Smuttynose Beer Dinner - Murphy's on the Green, Hanover

Although there have been numerous instances when I have not even considered attending a dinner that offers beer and food pairings, the menu preview for Murphy's Smuttynose Beer Dinner on April 28, 2010 peaked my curiosity to the point that I could not say no. I thus proceeded to extend invitations and was happily surprised that "J" seemed keen to accept.
I, by no means, consider myself close to being a connoisseur of beers and ales, so please excuse the absence of much commentary on that side of the meal, and accept the opinions I do offer with a grain of salt!
The dinner opened with the Smuttynose seasonal offering, The Hanami Ale, which was described as having a tart, cherry flavor. Our opening course to harmonize the beer was a "Scallops Sashimi," served with sweet soy, radish, and house pickled ginger. The scallops were pleasantly fresh and had a nice bite and did not require the elaborate accompaniments suggested; which turned out to be a good thing, as the house pickled ginger seemed to be missing from the plate anyways and the radish hardly presented any added flavor. As for the ale, I felt it was a bit strong bodied for the soft sweetness of the scallops and was missing a nice dry and crisp white varietal.
Next on the menu came a "Colorado Lamb Tar Tar" paired with The Brown Dog Ale, which was a pleasant surprise. Firstly, I was quite partial to the darker ale which was certainly hoppy, but proved a nice step away from the tartness of its predecessor, and secondly the lamb tar tare was in no way overpowering in meat flavor or texture. In fact the morsels could have almost melted in the mouth without a lingering taste of lamb or even of the minced shallots and garlic. Accompanying the meat was the yolk of a quail egg, a horseradish aoli, and brioche toasts, which made the dish the overall winner of the night for me. The fatty nature of the egg yolk and aoli combined with the crispiness of the brioche toasts created a beautiful medley of taste and texture without too much of a powerful note from the horseradish.
Course number three was the one I had been looking forward to the most, and perhaps, for that reason, was the one that disappointed me the most. "Pan Seared Pacific Halibut Cheeks" were paired with The IPA. Because I have no affinity for IPAs from any brewer, I chose to hardly touch the beer except to sample the pairing with the dish. The Halibut cheeks themselves were certainly fresh and had a nice mellow flavor, but while they were nice and crispy in texture on the outside they were brutally overcooked and dry within. The additions to the dish were fresh mango, cracked coriander and young cilantro, which in the case of the first and the last were hardly distinguishable, and in the case of the seeds were unpleasantly sharp and inconsistent in both flavor and texture - too much coriander at one point and then lingering shards of seed in one's teeth! All in all not a course I would recommend that Murphy's put on its nightly menu.
The fourth and final savory course was "Fennel Crusted Sweetbreads" served with fresh morel mushrooms, house made duck prosciutto, and a parsnip puree. This was paired with The Big IPA, which given my impartiality to the standard IPA was also hardly touched on my part - fortunately my partner for the evening was willing to tackle it on my behalf! Nevertheless, the sweetbreads were as deliciously rich as could be, and further complemented by a creamy bed of parsnip puree and blanquette-like sauce. Unfortunately the "fresh" morel mushrooms were a disappointment as they appeared to actually be the dried variation improperly soaked so that they were unpleasantly crisp, but the duck prosciutto made for a nice compromise adding saltiness and bight to the dish that otherwise could have been slurped rather than chewed.
Our final course, though superbly creative and promising in taste and texture, was a bit of a let down. "Tempura Banana 'Sushi'" rather than being pieces of crisply coated soft and caramelized banana, was more like banana baby food. However it was wrapped in the traditional format of seaweed and sushi rice, and was a lot of fun to play with - something I always find appealing in my food. The caramel crispies mentioned in the description seemed to be missing, but given the soggy nature of the banana coating they were likely a necessary addition to the plate. However there was a type of pickled or marinated cabbage accompaniment that came as a surprising bonus! The Robust Porter was the chosen brew, but in my taste was too strong and hearty in flavor and body to pair well with the delicacy that is sushi.
Thus, you have my review of my first and perhaps not last beer dinner at Murphy's. I think the boys in the kitchen have a good thing going for them and they should pursue their creativity and attention to local, seasonal, and flavorful food!