Althouse: At the Friday Night Tavern...

June 5, 2009

At the Friday Night Tavern...

... what's on tap?

35 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Dinner at Houstons with Pinot Noire and medium well prime rib. How about you?; 6/5/09, 6:15 PM
Paddy O said...: ISFP; 6/5/09, 7:09 PM
former law student said...: I'm betting ENTP.

No. If that were true, Althouse and I would be making out.

INTP or even INTJ.; 6/5/09, 7:21 PM
traditionalguy said...: Look for an ENFJ at chez Althouse.; 6/5/09, 7:32 PM
Cedarford said...: Interesting Sunday for Tennis fans at the French Open. Robin Sodering, a Swede only liked by retired Swedish pros - suddenly found his game and destroyed his opponents, including #1 Rafa Nadal. He faces former #1 Roger Federer.

Federer has been to 20 straight Grand Slam finals or semifinals, winning 11 of them, runner-up in 5, lost in 3 semis to the eventual champ. He is well-liked and even more respected by fellow players. Some call him the greatest player ever...but lately he has lost his dominance..he came close to losing in several rounds..

The French Open is the only place he has never won at. If he does, he will become the only male player to win at all 4 events in the last 40 years, except Andre Agassi. And if he wins, he matches the man who holds the most wins at the majors - Pete Sampras.

That's on Sunday morning.

The women's Final will have two Russians playing on Saturday. It will take 50-minutes to an hour, and neither will likely break into a sweat.; 6/5/09, 8:18 PM
Pastafarian said...: Tennis, Cedarford? I would never have guessed you'd be a fan of tennis.

Hammerthrow, maybe...or Greco-Roman wrestling. Or maybe biathalon.

Tennis, huh?; 6/5/09, 8:23 PM
TitusIsInOqunguitanditisBeautiful said...: Good evening fellow republican. How are you?

I am in Ogunquit Maine, which is very beautiful. I am only 15 minutes from the Bush's Maine residence.

I am watching Benjamin Button with a rare clumber's large head on each of my well sculpted and defined thighs.

I am at peace. I was going to go down to Boston tonight to find my husband that I met last week but I don't want to. Maybe tomorrow.; 6/5/09, 8:42 PM
ricpic said...: Into a brown bar I went to contemplate the mystery of Benjamin Button.
Gettin' nuttin' I settled for a tankard of ale and a roast leg of mutton.; 6/5/09, 9:08 PM
Cedarford said...: Pastafarian said...
Tennis, Cedarford? I would never have guessed you'd be a fan of tennis.

Hammerthrow, maybe...or Greco-Roman wrestling. Or maybe biathalon.
================
Biathalon is pretty neat. I was in a military one. Most of us really sucked.
We tend to go with sports we played, as later fans. Nowadays, the sports are too organized, kids play fewer sports but put more time into each. And parents are too protective. We played neighborhood football, pickup B-ball, I even played hockey when we moved to Illinois while learning how to skate. No coaches, no protective equipment.

I was pretty good at tennis. Played in league, HS, and college until ROTC obligations played havoc with the tournaments.

My idols as a kid in the 80s were Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, and Mats Wilander.
I think Federer is the most gifted player ever.
And it is possible one day Rafa Nadal will surpass him.; 6/5/09, 9:28 PM
KLDAVIS said...: Well, the Dupont Saison (center of the picture) is a damn fine beer, but it wasn't on the menu. So, tonight I had a Wittekerke, then some wine with dinner (pâté de foie gras, thankfully legal once again in Chicago, and Bouillabaisse Marseilles).; 6/5/09, 9:43 PM
blake said...: Pics like that makes me wish I drank.; 6/5/09, 10:24 PM
Beth said...: We women are having dreams of a lovely medium rare steak, but this woman is stuck with somewhat plain mashed potatoes, peas and roast chicken. Still recovering, all on schedule, but my appetite is not up to a nice beer and a good cut of meat.; 6/5/09, 10:27 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: I made the paneer cheese that was posted to Purple Foodie linked by Aldente through Instapundit.

This was so easy to do, so fun, and so delicious, that I can't believe it. I already scarfed it all in two servings. ( a half gallon of milk worth ) Here's a salad I made which includes my own home-made paneer cheese flavored the way Shaheen explained on her blog, the Purple Foodie.

What? Not macabre enough for you? Fine. Today I was called back for another blood draw. This was to hopefully disprove something that came up in the last blood draw. And, I suppose, to put the fear into me to straighten up, and probably to prove they're paying attention. So naturally I took pictures.; 6/5/09, 10:47 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing and M&M sprinkles.; 6/5/09, 11:12 PM
Kev said...: Chip, so many of the pictures you've posted here are animated that I half expected the food to start moving around when I clicked the links. Dancing cupcakes, anyone?; 6/5/09, 11:29 PM
Kev said...: And since this is a tavern, let me cast my vote for virtually any product from the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. I'm partial to their flagship brew, Shiner Bock, but a couple of their recent limited-edition offerings, Shiner Black and Shiner 100 (the latter released in conjunction with the brewery's centennial) are also superb.; 6/5/09, 11:36 PM
former law student said...: Unless she's completely different in person than she is online, I'd have a hard time believing she's an I rather than an E.

