“The Deli??!!”, I thought. “A Michael Jackson Beer Dinner being served at a restaurant called The Deli?” I conjured up images of pastrami on rye with a pickle and slaw being paired with a Coors Light! But then I came to the realization that The Beerhunter would never allow such a blasphemy. That thought notwithstanding, I searched out their website to check out the ability of this venue to provide a heartier sustenance than its name connoted. The sample menu provided some consolation, but I was still not totally convinced. I decided to ring them up and inquire about this alleged $80 gastronomic event. The management assured me that, even though the menu had not yet been finalized, haute cuisine was the order of the day! With that, I ordered the tickets and hoped for the best!

My fears were not totally assuaged until I physically entered the establishment. The English pub-style ambiance was pronounced with warm woods and green-shaded overhead lamps. The cozy dining area was overseen by a long bar with a multitude of taphandles seemingly rising out of the granite surface. I thought to myself that this place is getting better all the time! Having arrived early, my son and I decided to saunter up to these beckoning taps and see what they contained. I was stunned! A lot of good beers were pouring from these 25 taps! I then knew that this was going to be a special event! I settled down with a Rogue Dead Guy Ale and my progeny, a Lindeman’s Framboise. They were served in frosted glasses, but I felt that to be an indulgence in a college town.
As we were enjoying our inaugural brew, Michael Goldfine, co-organizer of the State College Microbrewers’ Expo and beer geek extraordinaire, escorted in the Maven of Malt introducing him to the restaurant principals. The anticipation and the queue began to mount. At the stroke of six, we were escorted back to the private dining room where we were to be beered and dined to our heart’s delight! I made a stop to greet MJ and see how his trip was faring so far. It was also the first time I had met Michael Goldfine with whom I had been trading e-mails. After the pleasantries were dispensed with, it was time to settle down at a table and get the festivities started. At each place, we discovered a coil-bound booklet detailing each course of our culinary adventure along with the libation that was paired with it and a space for tasting notes. Of all the dinners I have attended, this was a unique feature, which gave a touch of class to an already elegant event. Mr. Jackson, with his usual aplomb, began with his introduction, relating anecdotes, digressing often, as is his wont, and thoroughly entertaining the attendees as a multitude of servers delivered the aperitif beer, Victory’s Whirlwind Wit. This beer from Downington, PA is a refreshing Belgian-style wheat beer with a light citrusy flavor full of coriander and Curacao orange peel. I couldn’t think of a better beginning.

Our first course was mushroom-filled Belgian endive leaves paired with the Trappist ale, Orval, a unique Belgian brew with a pronounced hop flavor augmented by a multi-strain yeasting. Our trip to Belgium had prepared me for foods like this and I ate every bite. Looking towards the next offering, I knew this would be my downfall….mussels! A dish of green-lipped mussels steamed in Hanssens Gueuze accompanied by Lindeman’s Cuvee Renee, a tart blend of young and aged lambics from the Zenne Valley in Belgium; by far, my favorite style of Belgian. However, I did eat better than half the mussels and my son, a non-seafood eater, devoured them all! Of course I sopped up my favorite gueuze sauce with the outstanding assortment of breads served with the meal. That stepping stone hurdled, we moved on to the salad, which was white asparagus Flemish style, coated with a butter sauce and quite tasty! We were served Westmalle Tripel with this, the benchmark of all tripels from the Westmalle monastery. At 9% abv, it is full of hop flavor and fruity esters from the ale yeast used to ferment it, a brave but welcome choice given its alcoholic content.
Of course, between each course we were treated to history and tasting notes by our guest of honor as well as anything else that would come to mind (did I mention his digressions?). Not that anyone cared! His stories are so interesting, one could listen all night if time allowed. But it was time for the entrée already!  Steak and Belgian frites with grilled jumbo prawns, steamed baby carrots and haricots verts, and grilled Portobello mushrooms plated in a most pleasing arrangement. We were to have our choice of beers here, but the Liefman’s Goudeband was not available so we had to settle for Ommegang’s Rare Vos (Sly Fox), which was not a difficult task. A product of one of America’s premiere Belgian-style breweries in Cooperstown, NY, it is an enjoyable, spicy ale and complemented the dish exquisitely. To cleanse the palate before dessert, we were served a plate of cheeses: Roquefort, Chimay Trappist, and Etorki paired with Chimay Grand Reserve, a dark, malty ale with a complex mix of sweet, spicy and fruity esters and a long lasting finish. Its winelike character lent a refreshing character with the cheese. Of course, MJ had known the Chimay monks for many years and had been privy to an otherwise cloistered brewery. Needless to say, some unique stories were related.
After everything else, they forced us to eat dessert! An assortment of pastries: Chocolate Kriek Intemperance, fresh Fruit Cherry Tart, and Cherry Mousse in Chocolate Cup with Lindeman’s Kriek Sauce, all washed down with, what else, Lindeman’s Kriek of course! This fine lambic is infused with fresh cherries in the barrel and allowed to ferment with them which imbues the brew with a natural cherry flavor as opposed to ones that just add cherry syrup to their already fermented lambics.
Last but not least, a real surprise awaited us. Instead of a final beer, the Maven of Malt decided to expand our horizons and pour us Dalmore Cigar Malt, a Single Malt Scotch with hints of chocolate and smoky flavor and aged between 10 and 20 years. Most not being Scotch drinkers, I believe it was a successful ending to a wonderfully memorable evening. They even used a Dalmore logo glass!
To complete the experience, Michael sold and signed an assortment of his literary works or whatever you wanted as a keepsake. Already owning all his books, I had him sign the booklet making it a real memento!
It was hard to believe that this was their first foray into the world of beer dinners! The Deli staff seemed ready for anything and it all went off without a hitch, at least that we could tell! Kudos to Jennifer and the rest of the employees of The Deli! I will never doubt you again and you will be on my list of places to stop every time I’m in State College. I recommend it for all lovers of beer and fine food. Located at 113 Hiester St., just off of E.College Ave across from the campus, there is convenient public parking across the street. Phone 814-237-5710 for info or visit their website: dantesinc.com .