Dos Equis Most Interesting Dinner -- The Return

For the second year in a row, I had the awesome honor to be invited to the Dos Equis Most Interesting Dinner, with food provided by Craig Thornton of Wolvesmouth fame. An underground, invitation-only event, I had the priviledge of attending last year during Comic Con.

Dork of the year

This year was a different location, and different menu, but more of the delightful fare for which Craig and his crew are known.

A big difference in this year was the cocktails served! Dos Equis has taken their product to a new level with the introduction of three new beer cocktails: Dos-Arita, Michelada and Dos Sidra. They were delicious, and despite being a former bartender, I've never had a beer cocktail before. I chose the Michelada, which was like a beer bloody Mary, and was incredibly spicy! The Dos Sidra was ordered by my dining companion, and the combination of the cider with the beer was very refreshing.

After a bit more conversation and exploring the amazing loft location, everyone settled in for dinner to be served. The courses are always a surprise at these events, and always amazing. The first course was steak served atop a corn puree, with a delicious fried squash blossom. What a delicious beginning to the meal! The steak was cooked to a wonderful medium, and the corn puree was yummy and not too sweet.

What was next? A soup course was the perfect second item, and not just any soup. Zucchini soup with tomato and lobster hiding underneath was the next that had everyone happily quiet whilst slurping up dainty spoonfuls. This might have been my favorite item of the night, and not just because it is so darn photogenic. It was incredible.

Wait a sec, did I say that the soup was my favorite? Our next course was fresh halibut served atop a lettuce puree, with tiny bacon profiteroles, and onion jam. Simply delightful. This fish was amazingly flavorful and savory.

The next dish was definitely the "advanced" diner's plate. Dungeness crab with lemon gelee, mixed with green peas, all served underneath a disk of squid ink pasta, this dish was so beautiful to the eyes, and tasty to the palate!

Our final course before dessert was a bit of a tribute to the show Dexter, with its splatters of beet juices. A deep-fried quail, served with compressed watermelon, pickled green tomato, and a cheese fritter, this was a wonderful end to the savory portion of the meal. It was a bit difficult to eat in polite company, due to my urge to pick up the bird and simply tear the meat from the bones with my teeth, but it didn't stop me from enjoying every bite!

Dessert came far too soon, and soon everyone was enjoying the grand finale -- a steam cake served with yogurt curd, dehydrated strawberry, lemon-lime ice, and black sesame panna cotta. I've never had anything quite like this dessert, and I don't know that I will ever again taste its equal.