Pic Dump

Time to clear out the never used pics from my cell phone. Most of these were taken at some point while on the way to drink, drinking or coming home from drinks.

I noticed the Hilton was having their garage painted one night last week. I assume it is supposed to match the hotel pilsner glass design.

It appears a tad too orange now but I think it will fade and blend in after a while. Looking good.

LVL mysteriously produces a bottle of Blanton's.

Fish.

A very fruity drink at FKA (aka the tiki bar). Vodka & ruby red.

Backroom bar, been spending time there lately.

1 wing. This single wing has a story behind it but in short it was a sample to see if it was the same delicious smoked wings from Manhattan's a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't. However it was also delicious so I ordered a dozen more. I think I was looking for dry or naked wings.

The missing side grits from L35 Southern Breakfast:

Wall Street classic updated

Fleta Fest

Here is a weekend option if you're willing to face the rainy weather, humidity and even worse, patchouli. A brief description of the fest is available here. Enjoy!

Latitude 35 – Food & Yuengling

Latitude 35 has been open a couple of weeks now and I’ve managed to visit a few times to sample their menu. Nothing major or over the top mind you, so far I’ve tried an appetizer, a sandwich and breakfast. All have been good and go down well with Yuengling, the only beer I’ve had there for some reason.

Kobe Beef Sausage Rolls (not pictured)

I had these tasty nuggets during Rossini Festival a couple of weeks ago amongst a hoard of drunks at the large table. They were good but don’t be fooled by the name. These are “high-end” pigs in blankets, nothing more, yet still good enough that I ate every one, though I may have actually shared some that day. Honestly, I don’t remember because we were on the downside of the evening at that point.

Black Angus Burger (with cheese & bacon) and Sweet Potato Fries

This beast was extremely good. I say beast because it took me 45 minutes to finish but I believe the unique pretzel roll it is served on had a lot to do with that. The roll is very tasty but it is filling and takes extra chews to work your way through, so be ready for that. The meat was grilled perfectly (med) and still moist at the end of my meal. Thick bacon slices and smoked cheddar cheese topped it off. I had the sweet potato fries with my burger and they were also very tasty, and sweet enough that ketchup wasn’t necessary but I did anyway.

Southern Breakfast w/Grits

Just last weekend I was awake early Saturday with no food at home so I went downtown specifically for breakfast. I’ve tried Pete’s, Mkt. Square Kitchen and even Crown and Goose in the past but I had to give the new guys a chance and they lit it up. No, they BLEW it up, as in portion size. I was expecting a modest piece of ham with my breakfast but they bought out an entire steak! A thin, griddle fried ham steak that took up half my plate. The only thing missing was red eye gravy but I was so distracted by the size I didn’t think to ask if they offer it. Anyway it was salty and delicious, and maybe a tad tough. The eggs were dwarfed in comparison but lightly scrambled and nicely seasoned. I was disappointed by the skillet potatoes mainly because they were bland but they also appeared to be prepackaged and weren’t the hand cut, home style taters I’m partial to. I didn’t have room for all that food yet there was still a side of grits to consider. Oh yeah, I ate most of them out of gluttony but couldn’t finish due to carb overload. That was an ordering mistake I’ll have to pay attention to next time.

So there it is, my brief review of a few menu items from Latitude 35. All were good. All were affordable. And all go well paired with a Yuengling lager. Cheers!

Jefferson Mint Tea Julep

Check this out, over the weekend we watched the Kentucky Derby and enjoyed adult beverages as usual. No news there but we did try Jefferson’s Bourbon and I have to admit I’d not heard of it before. It was very, very good though and I see it becoming part of our standard rotation.
Tag Berauscht procured this product with intentions of making mint juleps, the exact mint juleps listed below, except subbing the Jefferson’s for the Makers Mark. Well, we adjusted the recipe a tad but ended up with a pretty good alternative. For some reason we decided not to have classic mint juleps and opted to use tea instead (I heard it was from a Rachel Ray recipe but don’t tell anybody). I think it basically ended up as a mint tea ice pick but with the addition of the simple syrup/mint extract.

Hell, I don’t know exactly but it turned out pretty good. We all enjoyed our single beverage and then started drinking straight for the bottle, natch. Jefferson’s is a smooth, easy-drinking bourbon that isn’t too complex or harsh. At 82 proof it won’t burn you down and has an even balance of spice and mellow flavors like vanilla and caramel. It’s worth a try next time you’re shopping for something new and don’t want to break the bank, it sells for less than $25.

