2013 Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers Festival

Photographs credited to Bonsai Doll Fern Photography.

The post If You Missed It … Photos from 2013 Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers Festival appeared first on Media Dish.

I recently had the chance to check out My Three Sons Hot Dogs and Beer Emporium, the newest craft beer and grub spot in downtown Media. During my visit I partook in a gourmet “haute dog” and beer tasting, pairing four of their top dogs with four of their draft beers.

Once I walked into the storefront, located on the west end of State Street, I was greeted with picnic tables, and a classic Pac-Man arcade cabinet. On the left, a wall of coolers contained 175 different varieties of beer, which included a great selection of seasonals. The coolers also contain a nice assortment of Hank’s soda and other non-alcoholic beverages. Behind the counter, My Three Sons’ has five constantly rotating taps displaying great seasonal offerings to pair with their dogs. The back wall is home to eleven illustrations which double as their menu, each one features one of their gourmet dogs and the inspiration behind it. The menu also includes several sides, including tater tots, homemade chili, salads, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans. They also offer a selection of freshly baked homemade cookies.

After examining the beer selection, I sat down on one of their classic picnic table benches to dig into my tray full of dogs and beer. The first dog I sampled was the Trailer which was paired with Bell’s Oberon. The Trailer starts with their all beef hot dog and topped with their homemade chili, nacho cheese, and then sprinkled with crumbled Fritos corn chips. The hefty helping of chili was great, containing plenty of ground beef and tomato chunks. You can tell that serious care went into the chili recipe and the nacho cheese and Fritos made it creamy yet crunchy. The Bell’s Oberon, a 5.8% American Pale Wheat Ale, is a perfect beer for light summer drinking. Oberon poured a straw gold with moderate carbonation. The aroma consisted of grassy and citrus scents. Each sip revealed flavors of spice, wheat, citrus, grassy, bready, crisp noble hops. The lighter spicier notes of this beer help balance the heaviness of the Trailer dog.

The next pairing I decided to tackle was the Jayhawker dog with Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch. The Jayhawker is a simple and delicious dog that is topped with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese. The melted Swiss and sauerkraut melded together and coated the dog in a blanket of gooey sour goodness. This dog has a great flavor that isn’t too in your face and is complemented by a great texture. Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch is a Belgian IPA that clocks in at 8.3% abv. This Belgian ale has a slight sweetness and lots of malt that gives way to a serious bitterness. It pours a nice amber hue and smells of spice, biscuit, dark fruits, and banana. This brew tastes of biscuits, slight dark fruits, slight candy sugar, spice, and pine. Surprisingly, the bitterness of Raging Bitch balanced nicely with the tartness of the sauerkraut. This pairing was an interesting mix that worked great together.

Next I moved onto the Toddling Town dog paired with Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company’s Trauger Pilsner. The Toddling Town is a serious dog inspired by a Frank Sinatra lyric about Chicago. On top of the all beef hot dog the Toddling Town packs yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped white onions, a dill pickle spear, two tomato wedges, two pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. This dog is loaded with tons of flavor that comes in waves. The relish, pickle, and pickled pepper combine for a unique sweet and tart pickle flavor. This gives way to the savory spiciness of the mustard and celery salt. After your bite you are left with a nice subtle warming spiciness from the pickled sport peppers. The Trauger Pils is a well crafted German pilsner that packs in more flavor than your average pilsner. This beer poured a golden yellow color with a higher carbonation level. The aroma consisted of mostly grassy, bready, and slight citrusy notes, while the flavor tasted of grain, bread, caramel, grassy, crisp noble hops. The Trauger Pils was crisp and clean and balanced out the strong flavors of the Toddling Town.

The final combo I tasted was the Cally dog paired with Uinta’s Hop Notch. This dog is topped with chopped avocado, arugula, tomatoes, onions, and a splash of basil aioli. This dog was definitely my favorite of the day. The basil aioli and arugula give the dog a nice spicy and herbal note while the chopped avocado and onion lightens the flavor and brightens up this dog. The avocado and arugula also give this dog a creamy yet crunchy texture that enhances each bite. The Uinta Hop Notch was definitely a perfect pairing for the Cally. Hop Notch is a 7.3% American IPA that has floral, herbal, and spicy qualities that match those qualities in the Cally dog. This beer poured an amberish orange hue with moderate carbonation, and I smelled aromas of floral and piney hops. The taste is very hop forward as well. I get flavors of floral, piney, herbal, and spicy hops that has a nice lighter biscuity malt balance and a dry finish. Even though I was a fan of all of the pairings this was by far my favorite.

