Lou’s Beer Garden

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and I have a surprise outing planned. In a few days it’s Valentine’s Day and Leslie is going out of town for work.  We’re not the type to celebrate this holiday, but the weather has been beautiful so I use it as an excuse to try out a new place; Lou’s Beer Garden in North Miami Beach [ 7337 Harding Avenue ] for Beer Brunch. This charming poolside gastro pub is inconspicuously tucked behind the New World Hotel. Unless you live in the area and have walked by several times, chances are you haven’t noticed the small neon sign at the entry.  Luckily, we were told of its existence.

We arrive, grab a menu at the bar, take a seat poolside, and take in the atmosphere.  The space is flexible and laid back, a total local’s hangout. Nightly entertainment varies; anything from a Heat game projected on the side of the building to live music. The dinner menu, ranges from a 16 hour Pulled Pork Sani to a Garden Fresh Ceviche. Salads, crab cakes, a cheese and meat board, and artisanal thin crust pizzas can serve as accompaniments to one of many craft beers on tap and even more in bottle.

We are ready to order. Having previously seen the menu I knew right away what I was having: Eggs Louis, poached eggs on brioche with crabmeat, hollandaise sauce, and bacon. And of course, the chef recommended pairing, Blanche de Bruxelle, from Brasserie Lefebvre; a Belgian white beer with floral notes and distinct citrus flavors.  This witbeir is cloudy, light in color and has a slightly bitter aftertaste.  That turns out to be Leslie’s choice as well. But, if you prefer lunch rather than breakfast, how about the Nobe Kobe, a Kobe beef burger with all the fixings, paired with an Old Rasputin?

Our food arrives along with a fresh beer. I cut into the eggs let the yolk ooze over the crab, and savor my first bite; a hint of lemon, a touch of bitter from the greens, and the smoky crunch of bacon. Perfection. I take a sip of beer and the subtle citrus notes explode to the foreground, reminiscent of fresh orange juice. A beautiful pairing. With my last piece of brioche I soak up the remaining yolk and contemplate having another beer, but with a trip to the airport looming, we settle for the check.

Beer Brunch at Lou’s Beer Garden: a hidden gem and a definite do over.

It’s crawfish season! For many that means nothing. But, those who have had the privilege of being part of a boil know it signifies a long standing tradition; one that has deep roots in Louisiana — a culturally rich state with amazing food. Gathering around a newspaper-lined picnic table with family and friends, cold beer in hand, to savor these small succulent crustaceans is almost ceremonial. Luckily for us, our southern friends Kricket and Trent have transported this bayou tradition to their backyard in Miami. 

This is a no frills event; none are needed. A backyard, picnic table, newspaper, and a roll of paper towels should do it. It’s not about creating an environment; the environment is naturally infused by the smells of the food and laughter of those involved.

The boil is an all day event; a ritual that begins with the crawfish and gets perfected with every batch: where you buy them (in Miami, it means getting them shipped overnight), how you clean them, how you prepare them, and how you eat them. Anyone who enjoys a boil will tell you, the process of eating them is a ritual in its own right. You start by breaking the crawfish and sucking the head… no really, suck the head! All the spices, juices, and natural fats from the crawfish collect here, giving you a rush of flavor. Next, peel off the first segment of the shell around the tail, pinch the end, and pull with your teeth. If done correctly, the tail meat should pop right out — a technique (art form) that requires some practice.

Our day started with the sound of a propane burner and wrapped up with the stroke of a guitar; the perfect end to another boil… And the anticipation for next season’s boil begins.

 

Ingredients

40 to 50 pounds live crawfish, rinsed and washed

4 (1 pound) bags seafood boil

2 (3 ounce) bags crab boil

Salt to taste (you will need a lot more than you think)

2 pounds of small red potatoes, cleaned but not peeled

6-8 onions, peeled and halved

15-20 ears of corn, frozen

8-10 large lemons, halved

5 pounds sausage (cut into 3 inch pieces)

water

Equipment

A 10-gallon pot with basket

Propane jet burner

Kitchen gloves or towel

1 large ice cooler

Instructions

Place the cooking pot with its basket on the propane burner and fill halfway with water. Add 1-1/2 bags of Seafood Boil, 1 bag of crab boil, salt, 3 halved onions, and 3 lemons halved and juiced. Cover and bring to a boil. After 10 to 15 minutes, taste the stock and adjust the salt and spice to desired levels.

The amount of crawfish you do per batch depends on the size of your pot (in our case, about 7 lbs per batch). To rinse the crawfish, pour into a large cooler, fill with water and allow to drain. Continue until the water runs clear and discard any dead crawfish. Some believe that the use of salt assists in the rinsing, but salt can kill the crawfish in the process, so we just let the water do its thing.

Once the stock is ready, add 6 to 8 potatoes and 1 pound of sausage and allow to cook for about 10 minutes.  Add 5 to 6 halved ears of corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked, pour the crawfish into the pot and return the stock to a boil, about 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and allow the crawfish to soak for an additional 10-15 minutes with the lid off. This is when they absorb most of the flavor.  Occasionally pull out a crawfish and taste it, you want to make sure the head is juicy and the meat has absorbed the right amount of spice. Depending on the desired taste, the amount of time the crawfish is allowed to soak can be adjusted as you go.

Remove the basket from the pot, allow to strain.  Dump the mouth-watering contents on a newspaper-lined picnic table, crack open an ice cold beer and enjoy.

Repeat.