Jimmy's No. 43

Moving on up...

2011-06-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

THIS IS OUR LAST BLOG ON THIS PAGE: JIMMY'S NO. 43 BLOG ARCHIVE 2006-2011

See our amazingly great new blog at

www.jimmysno43.com!

Brewers Pic-NYC Today, Tomorrow at Governor's Island!

2011-05-29T10:22:00.001-04:00

Ride the free ferry to Governor's Island and join us at Brewers Pic-NYC. Great food, great beer, great time for all ages... BUT NO ATM service (they're offline at the time of the post), so hit your bank before heading onto the boat. Cheers!

Tuesday's German Dinner Reviewed!

2011-05-27T07:07:00.000-04:00

Our Schneider Brother's dinner went off great this past Tuesday, despite a few changes to the menu. Check out this great review by Clare at Beer Goggins:

An evening at Jimmy’s #43 is normally pretty delightful. But last night I also had the opportunity to experience the Schneider Weisse dinner series. That’s four courses paired with four different Schneider Weisse brews. Host Susanna Hecht and Chef Josef Nagler graciously invited Jimmy’s clientele to taste a bit of Germany in the beer and food served. Read more...

Captain Lawrence... And Eddie Oysters!

2011-05-25T13:08:00.000-04:00

Join Jimmy's No. 43 and master shucker Eddie "Oysters" for a beer and oyster pairing event tomorrow, Thursday, May 26th, from 5-8 p.m. Select Captain Lawrence beers will be available for purchase, and you'll get the chance to meet the rep from this Pleasantville, NY, brewery. It'll be a great way to greet the holiday weekend, so be sure and get shucked with us!

May 24th Schneider Brothers Brewery Dinner - On Tap With Susi Hecht

2011-05-15T11:33:00.001-04:00

Susi Hecht, Export Director for Schneider Brothers Brewery, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the brewery, beer and our upcoming authentic German dinner on May 24th.

Jimmy says that Schneider Brothers introduced him to great beer. What is it about a wheat beer that you love?

It is not wheat beer in general that I love. I came to like beer and good beer when I started to work for the Schneider family 13 years ago. I don’t like those thin (water -like) mainstream beers that are produced top lease that many people. I like beers that have a rich smell (I don’t drink from the bottle or a can), a full body where you can discover the aromas that need to be well balanced. Our Schneider Weisse Original or the Aventinus have just a slight bitterness in the finish. So, I like these when I am not in the mood for bitterness. The Wiesen Edel-Weisse is a little more crisp and bitter – thus more refreshing.

Germany is almost synonymous to us Yanks as "brats and beer." What is true or false about that perception?

Well, beer is part of daily life. We have a per capita consumption of a little more than 100 litres per person. However, as beer is such a normal part of daily life, people often don’t care too much about their beer. They drink a beer—like water—and that’s it. So, we don’t have a very rich variety of styles and hardly any imports. This is what I like so much about specialty beer markets like Italy and the US. Here, you can talk to people about beer styles, people want to experiment, experience great tastes and beer has a higher standing than in Germany. It is regarded as highly as wine.

Most Americans put fruit slices in their wheat beers. Complement or abomination?

Don’t do this. The lemon slice dominates the whole drink. Formerly, small breweries recommended this to hide their changing quality and to hide off-tastes.

What are you most looking forward to regarding the upcoming Schneider & Sons' beer dinner at Jimmy's No. 43?

I love presenting our beers and talking about the brewery, as we are a brewery with extraordinary beers, a wide variety of aromas and we still use hand-craft in brewing. And, we will present traditional Bavarian food from our Munich restaurant. I selected the dishes and the beer pairings together with Chef Nagel and my husband (who is also a beer sommelier). So, I am curious how people will react. And from other events in the US, I know that people know already a lot about Schneider and I hope I will be able to answer all their detailed questions.

Outside of Germany, is there a country serving up beer you love the (2nd) best?

There are many countries. I travel to about 25 countries for Schneider. Of course, I have to drink Schneider Weisse at the bars to check the quality (especially in hot countries), but I always taste beers from the country and the region. I like the refreshing Lambic Beers from Belgium, beers from Italy and the US where brewers experiment with new ingredients and go to extremes. It is always a question of when you drink, if you are thirsty or relaxing, what kind of food you have, etc.

If you could sit down with an oenologist, what would you tell him/her about the art of beer making?

I like good wine as well, and I appreciate the work of the wine people. To me for wine as well as for beer, you need to make sure you have good ingredients, and you need to work with passion in order to obtain a great product. Beer does not have to be a mass product and can be consumed with appreciation. It fits as well to the good cuisine as good wine does.

Final words…

I am proud and happy to work for Schneider. This is a brewery with tradition and great brewing knowledge. Within the Reinheitsgebot, we produce such a wide portfolio of beers that it is always fun to put together a beer dinner. You can always find a Schneider Weisse that goes perfectly with a dish.

Meet Barrier Brewing's Evan and Craig, Saturday, 5/14 from 5-8 PM

2011-05-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

Come out to Jimmy's No. 43 on Saturday, May 14, from 5-8 PM and meet Evan and Craig, brewers from Barrier Brewing. For those that aren't aware, Barrier is a micro-brewery that evolved from a home brew operation to a full-scale brewery. Their carefully brewed beers are made one barrel at a time at their Oceanside facility.

Several of their seasonal beers will be available this weekend on tap or by bottle, including Oil City Black IPA, Mare Undarum Belgian IPA, Bulkhead Red, Beech St. Wheat (a spiced wheat beer), Rembrandt Porter, and Barrier Begian 1. More info on their incredible beers is available at http://www.barrierbrewing.com/Site/BEERS.html. This is going to be a great chance to drink local, so be sure to stop by and partake of the brew!

Our Next Big Dinner Event: Schneider & Sons German Dinner With Beer

2011-05-05T08:08:00.001-04:00

This is the real deal! A chef from Germany and exquisite brews from one of the world's best will be featured on Tuesday, May 24, from 6:30-10 p.m. Schneider & Sons' Chef Nagel will be hosting (along side Jimmy's No. 43) and presenting an authentic German menu, including Stierhodencarpaccio in Aventinusvinaigrette an Ruccolasalat (bull's Carpaccio in Aventinus vinaigrette on Arugula salad) to be paired with Schneider Weisse; Legierte Weißbiersuppe mit Weißbrotcroutons (velvety wheat beer soup with croutons) to be paired with Wiesen Edel-Weisse; Medaillons vom Schweinefilet an Knoblauchrahmsoßemit Weißbierspätzle (pork tenderloin medallions in garlic cream sauce with wheat beer Spaetzle) to be paired with Aventinu; and—for dessert—Eisbockparfait mit karamellisierten Apfelspaltenund Schlagrahm (Eisbock parfait with caramelized apples and whipped cream) paired with Aventinus Eisbock.

Our German dinners typically sell out quickly, and this will be an exclusive NYC stop on Chef Nagel's American tour. Get your tickets today for what is sure to be one of the most talked about culinary events of the spring!

Chiles, Beer And Book Signing On May 22nd

2011-05-02T14:26:00.000-04:00

Join Slow Food NYC and chef and author Kurt Michael Friese for an evening of all things chile at Jimmy’s No. 43 on Sunday, May 22nd, from 6-8 p.m. Chef Friese will talk about his new book, Chasing Chiles: Hot Spots Along the Pepper Trail (Chelsea Green, March 2011), while you dine on chilli served up by Jimmy’s No 43 accompanied by excellent beer pairings.

In Chasing Chiles, Chef Friese and his fellow gastronauts recount their year-long adventure across North America—from New Mexico to Louisiana to the Yucatan—in hot pursuit of heirloom chile varieties, chile cuisine, and its long cultural traditions. From speaking with farmers, visiting the fields, and eating in local diners across the continent, they explore how climate change is impacting not just this iconic spice and vegetable, but our producers, sustainable agriculture, and ultimately, what we eat.

