Archive for July, 2010
I have mentioned many times, that during the summer months I tend to crave salads more so than I do in the winter. Now Adam would argue all I ever want to eat is salad, but honestly that is not true. I do LOVE salads and their endless possibilities, there is just something so satisfying about them when it is super hot out. And one salad I have always loved, even since I was young and thought salad to be sort of boring, was a good ol’ Chicken Caesar Salad. Now I must admit that my palette has expanded, a Caesar is really not all that exciting, but there are times when it is the simplicity of it all that draws me back in, I just know it’s going to be good! Now when most people, me included, think of a regular Caesar salad, the picture to the left jumps to mind. Rarely have I had a Caesar salad appear much different than that, I am used to the usual suspects: Romaine Lettuce, Grilled Chicken, Parmesan Cheese, Buttery Croutons, and of course the creamy Caesar dressing. Given my long time love affair with Caesar salads, it was no wonder this recipe I am featuring this month jumped out to me. Adam and I happened to catch an episode of Rachael Ray’s Thirty Minute Meals entitled “Old Fave New Flave” one evening and both of us were immediately sucked in. We sat in awe for the next 1/2 hour watching Rachael create a yummy chicken and pasta dish fully inspired by and with all the flavors of a typical Chicken Caesar Salad. Let’s just say all the usual suspects were there, but in a very unconventional and intriguing way. As the show came to a close and she presented the dish we turned to one another and exclaimed, “We have to try that.” If you have followed us long enough you can probably understand why…a dish inspired by a salad (right up Katie’s alley) and a dish that centers around pasta (umm hello you had Adam at pasta). Needless to say I was eager to find a time to try and whip up what was actually 2 recipes created to go together, Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto and Caesar Spaghetti. The two recipes together complement one another in flavor and thus create the ultimate Caesar platter.
Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
- Prep Time:
- 20 min
- Inactive Prep Time:
- —
- Cook Time:
- 10 min
- Level:
- Easy
- Serves:
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds or shelled pistachios
- 1 cup packed fresh arugula leaves
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 small pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (tenders removed)
Directions
Heat a grill pan to high.
Toast the nuts lightly in small skillet over low heat, then add them to a food processor.
Add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine.
With the processor on, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to form thick pesto.
Lightly pound out the chicken, then rub all sides with the pesto. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray or rub with a little oil and grill the chicken 2 to 4 minutes on each side.
Cook’s Note: Serve sliced on top of Caesar Spaghetti or, pile it onto ciabatta bread with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella for an outta-sight sammy.
Caesar Spaghetti
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
- Prep Time:
- 5 min
- Inactive Prep Time:
- —
- Cook Time:
- 15 min
- Level:
- Easy
- Serves:
- 4 servings
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
- 6 anchovy fillets, drained
- 4 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball the amount
- 2 medium heads escarole, washed
- 1 lemon, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, salt the water. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, according to package directions.
Heads up: you need to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water just before draining.
While the pasta is cooking, put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the anchovies and cook until they’ve melted into the oil, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, stir 1 minute then add in Worcestershire. Shred the escarole and add several handfuls at a time, wilting the greens in the garlic oil. Dress the greens with lots of pepper and a little nutmeg, then squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the pan. Add the reserved starchy cooking water to the eggs in a small bowl and beat together to temper them. Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta and the egg mixture. Stir to combine. Add half of the cheese and toss vigorously for 1 minute. Dress the pasta with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and transfer to a serving dish. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.
I will something now, one thing I always know going in, even though Rachael is able to pull these elaborate looking meals out in 30 minutes, there is no way I am ever going to. This is largely due to the fact that I have to read every little detail and amount, not knowing them off the top of my head. I am also anal about measuring (unlike Rachael), and let’s be honest it takes awhile to cut and prepare all the ingredients you need. Knowing that the pesto was likely going to take me a bit of time to prepare, I stared with the chicken dish first. I gathered all the pesto ingredients and prepped them to go into the food processor.
