Did our Beer Issue and International Beerfest leave you thirsty for more? There's still time to revel in the final days of Oktoberfest.
Last week, I mentioned the innovative beer dinners at Zen Forrest (4148 Rowan Road, New Port Richey, 727-372-9545, zenforrest.com) in New Port Richey. This palace to pan-Asian cuisine re-arranges the entire dining room for the affairs, forming communal tables and stringing the ceiling with decorations and lamps, "like a street market in Thailand," according to chef/owner Victor Wang.
Wang comes up with a menu of traditional Asian street-vendor fare, then works with former brewmaster Bob Haa to pick just the right beers.
Zen Forrest's next beer dinner is this weekend ($55, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 27), featuring 10 small courses paired with appropriate imported and craft-brewed beers — like soba noodles with Tommyknocker Jackwacker American wheat beer or Korean seafood pajon with Saison Dupont from Belgium. Haa will be on hand to discuss the beers and answer questions.
This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2007.