Tickets for the dinner (cash bar) are $25 for SFNYC members and $35 for non-members. Proceeds from this event will support Slow Food NYC’s Urban Harvest Programs, which provide good food education and access to food that is good, clean and fair for NYC kids. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets.

Jimmy's No. 43 and Cathy Erway Host Hungry Filmmakers V!

2011-05-01T08:45:00.007-04:00

Hungry Filmmakers V kicks off the spring season at Anthology Film Archives on May 16 with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. (viewing starts at 7). Come out and join us for our latest installment of film screenings/discussions of seven unique, up-and-coming food-related films.

The films:

· Mumford Farms by Anna Mumford

· The Iraqi Seed Project by Emma Piper-Burket

· Bag It by Suzan Beraza

· Pig Business by Tracy Worcestor

· Chow Down by Julia Grayer and Gage Johnston

· Meat Hooked by Suzanne Wasserman

· Kings of Pastry by Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker

The panel will be moderated by George C. Stoney, NYU Professor Emeritus and legendary documentary filmmaker.

Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 2^nd Ave (Manhattan). Tickets are $15, and are available for advance purchase at Brown Paper Tickets. Admission includes films, the panel hosted by George Stoney, and a post-event reception with Lagunitas beer, wine, and snacks.

Meet May 4th's Duck Duck Duck Goose Chef: Joshua Stokes

2011-04-27T08:29:00.003-04:00

There are still tickets available for next week’s Duck Duck Duck Goose Dinner with beer by Goose Island. Chef Joshua Stokes talks to us about his journey into food. Just don’t eat his paintings!

When did you first arrive in New York City and what was the first thing you ate?

I landed here in ’99; I was nineteen years old and ready to cook. But first I had a slice of pizza. It was pretty much all I could afford.

How did you meet Jimmy?

New York is a small town when it comes to food, and Jimmy is everywhere. If you’re active at all in the food world, you’re going to cross paths with him.

With a background in sculpture, how would you relate art to food creation?

Hmmm . . . this is something I could talk about for hours; it’s a very tricky question. Everyone acknowledges food as an artistic outlet, but the distinction is that our bodies need it to live. So there’s a fine line between food and the Met. Not to mention, if you do happen upon “art” on a plate, you eat it and it's gone . . . not so with a Rembrandt.

Without naming names, what was the strangest culinary quest you ever undertook as a private chef to the elite?

One guy had a love of New Orleans’ food. I was sent there to learn how to make specific dishes from different places. I even had a “bribe budget” to pilfer recipes.

What’s next for you after Duck Duck Duck Goose?

Who knows? I'm constantly focusing on improving and growing Grill-a-Chef. The goal is help people help themselves cook, and I love doing it.

Anything else you’d like us to know?

Just that the Grill-a-Chef service is for everyone. Anyone reading this can just email me if they have a cooking question. It’s as simple as that. (advice@grillachef.com)

April 28th Vanberg & Dewulf 30th Anniversary

2011-04-20T18:03:00.000-04:00

Jimmy's No. 43 is super excited to announce our next great beer event. Please join us on April 28th from 5-8 PM to meet the fabulous importers from Vanberg & DeWulf, Wendy Littlefield and Don Feinberg, as they celebrate 30 years of importing Belgian beers. Jimmy’s No. 43 will be celebrating these beers all week, culminating with a meet-and-greet soiree on Thursday.

On tap (literally) will be Hop Ruiter, Saison Dupont, Avril Organic, Foret Organic, Moinette Brune, Scaldis Triple, Peche Mel, and—if the shipment arrives in time—the USA debut of Lambrucha, a splendie combination of kombucha and lambic that is one of Wendy and Don’s latest inventions. Bottles will include some rare and hard-to-find options that we’ll announce at the event itself. We’re pulling out all the stops, bringing in a wide variety of outstanding Belgian beers to celebrate with Vanberg & DeWulf. We are fortunate to be among the only places in New York where Vanberg & DeWulf will be offering these beers.

Admission is free, with beer and food available for purchase. Special tastings will be available throughout the night. More information about the beers will be available on the Jimmy’s No. 43 website and blog in the days leading up to the celebration.

Meet Volunteer Beer Steward Ruth Mirsky

2011-04-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

Please tell us briefly about who you are and why you decided to become a Volunteer Beer Steward at Jimmy’s No. 43.

I grew up in New York’s Chinatown, and I am singer/producer in an indie electropop band based in Brooklyn. When I was in college, I started getting into beer, and recently I discovered the wonderful community of craft beer fans and home brewers in the city. My friend Carolyn (another Jimmy’s No. 43 beer steward) and I decided that it was time to start a women and craft beer club, so this year Jimmy let us start using the back room on the last Friday of every month to hold monthly meetings for The Real Alewives of NYC, a craft beer club for women dedicated to bringing women together in a casual, fun environment to learn more about beer and how to pair it with preferably homemade food. When I heard Jimmy needed volunteer stewards, I thought it was a great opportunity for me to share my love of craft beer with others and learn more about the different beers out there. And it’s true that I’m always finding new favorites when I volunteer steward on Tuesday nights.

What is your relationship to beer and why is good beer important to you?

I always knew I was very particular about my beer, even when I was a little kid taking sips from my parents’ glasses. When I got to college, I would cringe at the idea of drinking cans of the bland stuff and always made sure I came to parties armed with a six-pack of something I would actually want to drink. When I travel to new places, I look up the best pubs and breweries and make a beeline for them. Now, I work part-time on Brooklyn Brewery’s promotions team, which is more pleasure than it is work. The more I learn about beer, the more I realize that it goes beyond being a wonderfully versatile and complex alcoholic drink. Beer has had an enormous influence on the course of world history—it’s too bad that part is usually left out of most classroom textbooks. If you enjoy food as much as I do, it would be a disservice to any great dish not to pair it with a perfect pint. Not to mention the fact that in my experience, good beer has an uncanny way of bringing together good people from all walks of life who just want to share their love of craft beer with others.

What’s the most memorable beer tasting you can remember?

My most memorable beer tasting was my first taste of homebrew. I couldn’t believe that someone was able to produce such high quality beer in a small Brooklyn apartment with just a stovetop. It was brought in unmarked bottles to a Mexican restaurant, and it was the first nameless, non-commercial beer I had ever tasted … and it tasted damn good.

You walk into a bar (with or without the priest and rabbi) and don’t recognize the names of any of the craft beers on the menu. Describe to the bartender, in beer terminology, what you want to drink.

It depends on what I’m walking into the bar for. If it’s a pre-dinner drink, I’ll ask for a pale ale (preferably Belgian). If it is a post-dinner drink, I’ll be debating between a chocolaty porter or maybe a Gueuze or Saison to clean my palate. Honestly, I’ll probably just whip out my phone and google all the beer names I don’t know and then read the reviews and descriptions before I come to a decision. The last thing I want is to get stuck with a beer that I don’t want to drink. Needless to say, I’m usually the last one to pick a beer when I go out with a group.

Any favorite beer literature you could recommend for our book club?

Personally, I found Garett Oliver’s book The Brewmaster's Table to be riveting and accessible to even non-brewers like myself. (It just so happens that Garett is the brewmaster at Brooklyn, but I promise that I get nothing from the sale of this book, and it just happens to be the one that I have liked the most so far in my recent foray into beer literature.)

What times/days do you plan to be available at Jimmy’s as a Volunteer Beer Steward and what kinds of services do you hope to provide?

Right now, I think the schedule is that we all work 1-2 times a month, serving the chosen beers to patrons, and being there to answer questions about beer to people who are interested.

May 4th Duck Duck Duck Goose Tickets On Sale Now!

2011-04-17T19:00:00.002-04:00

Jimmy's No. 43 is pleased to announce their next dinner event: Duck Duck Duck Goose on Wednesday, May 4^th, at 7 p.m. Guest Chef Joshua Stokes of Grill-a-Chef will create a four-course duck pairing menu, using Hudson Valley Duck and seasonal ingredients. Rare Goose Island beers will complement the meal, including the limited Three Sisters’ beers: Lolita, Juliet, and Madam Rose.

