Tip Of My Tongue: TAPS losing Chef Abe Asay

50 Years of Chocolates

See’s Candies shop here in Petaluma will celebrate their 50-year anniversary this Friday starting at 10 a.m. There will be special giveaways and promotions and plenty of sweetness for all. They are located at 333 S. McDowell Blvd, in front of Safeway. The company as a whole celebrated their 100-year anniversary last year, and since 1972 has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s company. See’s makes all their candies in one of two California factories and for the past three decades has used a special formula chocolate from the country’s oldest family run chocolate maker – Burlingame’s Guittard Chocolate Company. One of See’s two factories is actually within sight of Guittard Chocolate and is where, in 2012, See’s broke the world record by creating a 7,000-pound lollypop.

Acme Burger

Last week we reported about our first visit to Super Burger, and that there will likely be many more to come. Around the same time, I just so happened to be driving by Crooked Goat Brewing and saw what appeared to be a couple of people of importance poking around the old Cotija restaurant/gas station out front. I had a few extra minutes, so I pulled in, hopped out of the car, and introduced myself. Sure enough, one of them was the owner of Acme Burger, the new burger joint slated for that location, and the other was one of the main logistic guys for Crooked Goat. Owner Todd Kniess said the restaurant is progressing and should be open late summer/early fall. We have not yet tried their Cotati or Santa Rosa locations, but hear great things, so look forward to trying them out once opened and will report back.

Lagunitas IPA Day

There is no doubt that American beer drinkers love IPA’s, a beer invented during England’s colonial period. Originally called India Pale Ale, the beer received extra hops in order to make the long journey to India, where it was too hot to brew beer. Not wanting to step on the British’s toes, American brewers called ours “IPAs”, but they are essentially the same. For the same reason, most brewers term their pilsners “pils”, showing deference to the original pilsner, which is brewed by Pilsner Urquell in Plzen, Czech Republic. The growth in popularity of American IPAs has spawned a plethora of sub-categories of IPAs, including West Coast, East Coast, New England, Belgian, Hazy (also called Juicy), Milkshake, Citrus, Black, Double, Triple, Session, and many others.

With IPAs being so popular in the U.S. it is no wonder that we now have a National IPA Day, which this year is Thursday, Aug. 4. Because our own local brewery, Lagunitas, was at the forefront of the American IPA revolution, it is fitting that the City of Petaluma will issue a proclamation this year naming the first Thursday of August “Lagunitas IPA Day.” The proclamation will be held at 4:20 p.m. this Thursday at the Lagunitas TapRoom and Beer Santucary, with Mayor Teresa Barrett leading the toast.

“With a wide range of IPA styles, there’s a Lagunitas brew for every occasion and person,” said Paige Guzman, Lagunitas’ Chief Marketing Officer. “From our iconic IPA to our Non-Alcoholic IPNA, we’re dedicated to making sure there’s a Lagunitas beer for everyone. We even created an IPA Day Matchmaker to help our friends discover which deliciously hoppy IPA is right for them.”

Lagunitas re-branding

In an interesting sidenote, the same survey as mentioned above returned an interesting result when people were asked what they thought “IPA” stands for. One in 20 participants in the survey thought it meant “International Puppy Appreciation,” although let’s be honest, there’s a good chance the participants were already drinking before taking the survey. Regardless, this leads into the topic of the Lagunitas Brewing’s rebranding, which will feature the Lagunitas dog more prominently.

“We scrutinized our existing packaging and determined we needed our look to better match the quality of our great brews,” said Paige. “We refreshed our packaging design to build consistency across formats and brands, and to feature the Lagunitas dog in a bigger way. The new designs reflect the personality of the brews and brings in the playful, original style that Lagunitas is known for, as well as gives shoppers a sense for what they would experience if they picked up a Lagunitas brew. We didn’t take this change lightly. The redesign is a big undertaking and investment, and we wanted to ensure we went about it in the right way. To land on the best new packaging design, we talked to consumers and fans of our brand every step of the way, including conducting focus groups, interviews and quantitative research.”

From day one the Lagunitas pup has graced their many labels, but it’s about more than just marketing. Lagunitas has long had a connection to our furry friends, with dogs always being welcome in their both the business and the beer garden side of their business. Lagunitas also has a strong charitable connection to animal shelters, including a national partnership with “The Best Friends Animal Society.” For those who are wondering about the famous pup on the Lag labels, it is not based on any one particular team member’s dog. It was inspired by Petey from the Little Rascals. That does beg the question though, what do the folks at Lagunitas call the dog on their label? I would imagine it has to have a name of some sort. If not, it seems like a naming contest is in order.

New Restaurant Delivery

Petaluma Food Taxi has added a few more restaurants to their list of delivery partners, including Dandy Sandos, Pink Owl Coffee, Red Boy Pizza Petaluma, Stefano’s and the Superburger. Orders can be places for these locations, and more, through www.petalumafoodtaxi.com, their app, or by phone at (707) 772-9007. Yes, you can order Petaluma Food Taxi over the phone if you don’t have the app or can’t get online to order.

Hong Kong BBQ Restaurant Reopens

Fantasy Restaurant, offering Chinese cuisine and Hong Kong style BBQ announced their reopening this past week. Fantasy had been on mind ever since driving by a week or so ago and thinking they looked closed down. Thankfully, they are back and according to their Facebook page, are “Looking forward to seeing your lovely faces again.” Limited tables are available for dine in service is available, with hot pot, but they promise that everything will go back to normal in September. To read the Argus’s feature article on Fantasy, click: https://www.petaluma360.com/article/entertainment/fantasy-restaurant-lives-up-to-its-petaluma-name/?ref=mosthome&fbclid=IwAR0q76UB7S_FZuSYwm7kzrFehNIqjfOYTSo-2Za_ZDi-2uaKm0W7hLyKuGw

Thanks for the memories

TAPS Chef Abe Asay is leaving us for greener pastures, moving back to Missouri to pursue new adventures. For those who may not recognize the name, Chef Abe has been with TAPS since the start (over in Hotel Petaluma) and has helped to create one of Petaluma’s truly special menus. Prior to the pandemic, we were Thursday night regulars because that was when Chef Abe would release a few special menu items. To call this special menu a hidden gem is an understatement. From special Robert Burns night menu items to an Oktoberfest menu better than what we ate at the actual Oktoberfest, Chef Abe is a magician in the kitchen. His breadth of flavors is truly amazing, and when paired with TAPS’s huge selection of fresh tap beers, made every visit like a whole new culinary experience. From gumbo to pupusas to veggie pakoras to Scotch broth to quail poppers to duck confit to the best peanut butter cup I have ever had, Chef Abe’s imagination and execution knows no bounds. Chef Abe has treated Petalumans to true one-of-a-kind dining experience and easily ranks in my top five favorite chefs, above many of the Michelin star chefs I have experienced. From the simple and comforting to the sophisticated, alluring and intriguing, Chef Abe’s impact on the Petaluma food scene will never truly be appreciated. When a pub is turning out such great food, every other restaurant must step up their game. Thanks for all the great meals, Chef Abe. We wish you the best and once you establish yourself at a new restaurant in Missouri, we are likely to go out of our way to try to come visit you the next time we are visiting minor league baseball stadiums in your area. You helped to raise the bar of the whole Petaluma food scene.

Email houston@avantlard.com with questions/comments.