I was definitely impressed with my first visit to My Three Sons Hot Dogs and Beer Emporium. The beer selection was good and the beer on tap was very fresh. Since their main focus is hot dogs I was expecting good dogs, but these definitely surpassed my expectations. All of this is presented in a fun atmosphere and a very friendly and helpful staff. I definitely suggest stopping by soon for a “haute” dog and a beer pairing of your own.

For more information you can check them out online at mythreesonshotdogs.com.

Photographs credited to Ryan Lancello and Nina Lea Photography.

Thanks to My Three Sons Hot Dogs and Beer Emporium for providing complimentary food and drink for this article.

The post Tackle the Ultimate Haute Dog & Craft Beer Pairings at Media’s My Three Sons Hot Dogs and Beer Emporium appeared first on Media Dish.

You are the winner of TWO TICKETS to the Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers’ Festival, unfolding Saturday, May 18 from 1 to 5 p.m. Stay tuned as a Town Dish representative will be in touch shortly via email with more details. 

Thank you to everyone for reading The Town Dish and entering our contest.

Be sure to check back regularly for more free stuff in the future. Cheers!

Beer fanatic alert! This Town Dish Giveaway is right up your alley!

This week we’re giving away a pair of tickets (a $90 value) to 2013′s Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers’ Festival at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant of Media, Pa., taking shape on Saturday, May 18 from 1 – 5 pm with all proceeds going to the Media Youth Center.

This prize pack grants one lucky craft beer fanatic and their guest admission to one of the area’s finest beer festivals, one that exposes the latest releases from regional brewers (you know, the ones you’ve been dying to get your hands on).

The beer-tasting festival features four-hours of local breweries pouring their variety of hopped beverages, plus Iron Hill Brewery presenting both limited-edition and recognizable brews for your pleasure. Better yet, Brewmaster Bob Barrar of Iron Hill Media will make his notorious grand appearance per hour, pouring rare, specialty beers from large, six-liter bottles.

Want to win?

Click HERE and have a peek at what 25+ breweries have signed on for the main event. Then, swing back to this post and leave a comment telling us what your favorite Iron Hill beer is and why. You have until midnight on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 to enter. One person will be selected at random and the winner will be announced via our website on Thursday morning, May 16.

You must be 21 years of age to enter. May the best craft beer fanatic win!

Learn more about Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant by visiting ironhillbrewery.com. Find Iron Hill’s Media location at 30 East State Street.

The post (CLOSED) GIVEAWAY: Pair of Tickets to Brandywine Valley Craft Brewers Festival 2013 appeared first on Media Dish.

Brew Your Own Beer has been situated on Darby Road in the heart of Havertown for the past 20 years. Beyond the brown brick facade, you can find all the equipment and ingredients needed to brew beer, make wine and roast coffee.

The store contains plenty of malt, hops, yeast, starter kits, bottles, kettles, fermentors, ingredient kits, books, magazines, kegerator kits and more for brewers. They also stock full winemaker starter kits, grape must, a grape crusher, bottles, fermentors and other equipment. John has recently expanded to include coffee making supplies, including several kinds of green coffee beans, roasters and grinders for those that are looking to freshly roast their own coffee.

The selection at BYOB is not as extensive as some of the larger shops, but it is set up with less inventory to preserve the freshness of all the products. The hop selection is comparable to most of the other homebrew shops and includes some hops that you won’t find elsewhere, such as Amarillo, Citra and Moteuka, to name a few. John also stocks plenty of bulk malt and specialty grain and is happy to run it through the grain mill for you.

When you walk into his store, you will likely find John standing behind the counter, in front of his many homebrewing and winemaking awards. John is extremely knowledgeable about all of the equipment and ingredients he carries. When my bottling wand broke while I was bottling one of my homebrews I went in to BYOB for a new one. I found that John didn’t have the spring-loaded version I had previously and only carried a non-spring-loaded version. When I asked John about it he let me know that he doesn’t carry the spring-loaded kind because they are notorious for falling apart while bottling. If there is anything that you need that he does not carry, John will place a special order if possible. I once had him track down some hard to find whole-leaf citra hops. Not only will John go out of his way to find you all the ingredients you need, but he will also help carry them out to your car.

