Visiting Torst Tonight

Torst is beer only. All the bartenders are very friendly and will definitely make tap/bottle suggestions for you and your wife based on what you like. Foodwise near Torst, I remember there was a thread on this not too long ago with restaurant suggestions (mostly Polish). See if you can find that thread. Also, Torst is actually debuting it's own restaurant Luksus with a 5 course menu. It will be open for the public on 07/16 but the soft open is before that. Give them a call and see if they can set up up with a table on Sunday. Enjoy.

 

Oh we bottomed that one out a long time ago. Kolsch, maybe a saison or grisette. The problem is getting her to drink more than one.

 

Found the thread. Thanks!

http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...n-new-york-city-jeppe-evil-twin.68807/page-11

 

Also most of those recs are for really close by if I remember correctly, but if it's nice out and you don't mind a bit of a stroll (or a very short drive if you're driving) it's only 15-20 minutes to lots of places in Williamsburg at which point your restaurant options are essentially limitless. St. Anselm is a personal favorite (probably 15 minute walk, 5 minute drive from Torst) that can be a long wait but has a nice bar next door with good beer and wine options (for the Mrs.) for while you wait. Fette Sau across the street is also phenomenal if you like barbecue.

 

There's a really fun place like a 10min walk from Torst that I just remembered that's called "Allswell" absolutely LOVE that place, awesome little snacks, fun menu and killer cocktail list. Get her a few of the drinks they create there and all she'll need/want is a kolsch when you arrive to Torst, LOL.

 

Going to Luksus (the restaurant at Torst) tonight for the soft opening.

I won free beer pairings to go with the tasting menu through their Facebook trivia contest yesterday.

Needless to say, I can't wait!

I'll be sure to report back with details.

 

I did too, but unfortunately won't be dropping $75 for dinner.

 

see you there

 

My rundown of the meal I had at Luksus last night:

The food was all fantastic, creative and beautifully presented. The serving staff was very knowledgeable of the food and the beers being paired with it. John did a great job with the pairings (and they definitely don't skimp...we got refills on pretty much every beer we were given). And it's nice how different people will come serve you the courses...it might be a waitress, it might be Dan Burns, it might be one of the other chefs. The courses were perfectly paced and we never felt rushed (the meal took about 2.5hrs). It's a very a welcoming environment.

Now onto the meal...

The first "course" was 3 separate "snacks," all paired with The Bruery Hottenroth (Berliner Weise):
-- Ham & Vinegar: it was a ham chip, a slice of ham (i think iberico) dried out to the point that it was as crispy as a potato chip, with vinegar powder...basically the greatest salt and vinegar chip ever
-- Mussel & Dulse: a mussel emulsion with pickled carrots and dulse/seaweed crackers...basically a creamy mussel dip with some diced pickled veggies for acid and texture
-- Carrot & Beet: perfectly roasted beets and carrots with an egg emulsion...simple, but perfect

Bread course paired with Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett:
--crunchy, warm, straight from the oven sourdough bread with soft, homemade butter...there was plenty of it, but I still wanted more

Second course (with more Femme Fatale Brett):
-- Radish: raw razor clams, with shaved radishes, cucumber broth and bone marrow...clean, crisp and oh so good

Third course (paired with Stillwater/Hof Ten Bronze Age):
-- Little Gem: grilled little gem salad, with a salad of roasted and pureed maitake mushrooms, pea broth, and egg yolk...this was my favorite dish of the meal...I'm assuming they cooked the egg in an immersion-circulator, because it had that ideal creamy tenderness, by no means runny and by no means set...this was such a perfect salad

Fourth course (paired with BFM Abbey de Saint Bon Chien 2012):
-- Lamb: super fatty (and absolutely delicious) lamb breast, marinated in yogurt and burnt hay, slow cooked and then seared, served with sunchoke puree and a salad of thinly sliced potatoes, wax beans and lamb tongue...this dish had a great richness and so many well balanced flavors going on, but nothing was overwhelming

Palate Cleanser:
--Spruce sorbet with beet and blueberry gelee and a sorrel "broth"...very unique, literally tasted like eating a spruce tree, but in a good way...my palate was definitely cleansed.

Fifth/dessert course (paired with Beet Boon...2009 Mariage Parfait Oude Geuze to which they had housemade beet juice):
-- Rhubarb Mousse: served with a beet meringue chip, pea sorbet, shaved roasted beets, and the flowers of the anise hyssop plant...this kind of dessert is right up my alley as I'm not into super sweet desserts...every component didn't seem appropriate, until you took a bite with all of them together...really great and the Beet Boon was a really cool pairing

Extra dessert:
-- Flødebolle (I had to look up that spelling): a typical Danish pastry consisting of a cookie topped with a marshmellowy goodness and covered in chocolate...this one had a butter cookie with strawberry and apple cider vinegar meringue, covered in chocolate...I'm glad this came out because my girlfriend was craving some chocolate and it made her quite happy

Extra beer:
-- Evil Twin Torst Back Room...quite appropriate considering where we were and a great end to the meal (along with the pot of tea (or coffee if we had wanted it) that they brought to the table


Well that was an amazing meal, with amazing beers and I can't wait to go back again sometime.

Great job Dan, John and the rest of the staff!

 

I had a blast at Torst when I was in New York a few weeks ago. Belated shout out to Wherethewildbeersgo for the healthy pours, great banter, and tour of the most insane beer cellar I have ever seen.

Also Jeppe was present and was kind enough to pour my brother and I some of the Prairie Bomb he was drinking with the staff (maybe my favorite beer of the night, incidentally). Awesome tap list with some great beers, including a bunch of cool shit I never would have heard of. Will definitely be making a return visit next time I'm in town.

 

Saints above....Tørst is amazing on so many levels.