What happened next seems comical now, but at the time was royally annoying. I have only used our food processor once before this occasion and thought I knew exactly how to set it back up. Well either I did something wrong, or it is busted, because it would turn on, but nothing happened. This caused mild panic and a mess inside the non-working processor, but I realized that the blender could maybe do the same thing. So into the blender all the ingredients went and after a bit of hard work on its part, we had pesto!
From there I followed the recipe, pounding out the chicken breast and rubbing the pesto on them. It seemed as if there was more pesto than I needed, but this could also be because I used fairly small chicken breasts. I then placed those to the side until I was ready to grill them. Knowing my tendency to have one dish ready and the rest of the dish a long ways off I figured my best bet was to get the spaghetti 3/4 of the way finished and then put the chicken on. This may have been a mistake, but we’ll get to that :).
This is the point of the cooking process when things began to get hectic, because tackling the spaghetti required a lot of steps going on at once, all the while I am trying to read the recipe on my computer next to me and not freak out because there is water overflowing from the boiling spaghetti pot. And as I began to cook up the sauce that would dress the spaghetti, I began to get overwhelmed. Luckily it was at that moment that Adam came upstairs and was able to monitor the chicken, which I decided in the midst of the craziness, needed to start cooking, or it might not be done in time. What started to make me frazzle was that the sauce for the spaghetti itself is actually made up of the many flavors you might find in a typical Caesar salad, which was a lot of measuring and reading, to make sure I was adding the right ingredients at the right time. This part also involved the “salad” part, which was supposed to be wilting escarole in that mixture. Well our store did not have escarole, so romaine it was. Now I have never cooked romaine lettuce and was a bit skeptical that this was even a good idea, but I just decided to go for it and see what would happen.
I want to re-iterate that the recipe would typically require escarole, unfortunately typical me decides to research alternatives after I had already bought all the ingredients, and discovered that kale or spinach would have been a better substitute. One website I found said that romaine would be ok, but looking back I am not sure it had quite the same effect. It did not break down as much as spinach typically does, but maybe in this recipe it was not supposed to, I will never know :) So in the meantime, while that “sauce” was simmering, the pasta coming off the stove, and the chicken sizzling away, I separated two eggs and added them to 1 cup of the starchy pasta water to eventually add to the pasta dish itself. It was then time to assemble…this required adding the lettuce “sauce” mixture and the starchy eggs to the spaghetti noodles and stirring vigorously. Then 1 cup of Romano cheese was added and more extreme stirring took place. After a minute or so I as actually quite impressed when I began to see a thicker creamier sauce develop.
In the end it looked very appetizing, although I was still skeptical at how the cooked romaine would taste, but all in all I was happy that for once a from scratch “sauce” actually did what it was supposed to. This being unlike the time I attempted Giada’s carbonara recipe, but that is another story for another day (Giada and I just don’t seem to have luck when we work together)! And when we plated the two recipes together, albeit some minor freak outs and choice words thrown at the pots during the cooking process, I was pleasantly surprised that both dishes were ready about the same time and appeared like this.
I think that looks down right yummy! And a big thanks to my lovely hubby for stepping in as my sidekick chef/photographer, so we did not end up with burnt chicken or no cooking documentation. P.S. I love our new dishes because they really photograph so nicely! All in all this recipe turned out well and was not as hard as I was contemplating. It also weirdly enough tastes like a Caesar salad would, just in pasta form.
TASTE: I was amazed at the similarities in flavors between what you see above and a Caesar Salad. All the flavor nuances were there, yet in a more hearty and comforting way. Adam said he would have liked it better without the romaine (surprise surprise ;)), I actually enjoyed the change in texture, but did find it a little weird cooked. I think next time I would substitute spinach, since it seems a more likely complement in cooked pasta dishes. This is case in point why reading the recipe before hand is helpful, knowing I would be cooking the lettuce was a detail I had forgotten and when getting ready to cook all I had was romaine. It still came out tasting really good though and I think with a few tweaks I would for sure make it again.