John’s wealth of brewing and winemaking knowledge is a great resource for any customers that have questions on ingredients, techniques or recipes. He can help you construct or tweak a recipe if you are new at brewing and know what you are looking for in the finished product.

Whether you are looking for a new homebrew shop that offers fresh products at a good price or a friendly owner that is a huge wealth of knowledge, you should definitely visit Brew Your Own Beer in Havertown on your next homebrew shopping trip. You can get more information on their website or you can like them on Facebook.

Brew Your Own Beer is located at 2026 Darby Road in Havertown.

Photos credited to Ryan Lancello. 

The post Meet Brew Your Own Beer: Havertown’s Homebrewing Superstore appeared first on Media Dish.

On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most unique new draft beer offerings from local pubs.

Our Recommendation: Iron Hill’s Bourbon Porter

Where: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, 30 East State Street, Media, PA

I had first read Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Media had tapped a Bourbon Porter on Twitter. Assistant Brewer Jarrod May, @TheKiltedBrewer, first tweeted the tapping of this specialty porter, as served on nitrogen, a few weeks ago.

I’m already a fan of porters, and occasionally enjoy a good bourbon barrel aged beer, so this sounded like a great marriage. Iron Hill’s Bourbon Porter is made with their beloved Pig Iron Porter, which is then aged in bourbon barrels with whole vanilla beans.

As the bartender set my pint on the bar, the nitrogen settled much like you would expect to see in pour of a Guinness. A dark mocha color and a small but creamy head beckoned. My first sip was pure joy, as a touch of the bourbon flourished, followed by vanilla flavors floating on my tongue. Thanks to the nitrogen, the silky smooth texture reminded me of the Iron Hill West Chester’s Chocolate Milk Stout I had recently reviewed, and loved. I have to confess, I think the Iron Hill Bourbon Porter is even more of a favorite now. The only downside to this beer is you can’t smoke a stogie inside Iron Hill, though your should be able to get a growler filled for home consumption. The ABV comes in at 5.3%.

Jarrod tells me they expect to have the Bourbon Porter on tap for the next few weeks, so hurry in. This is a stellar beer.

The post On Tap: Bourbon Porter at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant appeared first on Media Dish.

Infusing your own vodka is actually an extremely simple process. It’s as easy as adding natural flavoring ingredients to vodka and then removing them. It takes a bit of a time commitment (anywhere from one day to a week), but being an avid homebrewer, the infusion process feels like instant gratification to me. Infusing vodka is useful for spicing up your cocktails, it will impress your dinner party guests, it makes a great gift and it is a fun way to experiment with new flavors. You can infuse other liquors besides vodka, but I stick with vodka since it is the most neutral spirit and an easy way to learn the infusing basics.

To get started you need:

• A bottle of vodka

• Ingredients

• A glass mason jar or two

• Cheesecloth

• Coffee filters

When choosing a vodka you do not want to spend top dollar for very fine vodka since you are going to alter the flavor anyway. I also implore you not to buy the bottom shelf vodka as you will not be able to enjoy your labors if the flavors are drowned out by impurities and harsh burn. Potato vodka can often be pricier, but if you can find a bottle in the right price range it will offer a cleaner flavor that will not distort your recipe.

The next step is to come up with the ingredients you want to use in your vodka. Typical ingredients include fruit, herbs and spices, but almost anything can be infused. The time needed to infuse the ingredients depends on what you put into it. Strong-flavored, porous ingredients can infuse within the first day, but it may take two or three days to incorporate the right amount of flavor. Ingredients with more subtle flavors may take three days to a week to fully infuse. The best part of infusing vodka is that you can taste your creation along the way to ensure that you have used the right amount of each ingredient and that you have let it sit in the vodka for long enough. After two or three days you may realize that one flavor is completely overpowering another. If this is the case you can remove the strongest ingredient and wait a few more days to gain more of the flavor of the weaker ingredient. You can also add more of one of your ingredients if you are not getting all the flavor you are looking for.

After choosing your ingredients you want to pour your vodka into your mason jar (make sure it has an airtight lid). If you are adding fruit all you need to do is rinse it, cut it into chunks and add it to the jar. If you are adding berries or other smaller fruit you may want to crush them slightly or score the surface with a knife. This will ensure that the vodka can penetrate the fruit and absorb all the great flavors. When adding herbs it is best to rinse them and then crush them a bit to release the flavor-packed oils.

