RBNmedia: Daura Damm's ON THE MENU dinner at La Carnita..

Happy Tuesday friends!  For my followers that are gluten free or looking for a new gluten friendly beer... this is for you!

 Last week I was fortunate to have an invite to a wonderful dinner at La Carnita paired with Daura Damm.  What a great evening of peers, food and conversation with some wonderful friends...

Daura Damm is a beer that has been crafted to remove gluten and tailor to those with a gluten friendly lifestyle.  I've not had a beer in approximately 10 years and man was it perfectly paired with Executive Chef, Jon Hamilton's tasting menu - 100% gluten free (Mexican delights tend to be naturally gf, for those of you who just love great food) for us crazy gluten free eaters.

Our tastebuds were delightfully sparked with the first round of appetizers: 

Trio of Dips: Spicy bean dip (dreamy), guacamole & corn salsa!

Mexican Street Corn: Crema, queso anejo, arbol & Ancho chili powder = THE CORN KING.

 

Scorpion wings – Confit chicken, scorpion chili BBQ sauce, seeds of paradise & coconut crema! They certainly had a little "bite"!

"Daura Damm made it easy for me, pilsners are a great beer to pair with most of the food at La Carnita- they have a lot of diversity. It has a great drinkability with a light and refreshing taste that goes well with our food, the beer has touches of spiciness, but nothing extreme and I don’t have to be concerned about clashing flavour profiles with the beer and food. It also paired well with the meal overall because it’s the kind of beer you can have a couple of without it weighing you down, feeling like it’s a meal itself. La Carnita’s food can sometimes also pack some heat, so being able to have a couple of beers is a good thing." Jon Hamilton

People that know me or those of you who follow the blog - you understand how much of a taco aficionado I am (think I am?).. so when given a night to eat at one of my favorites haunt  La Carnita - John Street I obviously jumped at the chance.  

First up was their beef cheek taco:  Ancho braised beef, lime avocado, green cabbage, pickled jalapeno, queso anejo & Charred pepper hot sauce.  Perfectly paired with the Daura to ease the spice of the sauce...

Followed by copious rounds of insanely yummy things:

Tostada de Ceviche:  Albacore tuna, guacamole, coconut milk, habanero & tomato.   Not so surprisingly the beer paired super nicely even though ceviche is classically a more delicate dish.

Butter Chicken Mole: Lime cabbage, jalapenos relish (stealing this), Mexican crema & scallions. 

Cotija Taco: Lime avocado, cauliflower beans, pickled carrots, chipotle and queso anejo...proving vegetarian options can be just as exciting!

West Coast Rockfish Taco: Wild BC snapper, corn batter, tamarind balsamic & chipotle mayo.  Possibly the best fish taco I've ever had.  Ever.

 

"Often chefs look to pair bold flavors with bold beers, but when I’m pairing food that’s got some spicy kick and big bold flavors, I’m often looking for something clean, crisp and approachable. This isn’t only because it’s what I like to drink, it’s because I want a beer that’s not overwhelming. It has to taste great and have good flavor, but also clears the palate and make each bite of food just like the first one. For La Carnita, it is important that the beer and the food work together to enhance the overall dining experience. "  Executive Chef, Jon Hamilton

Tostada de Ceviche – Albacore tuna, perfect guacamole, coconut milk, habanero.  And of course beer.  

Vegetarian option that you can recreate at home: Cauliflower beans, lime and pickled carrots makes an amazing simple and perfect taco.

The best fish taco ever: Corn batter is the key to keeping this gluten free!

Krusty the Clown.  Literally the silliest and most fun ice cream happening in Toronto.

This was my absolute favourite - I'm a beef cheek fan and the balance was insane and perfect.  

I'm not always a sweet tooth kind of lady, but when your dessert consists of soft serve and palates (popsicles) by the only and only Sweet Jesus you try all of the stuff.  Another amazing brain child of Andrew Richmond - you actually utter "Sweeeeeet Jesus" whilst biting into a manic creation...

 *My images are not loading or formatting properly - hence inaccurate order..

A truly great night with friends and food, as a lady who lives gluten free this was a treat.  Thanks to Branding and Buzzing for the invite and the team at La Carnita..

**Daura Damm is available at select LCBO stores across Ontario.  Starting in April, Daura Damm will also be available at The Beer Store in select locations.
All photography in this post is by the amazing Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Daura Damm.



 

xoxo