PLATES & PINTS Hitting the Links Craft beer and artisanal cuisine form a perfect union at Farm


House Café By Brandon Hernández


T Photo: Kristina Blake


Brandon Hernández hated beer and had never even heard the term “craft beer” until his first trip to O’Brien’s Pub in 1999. There, in a dark yet friendly space rife with the foreign smell of cascade and centennial hops, he fell into line with the new school of brew enthusiasts courtesy of a pint-sized one-two punch of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale. Those quaffs changed his perception of all beer could and should be and he’s spent the past decade-plus immers- ing himself in the local beer culture -- living, learning, loving and, of course, drinking craft suds. He’s since taken up homebrewing and specializes in the creation of beer-centric cuisine. A native San Diegan, Brandon is proud to be contributing to a publication that serves a positive purpose for his hometown and its beer loving inhabitants. In addition to West Coaster, he is the San Diego cor- respondent for Celebrator Beer News and contributes articles on beer, food, restau- rants and other such killer topics to national publications including The Beer Connoisseur, Beer Magazine and Wine Enthusiast as well as local outlets including The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Magazine, The Reader, Riviera Magazine, Pacific San Diego, Edible San Diego, Dining Out San Diego, Rancho Magazine, North County Times and SanDiego.com.


here are few local restaurants that offer as authentic a take on French cuisine as Univer-


sity Heights’ little-known jewel, Farm House Café. It’s no wonder because ex- ecutive chef and co-proprietor, Olivier Bioteau, is a Frenchman from the Loire Valley whose 20 plus-year vocational quett includes stints at several Michelin- starred restaurants. Bioteau’s move to San Diego came roughly two decades ago, and though he’s embraced our laid back lifestyle, that acclimation has in no way dulled his culinary drive. His meticulous craftsmanship and attention to classic technique makes Farm House Café a top dining destination in San Diego, and one of the most comfortable ones at that. There’s no need for a button- up shirt and tie. All that’s required is a hunger for classically good eats. Those with a penchant for craft beer will also be in luck. There’s always quality local beer behind the bar-- and not just the commercial variety. Yet an- other reason Farm House stands out is because they occasionally serve home- brews. Best of all? They’re free. Laws prohibit the sale of home-brewed beers, but Bioteau is so eager to share his in- house server and brewer extraordinaire Cosimo Sorrentino’s creations that he occasionally offers them as complimen- tary treats to customers.


“I started brewing two years ago with my buddy from San Diego State, Chris West. We jumped right in with ten-gallon all-grain batches,” said Sor- rentino. “We started with pale ales, but we’ve done all styles from saisons and smoke beers to Belgian styles.” A big beer tourism buff, Sorrentino’s brewing style and beer tastes shaped as a result of excursions to Portland, San Francisco and Santa Rosa, but holds a cross-Atlantic trip to Belgium this past spring in the highest regard. “One of our servers at Farm House Café moved to Paris last year, so I went to visit and ended up spending five days in


Duck Sausage Yield: 10 4-ounce links


24 ounces (1½ pounds) duck meat, removed from legs 8 ounces (½ pound) pork fat 6 ounces bacon ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp dried apricots


¼ cup pine nuts ½ tsp garlic powder 2 Tbsp Cognac brandy 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp dried chives 2 tsp fresh tarragon


1 tsp Cure #1 pink salt 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp white pepper ¼ tsp nutmeg


Freeze the duck meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and grind the duck meat, pork fat, bacon, apricots, pine nuts and garlic. Mix in the brandy, herbs, salts and spices until they are completely incorporated. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Form a small portion of the meat into a patty as a sample. Heat a pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patty through. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the


meat mixture as needed.


For Sausage Patties Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Form the meat mixture into 3-ounce patties. Place the patties in the skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and serve


warm with braised green cabbage, mashed potatoes and an IPA. For Sausage Links


Using a machine or KitchenAid mixer attachment, feed the mixture into casings, separating into 3-ounce links. Bring a large pot filled with chicken stock or water to a low simmer over medium heat. Poach the sausage in the liquid for 20 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and transfer to a bowl filled with ice water. Preheat oven to 350º F. Place the sausages in the oven and roast for 6 minutes until golden brown. Remove


from the oven and serve warm with braised green cabbage, mashed potatoes and an IPA. —Recipe courtesy of Olivier Bioteau


8-


Sausage and beer go great together at Farm House Café. Photo: Matthew Homa / Sketchbox Design, Inc. That respect is requited by Sorrentino. “Ol-


Brussels, two days trying everything on the list at Cantillon and hanging out at Moeder Lambic focusing on lambics and tripels in their freshest state right near the source.”


Sorrentino found similar inspiration in a trip to


the Bay Area that included a stop at San Francis- co’s famed Toronado. The beers on tap resonated with him, but what really stuck in his mind was Rosamunde Sausage Grill next door to the bar. It made him want to immediately come back to Farm House Café and start up an event mingling house-made sausages and fine craft beers. Not surprisingly, he jumped on that conceptual train and rode it to reality. Now, each Thursday from 5-10 p.m., the restaurant offers a special sausage and craft beer pairing. Bioteau takes care of the links while the perfect pairing selections are all Sorrentino. “Cosimo’s an amazing brewer in his own right,” says Olivier’s wife and co-proprietor, Rochelle. “We went to La Milpa Organica and they had hops there. He lit up like a five-year-old at a Justin Bieber concert. You see that come out over time and see people wanting to step up and it makes you want to let them shine and do what they do really well. We really respect that talent and it allows chef to focus on what he does really well, which is cooking.”


ivier’s flavor profiles blow me out of the water. He made a mole sausage and I was like, wow! We served it with avocado puree and a crostini topped with white cocoa beans. We paired it with a brown ale we had on-tap from Black Market Brewing and it was amazing as a beer-and-food pairing. The sausage wasn’t overpowering, but you got everything you needed from it to go with the beer.” Bioteau’s sausage plates exhibit a gour- met brand of synergy that takes all things into consideration—primary flavors, subtle nuances, seasoning, texture—to create optimal balance. Whether it’s fennel and orange zest sausage paired with AleSmith Lil’ Devil or garlic and sun- dried tomato with Black Market Brown Ale, the pairings are solid and a good reason to discover or rediscover this exceptional eatery. For those who can’t make it out, Bioteau has been kind enough to share the recipe for one of Farm House Café’s most popular sausages to date. It incorporates succulent duck meat in tandem with pine nuts, dried apricots and pork. Bursting with flavor, it pairs up exceptionally well with a citrus notes of a West Coast-style India Pale Ale (IPA).


Saison Yield / Method: 10 gallon / all grain


OG 1.080 FG 1.008 ABV 9.5


Grain Bill 20 lb American 2 Row 10 lb Pilsner 1 lb Carapils ¼ lb flaked wheat


Mash in at 150 Total Boil = 60 minutes ¾ oz Magnum (13% AA) at 60 minutes 2.5 lb dextrose and whirlfloc at 15 minutes


White Labs WLP670: American Farmhouse Ale Pitch at 68 º with 3l starter


Ferment at 70º for 3 days then raise to mid 70ºs Rack into secondary after 7 days. Pitch .5l starter of WLP001 and ferment until FG is reached.


—Recipe courtesy of Cosimo Sorrentino and Chris West


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