The Duck Duck Duck Goose dinner was originally envisioned to celebrate former brewer Greg Hall, who made these special, limited edition beers. However, Goose Island will be represented at the dinner by lead cellarman Brian Taylor.

Grill-a-Chef is Chef Joshua Stokes’ effort get more people in their own kitchens and keep them there. His recipes instill the freedom to see a great meal through a pile of ingredients and empowering them to fill tummies everywhere with great food.

The menu is as follows:

MENU
Apps
Duck Terrine with Black Olives, Radish "kraut"
Syrian Spice Crusted Duck Skewer, Pomegranate Glaze, Muhammara Dip
Z'atar Duck Pie, Green Garlic Lebne

First Course
PEI Mussels, Duck Bacon, Goose Island Broth with Poached Rhubard, Served with Orwashers Beer Bread

Main Course (served family style)
Slow Roasted Caraway Duck, Brooklyn Cured's Duck Sausage. Homemade Kraut, Purple Mustard, Roasted Apples,

Dessert
Salted Stout Caramel Custard

Tickets are $60 (includes tax and tip) and are available at Brown Paper Tickets.

A Few Tickets Remain For Saturday's April Sours!

2011-04-10T08:03:00.000-04:00

The science of beer is not required study to appreciate Jimmy's No. 43's April Sours event coming up next Saturday, April 16. However, many drinkers of great beer like to know a little something about how beer is made in order to appreciate the nuances of that particular brew. Thanks to our friends at Beer Menus, here's a brief primer:

To create beer, you basically need only four ingredients: malt, hops, water, and yeast. The history of brew making starts with naturally occurring yeast production (prior to the 19th Century, yeast had not been isolated as an ingredient necessary to create beer). Today roughly five strains of yeast are used in most commercial beers. However, some Belgian breweries still kick it old school, literally throwing open the windows to their vats to allow wild yeast strains to float in and mix with the brew ingredients. These breweries have discovered more than 200 strains of yeast in these particular beers, which are very labor intensive to create and generally cost a lot more than a typical bottle of ale as a result.

These particular beers are known as lambics and sour beers. They have a refreshing, spring-like tang to them, and they change flavors from year to year, as would be expected. This is why Jimmy's No. 43 takes such delight in providing them to our customers every spring.

There are only a few specially priced $60 tickets remaining for the event. We will have a limited number of full-price tickets ($80, cash only) at the door. For more information on the beers being offered during the April Sours, check out our earlier blog post.

Rick's Picks Celebrates 7th Anniversary!

2011-04-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Rick Field and all our great friends over at Rick's Picks for seven years of bringing the best in brine delicacies to NYC and beyond. Their seventh anniversary was celebrated at Jimmy's No. 43 last night at a low-key affair where patrons enjoyed free samples of beans, okra (Smokra! It's delicious!) and pickles of all variety and spiciness.

The highlight of the party came when the kitchen served up "frickles" - fried pickles... Try this in your own kitchen: Rick's Picks Hotties, dredged in cornstarch or Panko bread crumbs, pan fried until warm. Best pickles ever!

Everything Looking Just Ducky For April 9th Duck Cook-Off

2011-04-04T08:01:00.001-04:00

As previously announced, Jimmy’s No 43 is gearing up for this weekend’s Duck Cook-Off to benefit Food Systems Network NYC! We’ve lined up some great judges and a terrific group of chefs to dish some duck on Saturday, April 9th, from 1 - 4 PM. Guests will “get ducked,” enjoying a walk-around, 12-course tasting buffet of creative duck dishes made from regionally-produced quackers and seasonal ingredients. There will be everything from duck charcuterie to roasted main courses

Judges include Serena Di LIberto of Heritage Foods USA, Ariane Daguin from d’Artagnan, Amy Zavatto of Edible Magazine, Food Network’s Jake Schiffman, and writer Adam Robb. One week out, chefs include George Weld (Egg Restaurant), Sean Chudoba (AYZA Wine & Chocolate Bar), clay pot specialist Nathalie Herling, writer Cathy Erway, and Jimmy’s No. 43, and a “Fergus-Henderson-inspired duck neck terrine” among others.

Competing cooks will be judged on regional sourcing and seasonality of ingredients, creativity, execution, appearance, and taste. The much coveted "Golden Ducky," and other prizes, will be awarded to winning cooks!

Guest entry is $20 (cash only) at the door, which includes the duck buffet. Drink specials will be available for purchase.

FSNYC is a not-for-profit profit, membership organization dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of New Yorkers through access to good, wholesome, nutritious, and safe food and to supporting a strong, sustainable regional farm and food economy. FSNYC brings together regional and local stakeholders—from producers to distributors, advocates, officials, and eaters—to generate synergies that will help defeat hunger, improve health, and create a vital, regional food sector.

Jimmy Chairs Forum For Teen Battle Chefs!

2011-04-04T07:55:00.001-04:00

For the past year, Jimmy’s No. 43 has hosted two Teen Battle Chef interns. Teen Battle Chef is a youth program in more than 75 schools in 15 states, whereby middle and high school students learn about food systems, leadership, nutrition and culinary schools. Jimmy has been so impressed with our interns, that he has agreed to Chair a forum to bring more chefs and restaurants together to support Team Battle Chef and their non-profit organizing group, FamilyCook Productions.

The first gathering, FamilyCook’s “Chef’s Roundtable,” took place last month at Jimmy’s No. 43 and brought together A-list chefs, such as Patti Jackson of I Trulli and Stephen Lewandowski of Tribeca Grill. Moving forward, Jimmy and FamilyCook founder, Lynn Fredericks, hope to double the number of teen chefs working in restaurants in all five boroughs.

Hopfenstark Biere On Tap This Weekend

2011-03-31T07:28:00.002-04:00

Brian, Jimmy, Fred, and Brigitte!

We had a surprise visit this week by Fred Cormier from Hopfenstark from Montreal (si vous parlez français, cliquerez ici) and importer Brian Ewing from 12 Percent Importers. We are totally psyched to be offering Hopfenstark's Post-Colonial IPA on tap this weekend (or until the keg runs dry).

We love meeting our brewers and are always happy to have them hang out. It's one of the cool things about Jimmy's No. 43 where our beer family is always growing and where our friends are always welcome. Thanks to Brian, Fred and Fred's wife for stopping by to tell us about the Canadian brew scene!

Support Food Systems With A Quacking Duck Cook-Off April 9th from 1-4 p.m.

2011-03-22T15:54:00.002-04:00

Our friends at Food Systems Network were nice enough to beat us to the punch and get up this great blog post about next month's NYC Duck Cook-Off. More details to come, but in the meantime you can whet your appetite on the following info...

Guests will Get Ducked on Saturday, April 9th, from 1-4 p.m., enjoying a walk-around, twelve-course tasting buffet, when a dozen amateur and professional cooks prepare their most creative duck dishes, using regionally produced quackers and seasonal ingredients in charcuterie and duck-dominated first and second courses.

Competing cooks will be judged on regional sourcing and seasonality of ingredients, creativity, execution, appearance, and taste.

The much coveted Golden Ducky, and other prizes, will be awarded to winning cooks!

Tickets will be sold at the door (cash only) - $20 (admission includes the Duck Buffet). Specially offered Beverages will be available for purchase.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Food Systems Network NYC, a project of the Fund for the City of New York. FSNYC is a not-for-profit profit, membership organization dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of New Yorkers through access to good, wholesome, nutritious, and safe food and to supporting a strong, sustainable regional farm and food economy. FSNYC brings together regional and local stakeholders - from producers to distributors, advocates, officials, and eaters - to generate synergies that will help defeat hunger, improve health, and create a vital, regional food sector.

Benefit for Japan - March 28th Tickets Available Now!

2011-03-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

There is a benefit to help our brewery friends in Japan that a few of us in the NYC beer community have put together to send money to our friend Mr. Kiuchi of Hitachino Brewery (to read his letter, check the blog below). Brooklyn Brewery, Heartland, Kelso, Sixpoint, Empire, Lagunitas, NY State Brewers Association, The Good Beer Seal, Beer Sessions Radio will be hosting the event with food provided by The Meat Hook, Jimmy's No. 43, Waterfront Ale House and local Japanese restaurants.

