Saturday, March 20, twenty Taste-Full Tourists had a great time
on our BBQ and Beer Tour. What
could be better than spending the better part of a day eating BBQ and drinking
beer? We can’t think of anything!
We began our day at Cloverleaf Fine Wine. Wines you say, I thought this was a BBQ
and Beer Tour? Well, they also
have an amazing and comprehensive beer department. We’re not sure how many beers they sell, but it’s
impressive. Since Laura and I are
not beer aficionados (believe it or not) we relied on the expertise of the ever
charming Scott Collins, of Cloverleaf, to navigate us and our Taste-Full
Tourists through several different varieties. What a way to start the day! As we sampled pale ales, lagers etc., Chef Laura treated
everyone to her wonderful ribs (see recipe) and slaw in a most delicious celery
seed dressing (see blog 2/9/10).
By the way, Cloverleaf Fine Wine is having a huge wine sale. Please check them out at www.cloverleafwine.com.
Chef Deni Smiljanovski outdid
himself once again at Lazybone’s Smoke House (Groesbeck and 696) www.lazybonessmokehouse.net with a
feast of brisket, homemade sausage, burnt ends, cornbread, baked beans and a
host of sauces. If you haven’t
been to Lazybones, we’re here to tell you that you have missed a true gem. Deni is a true master of smoking
(meats!) and we are always thrilled to visit. By the way, Deni makes one of the best hamburgers we have
ever had. Trust us!
After Lazybones we were off to Dragonmead Brewery – remember it is the BBQ and BEER tour. Our guests
were treated to an “English Style Best Bitter” called “Breath of the Dragon” and a behind the scenes tour by Bill Wrobel, one of the owners. Dragonmead is a beer lover’s Mecca. These ladies and gentlemen are serious about their beer and have won numerous international awards for their brews. Laura and I love the names of their proprietary brews, including “Under the Kilt, Wee Heavy” and “Final Absolution.” www.dragonmead.com
Next stop was a visit to Motor City Brewing Works www.motorcitybeer.com on Canfield in Detroit. Chef Jodi worked her magic and created a BBQ chicken pizza that was delicious. She has a very small kitchen and what she is able to prepare in it, is amazing. Try any soup on the menu and you won’t be sorry. Taste-Full Tourists enjoyed light and dark ale with their pizza. Motor City Brewing Works also make their own sodas, including root beer that was described by a Taste-Full Tourist as “delicious…very root beery!” In addition to producing great beer, sodas and food, Motor City Brewing Works is an enormous supporter of the local community – creating community gardens and hosting exhibitions for local artists.
And if all that wasn’t enough, Laura and I discovered a new BBQ joint (love that term) in Berkley, Hoggers on 12 Mile, south of Coolidge. Jenny and Mike Goodman (the husband and wife team behind Hoggers) opened in November of 2009 and we think they may have a hit on their hands. The BBQ is great and the sides (very important to BBQ fans) are really good. When you go, do not miss the pulled-pork sandwich, and onion rings with chipotle ranch sauce! They have an enthusiastic staff and deliver within Berkley. Eat in or carry out!
By the way, we will have another BBQ and Beer Tour coming up on Saturday, June 26. This tour always sells out, so make your plans today! Aren’t you just dying for some BBQ now!
We are thrilled to be included in this month’s issue of Edible WOW Magazine www.ediblecommunities.com/wow. More about this in next week’s blog.
Taste-Full Tour gift certificates make great Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts. They are also perfect for all those summer weddings that you are sure to get invitations to. Check out our website at www.Taste-FullTours.com to see our soon to be published summer schedule. Gift certificates may be purchase on our website!
Laura & Laura
Download Simple Baby Back Ribs