From my personal experience, I would recommend avoiding very oily ingredients as well as very viscous ingredients. My bacon vodka experiment was a bit of a failure as the oil from the bacon separated from the vodka and was quite off-putting. Even after throwing it in the freezer and attempting to scoop the fat off the top it was still a lost cause. Even though bacon didn’t work, I have infused vodkas with nuts and the low amount of oil in the nuts has not caused any problems for me. I have also tried using honey in a recipe to sweeten the vodka. I would advise avoiding honey or any other viscous sugary sweeteners as they will give you an immense headache when they clog up all of your coffee filters. After adding your fresh ingredients to the jar, all you need to do is seal it airtight and place it out of direct sunlight.

Now you will need to agitate the vodka a few times a day by giving it a gentle swirl. As I previously mentioned the great part of infusing vodka is that you can taste it along the way to make sure it is developing the way you would like. If you would like more banana in your strawberry banana vodka then cut up some more and throw it in. If you think the strawberry is strong enough and is taking over then you can scoop the strawberries out and strain them; leaving the banana for a couple more days.

Anywhere in the first week (sometimes longer) of tasting you will find that the vodka has infused and you are satisfied with the flavor. Once you are ready to halt the infusion process all you need to do is filter the ingredients back out of the vodka. If your infusion has a few ingredients that are still whole, such as hot peppers or herbs that are not sliced, you can run your vodka through a coffee strainer once or twice until the vodka is clear. If your recipe is more complex and includes ingredients that can break down easily I suggest running your vodka through cheesecloth first to remove the larger chunks. Afterward, you can run it through the filter a few times. I recommend doing this at least twice for recipes that include spices or other ingredients that can break down. Once your vodka is completely clear and your mason jar has been washed, you can pour the vodka back into the mason jar and serve it when ready.

Below I have a few recipes that you can use to hone your newfound infusing knowledge. You can also put your creativity to work and try something completely different. When I started experimenting with different recipes I would buy a bottle of vodka and dole out a cup for each of my mason jars so I could try several recipes in smaller batches before moving up to bigger portions. I have kept my recipes in the smaller portion size so you can taste it before trying it with a large batch.

Apple Cinnamon

Apple Cinnamon is definitely my favorite recipe and the one my friends ask for the most. This vodka tastes great when mixed with apple juice or hot apple cider. But, according to my friend Brittany, it tastes best when mixed with sparkling cider.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vodka

• 1/2 an apple cut into large slices (I prefer Gala apples)

• 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

Method:

I generally give this three days, but you should know when it is ready.

Scotch Bonnet

This recipe is a huge favorite of mine, even though I hate spicy food. If you are not familiar the Scotch Bonnet chili pepper it is one of the hottest in the world. When infused with vodka it makes a mean shot. This recipe uses an extremely hot pepper, but as long as you only use a slice or two of pepper and check it often you will be able to control how hot your vodka gets. You can also use other chili peppers, but my personal favorite is the Scotch Bonnet. This vodka is super quick and easy to make and it is perfect for mixing with your next Bloody Mary.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vodka

• 2 thin slices of Scotch Bonnet peppers without any seeds

Method:

I usually filter this after just one day. If you like more spice leave it in longer, but be careful.

Pomegranate Apple

This recipe is great for making refreshing spring cocktails. It’s a nice balance of sweet and tart and it goes well with many popular fruit cocktails. You can also try it in a Pomegranate Martini or Crimson Crush.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vodka

• 1/4 an apple cut into large slices (I prefer Gala apples)

• 3 Tbsp of pomegranate seeds

Method:

This can take 4–6 days depending on your flavor preference.

This guide and these recipes should help you get started. You are on your way to becoming an infusion master. My best advice is to start simple and work your way up to more complex flavors and to test each batch in small sizes before moving up to a larger portion. Good luck!

Photographs credited to Ryan Lancello.

The post Beginner’s Guide to Infusing Your Own Vodka appeared first on Media Dish.

If the weekends are asking, you have Swarthmore Co-op to blame. Their recent beer and cheese event offered delectable eats, flavorful sips, a laid back atmosphere and friendly company, which proved to be the ideal combination of tipping point elements. I was officially swayed far to the other side where Monday through Thursday is celebrated in delicious fashion!