EASE OF PREPARATION: Rachael Ray has become uber-successful with her “30-Minute Meals” for a simple fact, they turn out yummy and beautiful and are typically not overly difficult to prepare. Looking back, although I was struggling a bit, this recipe was not super complex. I just am challenged when it comes to manning 7 tasks at the same time (i.e. chicken, pasta, and sauce with multiple ingredients cooking at once). Now having done this once, I have a sense of the steps it takes and would likely be able to churn this out quite a bit faster. Overall, I am impressed again with how simple yet beautiful a meal this was and will likely be channeling Rachael more frequently once we have more mouths to feed.
COST: We happened to be grocery shopping for a 2 week haul when I bought all of the ingredients for this dish, so I am not sure how much I spent total, but likely a little more than I might on a typical meal. Nothing we had to buy was necessarily expensive, but this dish required a lot of fresh herbs that I never readily have on hand. However, as I will explain, this dish made a large amount of food, so if you were cooking it for a dinner party or just good ol’ family dinner, I would say this dish would impress for a lot less!
COMPLEXITY: As I mentioned above, this dish truly is not that complex. The most labor intensive and ingredient laden parts were the pesto (not hard) and the “sauce” which also was not difficult just needed to be monitored. What I especially enjoyed was learning why I needed to do something, in this case save some of the starchy pasta water. I never have understood why that was done, but now understand it helps the sauce congeal a bit better and in this case temper the eggs before just dumping them in. Overall, I was able to understand and easily duplicate all the parts of the recipe and given the chance again could do so even better.
PORTION SIZE: I need to always remember when creating these dishes that typically serve at least 4 people, that it is just me and Adam eating, and there is going to be a bunch leftover. Now the chicken dish was not as big of a deal, only 4 chicken breasts were made and we have already eaten the remainders in another dinner. But I do not typically eat larger portions of pasta, so let’s just say when I made an entire box, there is a big ol’ heap still in the fridge. Now that is not to say it won’t get eaten, I am lucky to have a man who LOVES leftovers, so most of it should not go to waste. Which I guess just shows you, Rachael actually prepares meals for people who like to eat and in this case you will have plenty.
Adam and I were pleasantly surprised by this meal and as I mentioned I think with a couple of tweaks, I could definitely put it on our repertoire. It is a bit more time consuming than I am used to for a typical dinner for us, but I began to learn some interesting additions I could give some of our own pasta dishes. Overall, I thought it was a great alternative to your basic Caesar Salad, when you are in the mood for some comfort food or something with the same flavor to fill you up a bit more. So without further adieu I give “Grilled Chicken with Arugala Pesto” and “Caesar Spaghetti” 4 Little Piggies!
So can we officially say summer has flown by so far? When we arrived in Indiana, I knew the next time I would get to see my parents was in August. Well, that went from feeling like forever to just two short weeks away; and with the amount of house “projects” we seem to have continuously going on (all my fault by the way :)) this summer has been kinda hectic…to say the least. But such is life, and to be honest, it is not in my personality to just let things around here take care of themselves. So, I was destined to take on everything seemingly at once the minute we bought a house; and in all honesty, I have really been enjoying seeing the progress we are making and all the potential this place has. Plus, all I have to do when I get a little tired or frustrated is transport myself back to one of our many great vacations and reminisce, which is exactly what I’m doing this week.
