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Mike B./Yelp
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Delarosa's food menu -- but what about Rich Higgins' beer-pairing tips?
Yesterday's
SFoodie post on planned brewpub Social Kitchen was actually a side note ― I'd called brewmaster Rich Higgins to ask about the beer list he put together for Delarosa, one of the two subjects of
this week's "Eat" review. And even that line of questioning left us both a bit surprised.
I'd noticed that Higgins' list was lighter on strong beers and strongly hopped beers, and wondered if he thought they just didn't go well with food. Not so, the diplomatic cicerone (beer sommelier) argued, but he said that since the Marina didn't have a history with bold beers, he wanted every beer on the list to work with a dish.
He also sent me a page of beer-pairing notes that he had trained the waitstaff on (excerpted with permission after the jump). Funny thing: The waitstaff I talked to during my two visits were all able to describe the beers my tablemates and I asked about and help steer us toward selections that reflected our tastes, but there was no mention of pairing specific beers with the pizzas and side dishes we ordered. Apparently there was. If that's a major focus for Delarosa, its menu should offer pairing suggestions or the waiters should advertise their ability to help customers match brew to pie.
I'd certainly have been interested to try these pairings with pizzas mentioned in the review:
Margherita: Chiostro, an Italian ale with apricot and chestnut notes brewed with wormwoood. The beer's malty dryness complements the pizza crust, while its aromatics pair well with the aromatics of the tomatoes and the basil.
Prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella: Duchesse de Bourgogne, a sour ale from Western Belgium, and Cassissona, an full-bodied Italian ale aged with currants. This pizza's peppery arugula and sweet prosciutto call for the balsamic, cherry and black pepper of Duchesse de Bourgogne or the currant and sherry finish of Cassissona.
Funghi misti, tomato, fontina, thyme: Le Merle, an earthy, herby, lemony saison ale from Ft. Bragg. The beer's earthiness harmonizes with the mushrooms and the fontina, and its acidity and herbal notes punch up the tomato and thyme.