Officially known as Beer & Cheese Too, this was not Swarthmore Co-op’s first time at the weeknight event rodeo. In fact, they successfully hosted a Pop-up Abattoir in early March, complete with a butchering instruction by Bryan Mayer and dinner featuring fresh made pork offerings by Swarthmore Co-op’s chef Brendan Dougherty, plus beer from Lancaster Brewing Company. I spoke with a Beer & Cheese Too attendee who was also a very impressed guest of the Pop-up Abattoir and his enthusiasm seemed to correspond with mine, in that Swarthmore Co-op is lining up a really amazing calendar of events. The majority of these events are not just perfectly positioned for the typical nine-to-fiver, but they offer a sense of relaxation, not unlike grabbing a few beers at your local pub with some friends. They are no-hassle and valuable, flavor-packed events.

This particular affair kicked off at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. The Co-op’s doors were officially closed to shoppers but that didn’t stop one determined local from walking inside and grabbing a basket, prepared to ransack the shelves. In my mind, this was just another clear indication that Swarthmore knew how to host a casual soiree. Of course, this confused shopper moment happened after introductions and descriptions were shared, when the crowds had dispersed into natural social circles with their beer and cheese, but even the introductory segment of the affair was appropriately simple.

The featured brewer of the evening, Lancaster Brewing Company, and cheese provider, Farm Fromage knew that the crowd—a decently large one at that—was there for one main reason. That’s not to say that people weren’t concerned with what Patrick Thompson of LBC and Howard Field of FF had to say. Everyone listened closely as Patrick reeled through the evening’s selection and a few giggles were had at Howard’s presentation filled with witty remarks.

“A great cheese should have a five mile finish,” he warned us before diving into the tasting. “If you taste it and still like it five miles down the road, it’s a great cheese.”

I kept that humorous bit of advice in the back of my mind while chowing through various selections. Also on my mind, after a schooling from Howard, was Misty Creek Goat Dairy, which is home base to Farm Fromage. They churn out a fabulous variety of goat cheeses and organic artisan cow milk cheeses from the milk of Common Folks Organic and Green Acres Farm. Operations don’t stop there, since they also distribute the fine cave aged cheeses of Henry Lapp’s Wakefield Dairy and the cheeses of Friendly Farm. I quickly took note that, as was the case with Swarthmore Co-op and their weeknight events, there is much more to Farm Fromage than meets the eye.

The crafty selection from Lancaster Brewing Company and Farm Fromage’s glorious spread were set up in a pairing fashion for the evening but guests were encouraged to taste chaotically, if they pleased.

“Last year we welcomed Yards, Victory and Dock Street Brewing Company for the tasting” shared Anthony Saufley, the Co-op’s Marketing Director, of the first experience. “It was a bit of controlled chaos. This year, we want complete chaos.”

It wasn’t chaos, per se, but definitely an easy-going group that naturally fell in some sort of line to fill up their first plates with cheese and snag a generous pour of LBC’s Strawberry Wheat. Their Pale Ale, Hop Hog IPA and always popular Rumspringa rounded out the event’s beer list, but it was the Milk Stout that provided an additional, extra tasty level of conversation for the evening.

I’d say this was partly because the dark ale was full of roasted barley dryness but balanced out with a hint of sweetness. It also took center stage as the key ingredient in Farm Fromage’s Beer Washed Tomme, a cheese so delightful it earned second and even third samplings. However, it wasn’t until a surprise pour at the end that LBC’s Milk Stout had a true chance to shine in the form of a “chocolate covered strawberry.” You guessed it—a deliciously deadly combination of half Strawberry Wheat and half Milk Stout.

I nibbled my way through the remaining regular line-up of cheeses, all of which had evolved in flavor through the course of the evening. This was consistently a favorite element of mine to beer and cheese tastings, one that I feel can’t be found in any other experience. The flavors change and allow your tastebuds to explore different levels of each offering. Yet, there were a few offerings that didn’t make it to the point of evolvement, such as the Monterey Blue and Galens Good Old. As two of my favorites, their wedges were gone after just a few sips of their respectful pairings but the Royer Mountain, Bouche, and Welsh Mt. Cheddar held up their end of the flavor bargain and proved to be perfect pairings as the evening wound down.

