Marche’s monthly Farmer Wine Dinner (tonite it’s beer, be flexible)

Counsel enjoys a glass of Brooklyn Lager at 74 State’s restaurant Marche’s monthly Farmer Wine (tonite it’s beer, be flexible) dinner while bottles of Local One chill in preparation for enjoyment later that evening. As you gaze upon this image you may notice a vision materialize in the background. This jolly elf may appear to embody the spirit of this festive evening but in fact it is just Doc Shields sporting the cardboard liner of the Brooklyn Brewery baseball hat he received as a parting gift at the end of the evening.

Dining room manager Eric and crew keep the beer flowing throughout the evening.

Glasses of Brooklyn Lager assembled for the taking. Appetizers to accompany the beer, (prepared by one of the Hudson Valley’s top five chef’s Brian Molino) included veal ricotta meatballs with sun dried tomato puree and mushroom spring rolls with a creamy mushroom ginger sauce. The nice thing about the appetizer part of the meal is that it is served at the restaurant bar cocktail party style allowing the diners to mingle.

Tonight’s amuse course, intended to refresh the palate between the appetizer and the first course, is composed of a potato crouton topped with chorizo-apple chutney, a mushroom tart with melted leeks and bacon and a fat slice of grilled andouille sausage with sweet onion puree.

Eric, one of the best hosts in Albany, serves Counsel with gracious flair.

Doc and Cobra love receiving bags of gifts and reading material from Brooklyn Brewery and 74 State at the end of the meal.

“We weren’t expecting presents!” From left to right: Counsel, Charles Gehring, Jean Gehring

Chef Brian Molino whips up an after-hours specialty for Marche’s hard-working staff.