Honey and White Grape Bellini

This gem of a cocktail has been a hot commodity since we put it back on the menu a few weeks ago. Some may remember this from the Walnut Room cocktail menu way back in the day. We have updated this version with a touch of star anise in the honey water. Here's a version of the recipe you can try at home.

• Muddle 3 fresh white grapes in a mixing glass.
• Add 1 oz of honey water. (To make honey water boil some water on the stove and carefully add a generous amount of your favorite honey. There are so many crazy honeys on the market these days it might be fun to try a couple different ones. Let the mixture cool and you're ready to go.)
• Muddle a little more, and strain the mixture into a champagne flute (if you want just throw it all in, it will taste fine.)
• Top with your favorite sparkling wine. We use a Brut from the Loire Valley, and I would suggest a dry sparkler.
• Now here's the delicate part. Float a very, very tiny amount of absinthe on the top of the drink. I can't stress enough...TINY. Unless you are a big absinthe fan, too much will cause problems.

We have to confess. We swiped this drink from an old issue of Class Magazine. It's just about the best industry mag around, but it's an UK publication and good freakin luck getting it.

Hope you like it.

Love,

Alfa

If the 300 Spartans were made of Ground Beef...

The Great Burger Wars of 2009 have produced legions of ground beef centurions who have waged a pitch battle over the gullets of our fair city. It started with arsenals of Tuna Burgers and Tofu Burgers and escalated into cavalries wielding such exotic weaponry as fried eggs, foie gras, crispy onions, corned beef and even the occasional cranberry something or other. The Knights of the Patty gutted, garroted, and grilled one another across the barren battlefield of our fair city, while a stunned populous gaped at the carnage.

Through the fog and the horror of war there stood one young warrior, one champion of the people, whose purity and deliciousness shone forth from the murky haze of the ruthless savagery. Born of hearty peasant stock, this Avatar of Americana bore only the humble arms of mushrooms, bacon, caramelized onions, and cheese. This was the ALFA BURGER who, through the simplest of means, would liberate the beleaguered peasantry from the attrition of the Knights of the Patty, and the gruesome gloom of the Great Burger War.

So since you can only put one burger in your face at a time, why not make it an ALFA BURGER.

One of our favorite cocktails, the Widow's Touch is back!

The Widow's Touch

1 oz Laird's Apple Brandy

1 oz B&B

1/2 oz St. Germaine Elderflower Liquor

Dash of Angostura Bitters

We love this cocktail. A great cocktail should always be bigger than the sum of it's parts. What this means for a cocktail is that the ingredients blend together to create a flavor that is wholly new, without any indication of the component flavors. It's one thing to do this with juices and syrups, but to simply blend liquors by themselves into a wonderful new flavor is the height of the art. The Widow's Touch is a great example of this. Come try it and see for yourself.

P.S. For all you cocktail vets out there here's a little secret: next time you're in Alfa ask EB to make the Irish Whiskey Dry Manhattan that he came up with on Monday. It's pretty special.

Tuesday, December 1st | 9pm - 12am | Complimentary Cabana Cachaça Drinks

Presented by Alfa American Tavern +
Cabana Cachaça along with United States Bartenders' Guild

Kick off the holiday season with a cocktail... our treat.

We all know you're going to need it.

Complimentary Cabana Cachaça:

"Authentically Brazilian" drinks from 9pm - 12am.

Nope, there's no catch.

Libations by Christian Gaal.

xoxo,

1709 Walnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 | ph. 215.751.0201 | alfa-bar.com

THIS THURSDAY'S TASTING: 8 for $8 @ 8 | Global Rose

YES WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN.

For those of you that missed it the first time, the next feature in our series of Thursday Micro Tastings will be Rose wine from around the world. These wines don't usually get much attention, partly because the American palate has been soiled by years of Beringer and Woodbridge White Zins, but mostly because they don't really stick around long enough to get dusty; people drink them.

Rose is wine you drink when you're with people you like, in gorgeous places, all while probably wearing very little clothing. Consequently, it tends to get upstaged. You don't see rose wines being swirled around oversized glasses by portly, spectacled gentlemen droning on about vintages and terroir. Rose gets spilled in your pool. It gets seawater in it when a tan Australian suddenly dives from the side of your sailboat. Rose may not be the most memorable wine, but it is that wine that your memories would be incomplete without.

So here we bring you a sampling from all over the world. Most of the best come from France, so they are well represented, but we're showing a Mulderbosch from South Africa, a Green Point from Australia, and a lovely Malbec Rose from Susana Balbo in Argentina. Look for a lot of distinction from this lot. You can make rose from just about any red grape (the trick is to whisk it off its skins so as to keep the color light) but each will impart their own character to the wine.