I’m assuming that many of you will or have taken at least one “trip” or vacation this summer, even if it was a small weekend getaway. Summer seems to be that time when jobs can be a bit more relaxed, the weather is nice, and those trips seem a bit more possible. Well, Adam and I are no different (perhaps we even take more trips than most), and we like to plan a few trips each year, not usually long, but just long enough to escape, relax, and try some amazing food we’ve seen in pop culture. I think a part of me has always had the travel bug (Adam definitely does!), so it is just one of those things we do whenever we can. But enough rambling…let me get to the point I was trying to make. With all the traveling we do, since starting PCC we typically plan our trips around places that will give us and "blog worthy" dining spots. So if you are traveling with us, be sure that we are going to eat our way through a city and have researched all of our possibilities thoroughly. 🙂
All of this brings me to this week’s feature restaurant on PCC. You all know that the point of PCC is to find those places we have seen featured in pop culture and give an honest review. So having planned our first trip to New Orleans 2 years ago, we knew a "must visit" spot was one we had just seen on Travel Channel’s "Man vs. Food" ‘New Orleans’ episode and had heard about from countless other sources. I’m referring, of course, to the the N’awlins landmark… Mother’s Restaurant. You can see why we knew we had to go…
“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved June 30, 2010, from“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved June 30, 2010, from
“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPeeIKWyQkI
If that video does not tempt you, I am not sure what will. Mother’s is not any fancy new Po-boy shop that has recently sprung up and is getting lots of hype…no sir. They have been serving up great sandwiches since 1938, which I would say at this point makes them an institution. Opened by Simon and Mary (Mother) Landry, people came from near and far (and still do) to get a taste of these simple yet delicious Po-boys, as well as their take on some of New Orleans’ favorites. In fact, so many people are coming to Mother’s that you can be guaranteed to wait in a hefty line each meal time; and since you’ve had time to think in that line, you best know what you want when you get to the front of that line, trust me…but we’ll get to that. 😉
Traditionally Mother’s was known for their ham. Later on, however, their roast beef began to gain a lot of notoriety for its juiciness and flavor; and it was these two simple meats that would later give birth to two of their most popular sandwiches…The "Ferdi Special" and "Debris Po-Boy." The Ferdi was actually named after a regular customer who one day decided he wanted both the ham and beef together… thus the Ferdi was born. The Debris was also a customer invention. You see, the roast beef is cooked and then sets in a gravy to stay moist and soak up all of the flavors of the seasoning. It is only cut right when you order that sandwich. Knowing this, the customer asked if he could have the little bits of meat that fell back into the gravy juices upon being cut, and the owner says to him, “You mean some of the debris?” This was only the beginning my friends!
As I mentioned, we had already put Mother’s on our radar screen and trip itinerary before our first visit to New Orleans. We knew it would be our lunch spot for our first full day, and let me tell you… it did not disappoint. We made the 10-minute hike from the French Quarter and knew we must have been approaching it when we saw a line stretched down the block. We quickly hopped in, perused a menu some women had printed, and decided on our order so we would be prepared, although it wasn’t much of a decision process. :) Now the way it all works is that the line slowly works its way through the front door and to the counter where your order is placed, and you better be ready because the girls at the counter are not the most patient and they expect you to be ready. In other words, probably best to know what you want and not have any questions…could get a little hostile. After you order, by the time you have wrapped around to the cash register, your order is ready. Someone will then seat you at an available table. What is so deceiving about this place is it appears upon first glance to be very small. However, they have a large back room filled with tables, so there is plenty of room, although they are typically packed full.
Anyway, after about an hour, we made it to the counter and Adam’s order was a no-brainer…debris Po-Boy, pure and simple. I mean old boy couldn’t shut-up about it prior, so there was no chance of anything else. 🙂 I, on the other hand, faltered slightly when seeing the large menu overhead, but in the end went with the same, including a small piece of their ham…after all, it is what they’re known for, and it’s on the friggin’ sign for cryin’ out loud! Had to do it, right? Also, we got a side of the sausage, because seeing it in the line it looked crazy good.
A little confession…these pictures are all actually from our second visit to New Orleans a year later (this past May). Although this past trip we didn’t eat there, they let me come in when they were closing so I could snap some shots since I didn’t take any on our first trip. I did this so you can at least get a sense of this place, even though it was nowhere near as crowded as a typical lunch rush would be.
But back to our story…after we were seated, we looked down at our mouth watering sandwich choices and dug right in. What make these Po-boys so great is that though are simple and not a lot of fuss, they are dripping with wonderful flavor. The debris is somewhat messy because they dip the whole thing, bread and all, into that gravy, but that is what makes it all the more delicious!
