Kensington Blues

Last Thursday was a banner night for this beer lover. I met my friend Adam and we strolled on over to Memphis Taproom to enjoy a great Dogfish Head stunt tapping for their 75 Minute IPA. We got there a little early thinking we might have to twiddle our thumbs for a minute before they tapped the cask, but no, we were just in time to knock down a few pints of this great IPA.The 75 Minute IPA blends their trademark 60 and 90 Minute IPAs, resulting in a remarkably smooth IPA that will still knock you flat if you’re not careful.

Adam and I ended up having a wonderful conversation with my friend Derrick, another Memphis Tap regular and amateur beer aficionado like myself. We discussed the merits of Dogfish Head’s approach to brewing and how great it is to be sandwiched between so many great breweries, all of which are doing different, distinctive things. Dogfish Head really does a great job of brewing signature IPAs, complemented nicely by great seasonals. I think their spring and summer beers, both of which feature great fruit flavors, are among the most refreshing I drink, without being sickeningly sweet.

As an aside, I wanted to take this opportunity to mention Jay Hinman’s great beer blog, Hedonist Beer Jive. Some of you may recognize Jay from his legendary music blog, Agony Shorthand. Now, instead of debating issues of race with Black to Comm, he’s telling you why he won’t pony up for expensive bombers of Russian River Consecration (and I don’t blame him!) Jay’s always been a great read, and his beer writing is just as fun and engaging as his music writing ever was.

When Helen and I left our Mummer’s Row apartment for our house here on Letterly St. in December 2006, it was a sad affair. We left behind a delicious world of Italian bakeries and restaurants, as well as some great sandwiches, too, for a new neighborhood where the most obvious food options were Jovan’s Place, a quaint Yugoslav restaurant around the corner, and Key Foods Pizza across the street. It pains me to tell you that one evening we were so desperate for dinner we got takeout from — gasp — Applebee’s. It was probably our culinary rock bottom.

But there was light at the end of the tunnel. In the two years we’ve lived up here we’ve found some great food, whether it’s Memphis Taproom around the corner when we’re just looking for a quick bite and something to drink, or Bistro Juliana for the delightful Italian food we loved so much in our old neighborhood. But that’s not all! I recently made an early morning run to Czerw’s on Tilton St. for several pounds of smoked kielbasa and fresh-made pierogies. If there is a heaven, I hope it smells like Czerw’s. There’s great Mexican at Las Cazuelas, or quick Mexican at Taco Riendo. We’ve even found some decent pizza, having recently tried Santucci’s upside-down square pie. Now we feel like we have more options than we ever did back in old Pennsport.

We’re not alone. Our neighborhood has recently been a new focal point in local cuisine, featuring both newcomers and old. The amazing Rick Nichols recently ventured up Richmond St. in Port Richmond, highlighting all the wondeful Polish food the neighborhood offers. Think that sounds delicious? Then you should spend a Saturday afternoon with him on his Edible World Food Tour that’s being organized by First Person Arts! (I’ll add that you should check out the other New Wave Cafe up on Allegheny Avenue for a few rounds of strong Polish beer and more than your fair share of kielbasa and pierogies.)

Metro contributor and Foobooz writer Arthur Etchells also reps for our ‘hood in his recent article, “River Ward Steps Up.” He talks about some of the restaurants I mentioned above, as well as The Pickled Heron, a restaurant that will bring finer dining to Frankford Avenue later this spring. They also hope to take part in River Ward Restaurant Week! That’s really exciting, especially since there was some speculation about whether or not they would still be opening as the economy took the plunge. I can’t wait to try their menu!

When our friends Rick and Grace recently moved up to Letterly St. just two doors up the block, we assured them it was a great neighborhood that we’d been beta-testing for over two years. It’s a great area that blends old favorites like Jovan’s Place and Memphis Taproom. We have Greensgrow Farms and Philadelphia Brewing Company around the corner, too! Now when you think of Port Fishington, think food!