We're hoping for a great turnout for this one, as the summer heat starts to kick in. Gentlemen, I urge you to put your macho pretense aside and come enjoy this one. Nothing affirms your masculine confidence like sipping pink wine with a bunch of beautiful ladies.

So just to recap: 8 wines - $8 - 8pm

THURSDAYS ALL SUMMER LONG

LOOK FOR NEXT WEEK'S TASTING.

August 25: ROOT Tasting Dinner at Alfa

Never let ‘em tell you you can’t pair liquor with food — on Tuesday, August 25, Alfa (1709 Walnut St., 215-751-0201) is hosting a ROOT tasting dinner. Chef Sean Ford will work the irreverent liquor, produced by Art in the Age, into five courses. Complementing the food will be five of the cocktails featured at the recent ROOT mix-off at Silk City. The dinner’s just $35 a head; check out the full menu, with drink pairings, after the jump.


Amuse Bouche

• A delicate morsel, utilizing ROOT Liquor, designed to excite the palate

First Course
Sweet Corn and Lobster Summer Soup — Wynnorr Farm Sweet Corn, Vanilla/ROOT infusion garnished with Lobster Salad and ROOT Syrup. Served chilled.

• paired with “Bomba Shack” by Lauren Phillips @ Alfa Restaurant & Bar
• 1 1/2 oz ROOT
• 1/2 oz spiced rum
• 1 oz Creme Coconut
• Pineapple juice
• 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
• Fresh nutmeg

Second Course
Seared Scallop with ROOT & Black Truffle Foam and Wild Mushrooms

• paired with “Dr. Maloney’s Restorative Elixir” by Colin Shearn @ Franklin Mortgage & Co.
• 2 oz. ROOT
• 1 oz. Punt E Mes
• .5oz. Campari
• 5 dashes Vieux Carre
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• stir/strain/coupe
• orange twist

Third Course
ROOT Brined Pork Loin — stuffed with Apples and Raisins and served with a Rosemary Celeriac Puree and Root Demi Glace.

• paired with “Dr. Hadley’s Root Restorative” by Kate Loeb @ Oyster House
• .5 oz. Demerara simple syrup
• 6 large mint leaves
• 1.25 oz. Lairds Bonded (100 proof) Applejack
• 1.0 oz. Root Liqueur
• .5 oz. Benedictine
• .5 oz. fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes Fee Brother’s Aztec Chocolate bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish: Mint sprig Muddle mint in simple syrup. Add ice and other ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a spanked mint sprig.

Fourth Course
Grilled Venison — Huckleberry Reduction, ROOT infused Potato Hash

• paired with “Pennsyltucky Smash” by Christian Gaal @ Noble American Cookery
• 1 oz.Root
• 1 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
• shaken on crushed ice with 7-10 smacked mint leaves. Serve in rocks glass, garnish with mint sprig.

Dessert
ROOT Float Roundabout — ROOT Ice Cream with Vanilla Creme Soda
paired with “Dust and Beans”

• by Lauren Phillips @ Alfa Restaurant & Bar
• 1 oz. ROOT
• 1/2 oz. Frangelico
• 1 oz. Chilled Espresso
• Shaken over ice and served in a Cordial glass. Top with ROOT Infused Whipped Cream and garnish with a lemon twist

Alfa's new cheeses

Seal Bay Triple Creme from Australia - paired with fig jam

Cana de Cabra - Spanish Goat - paired with balsamic strawberries

St Nectaire - France - paired with quince paste

Beaufort - Swiss - paired with kalamata olive tappenade

Valdeon - Spanish Blue - paired with caramel topped with black sea salt

Chef Sean's Homemade Pickles

Chef Sean has done it again. This time making his own dill pickle. These pickles will accompany any sandwich that gets fries. Having a perfect balance of salt, vinegar, dill, garlic and spices. The crunch is where it's at!

Thursday 7/30 Micro Tasting: Global Rose

THIS IS NOT YOUR AUNT GINA'S WHITE ZINFANDEL!

The next feature in our series of Thursday Micro Tastings will be Rose wine from around the world. These wines don't usually get much attention, partly because the American palate has been soiled by years of Beringer and Woodbridge White Zins, but mostly because they don't really stick around long enough to get dusty; people drink them.

Rose is wine you drink when you're with people you like, in gorgeous places, all while probably wearing very little clothing. Consequently, it tends to get upstaged. You don't see rose wines being swirled around oversized glasses by portly, spectacled gentlemen droning on about vintages and terroir. Rose gets spilled in your pool. It gets seawater in it when a tan Australian suddenly dives from the side of your sailboat. Rose may not be the most memorable wine, but it is that wine that your memories would be incomplete without.