Unfortunately, the ham and sausage were nothing to write home (or too much in this blog ;)) about, but that didn’t matter much, because the Debris totally made up for it…worth every ooey-gooey bite if you ask me. We were both so hungry it didn’t take us long to chow these down and enjoy every possible morsel, extra debris and all…and the fact that you just kept wanting more of that flavor helped. So if you are looking for a top-notch sandwich and a place that serves up New Orleans history in a non-stuffy atmosphere, Mother’s is certainly the place that won’t disappoint. So if you are traveling to New Orleans and want a po’ boy, Mother’s is your best bet!
SIGNATURE DISH: Although Mother’s Restaurant serves up a variety of New Orleans’ style fare, they are truly known for their signature ham and Po-boys, especially their Ferdi Special and the Debris. These typical sub-type sandwiches are their staple and seem to be what is drawing in the crowd.
TASTE: You can say it is just a sub sandwich, but that wouldn’t come close to being accurate about the Debris Po-boy. This ain’t no regular sub or even Po-boy for that matter. The amount of flavor and seasoning they are able to infuse into the roast beef and gravy drippings is simply amazing! And sometimes simple bread, condiments, and meat are all you need to be good; and in this case, they have mastered this art. The debris was out of this world – melt in your mouth tender, and by soaking that bread, each bite just gave you a dose of that wonderful flavor. As for the other items, I can only speak to the ham and sausage…which I don’t think I’d order again on their own.
AMBIANCE: They aren’t worried about fussiness or wowing you with their décor. In fact, one might say that with the bright fluorescent lights, stark surroundings, and dingy floors, it borders on the feel of an old school cafeteria. But who cares…I think that’s part of the charm. You look around and this seems to bother no one. None of the hundreds that pack this place every day are here for a pretty/dainty place to eat some fancy chefs version of gourmet…rather they are here simply for delicious food and unpretentious surroundings. So if you are in need of fancy diggs, this is not your kind of Big Easy joint.
PRICE: Here is where I have a little bone of contention with Mother’s. Their prices (I felt) were a bit steep. With a debris Po-boy coming in at $10, I thought that was sort of expensive for what it is. Now don’t get me wrong…it’s delicious and I would likely pay the price again, which is probably why they can have their prices where they do…people will pay for it. However, I was just surprised given that we ordered our lunch was just over $40. I guess that’s the Big Easy for ya…it’s expensive anywhere you go.
SERVICE: The line was a bit much, especially given all the places to eat in New Orleans. However, it was totally worth it, and we were treated nicely by everyone, even the servers behind the counters who are notoriously impatient when you order. Although we could tell they were trying to move us through quick, they were kind and helpful. What can I say…they seem to run a real smooth ship and are able to get people in and out fairly quickly and without issue. Also, I was very impressed and thankful for how they allowed me to come in after hours and chat with everyone and take pictures. It was customer service at its finest, and top notch in my book.
Looking back, we should have probably eaten there again last May…seeing as how many of the meals we tried this last time didn’t quite live up to the hype. Oh well, that’s why I do this…to find out the real truth about these places and see if they are truly worthy. Mother’s Restaurant…worthy it was. 4 ‘Little Piggies.’
I don’t know about you, but summer would not be complete without taking in a baseball game or two (or more if you know my husband). Of course I love to go cheer on my hometown St. Louis Cardinals (GO CARDS!), but I am more than willing to go to any game we can, minor league included. I just enjoy being at the stadium, listening to the crowd, eating a hot dog, throwing peanut shells on the ground, and enjoying a beer or two…or a few. 😉 Doesn’t that just scream summertime? Well, it does to me; and two years ago when we had the opportunity to go see our beloved Cardinals at their newly built home stadium, we decided to make a whole weekend out of it. At the time we had just moved to Texas, and between Adam looking for a new job and me starting at a new school, it was a great weekend get-away for both of us to shed some stress. Also, now I was finally able to show Adam where I grew up and visit all my favorite dining locations, including a place that both of us were really excited for (and I was never old enough to visit when I lived there)… the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
We decided to head there directly from the airport and hopefully grab a tour. Although I grew up there, I was not very familiar with the brewery’s location and didn’t know any information about it. Well, let’s just say that it is hard to miss…seriously. Although it’s one of the largest breweries in the world and the buildings are massive, it’s amazingly well hidden. The buildings are sort of just tucked back in the midst of these old historic neighborhoods, and it’s not until you’re right on top of it that you see it.
