Beyond Meat Sausage Review

While shopping at the grocery store on the weekend, I passed through the meat alternative section and noticed a new product from Beyond Meat called "Beyond Sausage - Plant Based Sausages".  I have experience with Beyond Meat from trying its hamburger patties, which are delicious, but a tangent that I will not diverge into in this post.  As a former carnivore, I used to consume a significant quantity of sausages, bratwursts, wieners, frankfurters, etc., and after moving to a mostly plant based diet, it's been something I have missed.  There are some enjoyable vegan hot dogs out there, but I haven't had a sausage that I liked previously, so I was excited to give these a shot.  There were three varieties, original brat, sweet italian and my selection, hot italian.  Whole Foods was offering them on sale for a heft $7.99, a $1 discount off the post $8.99 price, which I thought was pretty hefty for four sausages but decided to give it a shot.  My plan was to saute fajitas style with bell peppers and onions, so I picked up a red, yellow and green pepper and a red onion as well.

In the evening I busted out my trusty non-stick frying pan, sharp knife and cutting board and got down to business.  I diced up half of each of the bell peppers, the full red onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and tossed in the skillet on medium heat.  I let this cook for a few minutes until the onions started to get soft and meanwhile cut the "sausages" into small rings.  The consistency was actually not that dissimilar to other sausages and you could definitely small the "sausage" herbs and spices!

After about 12-15 minutes of cooking, the kitchen area definitely smelled like pork sausage fajitas!  The food smelled great and as you can see the sausages look very similar to the original.  I actually cooked even more than in these pictures and it browned/blackened up like one would expect that real meat would.

I had already eaten dinner and was preparing food for the week, but given my curiosity I put a couple chunks and some fajita veggies on a plate with white rice to have a taste.  I found the texture to be similar to meat, but definitely a difference could be noted.  The casing did not have a crisp snap and the inside was definitely a bit softer and perhaps more granular than meat would feel.  The taste was very good, there was a juicy quality to the pieces and sufficient spices to make it taste good.  While it was labeled hot italian, I found the spiciness level to be low.  While it didn't taste just like a pork sausage, it was close, and I really enjoyed the small plate I had.  The next day, I had a small portion as a side dish with my meal and found the leftover experience to be delicious as well.

Overall, I give the product a B+ rating for taste, but an A+ rating for delivering an effective meat alternative.  The health statistics (see below) are very favorable vs. real pork sausages and the ingredients are all relatively healthy and natural sounding.  There does not appear to be any odds chemicals or additives so I feel good about consuming these.  I will not be adding this to my regular shopping list, but I could see myself purchasing these every couple of months. 

Ingredients: Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Refined Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Contains 2% or less of: Rice Protein, Faba Bean Protein, Potato Starch, Salt, Fruit Juice (For Color), Vegetable Juice (For Color), Apple Fiber, Methylcellulose, Citrus Extract (To Protect Quality), Calcium Alginate Casing.

Check out my review of WVRST in Toronto, on a related, but decidedly meat-based note!

Domaine Robert Chevillon Bourgogne Rouge 2013

Hard to argue with red Burgundy, especially something imported by Berkeley's finest, Kermit Lynch.  Kermit owns a wine shop and importing business that focuses on natural wines, wines that come from grapes that are raised in a simple, rustic manner, and minimally processed to become wine.  He works with smaller, family producers and his wines focus on terroir.  I highly recommend his book Adventures on the Wine Route. This contrasts sharply with the vast majority of wines which are produced in industrial facilities, from grapes that are produced in larger factories.  There is plenty of manipulation, largely from chemicals and machinery that really obfuscates the terroir of the wine.  

