Tastemakers: Gougons of Whitefish @ The South American Grille - Samuel Smith‘s Ale

Tastemakers
Gougons of Whitefish at the South American Grille
The gorgeous, dark wood and leather interior of the South American Grille at the Inn at Bay Harbor is the perfect place to kick back and enjoy your favorite libations with appetizers and light fare. You also get an added bonus this time of year -- a fire in the fireplace, and fabulous view of Little Traverse Bay.
Making a dinner of the tapas menu is definitely the way to go -- the tapas (appetizer) menu includes calamari, spring rolls, chicken satay with peanut curry ginger sauce, giant shrimp cocktail, artichoke fritters and more. We enjoyed the Gougons of Whitefish served in a goblet -- it’s beer battered, and deep fried to perfection with a classic remoulade, along with the spring rolls, and calamari. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $6-$10, and attire is casual. This just might be one of Petoskey/Bay Harbor’s best kept secrets. -- By Peg Kuchin

BOTTOMSup
Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale

I have posed this question many a time to friends: if you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only have one beer what would it be? Recently the table was turned and I was asked this most difficult question. In reality there are too many great beers to really have one favorite, but fair is fair so I answered Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale.
With the advent of so many wonderful micros this old school import is often overlooked. But this Nut Brown Ale by the brewers from Tadcaster, a market town in North Yorkshire England, is the benchmark for all Brown Ales. The nutty flavors in the beer come from the square system of fermentation using aged slabs of stone (this region was legendary for its stone quarries that built many fortresses during Roman times) and from the water that comes from a deep well built 200 years ago. Samuel Smith is the last brewery to continue to use this method of fermentation and remains one of a handful of independent breweries left in England.
This Nut Brown Ale has won several major awards and has been brewed since 1758. It often finds itself on several top ten lists and occasionally it is ranked as the best beer in the world. It has reddish brown hues with a creamy head that retains well and consists of well-balanced flavor profiles that feature hints of hazelnut and roasted coffee. Of note, Samuel Smith is a vegan-friendly brewery (according to The Vegan Society) so try pairing with a spicy vegetarian stir-fry. This is also a nice cocktail beer and is perfect with pungent cheeses like Stilton or, for dinner, enjoy with game birds like grilled quail; and after all, every island has game birds. Enjoy.-- Rick Coates


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