Much easier for Is to be social online than in real life. If Althouse were as social in both places, she'd have no time to do anything else. Here she can modulate her responses, and ignore people altogether if she wants.; 6/6/09, 12:05 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Meade, if you are up in Madison, you and Althouse need to visit a Mills Fleet Farm together. If nothing else, you can stock up on blaze orange stocking caps.; 6/6/09, 12:09 AM
Allen Garvin said...: A decent selection of Belgians... Saison DuPont is probably the best, but my tastes run to the hoppier varieties.; 6/6/09, 1:01 AM
Avent Isis said...: I saw someone posted a comment "Pics like that makes me wish I drank" I would like to tell this guy, you are not the only one around, it's all of us that think that way!

Rina
Avent Isis; 6/6/09, 1:56 AM
Palladian said...: Is that Meade with the cone of pommes frites beside you?

"Saison DuPont is probably the best, but my tastes run to the hoppier varieties."

I love Saison DuPont, I get it in the large bottles with the champagne (Chimay?) style cork.

But no beer for me tonight. It's two glasses of Campari to settle my stomach from a questionable meal and two Pink Gins, which is 2oz or so Plymouth Gin stirred briefly in ice with a dash of bitters and then strained into a cocktail glass. Deliciously austere. The traditional recipe uses Angostura brand bitters, which I did for my first one of the evening. For my second, I used Fee's Old Fashioned bitters which are similar to Angostura brand, but unlike Angostura brand, Fee's actually contains extract of Angostura tree bark.

I have 7 different kinds of bitters (not including the Campari). Call me a fanatic.; 6/6/09, 2:16 AM
Penny said...: A MUSE, like someone, just not quite like me.; 6/6/09, 2:55 AM
BJM said...: Palladian, do you embibe Aperol too?; 6/6/09, 4:55 AM
AllenS said...: Would I be correct in assuming, that this is not a tavern in Wisconsin?; 6/6/09, 5:53 AM
KLDAVIS said...: "I have 7 different kinds of bitters (not including the Campari). Call me a fanatic."

I hope Peychaud's is among them. If we're counting potable bitters (Campari, Aperol, Punt e Mes), I probably have 15-20 types in the house, including a batch of homemade (non-potable) hellfire bitters made with chocolate habanero peppers.; 6/6/09, 8:49 AM
former law student said...: If we're counting potable bitters

What, no Cynar?; 6/6/09, 8:55 AM
KLDAVIS said...: I only trust it in the hands of one or two bartenders who know my tastes very well. The Art of Choke at The Violet Hour, when properly prepared, is about the only drink I enjoy with Cynar.; 6/6/09, 8:56 AM
Beth said...: Palladian, what bitters do you use for a sazerac?; 6/6/09, 12:26 PM
Palladian said...: "Palladian, do you embibe Aperol too?"

Yes, but I don't find it as indispensable as Campari.

"I hope Peychaud's is among them."

It is. I do my pink gin with it sometimes as it produces a perhaps less authentic but pleasingly pinker hue.

"What, no Cynar?"

I'm not crazy about it. But I do have a bottle.

"Palladian, what bitters do you use for a sazerac?"

Peychaud of course!; 6/6/09, 1:28 PM
KLDAVIS said...: Speaking of bitters, I'm currently enjoying a Fernet Branca and Coke with the pleasant addition of some local ginger liqueur (Koval, the only(?) distillery in the city of Chicago...Northshore is in the suburbs, don't know of any others around here).; 6/6/09, 4:28 PM
AlphaLiberal said...: Would that bar be the Brocach down on the Square?; 6/6/09, 4:44 PM
KLDAVIS said...: Though I believe it is technically a non-potable bitter, if you enjoy the taste of Peychaud, and I do, I've seen it used in much larger amounts in a couple cocktails. Perhaps my favorite is the Peychaud Sour:

1 oz Peychaud Bitters
1 oz St. George Absinthe
3/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup (1:1 Sugar/Water, Demerara sugar preferred)
1 Egg White

Combine in a shaker without ice and shake for 10 seconds until the egg white begins to form a foam. Add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

This was inspired by The Violet Hour's Angostura Fizz (as above, but sub Angostura for Peychaud, Gin for Absinthe, and top with soda in a Collins glass).; 6/6/09, 5:04 PM
KLDAVIS said...: "Palladian, do you embibe Aperol too?"

"Yes, but I don't find it as indispensable as Campari."

I find Campari to be a far superior cocktail ingredient and digestif. However, L2O taught me that Aperol blends perfectly in a classic Gin gimlet.; 6/6/09, 6:58 PM
Paddy O said...: Palladian, if you're ever in Portland, OR you'd probably appreciate stopping by the Tear Drop lounge.

Spent an evening there after Christmas. Utterly delightful. The owner and the staff know not only the intricacies of mixing drinks, but they can tell you the history, serve to a specific set of tastes, and regale with stories of centuries old cocktail lore.; 6/6/09, 7:02 PM
Ann Althouse said...: It's Brasserie V on Monroe Street in Madison.; 6/6/09, 8:08 PM