive a Michelin Star is quite an honor says much about not only the restaurant but the community it is in. Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I received a press release stating that Michelin Star rated Trevese will be hosting a Brewer's Dinner pairing their cuisine with the beers from Devils Canyon Brewing Company (DCB). I immediately signed up.

The genesis for this dinner can be placed upon the shoulders of Devils Canyon Brewing salesman/draught specialist Jim Hansen. Jim handles the Trevese account and worked with Executive Chef and owner Michael Miller over the course of a few weeks to put this event on. If there was ever a man to thank, or blame, it would be Jim. Fortunately there's a lot to be thankful for.

Trevese inhabits one of the few Queen Anne-style Victorians left in all the Bay Area. Originally built in 1891 by J.J. Hill, the mansion was originally owned by Mary Coggeshall. The Chart House, the prior owners, turned the house into a restaurant in 1977 and had a 30 year run before shuttering their doors. The landscaping is immaculate while the mansion maintians much of the detail Victorians are known for. Despite that, the interior of Trevese is warm yet sophisticated, traditional yet modern. Our dinner will be held in the main dining room where a long table has been arranged for the dinner guests. From there, we have a view of the kitchen, or at least a partially obstructed view as allowed by panes of translucent glass. In between these panes is a clear view into the kitchen, just enough to titilate but not so much as to give away the magic. There is a smaller, secondary room adjacent to the main dining area that is normally reserved for priviate parties. Trevese has an upstairs space that seems to be undefined. There are preliminary plans being discussed about the integration of a cigar lounge but nothing concrete. John, the sommelier at Trevese, then leads us out to the deck where the reception is already in progress.

Reception

Beer: Habañero Black Lager, 5.4% ABV and Rye IPA, 8.1% ABV
Food: Fried Oysters with Mango and Shiso / Salami Pizzettes

The Hades Habañero is a dark lager that is brewed with smoked habañero chili. Because it is a lager, it is generally clean (no fruity esters) but it does have some roastiness from both the aroma and flavor as well as a touch of smoke and slight sulfury notes. There is a notable presence of spice-induced "heat" in the back of my throat that is more warming than anything. It's enough to let you know this is a chili beer without compromising the flavors or character of the base beer. I will be the first to admit I am not a fan of chili beers (thank you, Cave Creek) but Hades Habañero is a surprisingly flavorful and easy drinking beer. This was my wifes favorite of the evening.

This beer was paired with the Salami Pizzettes, which were basically little pizzas. These things were good and the bite-sized portions dangerous. I could easily see myself having a few too many and not having enough room for the main course. It seemed like the salami's spices and flavors echoed the habañero character of the beer. A good pairing.

Essentially an IPA brewed with rye malt, Red Devil Rye IPA has a good balance between the malt charcter and the hop character of the beer with a little bit of spicy rye notes to throw us a curve ball. Weighing in at 8.1% ABV, this is not a "light" beer by any means but you wouldn't have noticed. Red Devil Rye is deceptively easy drinking and hides it's alcohol well. Although I enjoy the fact that it's not palette-destroyingly bitter, I personally would've liked to see a lot more aroma hops. IPAs are supposed to be a "showcase" of hops but this beer may be a little too balanced for its own good.

The fried oysters with mango and served on a shisho leaf was intended to be paired with the Red Devil Rye. Delicately flavorful, the oyster was well seasoned and lacked that "ocean-like" character that seems to turn a lot of people off. The mango provided a touch sweetness to the dish while the shinso leaf had a bitterness to it that was unlike hop bitterness and served as a counterpoint to the Rye IPA.

First Course

Beer: Silicon Blonde Ale, 6.3% ABV and Lager Diabla, 5.4%
Food: Duck Prosciutto, Grape Salad, Gnocchi and Chicken Liver Custard

There was a lot going on in this dish that I find to be nearly impossible to categorize. The grape salad was refreshing in its flavors while the gnocchi was light in flavor but heavy on texture. It was very chewy and seemed to pose as a base for the other flavors to play on. Good thing there was only a little bit of the duck prosciutto because it had the most flavor of anything on the plate, lots of duck flavors and salty. The real gem though was the chicken liver custard. The texture was smooth, light and creamy on the palette while the flavor was reminiscent of foi gras. This was easily the best part of Course 1.

I think you really needed to drink both beers for this dish. The Silicon Blonde Ale worked really well with the chicken liver custard as one blended right into the other while the Lager Diabla seemed more at home with the duck prosciutto. I felt the prosciutto overpowered many of the other flavors when eaten alone but when combined with a little bit of the gnocchi, the chicken liver custard and the salad, it mellowed out some and worked better with the Lager Diabla.

