Nuit Belge

I'm going to start by saying that this event was beyond epic and I would probably give it 10 stars if I could.We got here early because we had VIP passes and we were immediately given a complimentary "sampling" glass for the beers we would be trying. As much as I liked the private VIP area, once the main floor opened up, I didn't go back to the VIP section. There is honestly so much going on that if you don't get VIP, you won't notice.After an hour of VIP mingling, we headed downstairs for the pairings. Everything was set up on tables all around two large rooms, the food and beer pairing was listed on each table and no one table had a super long line so it was easy to jump from table to table sampling goodies. I sampled what seemed like a little bit of everything: cheese, quail, pork skins, fancy candy, fancy meats, duck confit, oysters, short rib and much more. There was so much food that I could barely keep up with it all. My pick of the night for my favorite dish (besides the oysters and the cheese because duh) was the smoked steelhead trout, cream cheese, black brioche and Meyer lemon from Square Root. It was paired with Praire Standard, a Saison from Oklahoma. Everything about this pairing was perfect and I couldn't get enough of that trout. I have to get to Square Root one of these days!Throughout the party, there was a nice band playing that kept things lively and all of the vendors were happy to tell you about what they were sampling and how it paired with their beer offering. It was a really perfect event and worth every penny. Think of it this way: you are at a party where it's basically all you can eat and drink for 3 hours and it's really good food and beer. You can't beat that.They are going to be doing another Nuit Belge next year and I plan to attend. If you missed this year's event, you should really plan on checking it out next year. I am sure that next year's Nuit Belge will be even better!

Nuit Belge was one of my favorite pairing events I've attended. The crowd was a nice size, not too large that you had to wait in line for 10 minutes, and small enough that you had a chance to talk to the restaurant representatives and beer pourers. I had the majority of the food/beer pairings at the event, and while some weren't to my taste, I did understand why the pairings were made. There were dishes from savory to sweet and everything in between. The cheese pairings were my favorite - especially with their respective beers, and the chocolates from Olive+Sinclair were TO. DIE. FOR. I hadn't eaten at some of the restaurants that were represented in quite some time, so tasting their delicious foods made me nostalgic and want to go back to each restaurant for dinner. Tasting the foods from the restaurants I haven't been to, made me all the more eager to give them a try.I would absolutely attend this event again, and actually hope it comes back to New Orleans. I can't say enough good things about the event and am so glad my husband and I had the opportunity to attend! Next time, I'll be sure to charge my phone before so it doesn't die immediately upon entry. I'm upset that I wasn't able to take any pictures.

Wow. Let's start there, just Wow! This was a fantastic event! So thankful to Yelp for allowing the opportunity to win these tickets. Rest assured, my guest and I enjoyed this event immensely. Upon arrival at 7:30, had our tickets and IDs scanned, then were given a menu and Tulip Glass for tasting. There were 17 tables serving food with a beer pairing. So much food to talk about, so I'll just hit on my favorites.Balise served up a Smothered Chicken tamale with a dark Belgian beer. The tamale was tasty, wish the chef looked a little more happy to be there however. Nonetheless, liked the dish and the beer pairing. For my sweet tooth Shaya served a pastry called Galaktoboureka (try saying that 3 times). It was a pastry shell with piped in spiced chocolate mouse, paired with a creamy Belgium. I had two of these and went back and had two glasses of this particular beer. Apparently the beer, a Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek, retailed at $50 a bottle. So it was a treat to enjoy two tastings of this! My favorite of the night was served by Angeline. A Southern Fried Quail over a cornbread puree drizzled with honey and housemade hot sauce. The Quail was a delight and the friendly Chef enjoyed talking about his food. Another star in my book was Purloo's Lemon Shortbread Bars, once again appealing to my sweet tooth.The event hosted a band which played enjoyable background music. The venue seemed perfect size wise, enough room where attendees weren't bumping into one another. The lines at the tables were minimal so you didn't have to stand around waiting to get a bite. The food offerings were a good assortment. I think anyone could have found something they really enjoyed!note: The tickets said cocktail attire to which we adhered, however seemed like many people didn't read this.