Beer fans and lovers of truffles are in luck, because the culinary calendar includes some great news about fun upcoming events. If you don’t fit anywhere in than Venn diagram, we’ll keep looking for something to make you happy.
First off, your friends at Black Abbey Brewing Company are throwing another one of their annual bashes, this time in honor of Guy Fawkes Day. Fawkestoberfest will stretch over the entire weekend of Nov. 3 to 5 with events celebrating the legendary British revolutionary and the release of their seasonal Guy Fawkes Brown Ale.
Here’s what they have on tap for the weekend at their Fellowship Hall taproom at 2952 Sidco Drive:
Friday, Nov. 3
Nashville Pipe & Drum perform at 6 p.m.
V for Vendetta screening at 7:30 p.m.
LA Lady Dawgs food truck
Saturday, Nov.4
The Best Wurst Band (traditional Oktoberfest schtick — they are amazing!) performs at 5 p.m.
Steinholding-competition
Pretzel-eating competition
Barrel-aged Krampus Nacht Beer release
Tapping European beers throughout the day, including Sam Smith’s Chocolate Stout (very limited availability in U.S.)
Steaming Goat food truck
Sunday, Nov. 5
Spindustry: Nashville beer community joins Black Abbey to spin records from their personal collections. Currently featuring:
Matty Hargrove — Blackberry Farm Brewery
Bailey Spalding — Jackalope
Brent LaFever — Best Brands
Matt Stewart — Ajax Turner
There’s no cover charge for any of the events, so just drop by and: “Remember, remember the fifth of November!”
If it’s been a while since you (and I, unfortunately) have made your way up to Madison to visit the amazing staff at Yazoo Brewing Company, brewery founder Linus Hall and his crew have announced some news that removes all excuses to point your car north. For years, Hall has been reluctant to get into the food business, because he rightfully considers restaurants and bars to be among his key customers, and didn’t want to be seen as competition for them. He even dragged his feet about opening a taproom in Yazoo’s old Gulch location, but it was obvious the brewery’s fans wanted the opportunity to spend time enjoying their favorite beers closer to the source. He did at least offer a rotating selection of food trucks to offer something to accompany the beers he sold at the taproom.
“We really respect our friends in the restaurant industry," says Linus, “but we’ve always thought it best to stick to what we know how to do, making the best beers we can.” After Yazoo made the move to Madison, patrons didn’t have nearly as many food options as they did in the Gulch, so Hall was finally forced to acquiesce to their requests. “Our customers were asking for more food options,” Linus admits. “And while it was great when we could book a food truck, that wasn’t always an option.”
Linus being Linus, he didn’t just jump on the first option available — he made a considered choice about who the brewery would partner with as a long-term partner, and he came up with another longtime Nashville institution: Grillshack Fries & Burgers.
A mutual friend introduced Linus and his wife and co-owner Lila to Steve and Susan Richter of Grillshack. There was an immediate spark between the two hardworking couples. “We hit it off, and soon decided to lease them our small kitchen, to create a Grillshack location inside our taproom,” said Linus. “Their fries are the best I’ve ever had. And what could go better with a pint of Yazoo than a hot order of fries and a great burger?”
Steve agrees, saying via a release: “Susan and I have been enjoying Yazoo beers for years, often as we honed our unique five-stage cooking process that makes incredible fries you'll find nowhere else. It seems natural to pair our passion for the ultimate fry with another family-owned Nashville original like Yazoo."
The group is still building out the new kitchen, but hopes are to bring the new arrangement to fruition by the end of the year as part of Yazoo’s yearlong 20th anniversary celebration. A pint of Daddy-O and some of those delectable Grillshack fries? That’s more than enough to get me off my butt and get back to the taproom!
Making it rain truffles at Carne Mare
While the weather has been so wacky and variable lately, making it difficult to figure out exactly what season it is, one thing is for sure: It’s truffle season! The beloved and precious white and black truffles have reentered the market by storm, and at least three different local restaurants have planned celebrations to welcome the arrival of the fancy fungi.
At Pastaria in OneC1ty, the team gives diners the chance to indulge in truffle additions to some of their already popular dishes, thanks to white truffles from Rare Tea Cellar that Pastaria is selling at close to their own cost. Try their special Tagliatelle al Tartufo, crafted with house-made egg noodles, butter sauce, two-year Parmesan and shaved Alba white truffle for $55.95. Or choose your own adventure by adding shaved white truffles to any dish on the menu (maybe don’t choose the gelato) for $10 a gram.
On Sunday, Nov. 8, high-end Italian spot Yolan is celebrating the arrival of truffles with a grand White Truffle Celebration, a special four-course dinner that puts truffles in the middle of the spotlight and the middle of your plate. Starting at 5 p.m., patrons will take a truffle trip through classic dishes like Capesante, featuring scallops, caramelized sunchoke, caviar and brown butter; and Guancia de Manzo, featuring braised beef cheek, celeriac and black trumpet.
Dessert and wine pairings will also be available for the supper, which will cost $300, with wine pairings available for an extra $100. Make your reservations here.
Finally, Carne Mare is presenting its third annual Trufflepalooza from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 for a long weekend of truffle specials and wine pairings. Chefs Andrew Carmellini and Levi Raines will offer à la carte truffle specials in the main dining room, including Hiramasa Crudo, Risotto Bianco, Arrosto di Vietta and more, all topped with freshly shaved white truffles.
The fest will conclude with a special dinner in the restaurant’s private dining room, where the chefs promise to go over the top with their truffle shaving at the $375 event. If you’d like to be the beneficiary of their extravagant largesse, make your reservations at the event website. Happy (truffle) hunting!
