It's no secret that beer and food combine for a dining experience greater than the sum of its parts, and Los Angeles chefs, restaurants and breweries are expanding beer and food pairings past the pilsner-and-pretzel classics into more adventurous territory. Over the next few weeks there are a handful of interesting beer dinners planned.
First up, today, the Los Angeles edition of Dogfish Head Brewery's "AHopocalypseNow" beer dinner series that features hop-focused beers from the Delaware brewery. The dinner is at Franklin and Company Tavern in Hollywood, and the four-course tasting menu is paired with 8-ounce pours of some of Dogfish's most intense brews -- like the nearly 18% ABV 120 Minute IPA and their new collaboration brew with Sierra Nevada Brewery. Email the tavern at firstname.lastname@example.org for reservations to the $55-per-person dinner.
On Wednesday, the Golden Road throws its first dinner in the new weekly "Brewer's Supper" series that pairs brews from the Atwater Village brewery with small plates from chef Adam Levoe's kitchen -- all in the brewery's impressive private events space known as Chloe's. The four-course menu will set you back $38, and it features matches such as roasted quail and the new pale ale, smoked lentils and barleywine, and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Reservations begin at 6:30 p.m. and can be made by emailing email@example.com.
Thursday, Orange County's The Bruery joins forces with the downtown L.A. Belgian beer bar Little Bear for a night of special beers matched with chef Andre Guerrero's eclectic dishes. Guerrero is the veteran of several beer pairing dinners, and he is skilled at highlighting the interplay between food and beer. The Belgian-inspired, and often avant-garde, beers from The Bruery are a great match for Guerrero's food, and no reservations are needed for the evening of a la carte pairings that begins at 6 p.m. The event will also be the Los Angeles debut of the Bruery's collaboration with Beachwood BBQ and Brewing, "Mrs. Stoutfire" -- don't miss the mini pastrami melt with house smoked mozzarella that is paired with the smokey stout.