Prayers

Welcome to the second installment of dining out and reviewing our evening as part of Mission: Experience 2014.

Last night, Boyfriend and I dined at the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville with Mr. and Mrs. Magpie.  I met Mrs. Magpie in 2010 when we both worked for a background screening company run by an 80-year-old lunatic and her equally as elderly husband. 

Mrs. Magpie and I formed an instant friendship based upon a shared affinity for grammatical accuracy, appreciation of Barbie in the development of a young girl (we once came to near fisticuffs with our co-worker during her lunchtime proclamation of the evils of Barbie and patterned tights), and our adoration of vodka gimlets. 

We have each moved on from that company, but have remained friends and co-conspirators in the judgement of others. 

So, as I said, we dined with the Magpies last night at the Church Brew Works, a restaurant and brewery housed in a refurbished Roman Catholic Church in Lawrenceville. This was my second time at Church Brew, following an unfortunate summertime visit when I had forgotten my wallet and my generous friend purchased my lunch. Due to the inconvenience, I chose the cheapest menu item, but the second time around, I made sure that my wallet was present. 

After a hectic search for parking, we found a spot down the road from the restaurant.  The parking lot was filled and the street lined, so we were lucky to stop circling.  Church Brew Works does not accept reservations during the weekend and we were prepared to wait an hour for a table; however, our pager began buzzing mere minutes after Boyfriend and I requested a table. 

As pleasant as this surprise was, it was made even more positive when the host guided us to an intimate corner booth toward the back of the restaurant. Boyfriend and I are big booth fans and this one provided ample room and seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant. 

While we waited for the Magpies to find parking, Boyfriend and I reviewed the drink menu with our server, Ashley.  Ashley was well-informed on the menu and was able to describe available brews with detail. We ordered an appetizer of smoked Gouda, feta and spinach dip, along with two beers.  I had the vanilla stout, reminiscant of my beloved Southern Tier Creme Brûlée. 

I really enjoyed the Church Brew's vanilla stout and had another throughout the course of dinner. It wasn't too heavy and had a perfectly subtle vanilla aftertaste. Boyfriend doesn't recall he name of his first beer, but he enjoyed it. It was light and went down pretty smoothly. 

The appetizer arrived just as the Magpies sat down to join us. I expected more of a liquid dip, but the smoked Gouda, feta and spinach appetizer was more solid, and delicious. As I've mentioned before, I'm a whore for feta and who doesn't enjoy a nice Gouda? The appetizer quickly disappeared while we gave Ashley our dinner orders.  

Mrs. Magpie and I each ordered the pierogie sauté, homemade potato and cheese pierogie sautéed with diced tomatoes, broccoli (I declined) and served with a garlic cream sauce. I added chicken to mine and Mrs. Magpie opted for pancetta. I truly enjoyed my dinner and thought that the garlic cream sauce was perfect. I absolutely love pierogie and finding a quality homemade version (no offense, Mrs. T) is always exciting. The flavors blended well and I am looking forward to heating up the leftovers for lunch. 

Boyfriend ordered the buffalo meatloaf, which came with red potato croquette and braised greens. We had to ask Ashley to describe the potato croquette; once she explained that it is basically fried mashed potatoes, Boyfriend was sold. He said that the buffalo meatloaf  was just okay (he prefers my homemade sundried tomato version), but that the potato croquette was good. 

Mr. Magpie ordered and devoured the wild boar cassoulet. He enjoyed it and was the only one at our table who didn't require a takeout box. 

All-in-all, our experience at the Church Brew Works was a good one. The atmosphere is unique and the decor provides a lot of visual stimulation. The food was delicious and the beer options plentiful. 

I'm not a religious person, but if I had to enter a house of worship, one serving vanilla stout and homemade pierogie would be my first choice. Amen.

What's Up 2014

How was everyone's New Years Eve? Mine was pretty uneventful and consisted of a haircut, steak and Boyfriend developing a stomach bug, which I blame on my Ginger Sister for bringing her stomach bug into the house days prior. Boyfriend spent his night playing Call of Duty, while I read Markus Zusak's The Book Thief with a115 pound dog on my lap. We live dangerously, what can I say?

New Years Day was spent walking our giant dogs and relaxing. I'm a fan of holiday traditions, but you can bet your New Years party hat that the smell of pork roast and sauerkraut was not permeating our house. Despite my partial German descent, the mere thought of reeking up my house with cabbage and having to wash a hot dog before consumption is enough to yell "nein! Das ist widerlich!" 

To keep slightly with tradition of good luck New Years pork, I prepared pork served with orzo and asparagus. I cooked the pork, seasoned with garlic powder, salt and oregano, in olive oil. When it was browned, I added sliced grape tomatoes and heated through. 

Meanwhile, I cooked the orzo as directed and just as it was almost cooked completely, added a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach. Once the spinach wilted, I topped it with feta. Ahhh glorious feta cheese! Feta is the only reason that I like this meal and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I save the biggest hunks of it for my plate, but don't tell Boyfriend.

The orzo/feta masterpiece is then added to the skillet containing the pork and tomatoes. I finish it off with a  drizzle of lemon juice and call it dinner. 

I also cooked some fresh asparagus in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then drizzled with lemon juice. Simple, but Boyfriend enjoys it quite a bit. Who doesn't love a side dish that alters the smell of his or her urine?

It's not the traditional pork roast and sauerkraut mess that many families consume on New Years Day, but it's my non traditional way of attempting tradition. The tradition of pork, apparently. 

I'm looking forward to beginning some new traditions this year, like eating out more often, seeing friends more often and enjoying life more often. Here's to 2014.

Happy New Year, Folks, and Happy Pork-Influenced Traditions!