NOVEMBER 15 6 – 8
SYRAH/SHIRAZ TASTING

For our first wine tasting we’re starting with one of our favorite grapes, Syrah/Shiraz, known for producing full bodied red wines. Come by and purchase a flight Syrah and Shiraz wines. Taste for yourself how different the same grape can be in the hands of different wine makers in different countries. Many of you have had our Boom Boom Syrah which is a Charles Smith, Washington State wine. These berry, powerful wines are a treat and while they lend themselves to year round drinking some of the bolder versions are perfect for winter drinking. They warm you right up!

The tasting is open to everyone, no reservations needed. We’ll be selling a flight of Red Dust Shiraz, South Australia; Genesis Syrah, Columbia Valley Washington State; Crozes Hermitage Les Jules, Rhone France with tasting notes and we’ll have an expert on hand to answer any questions!

November 10, 2011 at the Public House we will be featuring to high gravity beers from New Belgium, Super Cru and the Abbey Gran Cru. With each purchase of a 9 oz pour (these ARE high gravity!) you will get a fresh, clean New Belgium glass to take home with you, while supplies last. $1 from every beer will go to a local non-profit. The glass that gives!

The Super Cru is 10% alcohol. The hops used are Target, Willamette, and Golding. The malts are Pale, Munich, C-80, and Victory. This is a 20th anniversary beer that starts with the “backbone of Fat Tire, but double the malt and hops; add in crisp Asian Pears, a very Belgian thing to do; and bring it to life with a Saison yeast.”

The Abbey Gran Cru is 9.5% alcohol. The hops used are Willamette, Target, and Liberty. The malts are Pale, Chocolate, Carapils, C-80, Munich. According to the New Belgium site, was the first beer of home brewer and New Belgium co-founder, Jeff Lebesch.

I hope we’ll see you all on the 10th for our very first beer event. We’re super excited to be giving back through the Glass that Gives and to bring you all some special beers!

Sunday dinner, Mockingbird style. It’s a rare Sunday that Mr. Mockingbird and I are able to cook dinner that we actually sit at the table and eat. We’re either out of town, too tired, or too lazy to make this happen. Yesterday though we did it up right. The above pasta is cooking in equal parts white wine and water, a bit of tomato paste, and a chicken bouillon cube. Cooking pasta in wine adds flavor to the pasta and makes it almost velvety. Then I sauteed onion, mushrooms, shrimp, and Andouille sausage with tarragon, salt, pepper, and a little of the white wine.

While I was cooking Mr. Mockingbird was in the backyard shucking a couple dozen oysters. If you know us you know there are often oysters in our lives but usually there are people coming over when the oysters are being shucked. This was our first time buying them just for us. We ate the oysters at the table with cocktail sauce and horseradish.

It’s real easy to forget that to cook a nice dinner doesn’t have to take long. I think all told, prep and cooking time, this took about 30 minutes. Somehow it is especially nice to have dinner like this on a Sunday. I suppose it’s one of those old eating habits that is ingrained in us from generations past.

We have a busy month ahead of us at the Public House! Come check it out. All events are open to the public, no tickets required.

OCTOBER 29
ZOMBIE PROM!
9 – Close
Hosted with Modern Ink Magazine join us for a ZOMBIE PROM! Oct 29, 9PM. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Celebrate Halloween Public House + Modern Ink styles, with good music and fancy drinks! Feature cocktails will be Bloody Marys and the Dark and Stormy.

NOVEMBER 10
NEW BELGIUM HIGH GRAVITY BEER NIGHT
4 – 10 or while glass supplies last
Join us for the “Glass that Gives” night. We’ll feature special hi-gravity beers from New Belgium in some of their glassware. For every beer you buy you get to keep the glass and $1 goes to a local non-profit.

NOVEMBER 12
OUR 1-YEAR BIRTHDAY PARTY!
4 – 10
We’ve been open for a year!! Come celebrate with us. We are humbled and appreciative of all of y’alls support. In thanks and celebration we will offer $1 off all wines and happy hour prices on beer until 10PM.

NOVEMBER 15
SYRAH/SHIRAZ TASTING
6 – 8
For our first wine tasting we’re starting with one of our favorite grapes, Syrah/Shiraz, known for producing full bodied red wines. Come by and purchase a flight Syrah and Shiraz wines. Taste for yourself how different the same grape can be in the hands of different wine makers in different countries.

Yesterday Mr. Mockingbird and I hosted our first official, we’re-going-to-get-married event. Mental note, Sunday brunches no matter the purpose, with good drink, good food, lovely weather and even lovelier friends tend to turn epic. We started around noon, everyone left by 7.

I will not detail the number of bottles of Campari and champagne we went through. I will tell you that for once I accomplished what I always say I’m going to do, which is to not cook so much that I’m exhausted by party time. My plan of attack was to utilize some of Knoxville’s finest, combined with a few special ordered items.

From Harry’s Delicatessen I pre-ordered their lox and bialys. All I had to do was slice and serve. From the Shrimp Dock we bought the above super fresh oysters, cocktail sauce, and horseradish and put together oyster shooters. My splurge was ordering Latkes and roe from Gilt Taste. The Latkes were pretty perfect considering they came in the mail and all I had to was put them on a sheet and in the oven for ten minutes. Topped with a little creme fraiche and the roe, this was my favorite. Finally, the day before the brunch, I roasted a leg and shoulder of lamb with fall vegetables and potatoes. That’s it. So super easy and fun.

Be sure to get your tickets for Riverplains Farm to Music. As of right now it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful fall day. Bundle up, come at 6 so you don’t miss the sunset over Clinch Mountain. Music starts at 7:00 with Josh Oliver opening up for Jennifer Niceley. The sit down concert proves a listening room experience under the open night sky.

Anna Niceley Barreiro will be cooking outdoors in big iron skillets: locally grown sweet potatoes fried over the open flame, and perfectly seasoned skewers of pastured poultry and pork from Mother Earth Meats.

Get your tickets HERE!

Bundle up and come enjoy Farm to Music presented by Mother Earth Meats and featuring Jennifer Niceley with an opening set from Josh Oliver Saturday October 22, 6:00 PM at the Riverplains Farm. It looks like this dreary rain will have moved out by Saturday, which means a lovely sunset over Clinch Mountain. Music starts at 7:00 PM and there will be a small plate served with local sweet potatoes and meat from Mother Earth Meats. Bring your own beverages.

Check out Jennifer’s vocal stylings here and here. Buy your tickets now! It’s going to be a great evening celebrating the fall harvest and music. See you on the farm!