Three reasons to be in Riverside Jax, Saturday Oct. 20 and a FREE Trolley ride to get ya around!

Trolleys take me back to my childhood – the years I spent living in San Francisco. My mother had gotten a wild hair and packed me in the back seat of her car with the stuff which wouldn't fit into the trunk and we, along with two of her friends, headed westward.

I was such a little girl – but grew up quickly, living where we did in the Tenderloin District. My mother had drilled me daily to remember which trolleys and buses I needed to ride in order to get to and from school since she was working and could not take me.

Looking back, I am amazed I never felt scared or threatened – and as I got older, Mom informed me she had made it very clear to those living and working along my paths to keep an eye out for her daughter. She had an uncanny knack for that.

I still remember how proud of myself I was when my grandmother (Laura D – see earlier blog post) came to visit and I was able to astound her with my knowledge of the city – well, at least my little part of it – as I pulled her onto one trolley after another.

The subject of a trolley came up tonight (Tuesday, October 9) at the Bold Bean Coffee House.

Engine 15's Nut Sack Brown
Ale and (904) Weissguy

We had begun this evening over to Engine 15 Brewing Company (1500 Beach Boulevard – Jax Beach – 904.249.2337) to pick up the glasses for (hopefully – weather permitting) the “maiden voyage” of the Jax Brew Cruises scheduled for tomorrow, along with some coasters and menus.

Yes, well of course, we HAD to have a beer or two while we were there. Companion and I shared the following two beers:

Engine 15 Nut Sack Brown Ale

A description could not do the name of the beer justice! … it's good … and nutty!

Engine 15 Brewing Company 904 Weissguy

A traditional Bavarian style Hefeweissen, notes of clove, orange and coriander along with a cloudy yeast character make this a summer favorite.

King Herb at
Engine 15 Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest 2012

I was in the mood for one of the delicious pretzels currently available at Engine 15 and this time, I ordered it with salt and Parmesan cheese – excellent. Companion opted for the always outstanding Engine 15 Chili.

While we were enjoying our brews and chews, I was glad to see Herb and Nona enter – the King of Engine 15 Oktoberfest and his bride!

My heartfelt thanks to Luch and his wife Kara, Sean, Andy and the rest of the team there at Engine 15 Brewing Company for their generosity and for always making each of our stops there wonderful experiences during Jax Brew Bitch Prowls.

Engine 15 Brewing Company (1500 Beach Boulevard – Jax Beach – 904.249.2337)

http://www.engine15.com/home/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Engine-15-Brewing-Company/428033335437

To view photos from Engine 15's Oktoberfest event, visit the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.362179560534326.87199.181100418642242&type=3

Bold Bean Coffee Roasters

The event for which we needed to return to the Riverside area was for Folio Weekly's Best of Jax party at Bold City Brewery (2670 Rosselle St  - 904.379-6551).

However, we were going to have an hour or so to kill before the scheduled time the event was to begin. I suggested we first visit Bold Bean Coffee (869 Stockton Street – 904.855.1181).

The magnificent, Erin Lee

I was having a little difficulty deciding whether I wanted a coffee or a beer as we entered the establishment and seated ourselves at the bar. It was delightful to learn that our barista was none other than Erin Lee, known for her radio program, Indie Endeavor on 89.9 WJCT, every Tuesday night at 11 pm. Also working behind the counter was Art, a friendly young man who also performs with his friend in a two-person band named Phenomenality.

We decided we would share a coffee – and a beer. Soon making its way to us was their popular Ginger Latte – a suitable substitute for the discontinued Curry Latte I had fallen in love with during earlier Prowls.

We also ordered from the Bold Bean Coffee House available taps:

Bell's Brewery Kalamazoo Stout

Kalamazoo Stout represents stouts in the Bell's year-round roster, offering a blend of dark chocolate and coffee flavors with just a hint of brewer's licorice. One of our oldest recipes, it balances a significant hop presence against the roast malt body. Note: the licorice they use is gelatin-free, making it acceptable for vegetarians. 6.0% ABV

It may sound a little odd – the sharing of a ginger-flavored coffee and a licorice-influenced beer – but both were good and mixed rather well.

As we rose to leave, the young woman sitting next to us at the bar and asked if we were also going to the event at Bold City Brewery. She introduced herself as Krysten Bennett, newly selected Executive Director of the Riverside Arts Market or as most know in the community, RAM.

She was gracious enough to share her plans for some upcoming events for the Riverside Arts Market, including:

Saturday, October 20 – Oktoberfest at RAM

10:00 am to 10:30 pm

LIVE MUSIC!

