On Sunday, Sept. 23, a crisp evening capping off the first full day of fall, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Maymont teamed up once more to host the third edition of the For Every Saison beer dinner in the Robins Nature & Visitor Center. The dinner showcased the ongoing relationship between local farmers and chefs and the Richmond brewery, highlighting the food and flavors on the plate and on tap. The event featured returning chefs Walter Bundy of Shagbark; Adam Hall of Saison; Joe Sparatta of Heritage and Southbound; Lee Gregory of Alewife, The Roosevelt and Southbound; and first-timer David Dunlap of Maple & Pine.
The For Every Saison dinner is a biannual event whose proceeds benefit the Maymont Foundation.
North Carolina green tail shrimp, used in the first course, are often sought out by chefs for their texture and subtle flavor.
The brewers at Hardywood change the recipe of For Every Saison, brewed specifically for the dinners at Maymont, for each event.
North Carolina green tail shrimp on the grill in preparation for the first course of the evening.
First course, prepared by Walter Bundy of Shagbark
Food: Autumn golden chanterelle bisque, black burgundy truffles, North Carolina green tail shrimp, Edwards county bacon, late season corn
Beer Pairing: For Every Saison — brewed specifically for the biannual dinner — an herbal farmhouse saison brewed with fennel, hibiscus and goldenrod, which provides a clean rose flavor, foraged from Maymont grounds by head brewer Kevin Storm (6 percent ABV)
Second course, prepared by Adam Hall of Saison
Food: Pastrami, spaetzle, Swiss cheese and pickled mustard seeds
Beer Pairing: Benny & the Fest, a toasty amber lager brewed for the annual St. Benedict’s Oktoberfest that evokes toasty, caramel notes (5.8 percent ABV)
Chef Joe Sparatta prepares a duck confit for the third course.
Third course, prepared by Joe Sparatta of Heritage and Southbound
Food: Collard green gemelli, Staunton's Honest Farms duck confit, pumpkin, cippolini onion, braised red cabbage, Manchego, rye.
Beer Pairing: Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale, one of Hardywood's first seasonal beers, is brewed with sugar pie pumpkins from Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch in Midlothian and spices including cinnamon from C.F. Sauer Company (8.5 percent ABV).
Fourth course, prepared by David Dunlap of Maple & Pine
Food: Autumn Olive pork loin glazed with Hardywood Bourbon Cru, confit sweet potatoes, sage meringue, pickled red onion and sour apple
Beer Pairing: Bourbon Barrel Cru, a malty Belgian-style quad aged in bourbon barrels with oak subtleties and hints of dark cherries (12 percent ABV)
Fifth course, prepared by Lee Gregory of Alewife, The Roosevelt and Southbound
Food: Corn cake, dulche de leche, fresh blackberries and whipped cream
Beer: Bubby’s Blackberry Cobbler, a Belgian white ale brewed with blackberries from Agriberry Farms, vanilla beans and toasted coconut. It's named after Hardywood VP of Operations and Quality Kate Lee’s grandmother, reminiscent of a cobbler she used to make (6.8 percent ABV).
The next For Every Saison dinner takes place May 5, 2019, a Cinco de Mayo celebration featuring five courses influenced by Mexican and Central American cuisine. Tickets are $150, and all proceeds benefit Maymont.
