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