Join us on Monday, March 28, from 7-10PM at Brooklyn Brewery. All money raised will go to special direct account to Kiuchi Brewery (Hitachino) to distribute humanitarian aid locally. Click here for tickets!

Meet Volunteer Beer Steward Carolyn Edgecomb

2011-03-21T07:35:00.000-04:00

Carolyn Edgecomb, Volunteer Beer Steward

Please tell us briefly about who you are and why you decided to become a Volunteer Beer Steward at Jimmy's No. 43.

I am just a small-town girl loving life in the big city. I volunteered to be a Beer Steward at Jimmy's to help repay him for all the generosity he has shown to the craft beer and homebrew community over the years. That, and I get free beer and food.

What is your relationship to beer and why is good beer important to you?

Craft beer (and homebrew) is part of my larger passion for all things small-batch, hand-crafted, old-school, high-quality and the like. It is a community full of wonderful, interesting, and knowledgeable folk. Many of my closest friendships were forged over a pint and a cheese plate.

What's the most memorable beer tasting you can remember?

I can only pick one tasting?! Alright. Let's go back to June 14, 2008. I had just moved to the city a week before, and literally the only two people I knew (besides the coworkers I just met) invited me to a beer event at Spuyten Duyvil. Mind you I was 21, fresh out of college, and although I had enjoyed craft beer it hadn't yet become a burning passion. That day I had sour beer for the first time—that was the spark. After that I started hanging out with that same group of people, Beer Advocates all, and I guess the rest is history.

You walk into a bar (with or without the priest and rabbi) and don't recognize the names of any of the craft beers on the menu. Describe to the bartender, in beer terminology, what you want to drink.

An excellent question. I would request something refreshing, effervescent, and slightly tart (or very tart if they had it) in the family of Berliner Weisse, Belgian pale ale, and Saison.

Any favorite beer literature you could recommend for our book club?

I am thoroughly enjoying Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher that my little brother gave me.

What times/days do you plan to be available at Jimmy's as a Volunteer Beer Steward and what kinds of services do you hope to provide?

We are still working out the schedule but it looks like I will be there every third Tuesday. I will probably be there more often than that as a patron. As for the services I hope to provide: How about a cheerful, friendly face that will happily answer, or look up, any questions the patrons might have.

Final thoughts…

Thanks to Jimmy and Mike for putting on these tastings! I am very much looking forward to drinking with you all! Cheers!

March 28th Event To Help Our Beer Brothers (And Sisters) In Japan!

2011-03-16T15:44:00.001-04:00

Hitachino lives on...but needs your help.

Among the many suffering through the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan are several artisanal sake and beer makers that have been destroyed. We have received a letter from Mr. Kiuchi of Hitachino (he is safe), which we've included below. We're planning a benefit for March 28th at Brooklyn Brewery, and we'll be helped by Jon Bloostein of Heartland Brewery and the hosts of Beer Sessions Radio. More info coming soon...

Hi Jimmy,

This is Toshiyuki from Kiuchi Brewery. Thank you for the kind offer to help us. It was terrible experience for us, and so many people are missing.

Everyone in Japan is so discouraged by this big earthquake. Tokyo is far from the most damaged area, but nobody is visiting restaurants, only staying in their homes. Also, an oil refinery, which is located near sea, was damaged by the big tsunami wave, and a lot of cars are waiting at the gasoline station for fuel.

At our brewery, many of the building roofs and some brewing equipment was damaged. Almost 500 bottles were broken, but everyone is safe! Nearby the brewery there are so many holes and cracks on the road. When I visited the sea area (20 min. by car), I was so surprised: I could not understand why there were so many ships on the hill! Sadly, 19 people are missing in this area.

Now we have almost finished repairing our brewing equipment and are ready to start brewing again, but the electrical power is limited. We are bottling waiter to supply everyone, and the staff of our restaurant is cooking free food for people who have lost their homes.

I estimate our damage will be almost US$125,000, and this is very small compared with other breweries in the sea area.One brewery located in the Miyagi area that is owned by my relative was washed away; all the buildings are gone, and some staff are missing.

I think there are 10 sake breweries and five beer breweries that were seriously damaged. If you are planning to do charity party, how about donating to some of the more damaged breweries? Of course we are so honored your offer to help!!

Thank you so much and I will RETURN to NYC to taste your wonderful beers!!!

Toshiyuki Kiuchi

April Sours on the Horizon (April 16, from noon until 5 p.m.)

2011-03-14T07:36:00.003-04:00

With the official launch of spring less than a week away, it’s time for those April Sours to take center stage at Jimmy’s. Afterall, nothing wakes up our palates from winter’s heavy, stronger beers quite like refreshing, food-friendly sour and lambic beers! On Saturday, April 16, from noon until 5 p.m., Jimmy’s No. 43 and Beermenus will team up to feature some of the top boutique importers—Shelton Brothers, B United, and 12 Percent—alongside some of the best, select American sour beers. Traditional lambics and flemish reds from Belgium along with Berliner Weisse from Germany now have spawned sour/wild yeast beers in America, Italy and Canada.

Included with the expo-style small batch, new and classic sour beers will be food pairings, including local cheese, charuterie and chocolate. Our top pairing? Charcuterie and Flemish sour: Sam Barbieri's head cheese with vintage Rodenbach! The menu below offers a full day of eating and drinking. Click here for details on special pricing for tickets!

GERMANY
Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Weisse 11.2oz & 30L keg
Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Weisse w/Bretanomyces 30L keg
Bayerischer Bahnhof Porticus (Doppel Porter w/Bretanomyces) 11.2oz
Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipziger Gose 11.2oz & 30L keg
Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse 16.9oz & 30L keg
Professor Fritz Briem 13th Century Gruit 16.9oz

BELGIUM
Hanssens Oud Geueze 12.7oz & 25.4oz
Hanssens Kriek 12.7oz & 25.4oz
Hanssens Experimental Raspberry 12.7oz
Hanssens Scaranbecca Kriek 2009 12.7oz
De Dolle Oerbier 11.2oz
De Dolle Special Extra Export Stout 11.2oz
and maybe something special from Smisje

SWITZERLAND
BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien (2005, 2007, and 2009 available) 25.4oz
BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien Grand Cru Edition 12.7oz

ITALY
Dolli Raptor
Bran Reserva
Quarta Runa
Chimera
BB Dexi

12 PERCENT
Hopfenstark boson de higgs rauch Berlinerweisse (Quebec)
Hopfenstark saison du repois sour saison (Quebec)

B UNITED—will include Belgian, Italian, German

SHELTON BROTHERS
(All from Belgium)
De ranke kriek
De ranke cuvee de ranke
Drei fonteinen oude gueze
Drei fonteinen schaerbeekse kriek
Cantillon classic gueze
Cantillon kriek
Cantillon rose de gambrinus
Cantillon cuvee des champions

OTHERS
Rodenbach vintage
Boon kriek.

AMERICAN
Cascade kriek
Leelanau selection
Jolly pumpkin selection
Allagash selection
The bruery selection
White birch selection
Blind bat selection

Food provided by:
Jimmy's No.43 (whole ham legs)
The Piggery (charcuterie)
Salumeria Biellese (assorted salami)
Heritage Foods (heritage bacon, heritage prosciutto)
East village meat market (sausages, kielbasa)
Ricks Picks Pickles
Orwashers Bread
Roni Sue Chocolate

More to come!

Shelton Brothers Beer Weekend Starts 3/17

2011-03-11T16:27:00.002-05:00

One of the qualities that craft beer drinkers share is a love of travel. Some of us travel vicariously (a great Danish beer in a dark lounge transports us to Copenhagen, for example). Other craft beer lovers take their traveling a bit more seriously. If you are Dan Shelton, one-half of the fabulous Shelton Brothers - whose beers we are featuring starting on St. Patrick's Day through 3/20 - you end up doing some serious traveling. That's serious with a capital "S". Dan travels places most of us can only dream to go... occasionally those dreams border on nightmare.

