Booze...in 50 Words or Less: Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
Took a little break from the diet this weekend to enjoy Philadelphia Beer Week. Went to Capone's (review coming) and got some stuff from their beer store, including a 21-ounce of this fabulously labeled marvel. Not as exceptional as their White Ale, but still a distinctive, slightly bitter delicassie.

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less (this time More): Appalachian Brewing Co.

So I ended up at the new Appalachian Brewing Company restaurant for the second night in a row. I met up with a couple of friends to sample more of their beer. I decided to order a sampler which included 5 ounce glasses of all 7 "flagship" beers and one 5 ounce glass of a specialty beer. When I ordered the sampler the waitress looked at me, laughed and said "Is that just for you?" and I replied with a simple "yes." Then with a smile on her she face says "Okay champ, I will be back to clear the remaining 30% that you couldn't finish." Whoa, now I had to finish all the samples!

The Rare Night Out: Audubon Ale House

Ok, so it wasn't really a "night" per se, but still, my mother-in-law was nice enough to stop in for 90 minutes and babysit. This gave us ample time to head to the Audubon Ale House for dinner and a couple of drinks. I don't know if I would give this establishment "hidden jewel" status, but I do think that it is an underrated choice when looking to spend some quality time in the local bar. So with time of the essence we chose to hit it up in lieu of other choices, The Saloon and the always reliable Chap's.

Thoughts from the Pizza Gallery: Franzone's Pizzeria

Looks like this Pizza Project thing is taking off! Someone actually filled out our pizza survey and left some notes. With that being said, we would like to share their experience:

Franzone's offers a thin crust sweet sauce on top pizza, which led this reviewer to proclaim them "the best sweet sauce on top of the cheese pizza west of Mack & Manko!"

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: ABC Trail Blaze Organic Brown Ale

This beer has a deep copper color. The hop bitterness is balanced well with caramel characteristics and maybe a little hint of chocolate. Delicious, and yes it is certified organic.

Booze ... in 50 Words or Less: TableLeaf Chardonnay

Very flavorful. The hubby said it tasted a bit like coconut ... and was pouring himself a second glass before mine was even halfway finished. Sort of a fruity vanilla taste to me, but definitely not too fruity. A bigun was only $12. Think this is going to replace Barefoot as my new at-home summer jam.

The Recipe Files: Pepperoni & Marinated Mozz on a Rustic Crust

Back on the good foot after the holiday weekend, I decided to bake a healthy pizza with a wheat crust I had purchased in Giant's organic section a few weeks ago.

Ingredients:
Rustic Crust Organic Great Grains
Rustic Crust Pizza Sauce
Uncured pepperoni
Fresh mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil, herbs and red pepper (got these at Trader Joe's)
Lowfat shredded mozzarella (also from Trader Joe's)