Eat Like You're at a Fish Camp This Thursday With Chandeleur Brewing & Grand Isle

For a beer dinner pairing locally sourced beer and food, look no further than the collaborative effort between Grand Isle, Chandeleur Brewing, and Covey Rise Farms on Thursday, January 21.

Grand Isle's executive chef Ryan Haigler says that he and the folks at Chandeleur had been talking about working together for some time now, especially since both businesses share a similar "fish camp theme" concept based on the waters and lifestyle of coastal Louisiana. "We thought a beer dinner would be the perfect way to introduce the beers to our clientele."

Haigler says that he and Covey Rise Farms sales superstar Tim Bordes created the menu together, comparing notes on flavor profiles, and working to include as much local produce as possible. "We designed the menu around what would be in season at the time of the dinner, and Tim said he'd make sure to keep a special eye on what they were growing for us in the meantime."

The five-course menu spans the gamut from Creole seafood to game meat, with a Louisiana-BBQ style shrimp salad, paired with a lighter beer, Freemason Golden Ale; venison carpaccio served with Lil Smack IPA; Crawtater potato chip crusted drum (with cauliflower and crawfish salad), paired with Surfside Pineapple Wheat; bourbon-braised beef cheeks, accompanied by Nervous Water Barrel Aged stout; and a blood orange caramelized honey pie for dessert with an Imperial Vanilla Brown ale.

The Nervous Water Barrel Aged stout is the first in its new Nervous Water series, which will be small batch beers sold on draft and in bombers. Brewmaster Dave Reese says the stout was made by taking the base beer and finishing it three different ways: in Bullett bourbon barrels; with added Brettanomyces to give it a farmhouse funk; and lagered for 7-8 months.

The dinner will be in the restaurant's private dining room, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $75 (all inclusive) and can be purchased online.