10:30 – 11:15: Victoria Zarlenga (Solo Vocalist)

11:45 – 1:45: (Featured Artist) Louise Mosrie (Folk and Americana)

2:15 – 3:30: Eric Bowden (Fingerstyle Solo Guitarist)

4:00 – 5:15: Shawn Lightfoot and the Brigade (Alternative Rock)

6:00 – 8:30: (Featured Artist) One Step Ahead of the Law Brass Band (Oompah Music)

9:00 – 10:30: (Featured Artist) Tropic of Cancers (New World Lounge)

GOOD EATS!

From Your Favorite RAM Vendors

LOCAL BREWS!

·         Bold City Brewery

·         Green Room Brewing

·         Intuition Ale Works

·         Pinglehead Brewing Company

AND THAT’S NOT ALL….

This year, RAM is thrilled to partner with Bold City Brewing Company and European Street Cafe to provide

FREE TROLLEY SERVICE

Take advantage of the FREE Trolley
service on Friday, October 20

from 2:00pm-11:00pm between RAM’s Oktoberfest, Bold City Brewing Company’s 4th Anniversary Celebration and Oktoberfest at E Street!

Park along Riverside Avenue and enjoy THREE PARTIES IN ONE!

and,

A holiday-themed event for December 8, 2012 – details to come!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 20, 2012 – for European Street Cafe, Bold City Brewing Company and the Riverside Arts Market – an amazing opportunity for beer enthusiasts in our community to have a very special day to remember.

My thanks to Erin and Art for their friendly customer service and to Krysten Bennett for taking the time to introduce herself and for sharing some of her exciting plans for the Riverside Arts Market!

European Street Cafe - Riverside

The European Street Cafe Family presents Oktoberfest 2012. Join them on October 20th at 2752 Park Street in Riverside. The festival is free, starts at 11 am, and all ages are welcome.

The first one hundred folks (over 21 years old) will receive a commemorative, glass beer boot to drink their beer of choice from while everyone enjoys the sounds of the authentic German Oompapa band playing all of your favorite Oktoberfest beer drinking songs.

European Street Cafe
http://www.europeanstreet.com/
https://www.facebook.com/estreetpark

Bold City Brewery 4th Anniversary Party is set to happen on Saturday, October 20th, starting at 1 pm to 11 pm. They will be tapping some special brews for that day including the Barrel Aged Duke’s Brown Ale. Bold City Bandits will be performing at 5 pm and 9 pm.

$2 Pints ALL DAY including a special Duke's Bourbon Barrel Aged Ale.

Jolly Mon Menu (All day till 10 pm) Wings, Pulled Pork, Brats, Black Bean Burgers and Seafood Gumbo.
Raffles- $1 per ticket (Cash Only) Drawing at 8 pm
1 year of Free Growlers Fills (limit 2 fills per visit) 2 winners &
1 year of Free Pints (limit 2 pints per visit) 2 winner

Bold City Brewery
http://www.boldcitybrewery.com/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bold-City-Brewery/54391921191?fref=ts

Jolly Mon Catering, Inc
http://jollymoncatering.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jolly-Mon-Catering-Inc/125077294172277?fref=ts

Bold Bean Coffee

http://www.boldbeancoffee.com/

http://www.facebook.com/BoldBeanCoffee

Bell's Brewery

http://www.bellsbeer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BellsBreweryInc?fref=ts

Indie Endeavor on 89.9 WJCT

https://www.facebook.com/indieendeavor?fref=ts

Phenomenality

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phenomenality/284006518315914?fref=pb

Check back tomorrow for info on Folio Weekly's Best of Jax party that was held at Bold City Brewery. 

Kickin' back with Bold Bean and Brew.

We stayed in Easter Sunday and enjoyed our time together, sans beer, and watched some television on this very special day.

Monday (April 9) would have me out and about as I had a meeting to attend about a future Pub Crawl in downtown Jacksonville. The meeting was being held at Northstar Substation with owners Kris and Andrea and Springfield Brew Crew Marc Wisdom.

Stay tuned for further developments – in the meantime, check out the new brews at Northstar Substation!

http://www.northstarsubstation.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Northstarpizzabar

After the meeting, I wanted to drop by Kickbacks Gastropub for a beer and something to eat. We had no trouble parking on King Street and were soon seated in an area we were overjoyed to find that Kat, my original Ale Angel was serving! Kat is SO knowledgeable about beer and provided mouthwatering descriptions of the two suggestions she had for us:

Terrapin Beer's Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

Terrapin's Moo-Hoo
Chocolate Milk Stout

“Our brand new seasonal selection! The Terrapin “Moo-Hoo” Chocolate Milk Stout proudly uses cocoa nibs and shells from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company to give this beer its great taste!

