I recently discovered that jazz is best served with a side of sushi, duck confit, tortilla chips, craft beer and a refreshing spritzer, but not all at once of course. The opportunity to nosh my way through those offerings at a reasonable pace and at different venues was made possible on Saturday, November 17th by America’s Music Festival Series in Media, PA.
The Jazz By Night celebration, for me, began at Pinocchio’s Beer Garden where I found more than an escape from the chilly air. With the intent to begin my jazz-filled journey at a BYOB spot, I put trust in Pinocchio’s employee, Spence, and his sushi pairing suggestions. He was quick to find two ginger beers within their nearly endless offerings, pulling them from the packed take-out fridge in a matter of seconds.
Spence presented me with a brew from Hitachino Nest and shared, “ginger beers are relatively popular right now and if you’re having sushi the ginger will do a great job of mellowing out any spices from a particular sauce or wasabi.”
With a few other experimental beers in our mixed six, we set off toward the other end of State Street where concerts had already begun. Temaki Sushi Bar was our first stop and proved to be a packed house. The hostess, Melinda was extremely accommodating and somehow managed to find us a cozy table for two amidst the lively crowd. Conversations carried on softly like water at an early boil, while the Alan Lewine Duo completed song after song. In between a series of tunes, they paused to chat with the diners and became friends with one table enough to snag edamame from their collection of appetizers.
The restaurant’s atmosphere felt like a house party, except the food was far more advanced than something even a “superhost” could offer. We started with Tuna Carpaccio, compliments of the new Chef Dung. It was fantastically fresh with a touch of spice that built with each bite. Spence from Pinocchio’s was on spot to recommend the ginger beer as it paired perfectly with the pleasant surprise of an appetizer, as well as our three other rolls.
To keep things interesting we selected Temaki’s two special rolls of the evening and to satisfy seasonal cravings, a sweet potato roll rounded off our order. The Japanese cuisine was astounding and I especially enjoyed observing Chef Dung craft many more plates as I downed each bite. A snip of baby’s breath here, a drizzle of sauce there and each dish magically came together. The duo played a rendition of Duke Ellington’s Latin Doll and, determined to end on that lovely note, we grabbed what was left of our six pack for the next stop.
Luckily our wandering feet and the Jazz By Night agenda landed us at another BYOB featuring the extremely talented Andrea Carlson Duo and delicious cuisine from Chef Ryan Sulikowski of Lotus Farm to Table. Artisan cheese kicked off our feast served upon a heavy slate cheese board. The Midnight Dream was a locally sourced raw goat cheese with an earthy taste to it, which was complemented by the oats served at it’s side. The chef’s second selection was an alpine style raw cow cheese deemed Dutch Gold. It was creamy and dense with a sweet finish that highlighted it’s caper pairing. New Chef Sulikowski also treated us to his house peanut butter popcorn, presented in dainty white ramekins. Carrying just a hint of jelly’s best counterpart, the popcorn was a delightfully light snack before heading onto Lamb Rib Confit with sweet potato gnocchi and hazelnuts.
Andrea Carlson nailed a funky and personal rendition of Peggy Lee’s You Give Me Fever while I devoured what might be the best gnocchi I’ll ever eat. Slightly crisp on the outside, the deep orange pasta bites were like little pillows from heaven. We followed them up with Duck Confit in young leek-parsley butter with a baguette on a bed of arugula. Although I didn’t think more could fit, my stomach immediately made room for dessert upon hearing our server real off the options. It was the bacon maple cake with house made basil ice cream that officially did me in. Nothing else could fit after that though. Or at least I thought until realizing our next stop was the Mexican eatery, Diego’s Cantina & Tequila Bar, so I had to at least make room for chips and a trio of salsas.
I picked at the standard appetizer while sipping my not so standard bartender special, the Lavender Fizz. It was a mix of citrus vodka, lavender essence, and sparkling wine that carried me nearly to the end of the evening. The strangers next to me and employees behind the bar were perfect company for the tunes from the Phyills Chapell Duo. Dan the bartender squeezed fruit with a smile on his face and struck up jolly conversations left and right to keep the guests entertained and refreshed at the same time. He was a delight to have in our presence but my grandmother tendencies got the best of me. A cozy bed was the next and final thing I intended to order. Well, that and a Harmony Latte from Seven Stones Cafe.
We slipped into the alleyway coffee shop on our chilly trek back to the car, just in time to enjoy a most impressive melody from the Elliot Levin Duo, complete with a piano solo. Although the moment could have easily been ripped from a fairy tale book, it was not as easy to rip me from the magical scene. We stayed much longer than expected, which was just what I wanted. Had I been born with night owl tendencies, there were many more spots along the Jazz By Night trail which I would have loved to visit. For me, right then, that evening, my bed was the only choice.
Laughter and music spilled from other venues as we passed by on our final walk. The jazzy event was scheduled to linger on for about another hour but with the successful turnout, happy guests and merry musicians, I imagined it may go into overtime. No matter what type of overtime or contender involved, America’s Musical Festival Series in Media, PA would always come out a victor. The Jazz By Night affair was an extremely splendid event. One that I definitely plan to attend in 2013.