Weyerbacher Fireside
Originally uploaded by J T. Ramsay

I met Keith Fitzgerald at Memphis Taproom last night to talk about blogs, apps, and all the other fun geek stuff our wives tell us “sounds fun” as we walk out the door.

Our wonderful conversation was aided and abetted by some delicious beer as the No Repeat Beer Week rolls on! I started the night with a smoky Weyerbacher Fireside (pictured) before delving into a bunch of beefy IPAs. Here’s last night’s list:

• Weyerbacher Fireside
• Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary Double IPA
• Ballast Point Big Eye IPA
• Moylan’s Moylander Double IPA
• Bell’s Pale Ale

I took it easy since it was a school night, but I can assure you I had no difficulty getting up this morning for a quick three-mile run.

Our conversation ended with an interesting discussion about how RSS is the blood coursing through the veins of the Internet, yet we still find ourselves joining every known social media platform that comes down the pike. Isn’t RSS supposed to make our lives really simple?

Speaking of which, we also chatted about Pitchfork’s headscratcher of a redesign. It reminded me of Paper Thin Walls after it was redesigned and made ready for a social network that never took off. Ouch. I told Keith that Pitchfork should’ve looked to ESPN.com’s redesign and focused on their video production. Why they’re still married to the concept of a music webzine escapes me.

Keith also shared his pet project with me: a running app for the 3G iPhone that should blow MapMyRun and its ilk out of the water. I’m considering buying a new iPhone just to beta test it against my Garmin watch. It sounds great for beginners and advanced runners alike. There’s a great opportunity for an iPhone app like this to meet the needs of Garmin customers who’re still waiting for Garmin to roll out their Mac features.

It was a great night for geeking out on beer and the Internet. I’m looking forward to working with Keith on tweaking and adding features to Kensington Blues over the next few weeks. To that end, can anyone recommend a clean, free, 2-column WordPress theme?

Lest people start to think that this blog is going to focus exclusively on the issues facing the music industry, I’m writing today about another one of my passions: craft beer! In the past year or so I’ve gotten very serious about the beer I drink, thanks in no small part to Brendan, Leigh and everyone at my amazing local bar, Memphis Taproom. We Philadelphians are also fortunate to have Lew Bryson and Joe Sixpack, two of the country’s best beer critics, right in our own backyard! So while I’m not going to attend any of the official Philly Beer Week events, but I’m making the most of Memphis Taproom’s No Repeat Beer Week…and then stumbling home happy.

Last night Helen and I were joined by our friends — and new neighbors! — Rick and Grace for a nice dinner, which ultimately evolved into the girls going home and us boys geeking out to some new beers. I can’t think of a better way to welcome them to the neighborhood!

What did I drink? Jess was kind enough to loan me a pen and I used one of their handy beer menus as a checklist. I tried one of each of the following:

• Dogfish Head Red and White
• Fuller’s ESB
• Brooklyn Savoir Faire
• Avery IPA
• Elysian Loki Lager
• Ipswich Original Ale

What did I like? I’m partial to everything Elysian does. I enjoyed their Bifrost Winter Ale immensely and look forward to trying more of their stuff. My local distributor’s even stocking it now! The Loki Lager had an amazing finish that demands your attention.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for an IPA, even though I’m trying to break the habit of defaulting to these sometimes overpowering beers. What can I say? I’m a total hops-head!

Dogfish Head makes some of the most nuanced beers I’ve ever tasted, and the Red and White was no exception. They’re always working on another level in my opinion.

My surprising favorite? The Ipswich Original Ale. I know! I’m shocked, too! Lew Bryson says it’s going to be a big year for session beers, and if they’re as satisfying as this one, who could deny him?

Let’s just say it was an amazing way to celebrate Philly Beer Week in my ‘hood! Be sure to stop by and sample some of the great stuff they’re tapping this week at Memphis and Cumberland!