Second Course

Beer: Dedicated Amber Ale, 5.4% ABV
Food: Salmon Lobster Sausage, Basil Purée, Smoked Apricot, Serrano Honey Oil

The salmon lobster sausage had a delicate flavor. Neither the lobster nor the salmon flavors dominated, both combined to form something new. The basil purée was also tasty, just hints of the herb, and had a texture similar to mashed potatoes. The smoked apricot was a real treat as the natural sweetness of the apricot was almost syrup-like while the smokiness added another level of flavor I wasn't expecting at first. Finally the serrano honey oil gave a pleasant kick of heat to the entire dish that woke up the palette.

In continuing with the idea of balance, the Dedicated Amber ale is another balanced beer from Devils Canyon. When paired with this course, the malt sweetness of the amber seemed to resonate very well with the smoked apricot. Those two flavors worked well together. The heat of the serrano honey oil could've been slightly toned down as I felt it was a bit strong for the Dedicated Amber. Then again, spice tolerance is different for everyone. Out of all the pairings, I felt this may have been the weakest. I wasn't sure what to make of the heat, sweet and seafood when juxtaposed against the beer. I thought that certain, individual aspects worked better than others.

Third Course

Beer: Full Boar Scotch Ale, 7.4% ABV
Food: Lamb Chop, Mole, Corn Bread, Plums with Tiny Greens

3rd courseI'd have to say that this was probably my favorite course of the evening. The lamb chop had a nice meaty, savory flavor to it. Some people complain about the gaminess of the lamb but I love that flavor. Interesting, I don't recall a strong gamey flavor to the lamb chop. I enjoyed the mole sauce. Like the lamb, it was hearty and flavorful without the chocolate dominating. The plums added a nice, sweet tart kick to the sauce and meat while the corn bread was a nice textural counterpoint to the mole. Truth be told, I don't remember the tiny greens adding much to the overall dish.

The Full Boar Scotch paired very well with this dish. The peat smoked malt gave the beer a savory, meaty quality while the smoke was echoed in the lamb chop and complimented the chocolate in the mole. I loved how the plums cut through all these big flavors and was kind of like an in-plate palette cleasner. If I wasn't in a formal dining setting I would've been gnawing on the bones.

Fourth Course

Beer: Root Beer, 0% ABV
Food: Chocolate Cake, Ginger Vanilla Ice Cream and Root Beer Foam

4th courseThis course was the most surprising of the evening. Devils Canyon produces their own root beer, a recipe developed by Devils Canyon owners Chris and Kristiann, that has a wonderful aroma and flavor. I was initially surprised to hear that it was being included in the menu because, well, it's root beer. I thought I should keep an open mind and I'm glad that I did.

Chef Miller and his team created a foam from the root beer that topped the ginger vanilla ice cream. It was delicately light yet retained much of the flavor characteristics of the root beer. The ginger vanilla ice cream touched upon and accentuated certain flavors in the root beer and proved to be a compliment I was not expecting. The chocolate cake, which was molten on the inside, was very good and decadently rich. I do not have a sweet tooth to begin with so I didn't finish everything. This pairing worked remarkably well.

Which brings me to another point: I have always argued that beer pairs well with food. This dessert though has taught me that you can pair just about any cuisine with any drink. It's all in the approach and having a respect of the ingredients before you. People treat sodas with kid gloves, you just drink it because it's there and no one would ever mistake a A&W root beer as a sophisticated beverage. Yet, when you take the time to deconstruct root beer, you can develop a dish that can really accentuate those flavors in ways you would never have imagined. I was thoroughly impressed by this last pairing.

Conclusion and Criticism

Overall I think this was a successful beer pairing dinner. I was expecting to be impressed by the flavors of the food and the artistry of the presentation as well by the pairings themselves. That being said, I felt the food was fantastic, creative and most importantly, flavorful. I felt most of the beer pairings worked well and I now have a healthier respect and understanding of the types of beers Devils Canyon brews. I've rediscovered their Full Boar Scotch Ale and found a surprise in the Hades Habañero.

FinalThe actual restaurant is great. The location is wonderful and the decoration appropriately sleek without sacrificing tradition. The staff at Trevese was on the ball all night. Everyone from the sommelier on down was helpful and attentive without hovering. I congratulate Trevese for being great hosts and putting on a wonderful event.

All that being said, I do have a critique. I felt Jason did an excellent job hosting the dinner. He took the time to explain each beer, its ingredients, gave insight on how they're made and what to expect. As a beer geek, I could listen to brewers talk about their beers long into the evening because that's something I enjoy. I was expecting the same thing from Executive Chef Mike Miller but outside of the first course, he didn't really give much insight into the cuisine of the evening. I wanted to know what his philosophy on cooking was. I wanted to know why he paired the foods he made with the beers that were served. I wanted to know the stupid details about technique and I was looking forward to hearing about which local producers he goes to. I would've loved to hear about his history, his training, his passion. This was a beer and food pairing and I wanted to know about the food as much as the beer.

Cheers!

Peter

pestaniel@beerconnoisseur.com

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