The Federal: Brews & Bellies Event

I fell head over heels in love with The Federal on my first visit. As we closed on that amazing meal the stars of the beer loving universe aligned and I was handed a menu for an event just 5 days later. What? Brews & Bellies? I was sold.

An old pal and fellow beer wench joined me on this adventure. Again, I broke my healthy eating during the week rule but I am all about breaking rules lately... I even have a small muffin top as proof. FML. Anyways, here goes the story of our yummy escapade.

For $45 per person, you get a this four course meal with beer pairings.

We started off with a complimentary sample of their new house beer, The Federale, which was awesome. Very fruity and refreshing... my friend said "this is a breakfast beer," which as boozy as that sounds, was all true. First course was the Potted Wabbit, which is a a jar of rabbit accompanied by whipped brie, candied guava and crusty bread. We also went ahead and ordered the Jar O Duck, which I had on my last visit and my friend also loves. Unbeknownst to us, the duck and rabbit are presented the same way. Did we care? Heck no! It was awesome. The rabbit was delicious, I don't think I have ever had rabbit, and it was nice surprise. The whipped brie was rich as brie should be, and the candied guava was outrageously delicious. It was like tiny chunks of candy, but rich in guava flavor. We massacred both dishes without shame.

Jar O' Duck

Potted Wabbit

This course came with Cigar City Table Saison & Tequesta Brewery Gnarley Barley Pale Ale. Both beers were yummy. If memory serves me correctly, we preferred the Cigar City over the Barley Ale.

Next up, the Crispy Beefy Bits. I was a little apprehensive about this dish since I am not a fan of mondongo and these beefy bits are made of tripe. Yikes. However, what they say is true, anything fried tastes amazing and these little bits of fried beef were pretty damn delicious. The kinda looked like Fritos, but tasted much more sophisticated. This dish came with "Miami's Own" Gravity Brewery Dubble Trouble, which was dark and handsome and all sorts of yummy.

Following that was a dish that made The Flintstones' theme song play in my head over and over like a broken record. The Smoked Pork Shank with black eyed pead and crispy sweet plantains was probable the best dish of the night. The meat was super, duper, uber tender. It just fell off the bone as soon as you touched it. It was seasoned so well... you can tell this beast was cooking for hours. The salad was fresh and added a touch of earthiness to this cornivorous wet dream. It was paired with Ligero Brown Lager and Vanilla Maduro Brown Ale, which we were told was used to braise the meat. The Vanilla Maduro was awesome. Sweet and caramely, loved it. 

And to seal the deal - Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding... a red velvet bread pudding with peanut butter sauce and charred marshmallow fluff. This thing was seriously good. The folks at The Federal do not f*ck around when it comes to their desserts. Amazing. It was paired with a "Miami's Own" Gravity Brewery Black Sapote Dubble Trouble which didn't get a photo and I can't even remember because the bread pudding stole all the well deserved thunder.

I love this place. If it wasn't so far I would be here weekly. Next up will be their brunch. I cannot wait for another foodie adventure at The Federal.