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Near Beers A Boston brewmeister imports his wares, while Stoddard's plans to export theirs By Christina Waters WALTER SCHEURLE is a brewmeister from Boston who will be in San Jose next Tuesday, May 23, to help conduct a Sam Adams Beer Dinner at the San Jose Radisson Hotel (1471 N. Fourth St.) starting at 6:30pm. Samuel Adams is one of America's tastiest beers, in case you didn't know, and to prove it the evening features appetizers designed to showcase the various lagers and ales bearing the Sam Adams name. The menu includes brie baked in puff pastry with a lingonberry sauce, pork chops marinated in Summer Ale, homemade cream stout beer bread and cream stout chocolate cake. Not the usual fare, and obviously that's the point. Dinner will be served outside on the outdoor patio and will conclude with Sam Adams Triple Bock (a beer that reminds some connoisseurs of cognac) and, of course, cigars. Priced at $39.95 per person, the event promises to be way more fun than you're having right now. Call the Radisson's busy F&B man, Jimmy Shandor, at 408.452.0200, extension 4032, for reservations. More Beer Cheer Brewmaster Steve Donohue, a graduate of the American Brewer's Guild, has just taken over the foamy helm at Stoddard's Brewhouse in Sunnyvale, and owner Bob Stoddard is pleased as malt punch about the new hire. "Steve brings a great deal of expertise into the brewhouse," says the man whose name hangs over the door at 111 S. Murphy Ave. (408.733.7824). Expect continued high spirits and high standards at the Brewhouse, and look for Donohue to introduce a special summer brew, Kristall Weizen. It should go nicely with the beat of "Reggae on the Patio" live music happening at the brewery restaurant on Sunday afternoons. Stoddard's started expanding in another direction with a recent ground-breaking ceremony for another location at 200 E. Campbell Ave. The new facility--it'll be very, very big--is scheduled to open in spring 2001. High Tide Thanks to reader Diana Cooper who emailed me with the suggestion that I print the website for the Monterey Bay Aquarium: www.mbayaq.org. And here's why. Cooper, like many of us, is concerned about overfishing of seafood populations. Environmentally sensitive consumers can go to the aquarium's website and check out a special feature called Seafood Watch Chart. This educational section offers lengthy details about endangered seafood that tend to show up on our dining tables and restaurant menus. The chart lists "Best Choices": delicious seafood such as albacore, calamari, Dungeness crab, halibut and Pacific salmon, whose populations are flourishing. The "Proceed with Caution" chart indicates those marine delicacies threatened with depletion, such as shrimp, bay scallops, spot prawns and yellowfin. Under "Avoid" are those seafoods currently fished to the point of exhaustion, which unfortunately includes Chilean sea bass, monkfish, bluefin tuna and, yes, swordfish. Check out the website for yourself, and form educated opinions on what you want for dinner. A Vine Time Viaggio Ristorante's Summer Wine Tasting Series began this evening and continues throughout the summer. Teaming up the expertise of Viaggio's executive chef, A.J. Szenda, and sommelier, Mark Grochowski, the event happens on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30pm. In addition to cooking demos by the amazing Szenda, you'll be able to discover new wines, taste delicious appetizers and maybe even take home some prizes. On May 25, winemaker Ridge Watson, of Joulian Vineyards in Carmel Valley, pours sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel. On June 1, Byington Winery's Don Blackburn will provide samples of viognier, Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay, cab franc and Bates Ranch cabernet sauvignon. There's more, but I'll tell you later. Just head up to Viaggio on Thursday evening--the series price is $20 all-inclusive, and the gorgeous restaurant is located at 14550 Big Basin Way in Saratoga (408.741.5300). Email me! Please send any news items, tips and juicy gossip to [email protected]. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]