Thus is was a few days ago that we here at Jimmy's started trying to track Dan down during his European travels. On his way from Brussels, Dan ended up in Hawaii. Note the timestamp to this post. Last night Dan was evacuated from his hotel as the devastating earthquake hit Japan and sent tsunami waves his way. He spent the night, sheltered in a car, up on high ground. So, what's a craft beer lover to do while waiting out a natural disaster? Answer a few questions posed by Jimmy's, of course!

Shelton Brothers were featured at the very first public tasting Jimmy's No. 43 ever held. What do you remember about that day?

The main thing I remember is that we never got paid for any of the beer! I later found out that it was all considered to be a generous "donation," which marks the occasion as the start of my now long and illustrious career in philanthropy. The other thing I remember from that day is that Jimmy introduced me to the handful of folks who came out to drink with us (thanks, Malted Barley Appreciation Society!) as the guy who introduced him to good beer. He also described the way in which I did that, which was to sit, drunk, and verbally beat on him for having only junk on tap. “I thought you were a real asshole,” Jimmy said later, in a voice that suggested that maybe the past tense wasn’t entirely apt. But then I diligently followed up on a second trip by forcing him to down some respectable stuff. The next thing you know, we were teaming up to do a charity beer tasting, and the rest is history. This is a great example, by the way, of my patented sales technique. I love Jimmy at least partly because he’s the one guy I can point to who demonstrates that the technique actually works.

One of the things we love to do at Jimmy's is pair great food with great beer. What are some of your more memorable food/beer pairings?

I tend to pair beer with other beer, pretty much exclusively. I find anyway that beer appreciation is situational; you can never drink the same beer twice, and it makes a big difference where you are and whom you’re with. My most memorable pairing (most of them I just forget) took place on the roof of my house in Massachusetts, trying to catch the sunset with my high school pal Mike. I went with a Mahr's Ungespundet, paired with a second Mahr's Ungespundet, as did Mike. The two were nearly a perfect match. We followed up with several more bottles of Mahr's Ungespundet, which also harmonized beautifully. I don't remember how we got up on the roof, or how we got down, but I recall that no one was seriously hurt. That, friends, is a great beer pairing.

And, by the way, here's a tip: It's bad news for the waistline when you stop drinking beer for a prolonged period and start relying on food for most of your essential nutrients. Also, matching big beers with dripping fatty foods is caloric suicide. If you really must eat food, go vegetarian. And think of beer not so much as something to be paired with food, but as another course in the meal. Finally, if you're relying on the book He Said Beer, She Said Wine, don't take the beer pairing advice too seriously. Avoid taking XX Bitter with a tuna fish salad sandwich, for example.

If you could only drink one beer for a night (we're not sadists; we wouldn't ask anyone to hold out longer than a day!), what would you choose and why?

Assuming that “night” starts at about 5 p.m. and ends at about 5 a.m., amounting to approximately 12 hours of drinking, I would make it a lower-alcohol beer that has loads of character and flavor but won’t do any structural damage and won’t cause you do to anything that you’ll have to apologize or pay a fine for the next morning. I’d go with either Riner, from Spain, Taras Boulba from Belgium, or High & Mighty Beer of the Gods, from my brother Will—whatever I can find where I happen to be.

Shelton Brothers scour the world in search of the best among rare brews. What's your scariest beer travel story with a happy ending?

The scariest stories date back to the time before there was a Shelton Brothers, with a capital “B.” For example, the time in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, when a friend and I stayed out so late drinking Cerveza Gallo (not so rare in Guatemala, admittedly) that we got locked out of our castle-like hotel, and I had to scale the walls up three floors to find someone inside to open the big iron front gate. That was in 1994.

Since we started Shelton Brothers in 1996, what sticks out in my mind is the time that a friend and I spent most of the night at Dolle Brouwers with Kris Herteleer, trying countless “vintages” of his entire range of beers. (Kris was very generous about it.) I have a hard time leaving any good beer unfinished. At the end, sometime after midnight, we rejected the suggestion that we get a hotel in town, and headed for Brussels. After a time, I realized that I was driving more off the road than on and decided to spend the night at a rest stop. In the car. It was February. After a few hours, it started to get very cold in the car, and I decided to turn it on and get some heat going, but I couldn't find the keys. My friend had a flashlight, so we spent an hour or two poking around in the woods, trying to find the place where I had crawled in earlier to, uh, empty the bowels, where I figured the car keys must have dropped out of my pocket. We eventually did locate the spot, but no keys. We went back to the car, and spent what seemed like another hour fretting about our situation. How were we going to get ourselves and the car away from this rest stop in the woods in the middle of nowhere and back to Brussels? At some point, someone suggested that we look more carefully in the car for those keys, and naturally they turned out to be wedged between the driver's and passenger's seats. My friend punched me in the face, and, about a decade later, we both had a great laugh about it.

Do you remember the first time you drank a great beer and knew that beer was a drink to relish, not chug? Would you please tell us about that moment of revelation?

No. I still chug beer, when I'm feeling healthy and happy. In my opinion, you can't really taste a beer without getting a few good mouthfuls and taking it down precipitously. People who take a sip of beer, swish it around, and spit it out haven't got a clue. And if you really have a good beer in your hand, you want to keep it rolling over your tongue for a good long while as you talk about it with your drinking companions. I don't have a whole lot of time for the imperial stouts and barley wines, etc., that seem to attract the attention of the self-described beer aficionados. Real good beer, for me, as I said, is the kind you can chug and relish at the same time, without becoming a danger to yourself and others.

Photo credit courtesy of Zythos.be.

Jimmy's No. 43 Launches Beer Steward Program

2011-03-07T09:30:00.004-05:00

One of the truly great things about coming to Jimmy's No. 43 are the really amazing people who frequent the bar. Some of them have an incredible knowledge of beer, whether as members of the NYC Homebrewer's Guild, the Real Alewives of NYC, students of the Beer Judge Certification Program or the Cicerone Beer Server program, among the many beer-related educational and enthusiast groups. The Volunteer Beer Steward program is a way to formally organize some of these knowledgeable beer lovers to help out with the many educational tasting and pairing programs at Jimmy's No 43. Please meet one of our new Volunteer Beer Stewards... Brett Thompson!

Please tell us briefly about who you are and why you decided to become a Volunteer Beer Steward at Jimmy's No. 43.

I am a married father of one who loves good craft beer and occasionally finds time to brew some at home. I met Jimmy through volunteering at several events that he hosted last year (Meatopia, Pig Island, and Brewers Choice). When he emailed me to asked if I would be interested in helping out with his Tuesday Tastings, I jumped at the chance.

What is your relationship to beer and why is good beer important to you?

I started homebrewing almost two years ago and from that experience learned that good beer—craft beer—can be a work of art the same way a well-cooked meal or a touchdown pass can. Just the right arch on the ball. The perfect amount of cocoa in the Five-Alarm Chili. That unique bit of hopping to add just the right subtle undertone of grapefruit to a pale ale can make all the difference. To me beer is something to be experienced with food, life, friends and by yourself.

What's the most memorable beer tasting you can remember?

My most memorable tasting is probably my first exposure to good beer. In Bellingham, WA, at Boundary Bay Brewery, they have a scotch ale that is like a meal made from the Gods of the Highlands. Every time I head back there I always grab a pint or three. More recently it would probably at Brewers Choice last year; just the shear volume of choices from Ommegang to Pretty Things to Goose Island and Kelso. I went home a happy man that night.

If it is a hot day, I might ask for a pale ale with some good solid hoppiness to it. A cold day might be more of a stout with good roasted flavors and thick head. I may just ask him the last time the lines have been cleaned and, if he can't remember, get a glass of water.

Any favorite beer literature you could recommend for our book club?

