Dub "K"

I won't go into a long narrative here with another post about Woodberry Kitchen. For my loyal readers, you already know that The Kitchen is good, this is just testimony to that fact. "The Berlin", "The Goodrow" and "The Alicia" were in town for dinner at "Dub K". The Goodrow is on his way to work at New York City's Ninth Street Espresso, The Alicia is on her way to wrestle the EPA (that's Environmental Protection Agency, for the civilians in the group) and The Berlin is just, well, on his way.

Being that I'm surrounded by such illustrious coffee (and environmental) people, Spike and the kitchen decided to cook for us. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Wood Oven Roasted Oysters with Bacon.

Oysters Iced, On The Half Shell with mignonette and cocktail sauce.

Squash Rings with dipping sauce.

Various Beets, yogurt cheese and lovage oil.

Wood Oven Roasted Shrimp 'n Grits

The Rockfish Special - a bit on the rare side, but I liked it.

Bone-In Pork Chop - sous vide, braised with greens, tomatoes and new potatoes.

Oven Roasted Mixed Cauliflower.

Carrots and Their Tops - roasted carrots with carrot cap puree.

Cast Iron Roast Chicken - Chard, grits, pan sauce. Definitely the highlight of the meal for me. Perfectly cooked boneless half chicken that was flavorful, tender and moist throughout.

Cast Iron Ribeye - Cheddar potato gratin, house steak sauce.

Frozen Yogurt. Nice flavor and great texture.

Date Pudding. My personal favorite dessert - too rich for me alone.

Isaiah teaches Alicia how to sling fugas into the oven.

"I-Fed" showing his Dub K Pride after another late night baking bread.

Apple Cider, Interrupted

I get excited over ingredients. From the nape of an ancho chile to a side of beef hanging in the locker in Mount Airy. If it's good and tasty, it's something I can get excited about.

Over the weekend, I picked up a couple gallons of apple cider from Reid Orchards. They were very excited about this weeks' blend because so many of their apples were ripe and ready to go. Until that point, I hadn't even thought that apple cider could be a thoughtful blend of apples to create a whole, but now I knew better.

I grabbed a gallon and brought it to my niece's birthday party in Virginia and we ended up drinking the entire gallon - so much for protecting The Spro's inventory...

As I was tasting the cider, it inspired me to play with a simple recipe of slightly warmed cider, a single shot of Hines espresso, topped with a layer of half & half foam. Light, fruity, complex and creamy. A seasonal drink for the fall. A drink I thought might be nice for the menu at Woodberry Kitchen (if they'll have it).

The only problem is that I don't have a name for it.