After such a wonderful tasting experience, I couldn’t just leave without snagging a wedge for the road, especially since all of Farm Fromage’s featured cheeses were 10% off. For some, perhaps that was the cherry atop a sweet event such as Swarthmore’s Beer and Cheese Too, but from my side of things, there were several key items making the weeknight affair a smashing hit. From the unexpected friendly company to the make-yourself-at-home attitude—not to mention the flavorful offerings—Swarthmore Co-op has a really good thing going. Fortunately, it’s a really good thing that will continue and can easily be tracked by visiting Swarthmore Co-op’s upcoming classes and events page. There are even a few events for the non nine-to-fivers, such as Wellness Wednesdays, which prove you can get your weekday jive on in several ways.

Find Swarthmore Co-op at 341 Dartmouth Ave. in Swarthmore. Click here to learn more about the co-op’s upcoming events.

The post Swarthmore Co-op Brings the Weekday Outing Deliciously Back to Life with the “Beer & Cheese Too” Event appeared first on Media Dish.

Our Recommendation: Hoppin’ Irish Red Ale

Where: Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant of Media, 30 East State Street, Media, PA

I was lucky enough to catch Iron Hill Media’s Firkin Friday on March 1. To celebrate the month of March, they were serving up the Hoppin’ Irish Red Ale on cask, and we were honored when Bob Barrar poured us two tasty ales.

This ale poured a beautiful light copper color with a nice frothy head of foam. It was enjoyable, easy to drink with a a bit of hoppiness that came through at the end. The Hoppin’ Irish Red Ale comes in at 4.5% ABV.

Jarrod May, Iron Hill’s Assistant Brewer, stopped by to share a pint and chat about Iron Hill’s Firkin Fridays. Jarrod explained this specialty ale was made with their traditional Irish Red Ale, which is being served on nitro. This hoppin’ version was then cask conditioned. Jarrod said, we “primed it, made sure it was carbonated up with a little bit of buckwheat honey, and we added a good deal of centennial hops to give it a little citrus pine-like character so you get the exemplification of the malt with the honey and then the hop character in there to round everything out.”

Iron Hill Media has deemed the first Friday of each month as Firkin Friday. In addition, they held Firkin Fridays every Friday in February. Jarrod told us the history of Firkin Fridays. “We don’t have a hand pump here in Media. Some our other locations do, so they can have a cask at all times. That’s why this is a great event for us—it’s a special treat for people.” In February, they kicked each of their Friday’s cask. The Firkin Friday selection is usually available on their website.

Although the Hoppin’ Irish Red Ale is surely gone now, you can definitely catch their Irish Red Ale. Also the Irish Dry Stout is due out any day now. Cheers!

The post On Tap: Hoppin Irish Red Ale at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant appeared first on Media Dish.

In our latest installment of the Meet-and-Eat chef series, we get up-close and personal with the peaceful executive chef, the culinary rockstar heading the food program at Azie Restaurant on State Street and also, at Villanova’s Azie on Main.

HIS BACKSTORY: Hailing from Japan, the chef flipped his lifelong love affair with food and cooking into a fine-tuned, professional craft. Working through intense culinary training and mentorships from top Japanese chefs, including with Iron Chef Michiba Rokusaburo at his acclaimed restaurant Miyanaga, the talented chef’s culinary map didn’t dead end in his home turf. He perfected his skill sets in the United States, hustling through Philadelphia’s notorious Morimoto kitchen and spending an extensive stint in Palm Beach, which to him, was reminiscent of his time cooking in Tokyo kitchens.

“I love to learn new techniques,” shares Kaz. “I love all my mentors and respect the great experiences I had with them.”

MEDIA MARVEL: Just six years ago, the Win Signature Restaurants Group recruited the talented thirtysomething to open Azie Restaurant in Media as a “globally refreshing” dining experience. Focusing on Asian cuisine infused with modernized French and Italian influences, the chef established a menu that celebrates high-quality, well-prepared ingredients kept simple. Come late summer 2009, Kaz assisted Win’s power couple in opening the second Azie-themed establishment, Azie on Main along East Lancaster Avenue.

COLLABORATION NATION: Finding strength in numbers, Chef Kaz believes each member of the Azie culinary team is an important asset. “I love working with this company, we’re like a family,” shares Mitsui. “Each chef has a lot of pride and loves making the food—that’s what makes the restaurant and defines the Azie experience itself.”

“We have a nice harmony,” he continues, in regards to he and his chef colleagues. “We’re not a single instrument like a piano or a violin. Together, we make up the Azie experience and it’s not only about the food and drink—but the staff and service too.”