Well, we found it with a little help from our GPS; and as soon as we parked, the smell of the beer making process (yeast and barley and hops…oh my!) hits you, and I thought between that and the sight of this massive old world glorious structure, Adam might combust from pure excitement (yep…he’s a total nerd when it comes to seeing things like this). 🙂
I mean come on, how does that cute “little boy” face of joy not make you smile? 🙂 So with a little hop in our steps, we made our way inside and found out that they run the tours every 30 minutes and best of all….wait for it…..THEY’RE FREE!…score! We had to wait about the whole 30 for the next tour, but there was no shortage of things to read or look at. Being a company that has been in business since 1860, there are a ton of history, memorabilia and fun facts displayed all over the lobby area. A fun fact I learned while we were there is that Budweiser actually now owns or bottles a ton of other small brewing companies both here and abroad. So often times all that variety you see in the stores is actually only a few large markets being showcased…who knew. Also, a lot of the other displays show their old marketing campaigns, delivery trucks, and how their logo and bottles have changed over the years, including products they made during prohibition…everything from ice cream and ginger ale to refrigerated cabinets and bus bodies.
Needless to say that with so much stuff to look at, the time we had to wait for our tour flew by and we were ready to go see a piece of American history. What makes this tour so cool is how they really give you a full insight of everything…and I mean EVERYTHING! We have been on some other brewery tours that simply show you a video and a few displays and send you on your way; but, not here. We got a ton of information on the company and the history of the brewery and saw the entire brewing process from start to finish, down to seemingly the smallest detail.
The tour begins in the central courtyard where you can really see each of the massive brewing buildings. It was there that our tour guide gave us a brief history of the beginnings of the company.
So you can get a little of what we got, here is some brief history of this beer mogul’s humble beginnings courtesy of the Anheuser-Busch website:
“In 1857, Adolphus Busch, the second youngest of 22 children, immigrated to the United States from Germany, began working as a clerk on the riverfront in St. Louis and later formed a successful brewery supply company.
Eberhard Anheuser purchased a struggling St. Louis brewery in 1860 and renamed it E. Anheuser and Co. He soon met Adolphus and introduced him to his daughter, Lilly. A year later, Adolphus Busch married Lilly Anheuser and in 1864 joined his father-in-law’s brewery as a salesman, later becoming a partner and finally president of the company. In 1869, he purchased half ownership in the brewery.
In 1876, he and his friend, Carl Conrad, created Budweiser—using time-consuming, traditional methods and only the finest barley malt, hops, and rice. Budweiser was a lager beer that succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. The company was renamed Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association in 1879, and Adolphus became president the following year. He continued as president for 33 years and is considered to be the founder of our company.”
