By Michael Barron
Ask most people and they would agree that the words ‘summer’ and ‘school’ just don’t belong in the same sentence, yet that’s exactly where I was headed. Lucky for me and my partner, the ever-talented photographer and craft beer connoisseur Nina Cazille, this was not a kid’s version of summer school. Still, Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” was playing an endless loop through my mind.
Exton’s Rino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria was an oasis on a hot evening, as moments before we entered Rino’s, the temperature on the dash read 107 degrees. We were greeted with a cool blast of air conditioning, a smiling face and quickly were whisked away to our ‘classroom’ to meet the ‘faculty’ for the evening.
In their second edition of Beer School 101 (view first edition here), Rino’s owner and our host Jules Short, collaborated with Brian Shield from Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet, Va. and chef-food artist Jamie Campbell. Jamie has honed his craft over the past 38 years cooking in restaurants in Miami and Boulder, in addition to serving as personal chef to numerous celebrities.
Someone shouted “here’s to getting smart,” as he raised a half-empty pint of beer. And so the lesson began. Brian shared Starr Hill’s story—a mix of history, philosophy, geography, science and music appreciation—and the firm’s master brewer and founder Mark Thompson, his passion for the craft and his mission to share the gift of great beer.
First period was Chef Jamie’s homage to a picnic. A blackened blue crab deviled egg with crispy onions was paired with Starr Hill’s Grateful Pale Ale (a nod to Mark’s love of the Grateful Dead). This summer seasonal had a bright grapefruit and pine aromas and a light malt flavor which balanced nicely with the sweet and spicy notes in the egg. Starr Hill is committed to making full-flavored session beers, and this was a great example. Brian noted that Grateful was such a hit that it may soon be offered year round. Craft beer lovers would be thankful for that, as this was one of the best selections of the evening.
For our second period we were “off to the cafeteria,” one that you would want to visit again and again. Chef Jamie had fun with this course. A shrimp, asparagus and pimento grilled cheese with a tomato relish and citrus greens paired with The Love, Starr Hill’s unfiltered wheat beer. On one of the hottest days of the year we were experiencing a decadent summer version of a winter staple—grilled cheese and tomato soup. The beer, with its clove and coriander aromas and slightly sweet flavor, reminded some of another, more well-known wheat beer, Hoegaarden. The marriage of the grilled cheese with the sweet tomato jam and bright citrus complimented perfectly with The Love. This pairing was my favorite of the night.
Next up was Northern Lights, an IPA from Starr Hill. Its match on the plate? Chicken and waffles—a bold new take on good old-fashioned Southern comfort food. Campbell brined the chicken overnight in sweat tea before frying. Not to be outdone, the hominy waffle was served with a blue cheese slaw and topped with agave honey. If this sounds like culinary ADD, you are right—but stick with me. This combinations of both aromas and flavors ran the gamut but came together nicely with the IPA. Northern Lights is a big hoppy brew and the bitterness in the hops cut through the sweet waffle and zesty slaw.
Not content to go quietly into the night, we turned up the volume and Rino’s upped the ante in the fourth period with a spiced, smoked prime rib, served with basil-ginger mashed potatoes and carrots seasoned with dry mustard powder. This was teamed with Starr Hill’s Double Platinum Imperial IPA, a brew with yet another tie to music. The beer is big one in every sense: hoppy, with a long finish and 8.6% ABV. Chef Jamie had spoken softly but carried a rather large plate. The prime rib was slowly smoked for four hours after being rubbed with garam masala (an Indian spice blend), along with crystallized ginger. The pairing was a literal take on east (India Pale Ale) meets west (meat and potatoes). This course was a hit with many in the class, however four courses into the evening, it was a bit heavy for me.
At this point many would agree that the class was already worth the price of admission. Nina remarked that this was unlike any pairing dinner that she had ever seen, “this is more than pretty food.” She was right, the portions were entrée sized. “This rocks,” said Jim, a fellow classmate who had come with five of his friends.
The room hummed with conversation as we eagerly awaited fifth period, not because it would mark the end of Beer School, but rather because it would feature Starr Hill’s winningest beer, Dark Starr Stout. This dry Irish stout has won three gold and two bronze medals at The Great American Beer Fest. One taste and it was easy to see why; while similar in style to the iconic Guinness, the Dark Starr was more nuanced with a beautiful finish.
Chef Jamie had one more surprise for those students paying attention. Dessert was an ancho chili chocolate brownie with ice cream and … a pistachio bacon brittle. Yes, you heard right—bacon. The deep rich nose and taste of coffee in the beer paired seamlessly with the sweet and salty bacon brittle. Pairing coffee with bacon is expected, but in a dessert it was rather unexpected, making it the perfect ending to an evening that was full of surprises.
If you missed this class don’t worry, Brian noted that the Starr Hill brand is readily available throughout the area. They have also offer a variety pack called The Life, which includes the Northern Lights IPA, Grateful Pale Ale, The Love and Starr Pils.
Rino’s has been a family favorite in Chester County for nearly 30 years. Jules said “tonight was just an example of what we can do,” adding “we pride ourselves on being a family restaurant, at the same time are looking for ways to grow with the community.”
The evening was full of laughter, great food that was very thoughtfully executed and paired with good beers from a brewery that continues to make a name for itself. I look forward to going back to school at Rino’s.
Find Rino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria at 327 Lancaster Ave. in Exton. More information is available at rinosrestaurant.com.
Photographs credited to Nina Lea Photography.
Thanks to Rino’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria for providing complimentary food and drink for this article.