A book that was immensely helpful to me in understanding how beer is made is How to Brew by John Palmer. The book covers the basics of homebrewing up to advanced topics such as the correct water profile for different types of beer. It helped me to identify off flavors in beer, both ones I made and ones in commercial examples, and helped broaden my horizons to beers that seemed exotic to me (Saisons and Sour Ales are now two of my favorites).

What times/days do you plan to be available at Jimmy's as a Volunteer Beer Steward and what kinds of services do you hope to provide?

I will be working at Jimmy's No 43 this Tuesday (3/8) and every third Tuesday going forward. We have a rotation of three Stewards helping at the tastings. When I am pouring samples for the tastings I try to (1) not spill, (2) be as helpful as possible in answering questions regarding the beers being poured (or telling people where the bathroom is), and (3) making sure that everyone is having a good time and learning about new beers

Final thoughts…

A big thanks to Jimmy for letting me help with this. I love beer, and watching other people get turned on to great craft beer is awesome.

3/31/11 Ultimate Smackdown: Beer v. Wine

2011-03-02T13:40:00.001-05:00

Yankees/Red Sox, Bears/Packers, dogs/cats. Everyone loves a good rivalry and few are better, or more hotly contested, than Beer v. Wine. Join Urban Oyster, Swirl Events, and Jimmy’s No. 43 as we put beer and wine to the test with you as the judge. At this event, you’ll taste four different dishes, each paired with wine and beer, and then we’ll vote on which was the best pairing. Urban Oyster’s beer guru will face off against Swirl Events wine experts in a fight to the end…of the glass that is! While helping judge the winner, you’ll learn all about tasting beer and wine like a professional, as well as how to pair them both with food to enhance flavors and experience. Finally you’ll be introduced to some of the best craft beers and wines out there so you can stock your wine fridge, cellar, kegerator, etc., when you get home. For more info and how to buy tickets, click here!

A- Brisket-A-Brasket: A Brisket Cookoff to Benefit New Amsterdam Market

2011-02-28T15:43:00.003-05:00

On Saturday March 26th, from 1 - 4 PM, Jimmy’s No. 43, along with our friends Anne Hauck and Jonathon Deutsch of Gastropolis and Jake Schiffman of The Food Network, will be hosting a Brisket Cookoff to benefit New Amsterdam Market. Brisket lovers will prepare their favorite style Brisket is delicious whether it’s traditional Jewish, cross-cultural barbecue, pastrami, or corned beef.

Each cook must bring enough brisket for 150 - 200 2-oz. servings, and may make any type of style. Winners will be decided by Judge’s and People’s Choice. Chefs so far include Sam Barbieri of Waterfront Ale House, Fette Sau, Lisa Schoen of Teqa, Andrew Burman of Court Street Grocers, Jimmy’s No. 43, Txikito, and Joe Doe. Judges will include Mitchell Davis of The James Beard Foundation, Todd Coleman of Saveur Magazine, Cricket, Charlie Granquist, and author Arthur Schwartz. Amateur and professional cooks are allowed.

Guest entry is $20 at the door; all proceeds will be donated to New Amsterdam Market. Contact Jimmy Carbone for more information.

50 Hours of Beer Talk!

2011-02-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

For the past year, Jimmy's No. 43 and the Good Beer Seal have been working on a new beer talk radio show called Beer Sessions. Now 50 shows later, our ale salon has greeted brewers such as Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery) and Dave Geary (Geary's Brewing), along with many homebrewers, malt growers, even beer-loving writers such as Carolyn Steele. We're happy to have met so many great people on Beer Sessions Radio, and we thank everybody who made our 50th episode totally rocking!

The Maturity of a Burger

2011-02-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

It takes some maturity to put a good burger on the menu at Jimmy's No. 43. It must be a grass-fed beef, farmed locally. Something like Grazin' Angus or High Point Farms (our beef CSA) to land in our kitchen. Our great burger is seared in a cast iron skillet with a bit of salt and pepper, placed on an Orwasher's bun, with a dab of Ronnybrook crème fraiche with a hint of horseradish grated in on top. The meat juice drips onto the bun for a deliciously perfect comfort food meal. If your mouth is watering just thinking about it, come on by and try a real burger from a real pub. Mmm mmm good!

Join Jimmy for Tuesday Tasting Featuring Sixpoint

2011-02-16T17:50:00.002-05:00

The Dinner and Libation Society along with Time Out NY, Sixpoint Brewery and Jimmy's No. 43 sold out it's Monday night dinner in record time, so we've decided to feature Sixpoint this coming Tuesday, March 1, as part of our regular Tuesday Tasting series. $10 will get you a great cross section of Sixpoint Craft Ales, so if you missed out on the dinner tickets, you won't miss out on the great beer if you join us on Tuesday!

Vote for Jimmy's: Best Beer Bar!

2011-02-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

Got some great news: Jimmy's is up for Best Beer Bar among the nominees for the Best of Metromix 2011. Readers get to vote for the winners until February 27, so we'd love your support!

Vote Jimmy's No. 43 for Best Beer Bar! And thanks!

Join Jimmy for Cathy Erway Book Signing This Thursday at 7 p.m.

2011-02-13T11:51:00.027-05:00

Jimmy talks to Cathy Erway, author and eat-at-home enthusiast about her upcoming book signing this Thursday, February 17, starting 7 p.m. at Jimmy's No. 43...

Congratulations! Your book "the art of eating in" is now out in paperback.what special events are you planning to promote the book?

Thanks! Well, I've had this idea of having a book swap and book launch party for a while, so I'm really excited to throw this at Jimmy's. Other than that, I wanted to keep active in the fun food activities I've been doing for a while and just give my book away as a goody bag or prize. So, I recently cooked a guest chef dinner with my friends at Whisk & Ladle Supper Club, and I'll be doing a guest chef stint at Ted & Amy's Supper Club on Feb. 23rd. (Check out the menu!) I'll also be giving a cooking demo for the first hour at Choice Eats on March 29th. More cooking and talking appearances to come in the spring, too.

How will the cookbook swap work? What cookbooks will you bring to swap? What cookbook would you like to own?

I recently moved and realized that I don't need the boxes and boxes of good food books I own. So I want others who will enjoy them to have them instead. I'll start out the swap pile by unloading a huge bunch of these. Anyone can bring a book, take a book, bring more, take more, and at the end of the night, any leftovers will be taken to Housing Works Bookstore to donate. I'd love to get my hands on NOMA (a Scandinavian cookbook named after the restaurant), which I've heard such great things about. I will be, however, giving away some really good books just because I've read and enjoyed my share of them and it's time to pass them onto someone else. There will be lots of cookbooks and food literature... but I'm hesitant to name any specific ones because I wouldn't want the authors to feel snubbed!

One of the most unusual chapters in your book is about the freegans. Is there still a thriving freegan movement in Brooklyn?

There is indeed. I think that this and many ways of using thrown-out goods will continue as long as we continue to have such a wasteful society. Whether or not it will become popularly accepted is another story, but I think the movement is more about exposing the problem of waste rather than trying to convert everybody to freeganism.

Brooklyn and Manhattan food scene currently has many cook-offs and food events. What are some of your favorites that have taken place recently or are upcoming?

The last cassoulet cook-off had to be one of the best cook-offs at Jimmy's ever! Not only was all the food really impressive, but the positive atmosphere and spirits of everyone was just off the charts. I actually won third place at the World's Greatest Jerk-Off recently, too, so that was a pretty good day. Looking forward to more and stranger challenges!

I see a new blog-lunch at Six Point. Any new plantings for spring?

I haven't dared to plant anything just yet, with the snow turning on and off all the time. I am looking forward to planting some nice leafy greens like mache and some brassicas as soon as it gets a little warmer in the spring.

800 Oysters

2011-02-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

You don't have to be the Walrus or the Carpenter to take advantage of Jimmy's No. 43 "Shuck and Talk" with Karen Rivara this Thursday from 7:30-10 p.m. Karen will talk of many things, including 800 little bivalve mystics from Connecticut, which have been tenderly grown by her partner from seedlings she raises on the East End.