This wine is a red Burgundy made of 100% Pinot Noir.  It is a "village" level, which is not from a named parcel of land.  The producer is Domaine Robert Chevillon.  The winemakers or vignerons are Denis & Bertrand Chevillon and they are based in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Burgundy, France.  The wine is not mindblowing in any sense of the word, but it is excellent.  Compared to a generic Pinot Noir from California that you may have tried before, this has an intensity and depth to the flavors and smells that just can't compare.  2013 vintage was nothing spectacular, although arguably better than 2011 and 2012.  The wine is lighter in color, which is typical of red Burgundy and its opacity is low.  About 30 minutes after opening, the aromas have improved substantially.  The smell is dominated by spices and red fruits, more fruit than spice.  The smell is more mercurial and interesting than a run of the mill wine, continued swirling brings out more and more perfume. The taste is more of the same, more spice than fruit to my novice palette.  The finish is medium length and extremely enjoyable.  

This is a great wine, retail price should be $30-$37 depending on which store you go to!

NYC Trip - Momofuku, Lobster Rolls, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Stumptown, Chambers St Wines!

Worcester, MA Street Art - Caleb Neelon

I was in downtown Worcester for brunch at Armsby Abbey, which is the best brunch in New England for my money.  They serve numerous Hill Farmstead drafts alongside world class other beers and interesting food that is focused on local, high quality ingredients.  As usual there was a bit of a wait, so my wife and I took a stroll down Main St and came upon this mural. Turns out it was put up by Caleb Neelon, a known graffiti artist, based in Cambridge, MA.

Learn more here:

http://www.worcesterma.gov/development/cultural-development/public-art/denholm-building 

WVRST Toronto - Queens West - Visit with Family

As previously chronicled, I had a very tough week of travel a few weeks back.  I was in NYC over the weekend, then went to Minneapolis and Toronto during the week on business.  The flights for each of these trips was delayed, between 5 hours and an hour each.  Talk about bad luck.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their young child recently moved to Toronto and we had been up to visit them just 3 weeks before.  Since I knew I would be arriving early enough to catch a meal we decided to check out WVRST in Queens West.  It was featured on Layover by Anthony Bourdain and well reviewed on Yelp.  Since my sister-in-law had to work that evening, it turned out to be just the boys.

My nephew is quite a handful, but he is cute as a button, and generally a good kid.  He was very interested with the food.  My brother-in-law and I can both eat and drink, and we did a good amount of that.  We each had two sausages, I had elk and a traditional bratwurst, he had a rabbit and german sausage as well.  My nephew had himself a chicken sausage, unfortunately there was a bit of spice to it, which he abhored.  We shared an order of fries cooked in duck fat that were divine.  We both washed that down with 2-3 beers each and had a great time.  I had a Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel and a couple of local IPAs.

The tables are set up communal, beer hall style and the place was packed for a Wednesday night.  We quickly found a table and were fine though.  I highly recommend checking this place out if you are from Toronto or find yourself there with a hankering for sausage and beer.  Americans, take advantage now as the CAD is quite weak versus the USD.  Prost!

Me and him.

Surly Blakkr @ Mill City Tavern, Minneapolis Airport

I was in the midst of flight delay on the way home from Minneapolis and stopped in at the Mill City Tavern in Terminal G.  Really nice restaurant with solid options for food and tons of great local beer.

Blakkr is a Double Black IPA, a style I haven't really seen around.  Black IPAs awfully similar to hoppy porters and generally a style that I quite like.  I wasn't totally sold on a 10% Double Black IPA, but like I said, there was a flight delay, and I wasn't getting home until midnight.  Not to mention that I had been delayed and only arrived in Minneapolis at 2am in advance of an 8am meeting.  And I was staring down the barrel of a board meeting at 8am the next morning, then a flight to Toronto the next evening for another 8am meeting.  A pretty trying week!

I liked the beer quite a bit.

Boston Beer Haul: Trillium Artaic + Others, Night Shift Santilli, Singlecut plus Oysters

Growing up in the suburbs of Boston, the city is what I consider my "home town" and its one of the best culinary city in the country, by all regards.  Two things Boston does really well are beer and oysters.  Trillium Brewery is doing amazing things in Boston's rapidly gentrifying Fort Point neighborhood in the South Boston Seaport.  Very easy access to the financial district and lots of open space are a recipe for surging real estate prices.  Trillium focuses on hoppy beers and they are one of the most coveted breweries on the beer trading forums around.  Artaic is a Double IPA brewed with honey, very clear and transparent in contrast to many of Trillium's other brews.

