American (Comfort) Restaurants

When Al (The muscle behind the day to day operations at Whiskey Warehouse) invited me to the Abita Beer Dinner at Whiskey Warehouse to celebrate Fat Tuesday, I jumped at it. I have been hearing about the beer dinners they host in the back room of Whiskey for a few months, so I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. I would not be disappointed. If you do not know Whiskey Warehouse or the Sister bar Braswell's on Montford (I hereby decree that Montford be referred to as MOFO district) you need to get out more. These places do not reinvent the wheel. Cold beer, good drinks, pretty girls behind the bar and sports on the big TV.

As soon as we walked in, the Abita was flowing. I usually reserve my Abita consumption for Magazine Street (Or the French Quarter if we are doing the tourist thing). I am so glad I was able to try some of their lesser know beer.

Purple Haze is not my thing unless is it being played on vinyl, but I was able to taste a great variety (and quantity) of this Cajun brew from New Orleans.

As soon as I saw the menu, I knew I would not leave hungry or thirsty.The reception was kicked off with the SOS (Save Our Shore). This was a combo Wheat/Pilsner. I am not normally a bit wheat beer guy, but this suited me just fine. To make it better, all of the profit from this beer go directly to the Gulf Restoration Project.

(Watch the Video Below for explanations on Abita, the menu, and Abita background)

1st Course was the Gumbo, which they served with the delicious Restoration Pale Ale to cut the CONSIDERABLE spice. This gumbo was true New Orleans style.

The Second course was fried catfish over grits. This is where things started to get interesting. The catfish was served with Abita Doppelbock. This is a 7% ABV beer and our attentive servers would top you off any time your glass was half empty. The doppel was drinkable with a caramel finish, and seemed to be enjoyed by everyone at our table.

We were all expecting small servings (The tickets were only $25 person). We were greeted with ample meals for every course. By the time my short ribs that appeared to be from a moose arrived at the table, I was tempted to wave the white flag.

I pressed on for the sake of the Restaurant Traffic reader, and was greeted with tender ribs over greens and the medium bodied Abita Turbodog that finishes with a hint of coffee and malt.

As I was trying to finish my beer and roll out the door, our server brought out a thick slab of dark and rich chocolate cake with a heavy whipped cream topping and an equally hearty Abita Imperial Stout.

Watch the video below for a more thorough description of the beers and food from the real experts.

Reviews HERE