For more info on our favorite oyster maven, check out this super cool video on Karen. Or go straight to buying your ticket, and, after a few fine craft brews to complement the 800+ oysters at hand, we promise to let you know whether pigs have wings!

The Real AleWives of NYC

2011-02-06T10:20:00.001-05:00

January 28 marked the first ever meeting of the Real AleWives of NYC. Lead by Brooklyn Brewery employee Ruthy Misky, the Real AleWives meet once a month to try out new beers (paired with food). Ruthy noticed that many of the beer tastings she attended were underrepresented by women. She launched the inaugural get-together by reading a history of beer, noting that women had been the beer makers since ancient Egypt.

Nearly two dozen women sampled as many beers, including a Stoudt's Barleywine, Hopslam (brought by an AleWife who had recently visited Columbus, OH), Kriek Boon, Omegang Rare Vos, Suntumbrew, Southampton Covee de Fleur, Pretty Things Jacques D'Or, King Baldwin Bald Cider (Ithaca), Quarta Runa, Save Our Shore (from New Orleans), and a couple Brooklyn Brewery offerings, among others.

The next meetup will be Friday, February 11, at 7 p.m. in the back room at Jimmy's No. 43. All women are invited to join in, when the Real AleWives will be focusing on porters. Just bring your favorite porter (to share) and a food that you think goes well with it. If you aren't sure, be adventurous! You can follow the Real AleWives on Facebook to keep up on all their events.

NYC's a beer town!

2011-02-04T10:41:00.001-05:00

I'm traveling, realizing I've taken it for granted just how many good beer bars there are in NY. I'm up in a small Massachusetts town, checking out a popular locals' bar with 8 draft lines. This is the line up: two Sam Adams, Coors light, Harpoon IPA, Wachusett Blueberry, Sierrra Nevada Pale Ale...wait help! I want some decent, craft beer....and I remember how much I love the craft beer that is served at so many bars in NYC. We take it for granted, but I think New York is a beer town! Charlie Suisman agrees; just look at his list. He says check out "The Good Beer Seal" for where to drink in NYC! -- Jimmy

Greenmarket Sausage Week 2011: From the Whole Hog to the Comfort of Cassoulet

2011-01-29T14:17:00.002-05:00

Greenmarket Sausage Week 2011 at Jimmy’s began with a bang (or at least some bangers) and concluded with competitive casseroles (of the French variety), bringing together food lovers of all varieties looking for a break from the wicked winter weather.

Our friends from The Piggery loaded up half a hog and did an incredible carving demonstration on January 16. Brad showed us his cool cutlery skills while Heather hung around the bar, making everyone feel like they had just come ‘round to lunch with a beloved sister. The fun started with a great spread of spicy sausages, mixed greens, charcuterie, smoked ham with beans, grilled chicken, and other seasonal fare whipped up by the great 43 chefs. Then Brad did a nearly two-hour long slicing and dicing demo, carefully explaining how all parts of the pig are turned into edible cuts and extras (we learned where the lard comes from). If you missed the show, Working Class Foodies did a brilliant video of last spring’s butchering demo, which you can check out to see a similar demonstration.

Thanks to The Piggery, which is one of four CSAs currently using Jimmy’s No. 43 as a distribution point in Manhattan, we had plenty of great pork dishes on the menu all week long.

Saturday, January 22, was the culminating event for Greenmarket Sausage week: Jimmy’s No. 43’s 3rd Annual Cassoulet Cookoff! At the end of stuffing ourselves, the people’s choice awards went to:
• Emma Feigenbaum and Cody Williams of Martha Stewart Test Kitchen (1st prize)
• Andrew Gottlieb, Mr. Food (2nd prize)
• Simon Glenn, aka Tchoup Shop (New Orleans Caterer – 3rd prize)
There were a great variety of entries judged by Cathy Erway, Ed Yowell, Matt Timms and Rachel Wharton. Donna Gelb was our recipe tester. The judges’ choice awards went to:
• Andrew Gottlieb (1st prize)
• Simon Glenn (runner-up)
• Raiza Costa of Brazil (Honorable Mention)
• Emma Feigenbaum and Cody Williams (Honorable Mention)

Huge thanks go out to Heritage USA, Microplane, Anolon Gourmet Cookware,and Wusthoff, the great companies that donated this year’s prizes.

Some of the Jimmy's No. 43 Team At Allagash

2011-01-19T14:18:00.003-05:00

Some of the Jimmy's No. 43 team at the Allagash Brewery in Portland, ME with founder and head brewer Rob Todd.

Grrenmarket Sausage Week!

2011-01-04T12:03:00.001-05:00

January 16th to January 22nd, Jimmy’s No. 43 is proud to honor NYC Greenmarket and the incredible vendors that sell their sausages. We at Jimmy’s No. 43 are proud supporters of Greenmarket and local farms, and act as a host site for several CSAs, one of which is The Piggery. The Piggery’s heritage pork and sausages will be featured on the menu throughout the week and a series of educational and delicious events will be offered to the public.

January 16th from 1:00 – 4:00 PM - The Piggery Lunch and Butchering Demo. The Piggery is a unique pig farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York. This is their mid-winter celebration where farmers Heather and Brad will showcase their skills as farmers, butchers, and making charcuterie. They will be demonstrating how to butcher a hog and there will be a light lunch of specialty pork. There will be live bluegrass too! Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142348.

January 22nd from 1:00 - 5:00 PM - Third Annual Cassoulet Cookoff to Benefit Greenmarket. Our Third Annual Cassoulet Cook-off will be benefiting Greenmarket, so all entries must feature ingredients from local farms like Violet Hill Farm, Flying Pigs Farm, or 3 Corner Field Farm to name a few! Amateur and professional chefs are welcome; past participants include Cathy Erway (Not Eating Out In New York), Peter Hoffman (Savoy), Matt Weingarten (Inside St. Barts), and Theo Peck and Nick Suarez (The Food Experiments). We are looking for participants, so if you are interested, please contact Jimmy Carbone at foodkarma@gmail.com. Tickets are $20 and available at the door only; all proceeds from the door will be donated to Greenmarket.

Our Favorite Beers of 2010!

2010-12-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

We take great pride in carefully selecting the best of American and imported craft beers. AOL City's Best agrees; Here is a short and by no means decisive list of some of our favorite beers from 2010:

Amager Porter
Avery Depuceleuce
Ballast Point Sculpin
Barrier Rembrandt Coffee Porter
Bear Republic Ryevalry
Birra del Borgo Te Ale
Brooklyn Detonation
Cantillion Iris
Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
Cigar City Maduro Oatmeal Brown
Fantome Saison
Greenport Hopnami
Pretty Things 1901
Pretty Things Hedgerow Bitter
Shmaltz Geektoberfest
Sixpoint Gorilla Warfare
Sixpoint Signal
Soogard Julebuk
Southampton Keller Bier
Southern Tier Oaked Unearthly
Stillwater Autumnal
The Bruery Rugbrod Rye
Troubadour Magma

Eat and Drink Well!

3rd Annual Cassoulet Cookoff

2010-12-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

Via http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/20101222/jimmy-no-43s-3rd-annual-greenmarket-cassoulet-cookoff/

Start:
January 22, 2011 1:00 pm
End:
January 22, 2011 4:00 pm
Cost:
20.00
Venue:
Jimmy's No. 43
Phone:
212-982-3006
Address:
43 E. 7th Street, New York, NY, United States, 10003
Amateur and professional chefs join forces for the Greenmarket Cassoulet Cookoff! The event benefits Greenmarket, so all entries must feature ingredients from local farms such as Violet Hill Farm, Flying Pigs Farm, or 3 Corner Field Farm, to name a few. Tickets are $20 and available at the door only; all proceeds will be donated to Greenmarket. Think your cassoulet stands a winning chance? Send Jimmy an email at foodkarma@gmail.com to register.

Peace And Happy

2010-12-24T06:30:00.001-05:00

We want to wish everyone a Peace and Happy.