source: http://www.budweisertours.com/brewingProcess.htm
From the courtyard, our next spot before we got to see the brewing process was getting to stop in the stables and see the famous Budweiser Clydesdales…yay! Now I’ll admit, this was the part of the tour I was most looking forward to. Having grown up in St. Louis and often seeing them at Cardinals games or at Grant’s Farm, I figured there had to be some on the premises. Lucky for me, they, and their new Dalmatian friends were part of the tour. They are amazing creatures, not only beautiful and extremely well cared for, but they are enormous and very strong! Prior to modern technology, they were able to carry large loads of product for the company. So, to this day they are extremely revered by the company for helping to support them…literally. 😉
Next stops on the tour included rooms and buildings devoted to each step of the brewing process and let me tell you it is quite a process. These fellas did not just set out one day to make beer and beer was born. Rather it is multiple steps, some of which take a month or more, in the process to get one batch of beer. And as time has gone on the process may have become more technologically advanced, but the same steps are maintained and honored because of the impeccable product they are able to produce. Now I won’t go into major detail about each, you can follow this link if you want to read about each of them specifically, but the steps involved from start to finish are as follows:
- Brewing
- Mashing
- Brew Kettle
- Fermentation & Lagering
- Finishing
- Packaging
Just from the rooms we were able to get pictures of (a small fraction of the entire complex), you can see it is quite the process and one they don’t take lightly. Everyone who works there is extremely proud of their product and want to ensure that they are only producing the best for their customers. They even go so far as to print a “born on” date on each and every bottle or can so that a customer will know just how long ago their beer was produced, ensuring the best flavor and reflection of the product. I found this to be one of the most impressive facts, largely because they are bottling millions each day and they are ensuring that each batch reaches their final destination within a certain amount of time for the company to deem it a fresh and worthy for us to drink.
And now for the best part….at the conclusion of the guided tour, we were walked back to the “tasting room” where each person got two free glasses of their beer choice. I mean…what a deal. First, a free tour…then free beer! Does it get any better than that? We decided we would try some of their newer or lesser known products, which I am happy to report is where I first learned of Shock Top, originally a seasonal-only beer which is now a favorite of mine.
If you can’t tell by reading this post, we had a wonderful time on our tour. What made it even better was just how thorough and informative it was as well as the grounds themselves, which are beautiful. They clearly take pride in what they do and it shows in the appearance of everything at the brewery (extremely clean) and the passion their employees show for the product they are producing. Adam and I have done a fair amount of tours of breweries and others alike, and this one stands well above the rest…the one we measure all other by. Also, you can’t beat the price! 😉
Note: I know this isn’t a restaurant, but we still felt given its notoriety in popular culture it, along with many other spots like it, are part of pop culture cuisine. As such, the review will still get a category rating, just with a bit of a different look at the categories. :).
SIGNATURE DISH: Beer is what’s for dinner in this case. 🙂 Unless you have lived under a rock your whole life, I am sure you were well aware that a beer-venture was where we were headed on this one. So if good-old fashioned suds are not Anheuser-Busch’s signature dish, I don’t know whose it is. 😉
TASTE: As I mentioned, we each sampled some of the newer beers to us; and although I can’t remember the name of the first one I tried, I remember that it was light and delicious. The second one I went with was a recommendation from the bar tender…the Shock Top…and boy what a recommendation it was, because it now a favorite of mine. Adam went with some old Michelob beers, which were right up his ally.
AMBIANCE: The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is beautiful and amazing! The grounds and buildings were both spotless and magnificent in look. These buildings are old and hold a lot of history, but they have done a fantastic job of maintaining and allowing them to age beautifully. Everything was very neat, orderly and presentable, without being stuffy…something which I enjoy immensely. We felt very comfortable and welcome the entire time, which on tour can be difficult. Overall, a very inviting place.
PRICE: FREE…and what is better than that!
SERVICE: Our tour guide was excellent, and although she was only working for the company as a summer job, she was well informed and was able to provide us with excellent information and answer or explain any question she was presented with. Also, everyone we encountered was extremely helpful and informative along the way. Finally, the people working in the tasting room were equally helpful and knowledgeable about all of their beers and prompt in their service. Like I said, you can tell there is a lot of pride amongst the employees and they really like working there, which really helped make us feel like we were in a fun atmosphere.
If you can’t tell 🙂 Adam and I truly enjoyed our experience at Anheuser-Busch and highly recommend it to beer lovers and history buffs alike. For someone like me who is not as interested in history, I still fully enjoyed myself and would go again in a minute. So, if you are traveling through St. Louis and have the opportunity to stop, you won’t regret it!
I give the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour 5 ‘Little Piggies’!