HOPS: Nugget, Willamette MALT: 2 Row Pale, Flaked Oat, Chocolate, Crystal 85, Carafa III Special, Roasted Barley OTHER: Cocoa Nibs, Cocoa Shells & Lactose

ABV: 6% IBU: 30”

JBB Note: Moo-Hoo Woo-Hoo! … Talk about a dessert-quality brew! … I already like several of Terrapin's brews – this one is outrageously delicious – the chocolate invades and coats your mouth while sipping this delectable beer.

Dogfish Head's Craft
Brewed Ales Chicory Stout

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales Chicory Stout

“Chicory was one of the first beers we started brewing at our pub back when it opened in 1995. It's a dark beer made with a bunch of roasted chicory, organic Mexican coffee, St. John's Wort and licorice root. We use whole-leaf Cascade and Fuggle hops, as well as pale, roasted and oatmeal grains.

Back in 1995, we had a teeny, tiny brewing system and had to brew all day, every day to keep the bar stocked. Brewing with the same four ingredients got really boring really quickly. That's when Sam's ADD kicked in and he started adding some nontraditional ingredeints.

Chicory Stout is our winter seasonal and released in bottles each year in November and December. We do brew this beer in smaller, draft-only batches for our brewpub throughout the year.

Chicory is roasty and delicious, and it's a fantastic food beer. It pairs very well with chocolate!”

JBB Note: 5.2% ABV and 21 IBUs - Now, I'm a Cajun gal and love chicory in my coffee – but I wasn't sure if I would care for it in my beer. I was pleased it was not overpowering when I started drinking this brew. For those of you who do not care for chicory coffee, I am sorry for your upbringin' … just kidding … actually, the chicory flavor is not overdeveloped in this beer but adds a unique layer to the taste. I highly recommend it.

Southwestern Chicken Wrap

To eat, I had selected the Southwest Chicken Wrap ($7.79) and companion opted for their popular and his favorite, Fish & Chips ($8.99).

The Southwest Chicken Wrap was a healthy-sized meal with fresh ingredients. Well-constructed, I was only able to finish half because of its size. The Fish and Chips is a huge entree and with enough fish to share. So delicious and such a value, too!

Fish and Chips with Onion Petals

Kat was superb, as usual – I am so glad to see her return to Kickbacks. Determined and committed to providing her customers a valued service, she consistently delivers only top-notch performances – the reason she was my original Ale Angel.

My sincere appreciation to Kat for tremendous recommendations and the kitchen crew at Kickbacks Gastropub for yet another wonderful meal!

http://terrapinbeer.com

http://www.dogfish.com

http://www.facebook.com/kickbacksgastropub

In speaking with Kat, we learned she had visited Bold Bean Coffee Roasters (869 Stockton Street – 904.855.1181) where they also have a small but impressive selection of draft beer. She suggested we try the Curry Latte Coffee. Curry??? …. in coffee? … well, I just had chicory in my beer, so why not curry in my coffee?

Hoping we would get there in time, we were pleased to see Bold Bean still open when we pulled up in front. Walking in, I was instantly impressed with the décor and upscale atmosphere.

B Nektar's Meadery's
Ethiopian Harrar Mead

Kat had also suggested we try the B Nektar Meadery's Ethiopian Harrar Mead on tap at Bold Bean.

We ordered both of Kat's suggestions – and became loyal fans of this establishment.

The Ethiopian Harrar Mead is described on B Nektar's website:

“Ethiopian Harrar coffee is one of the oldest coffee beans still prouduced and is known for its distinctive fruity wine flavor. To make this mead, we cold-soaked nearly 1/2 lb per gallon of it for 48 hours to extract as much of the wonderful flavor and aroma as possible. Roastmaster and coffee nut Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo (owner of Chazzano) provided his consultation for this collaboration between the two Ferndale, MI companies. The coffee was selected to pair perfectly with the earthy Michigan wildflower honey. Serve at cellar temperature. Sold out in the meadery, but there may be some available in stores.”

The Curry Latte

The Curry Latte was amazing and now one of my favorites. The unique flavor certainly “curried favor” with me!

The Ethiopian Harrar Mead was simply spectacular. High in alcohol content but smoothed effectively by the very-present honey flavor, this one could sneak up on you.

Thanks to Kat for the suggestions to try and to Bold Bean Coffee Roasters for establishing another unique and exciting venue for those of here in Jacksonville!

Look who bellied-up at
Bold Bean Coffee Roasters

I would also like to point out that Bold Bean Coffee Roasters is pet friendly, too! 

To view more photos from Kickbacks Gastropub and Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, visit the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.290671627685120.69872.181100418642242&type=3

http://www.bnektar.com/

http://www.boldbeancoffee.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BoldBeanCoffee