Enjoy your holidays!

http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/20101223/peace-and-happy-from-edible-manhattan/

Wild Foods Dinner

2010-12-15T13:35:00.003-05:00

We're hosting a Wild Foods Dinner with our favorite wild food gatherers Les and Nova, this Sunday, for a post-New Amsterdam Market dinner (check them out in this recent NYT article!).
You'll get the opportunity to mix with vendors and staff of the New Amsterdam Market and celebrate the end of the season. Les and Nova will bring their wares- things like wild mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, wild watercress- and we'll make a meal using other New Amsterdam vendors like Nordic bread, sausages from Brooklyn Cured, and pork from Mosefund Farm. A selection of local New York State Wines and craft beers will be available.
Tickets ar $55 and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/7784.

The Winners of Battle of the Belgians!

2010-12-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

We had a great time this past Saturday.... Thanks to all the people who helped make this event a success!

The results are in, and the winners of the battle are:

Popular Choice:
Best American: Stillwater Cellar Door
Best Belgian: Hanssens Oude Gueuze
Best in show: Vapeur de Bises

Judges Choice:

Saison
Belgian: Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux
American: Stillwater Cellar Door

Gueuze
Belgian: Hanssens

Abbey/Trappist
Belgian: Chimay/Westmalle/Rochefort --- all equally excellent
American: Barrier Double

Sour
Belgian: Rodenbach
American: Ommegang Zuur

Hoppy
Belgian: Vanberg Hop Ruiter
American: Bear Republic Ryevalry

Special
Belgian: Malheur & Scaldis Refermentee
American: Allagash Interlude

Unique
Belgian: Orval
American: Goose Island Sophie

Special thanks to Anna Mumford for the video!

Battle of the Belgians - Jimmy's 43 from Letitia Productions on Vimeo.

Battle Of The Belgians This Saturday!

2010-12-01T14:41:00.002-05:00

We are so excited for Battle of the Belgians this Saturday, and will be pouring lots of rare and special beers. We believe that Belgian beers are the basis for so much of what's happening in the American craft brewing scene and we'll be featuring these beers on all our draft lines. So many American breweries are moving toward Belgian styles and expanding their portfolios: Green Flash's collaboration with St. Feullien moved the brewery away from big American hoppy beers and into the Belgian styles, Sixpoint brews a terrific selection of Belgian styles with an American slant, and Allagash's use of wild yeasts has made them one of the top American breweries. We'll be featuring beers from these breweries, and a bunch more. The full draft line-up is:
-Ommegang Zuur
-Allagash Interlude
-Pretty Things Baby Tree
-Sixpoint Belgian Rye
-The Bruery 3 French Hens
-Green Flash/ St. Feuillien L'Amite
-Avery The Reverend
-Stillwater Stateside Saison
-Bear Republic Ryevalry
-Barrier Dubbel
-Sly Fox Ichor
-Goose Island Sofie
-Flying Dog Raging Bitch

We'll see you there!

FoodWorks: A Vision to Improve NYC's Food System

2010-11-18T12:38:00.001-05:00

New York City Council
Speaker Christine C. Quinn

cordially invites you to the release of

FoodWorks:
A Vision to Improve NYC's Food System

Monday, November 22, 2010
10:00 AM
(Doors open @ 9:30 AM)
Food and Finance High School
525 West 50th Street, Room 173
New York, NY 10019

Please RSVP by November 17th to events@council.nyc.gov
or (212) 788-6871.

The Battle of The Belgians

2010-11-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

On Saturday December 4, 2010 from 12 -5 PM, Jimmy’s No. 43 and Beer Menus will be hosting “Battle of the Belgians”, an expo-style event that will explore the vast diversity of Belgian-style beers. Belgium has over 4,000 breweries, most very small. We are bringing together a rare glimpse of the best Belgian beers and bringing in some healthy competition from the best new American Belgian-style beers. We’ll have over 30 Belgians in bottle and our draft lines will all be dedicated to American-made Belgian-style beers including Allagash Hugh Malone, Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Wild, Barrier Belgian Dubbel Down, Sixpoint Belgian IPA, Saint Feuillien/ Green Flash collaboration L’Amite, Victory Saison du Buff, Bear Republic Ryevalry, Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza, and others. Representatives from Chimay, Duvel, Maredsous, Shelton Brothers, 12% Imports, B. United, Boon, Rodenbach, Troubador, Saison Dupont, Scaldis, and others will be pouring rare bottle selections. This is a fantastic introduction to Belgian-style ales, and also an opportunity for connoisseurs to revisit old favorites. There will be three food areas: cheese, charcuterie, and chocolate sourced from East Village Meat Market, Salumeria Biellese, Coach Farms, and Taza Chocolate.

Tickets to this event are $60 and can be purchased at http://www.beermenus.com/deals/22-ticket-to-battle-of-the-belgians.

Schlenkerla Beer Dinner

2010-10-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

Jimmy’s No. 43 is extremely proud to be hosting a very special Schlenkerla beer dinner on Monday, November 15th 7 PM. Chef Wolfgang Theil, from the historic Schlenkerla brewpub in Bamberg Germany, is preparing a traditional four course meal using locally-sourced ingredients, specially paired with four select beers. Tickets are $55 (includes drinks, food, tax, and tip) and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/135282. The menu will include:

Handmade Schlenkerla Smoked Sausages with sweet cabbage and dark bread,
paired with Schlenkerla Smoked Wheatbeer

Traditional Franconian potato soup with bits of bacon,
paired with Helles Schlenkerla Lager

Bamberg style onion with mushed potatoes and smoke beer sauce,
paired with the classic Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

Marinated fruits with “Nurnberg style Lebkuchen”,
paired with Schlenkerla Oak Smoke

To begin the festivities, Jimmy’s No. 43 will be running a Schlenkerla raffle: every Schlenkerla beer you purchase in the weeks leading up to the dinner gets you a raffle ticket. Five lucky winners will get a private sausage-making lesson led by Chef Wolfgang Theil!

St. Feuillien and Green Flash Collaborate!

2010-10-13T18:23:00.003-04:00

Dominique Friart from St. Feuillien visited Jimmy's No. 43 this week! We will be pouring their collaboration with Green Flash Brewing this weekend! Two small Belgian and Californian breweries team up for a great beer!

Check Out This Interview on FoodieLink!

2010-09-06T13:15:00.002-04:00

Our own Jimmy Carbone was interviewed by FoodieLink on craft beer and The Good Beer Seal.

http://www.foodielink.com/articles/2010/08/interview-good-beer-seal-co-founder-jimmy-carbone/

NYC Brewer's Choice

2010-09-06T13:12:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Beer Menus for this great write up of NYC Brewer's Choice. We're happy to be a part of it!

On September 30th meet craft brewing pioneers and innovators while you enjoy and learn about their select, rare, and small-batch beers. Brewer's Choice will take place in SoHo at City Winery, an exciting venue that is an operating winery, concert venue, restaurant, and tasting space. There will be a keynote speech on the main stage with Goose Island Brewery owner Greg Hall as well as presentations by Ben Granger of Bierkraft, and Sam Merritt of the Civilization of Beer. Brewers will have tables with beer and food pairings setup. Guests will be able to walk around the City Winery and meet brewers while tasting their pairings. Beers will be paired with gourmet food provided by Sigmund Pretzels, Brooklyn Larder, Jimmy’s No. 43, Jacques Torres Chocolate, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Salumeria Bellese, High Plains Bison and many more.

Learn more and see the list of brewers.

Example beers- All beers at the event will be unusual, small batch, and hard-to-find beers picked by the brewers just for this event.

Greg Hall of Goose Island Brewery will be featuring beers from the Matilda line.

Phil Leinhart of Brewery Ommegang will be featuring the new Belgian Pale Ale (BPA).

Kelly Taylor of Kelso Brewing will be previewing some of his new beers, which will be announced soon.

Example pairings

Dieu du Ciel brewer Luc Boivin will have Montreal-style smoked Brisket from the Mile End Deli in Brooklyn paired with his beers.

Shane Welch of Sixpoint Craft Ales will be pairing the new Pumpkin Saison with a selection of housemade sausages and charcuterie from Resto.