Trillium recently opened a secondary location in suburban Canton, MA and are now offering limited distribution through the state.  I was in a prominent liquor store south of the city and picked up a couple bottles including their flagship Fort Point Pale Ale and Scaled IPA.  I also grabbed a Singlecut beer that was quite nice, although I can't remember the name of it, nor can I make it out from the picture.  It used NZ hops though and was surprisingly good!  Finally, I grabbed a 4 pack of 16 oz cans from Night Shift Brewery, out of Everett, MA.  Their Santilli IPA is one of the handful of beers they distribute and is a good every day value, although definitely inferior to Trillium or Tree House out of Western Mass.

A visit with my parents meant that I was grabbing a dozen oysters to enjoy with my dad and cracking a beer or two.  These oysters are from Duxbury, MA's Island Creek Oysters.  Lucky to have such easy access.

Beer Mail - Russian River Pliny the Elder/Damnation and a Holiday Beer it Forward!

Participated in a couple of beer trades/swaps over Christmas time



Fresh Pliny the Elder and Damnation



Nice haul from a fellow Styleforum member!

Los Angeles Christmas 2015 Stuff - Blue Bottle Coffee, Superba Food + Bread, Runyon Canyon, Tatsu Ramen

Wife and I took a nice little trip out to Los Angeles over Christmas

Tatsu Ramen in the Sawtelle - spicy ramen + sapporo

Blue Bottle Cappucino on Abbot Kinney in Venice

Latte @ Superba Bread + Food on Lincoln Blvd in Venice

Sweet view of DTLA from Runyon Canyon

View of the hills from Runyon Canyon

Hill Farmstead Flora B/B

I was in the mood for a single nice beer on Friday night after having hit it pretty hard the night before.  Usually when I am in a mood like that I will generally reach for either a stout or sour, since they are more complex than the IPAs or hoppy ales I usually drink.  I have two of the Hill Farmstead Flora B/B's hanging in my cellar, so before dinner I popped this in the fridge to cool it down a bit. I typically prefer water or wine with food, so after everything was cleaned up, I popped open this bottle.  An approachable 375ml that Hill Farmstead uses for its lower yield beers, attractive label, pours a nice fruit purple/red with moderate foam.  The foam dissipated fairly quickly.  Lots of HF funk on the nose, some fruits.  Taste was pretty nice, fruit is restrained, unlike some American wild ales.  I contemplated this over the 45 minutes or so I drank it, and really enjoyed it the whole time.  I look forward to my next bottle.

Muqueqa Boston - Yum

hot sauce on the left is key.

Muqueqa is a Brazilian fish stew, primarily from the Bahia region.  You pour it over some rice and are off to the races.  Side of beans is key.

For me, a big old picanaha steak with a fried egg on it.  Side of carbs - fries and rice.

Panerai PAM111 E Series (2002) Sausage Dial - Recent Acquisition

My recent addition to the watch stable is a Panerai PAM111 E Series.  This watch which is from the 2002 vintage of 3500 PAM111s features the "sausage" dial which means the numbers are painted on, rather than sandwiched like in later versions.  Maybe somewhat less desirable, but a bit more collectible.  I had been looking for a Panerai for awhile, and the PAM111 with its second hand at 9 o'clock and no date was a great option.  The E Series also features the graffiti decorated movement that is visible on the back of the case, adds some nice visual interest.  I have worn this watch every day since picking it up, and believe I got quite a discount at $3,000.  It does not have the original strap or buckle, but that's not a problem for me.  I did not get the original box either, which is not a problem, but was able to get the certificate of authenticity with matching serial number, which gives me some comfort.  Check out the on-wrist and movement images below!

Sante Adairius (SARA) West Ashley

As described by Sante Adairius themselves, West Ashley is "orange, lactic, and bursting with apricot aroma, West Ashley is built for consideration and conversation. While Ashley starts as a simple Saison, careful aging in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels with apricots, our house microbes, and warm encouragement transform her into a tart, complex and delectable beer."

