Ballast Point Pairing Dinner at TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill

by Joey Stewart

TJ’s Seafood Market and Grill partnered with Ballast Point beers on Monday evening for a five-course dinner which was paired with five limited edition craft beers.

Ever since TJs opened their second location at Royal and Preston, they have featured a rotating selection of the San Diego based brewery’s beers. Owner Jon Alexis told the crowd they are planning more pairing dinners in the coming months, as well as adding a few “non seafood” dishes to the everyday TJs menu.  

The combination of incredibly fresh seafood and the well thought out pairings made this a truly enjoyable night.

Here were the dishes and pairings from the event:

Dish: Spinach & Radicchio Salad with Mint, Strawberry, and Passion Fruit Vin

Beer: Tart Peach Kolsch

Why it worked: The tartness of the radicchio and the tart beer served as a palette cleanser

Dish: Scallop Ceviche with Endive, Cucumber, Radish, and Jicama

Beer: Bonito Blonde

Why it worked: Soy sauce was added to the marinade. The umami brought out the malt in the blonde ale.

Dish: Honey and Sambol Steamed PEI Mussels

Beer: Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale

Why it worked: The combination of sweet and spicy balanced the intense hops of the beer and opened up the caramel notes

Dish: Pork over Polenta with Mustard Greens and Blueberry Chipotle Gastrique

Beer: Sea Monster Imperial Stout

Why it worked: A beer with heavy “roast notes” lent itself to the smoked cheddar in the polenta, and the chipotle in the gastrique.

Dish: Citrus Zest Crème Brulee with Blackberry Port Compote

Beer: Red Velvet Nitro Oatmeal Stout