Despite the single digit readout on the thermometer, this past Saturday was a 10. (Notwithstanding the beer, but more on that later.) The wife and I ventured down to Norwalk to visit the So No Baking Company & Cafe - a place Danger Kitten has been itching to see. The proprietor is a graduate of the CIA, which is an institution the wife has been thinking, reading and dreaming about lately. Note: this CIA trains chefs and bakers, not snoops...
The bakery is located a block from Long Island Sound on the outskirts of trendy Southern Norwalk - an area that appears to have enjoyed a reincarnation of sorts in the past twenty years - across from a shipyard. We enjoyed lunch and pastries while watching a baker make chocolate croissant. If you ever need to kill an hour in Norwalk, Connecticut, look up the bakery.
After lunch, we made the half mile trek to the aquarium. We'd decided to make a day of it in Norwalk, as it seemed silly to drive an hour just for lunch, and were excited to discover that the aquarium's IMAX was showing Mysteries of the Great Lakes. As someone who grew up on (and in) Lake Michigan, I was pretty thrilled. The film provided an excellent, albeit quick, glimpse of the beauty, history, and threats facing the Lakes. The tragic tale of the mighty and once abundant lake sturgeon brought tears to Danger Kitten's eyes. I mean a lot of tears...
Fortunately, the emotional surge caused by the sturgeon wore off pretty quickly, as our next task was to load up on seafood and fish heads for the evening meal - Court Bouillon. Lucky for us, Norwalk has an excellent little fish market called Paganos. The wonderful fishmonger sold us mussels, bay scallops, monkfish and cod, and gave in a bag of Red Snapper carcasses.
As an aside, check out this picture of a monkfish. The fishmonger explained that monkfish is the "poor man's lobster," and at $6.95/lb, who were we to argue? It earned this name mainly because the only edible part of the fish is the tail, which yields firm, versatile, and mild meat. Because the fish is so damned ugly and yields so little meat, fishermen used to simply take the monkfish tail home for use in their own kitchens. Buy some if you get the chance, but try not to think about the picture you just saw...
The Court Bouillon was rich, satisfying (particularly on a frigid January evening), and perfect with the crusty ciabatta we had in the freezer.
And so, after a full day and a full stomach, it was time to taste a beer. (You knew I'd get around to beer eventually.) I'd been looking forward to a strong ale to warm my innards and titillate my senses. Unfortunately, the beer I chose was up to the first task, but not the second, which disappointed given how much I'd enjoyed the brewery's Autumn Ale during our Oktoberfest tasting...
Weyerbacher's Abbey-style Quadruple Ale (11.8% ABV)
Appearance: Deep copper. Orangey reddish. Very little head retention, although the bubbles rose until the pint was finished.
Aroma: Powerful. Lots of malty sweetness punctuated by yeast. No hops to speak of.
Taste: An explosion of malt and alcohol. Spicy with very little bitterness. A distinctly Belgian sweetness (not surprisingly). Full-bodied but a bit flat. Weak body with a fleeting mouthfeel that was muscled out of the way quickly by booziness.
Overall Impression: Not the most balanced of beers. Dominated by a rich and deep malty sweetness. Too much “Big Beer” and not enough subtleness or complexity. A case study in less would be more...
--Brewfus
1 comment:
Definitely a new experience! Luckily, the tears were short-lived, so I could still eat the Snapper later on.
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