KY Derby Weekend

The weather is supposed to be mixed with rain and shine over the weekend so you probably won’t be able to do a whole lot outdoors. One distraction is the Kentucky Derby which runs for about 2 minutes but allows for hours of drinking and socializing. I’m not a fan of Mint Juleps. There, I said it. Just give me the bourbon and ice and I’ll take care of the rest. But I know some of you like to have proper cocktails for certain occasions and I thought the (very) least I could do is provide a recipe. The following is taken directly from the Makers Mark website – copied and pasted so you don’t have to go through that pesky age verification crap. Cheers!

Perfect Mint Julep
Makers Mark

Lots of fresh spearmint

Distilled water

Granulated sugar

Powdered sugar

This recipe is involved but worth it. If you must skip # 1, mint extract can be purchased at the local grocery.

To prepare the mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves wash and place in a small mixing bowl. Cover with 3 ounces of Makers Mark. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in a clean, soap-free piece of cotton cloth and vigorously wring the mint bundle over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times. Then set aside.

To prepare the simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and one cup of water in a cooking pot. Heat to dissolve the sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the mint julep mixture, pour 3 cups of Makers Mark into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. (Pour the remaining whisky from the liter bottle into another container and save it for another purpose). Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the Makers Mark.

Now, begin adding the mint extract a tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture. Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You may have to leave the room a time or two to clear your nose. The tendency is to use too much mint. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste generally about 3 tablespoons.

When you think its right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to marry the flavors.

To serve the mint julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) half full with shaved ice. Insert a sprig of mint and then pack in more ice to about an inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to one inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.

When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top of the ice. Then serve.

Oh, the six demon bag!

Jack Burton: Terrific, a six-demon bag. Sensational. What's in it, Egg?

Egg Shen: Wind, fire, all that kind of thing!

Once upon a time there were Three Storms.

They had rotten attitudes. They would smash marketplaces and livestock all over the Chinese sector. You know, shake down immigrants in steamy streets cloaked in perpetual night...break windows in the local dry cleaner that didn't pay protection and so on. This sort of shit:

Well, la de da. Appearances notwithstanding they put on quite the show. This one in particular had a mean streak. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Where are they now?

Rain ended up moving a few subdivisions over from me apparently. I go over for yard/deck drinkin' from time to time. Not many henchmen end up in surburbia.

Fun fact: Rain can drink his weight in beer.

Weekend (Drinking) Options

Pork Knox Q Fest – Has anyone heard about this BBQ competition at World’s Fair Park this weekend? (Note - this is the worst event name I've ever heard, just saying) I just saw them setting up yesterday and was immediately interested. Their website has all the details of this first-time event, although I thought we’ve had a couple of other Knoxville BBQ competitions over the years. I guess this is first one sponsored by the Disability Resource Center so that explains it. I’m sure it’s supporting a good cause so good luck to them and hopefully it will grow into a popular event.

The thing I’ve noticed about most BBQ contests is that you don’t usually have the opportunity to taste competition BBQ unless you’re on a team. Visitors are left to purchase food items from “outside” vendors who may or may not have high quality products, so it’s kind of a crap shoot. I understand that the teams cannot provide enough food for every guest but it has always been sad to know there is much better food available only a few feet away but it’s off limits. Oh well, my 2 cents. And most importantly I looked at the fair site and the website and did NOT see beer vendors set up so I hope that changes soon. You’ve got to have cold beer with some ‘que – no one denies this!

Rossini Festival – Ah yes, drinking in the streets. Rain or shine this will be the highlight of my weekend. We’ve talked about this event for years and we think it is one of the best outdoor events in Knoxville. Always fun and subject to bizarre behavior, you can always count on something noteworthy happening. Like the year I was kicked out of KRTI’s apartment for “touching his baseball glove”, or catching a glimpse of young, male adults having a caricature drawn of themselves, or drunken hookups/breakups, or being incoherently drunk by 5 PM but staying out ‘til 11 PM with 6+ hours of stories that you have to piece together via secondhand drunken accounts and pocket forensics. Plus the street vendors will have tasty Italian sausages. Ooof, I see a Sunday hangover in my future.

Latitude 35 Grand Opening – Word is that they will open Friday, 4/23. Despite the rainy weather this is a great opening weekend for them with lots of activity downtown to draw a crowd to the newest bar & restaurant on Market Square. I’m sure it will be mayhem while they get their act together during the grand opening but we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sample and review their place soon enough so expect updates within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the weekend folks, cheers!