So here we bring you a sampling from all over the world. Most of the best come from France, so they are well represented, but we're showing a Mulderbosch from South Africa, a Green Point from Australia, and a lovely Malbec Rose from Susana Balbo in Argentina. Look for a lot of distinction from this lot. You can make rose from just about any red grape (the trick is to whisk it off its skins so as to keep the color light) but each will impart their own character to the wine.

We're hoping for a great turnout for this one, as the summer heat starts to kick in. Gentlemen, I urge you to put your macho pretense aside and come enjoy this one. Nothing affirms your masculine confidence like sipping pink wine with a bunch of beautiful ladies.

So just to recap: 8 wines - $8 - 8pm

THURSDAYS ALL SUMMER LONG

LOOK FOR NEXT WEEK'S TASTING - SPANISH WHITES

Thursday 7/23 Micro Tasting: Riviera Whites

This Thursday at 8pm we are starting our new Micro Tastings as part of our summer Blue Plate Special promotion. The Micro Tastings are a great deal. You get a taste (about an ounce and a half) of 8 different wines for the great price of $8. What's more the wines have been specially selected by the Wine Geeks here at Alfa (namely Joe and EB). We have picked some great warm weather themes that should be a perfect end to a hot summer day.

We are starting, this Thursday, with RIVIERA WHITES. Known for it's playboys, supermodels, and pristine coastline, the French Riviera is also buzzing with great wines and winemakers. The whites from the Riviera can be exotic and lush and they can be fresh and crisp, but one thing overall, they are perfect for drinking on the veranda at Monte Carlo.

Here's a list of the wines for this week. They range from steel aged Chardonnay to blends of Viognier and even some Ugni Blanc.

• Hob Nob, Chardonnay, Languedoc/Rousillon 2006
• Domaine de Martinolles, Chardonnay, Vin de Pays d’Aude, FR 2006
• Chateau Routas, Wild Boar White, Provence FR 2007
• Chateau d’ Aussieres, Blanc, Corbières, 2006

• Vignobles Boudinaud, Grange des Rouquette, Marsanne/ Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2006

• Domaine de Gournier, Viognier, Vin de Pays des Cevennes, 2007
• Maison Maurel Vedeau, Sauvignon Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2006

• Les Eydins, Viognier, Cotes du Luberon, 2004

  
  
  
  
  So just to recap: 8 wines - $8 - 8pm - THURSDAYS ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER.
  
  
  LOOK FOR NEXT WEEK'S TASTING - Global Rose

Summer Blue Plate Specials

We have some exciting discounts for the Dog Days of Summer '09.  The Late Brunch on Sunday is awesome, and I am definitely excited about the Micro Tastings.  Check out the Blog for weekly updates on the Micro Tasting Wines.

Click for Graphic Larger View

LOOK WEIRD AND TASTE GREAT (like Joan Cusack)

Oyster Shooters from Alfa*

Chef Sean Ford has been playing around in his underground lair, concocting fun stuff for summertime.  Result- 3 different flavors of Frozen Vodka Oyster Shooters.  Inspired by the outrageous Bloody Mary recipes that we dreamed up for our now defunct brunch (sad...), the oyster shooters come in Classic Spicy Tomato, Tomatillo/Lime Verde, and the Carrot/Jalepeno.  Chef first freezes the Svedka Vodka in the bottom of the glass, when we drop in the Original Blue Point Oyster the Vodka comes to life.  As always, our Oysters are raised in sustainable farms, and I guess that means our children will get to do Oyster Shooters in the year 2030, during the Timberlake Administration.  

Look for them on the menu on Wednesday May 26th 

$3 @ Happy Hour

$6 regular price & $15.50 for a flight of 3

The Sully

1 oz Meyer Lemon/ Cucumber & Tarragon Infused Ketel One Vodka

1 oz Beefeater Gin

1/3 oz Velvet Falernum

1/3 oz Lillet

1/3 oz Luxardo Dry Maraschino

1/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Shave Vigorously and Strain into Cocktail Glass.

Garnish with Orange Twist. 

Alfa Romeo: Recipe

1 1/2 oz Strawberry Passionfruit Green Tea Infused Vodka

1/2 oz Aperol

1/4 Velvet Falernum

1/4 Averna

Splash of San Pellegrino Aranciata

Shake vigorously and strain into Cocktail Glass

Garnish with Orange Twist

New Cocktail: Alfa Romeo

The Alfa Blog

The brain trust at Alfa Restaurant and Bar have decided to try out another of the world wide web's conduits for the decimation of vital information, the blog.   We're not entirely sure what we will be doing with it, but we figure it could be fun.  I think we will post some specials, event updates, pictures of ourselves, our food, and maybe some folks having fun at the bar.  It is also very likely that there will be a generous helping of our ruminations on life, food, revelry and all things gastro-metaphysical.   

Cheers

Joe B.