Uinta is, like most Utah breweries, kind of an interesting anomaly. Go into any area grocery store here, and you can pick up their Anniversary Barley Wine Ale no problem. Try doing the same in Uinta's hometown of Salt Lake City however, and you're out of luck. The dreaded 4% ABV rule still lingers in Utah, and a trip to the liquor store is required to find anything with just a little bit of a kick to it.
Sucks being them, I suppose, as the Anniversary Barley Wine Ale is a pretty stellar beer, one we all easily should be able to find.
So what do we got here? A nice looking beer, definitely. Some might even say it's just a little sexy, what with its dark amber colors and a lightly tanned head.
Sniff, and the alcohol hits you over the nose, but it is definitely backed up by strong notes of fruit and caramel. The hops are right there too. A lot of stuff is going on here, and I'll be darned if I can find anything not to be happy about.
Flavor wise the sweet caramel caresses your tongue, with the hops following right behind. Toward the end you'll find the fruits and 10.4% alcohol playing nicely together. It's damn tasty without ever being too sweet. The word "effervescence" comes to mind.
A great ale, then, and one I'm sure many people in Utah miss out on. You, however, can easily find it, and that's a good thing.
As we mentioned on Twitter a few days back (and as mentioned in their newsletter), Santé is Kickstarting their trip to the James Beard House. This is all about funding what you'd expect: getting the Santé team to New York City where they will set up the dinner for eighty people. They've currently reached $3,310 of their $10,000 goal, so what better time to start pledging?! There are plenty of good perks for you, and this is certainly a good way for Spokane's dining scene to get its name out there. So stop reading this, run and pledge instead!.
Remember how a Taaj was opening in some crazy part of the Valley? That was apparently an erroneously entered address, and the actual location will be -- surprise, surprise -- where a million other Taajs have been before it: 128 W 3rd. Hey, maybe it'll work out this time. They have changed the name to The Great Taaj after all.
Perry Street Brewing Company has another liquor license application in, this time with the correct address. 1025 S Perry it is. Looks like a good spot.
Odds are you are in for a good experience when you're the only non-Japanese patron in a sushi restaurant. Granted, Yuzen wasn't exactly filled to the brim during our visit, but the point withstands.
And for those who claim Yuzen has the best sushi in Spokane... Well, you are probably correct. Here we saw a perfect balance between fresh and tasty rolls, all beautifully and artfully assembled.
We tried an array of four rolls during our visit, spanning from the American standards to more creative creations.
First, the "Crunchy Siberian Roll". This one was of the spicy kind, topped with something only identified as a "spicy sauce", in addition to a "spicy mayo" on the inside. A smattering of jalapeño added just an extra toe to the kick, with tuna and cream cheese doing its best to fight back with a bit off mellowness. Overall, though, the spiciness won out, and this roll might be best suited for those who like to go the hotter route.
The "Juicy Roll" also packed quite a punch, what with the sriracha sauce and a house vinaigrette drizzled on the outside. The mango, salmon, and tuna did a better job at taking the edge off here -- "better" depending on your definition, of course; it might not be "better" if you like spicy rolls -- and the avocado gave the roll a creamy texture. Overall a perfectly balanced roll.
More on the American side you have the "Philly Roll" which is pretty much exactly what you'd expect. The freshness of the fish put it over any other sushi spot we've tried in town though, and this is still a tasty type of roll, whichever way you look at it.
Finally, the vegetarian stand-by, the "Veggie Roll". Not exactly the most exciting pick, but a very good roll all the same. The pickled carrot and "Japanese pickle" gave the palette a nice little flavor-injection, and the avocado was, again, creamy and fresh tasting.
I'm sure there will be those who will be yelling about not seeing much of cream cheese in their rolls during their two week vacation in Japan which I'm sure that's true, but really, get over yourself. If the dozen or so Japanese guests didn't mind, we're sure you'll be OK too.
Most importantly: The freshness of the fish and other ingredients used at Yuzen is quite outstanding. You'd think you were eating at an oceanside restaurant, and the rice, too, had more depth to its flavor than what we are used to around here.
The Division location doesn't feature the prettiest view in town, but the beautifully assembled rolls make up for it. As does the flavor of them. Everything we tried, miso soup included, was stellar.
Check Yuzen out ASAP if you haven't already. This is one of the better Spokane dining experiences we have had in a while.
I mean, sort of a guide. A "guide" would probably indicate something longer and more detailed, so I suppose this is more of a "steer away from crap beer" reminder than a "guide".
Anyway!
Sometimes we all do need a reminder that we don't need to drink a Bud, even though it's America day and all. Here are a few current recommendations we have for your Independence Day drinking:
Elysian Superfuzz: We quite liked, but didn't love, this pale when we first drank it. Were we too harsh? Possibly, seeing we've gone back to it quite a few times over the last couple of months. It tastes like orange, how bad can it really be?
No-Li Mosaic: We've never seen it on bottle, but this is definitely one hell of a refreshing beer for those of you who "hit the town" or whatever the kids do. And it's local too.
Session Black: This is one of those beers we kinda forgot about, and that's kind of sad. Session Black is a great dark lager and, obviously, a session beer. That all spells out 4th of July to us.
New Belgium Rolle Bolle: A simple Belgian pale, but also a refreshing one. Easily one everyone can agree on, be it your Bud swilling uncle or beer-snob cousin.