I opened this beer up on a Friday after a long week at work and I wanted to drink something special.  I have had the beer before, but only split between 4 friends at a tasting event.  The beer is very apricot centric, but it is definitely does not have the same bitterness of a typical american wild ale like Duck Duck Gooze.  I would classify it as a funky saison with apricots added, however "classifying" a beer like this is kind of foolish as it really is in a class of its own.  

Great ratings on Beeradvocate and hard to trade for, but worth seeking out!

Trip to Hill Farmstead April 2015

Last weekend my wife and I made a trip to one of our favorite places in America, Vermont.  My primary desire was to replenish my stores of Hill Farmstead Brewery.  This brewery is widely considered the best in America, and some would say the best in the world.  Sean Hill, the brewer, is not a specialist, he makes world class hoppy ales in addition to sour, dark, farmhouse and everything in between.  He is committed to a sustainable business that can support itself and although he has grown rapidly, there is a target size for the company that he does not want to exceed.  This goal allows him to focus on doing the best possible work he can, which results in amazing beer.  He utilizes growlers so that he can ensure that his beers remain fresh. I much prefer to support a "local" brewery than one of the large conglomerates.  Also, Sean goes to great lengths to respect his community and helps support other local businesses.  He takes great pride in working in a remote area, and although you have to actually go to the brewery to buy his beer, he avoids wasting resources on things like distribution to stores.

The brewery

My haul

Edward - Flagship Pale Ale

Single Hop Pale Ale - Mosaic

Society & Solitude #5 Double IPA

Recent New England IPAs: Gray Sail Captain's Daughter, Lawsons Sip of Sunshine, and Trillium A Street IPA

Gray Sail Brewery out of Westerly, RI is a relatively new brewer who has struck quite a hit with their Double IPA, Captain's Daughter.  Pretty hoppy, but still drinkable.  Only available in MA/RI, as far as I know, but I enjoyed it!

Sean Lawson of Vermont's Lawson's Finest Liquids most famous beer is Double Sunshine, his double IPA produced in extremely limited batches.  When Mr. Lawson decided that he needed to scale the business a bit, he set up an agreement with Two Roads Brewing on Connecticut to brew his modified Double Sunshine recipe as Sip of Sunshine.  Originally packaged and sold only in kegs and 22oz bombers, the transition to 4 packs makes a ton of sense, especially in light of local competition in Vermont and the superior QPR of 16 oz cans.  This is brewed monthly in CT and then distributed in both CT and VT.  Great beer, comparable to Heady Topper in my opinion.

Trillium Brewery, in my view, is Boston's response to the Vermont beer scene's relentless quality.  While Boston and the vicinity has a number of good breweries, none are truly great, especially when it comes to producing the renowned IPAs that are coming out of Vermont.  I have had a number of great beers from Trillium, including Melcher St IPA, Congress St IPA, and Fort Point Pale, which drinks more like an IPA.  Unfortunately, A Street, does not live up to the others or its $10 price tag.  Still a good beer, but nothing special.  

Concepts x New Balance "Luxury Goods" 997 Made in USA - Hermes Inspired

Concepts, the sneaker store based in the Cambridge neighborhood of Harvard Square, just north of Boston, has a long history of collaborations, and is certainly on the vanguard of sneaker culture.  They have done a number of releases with Asics, Brooks, Vans, Nike, and New Balance.  Their most recent New Balance is based on the Hermes classic orange color scheme, and is on the 997 model, made in the USA of soft suede and leather.  A great runner.  Wore these over the weekend and snapped a picture.

Asics x Commonwealth Gel Lyte V Da Vinci

Asics Gel Lyte V collaborations are some of the most sought after that the brand puts out.  A collaboration with Commonwealth of Washington, DC and Virginia Beach, VA that uses clean colors and solid materials was a no brainer.  This design is based on a classic colorway that is appropriate for Leonardo DaVinci with a blend of colors that was found on his sketches and inventions.  Limited to only 500 pairs, this is sure to be one of the most desirable runners of 2015, with resale already cresting over $400.  Here is my pair.