RESTORATIVE FIX: The key to breathing easy on his busy days and nights is miso soup, reveals the chef. “Every day I drink miso soup and it helps me relax.” Partial to miso itself, chef Kaz creates miso dishes that go beyond the standard steamy bowl.

“The way we prepare our Chilean sea bass with a miso marinade is popular,” he says. “We also have miso dumplings made with shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil.”

COOKING SCHOOL: Japanese food is, at its heart, dead simple. However, one look at any of Kaz’s eye-catching dishes and he’s able to make anything simplistic appear terrifically complex—that’s talent! Lucky for locals, if you’re itching to uncover the Media chef’s craft, he’s demystifying his “simple” style of cooking in an upcoming late March course at COOK (click HERE for more details).

SECRET TO SUCCESS: “Freshness is very important,” he concludes. Mitsui sticks to the art of letting the natural flavors of the food shine. If you’re working with high-quality ingredients, he encourages you to not mask them with heavy sauces.

Catch Chef Kazuyuki Mitsui at Azie Restaurant at 217 W. State St. in Media. For more information, visit Azie online.

Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography.

The post Meet-and-Eat with Chef Kazuyuki Mitsui of Azie Restaurant appeared first on Media Dish.

Fortunately, our destination cuisine fell within the comfort food category so pit-stopping on the main drive need not occur. Just a few more minutes of bundled walking and My Three Sons Hot Dogs and Beer  Emporium would offer up it’s playful interior and loaded franks as a cold-day savior. But that story was told a different day. That story was told here. This story is about the experience that followed.

Ready to brave the cold weather through one tiny eye hole in a scarf that was spun nearly ten times around my face, I ventured onward prepared to be mistaken for Strega Nona. How appropriate this appearance soon became. Now down to two Town Dishers,  we  tucked away inside Viso’s Authentic Italian Desserts at 23 South Jackson Street and immediately noticed two things: one — the warm interior and two — pastries galore.  It was going to be a dessert for dinner type of night.

Viso’s dessert shop, between State and Front Street, pays homage to every true Italian. I couldn’t help but identify with the interior as a crisp, “just the basic” design which resembled the family bakery I used to help out at when I was growing up. Just to be clear, when I say “help out” I really mean steal Yoga fruit drinks from the cooler. And when I say Yoga fruit drinks, I mean the Pear Nectar flavor ONLY.

There was a small glass case filled with fresh Italian pastries. The kind you might see piled up on a dessert table at your distant cousin’s wedding. That is if you can find the table through a sea of “Uncle” Tony’s.

We were careful not to drool while ogling at the Amaretti Cookies, the various Cannolis, crunchy Biscotti, savory Fig Bars, and more. That wasn’t even a quarter of it. The family bakery, which initially opened in 1977, also makes full cakes, specialty pastries, cookie and party trays, plus holiday classics. After closing their original bakery in 1985 due to a family illness, Viso’s kicked things back into gear with determination to keep the family dream alive.

My partner in foodie crime and I gladly filled a box to split and decided we’d be skipping dinner that evening, in exchange for the authentic treats and an espresso. Upon returning home, I quickly prepared a tiny cup of caffeinated joy and picked apart the authentic Italian desserts in an effort to save some for my sister, who was due to arrive home shortly. My intentions were good, but one bite into the Wedding Cookie and all hope was lost.

I could already picture my Nonna Maria shaking her head in disapproval since the ball of powdery white deliciousness I was enjoying did not come from her own antique cookie tin, or my Aunt Rosetta’s, or even Aunt Rita’s. While I have a lot of respect for my Nonna and her cookie judgement, it was easy to admit that Viso’s Authentic Italian Desserts was not skimping on that authenticity part. It was as if the cookies hopped right out of my Nonna’s kitchen (the second one in the basement, complete with a china set that’s actually older than China) and made their way to 23 South Jackson Street (or 4928 Pennel Road in Aston since that’s where the original 2008 store was located.)

However, if you ask me, addresses aren’t too much of a concern when you know something so scrumptiously amazing will be at the end of your journey. While mine was a short but cold one, I’d take that trip 100 times if there was always a dessert from Viso’s waiting for me at the end.

 Media photograph credited to Nina Lea Photography; Yoga drink photograph courtesy of CapriFlavors; all other photographs courtesy of Viso’s. 

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