Triumph Peach
About
Triumph Brewing Company in Princeton will offer a five-course, five-beer pairing dinner at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, in honor of King Gambrinus, considered since the Middle Ages as an unofficial patron saint of beer brewing.
Tickets cost $65 all-inclusive and reservations are required. For more information and reservations, call 609-924-7855 or e-mail sales@triumphbrew.com
With the spring return of the shad to the Delaware River, the 28th annual Shad Festival also will return to Lambertville 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26. The event has evolved from a local art show into a nationally recognized event that draws fans of fine art, crafts and gourmet food to the historic river town from all over the region.
A diverse food court features ever-popular street fare such as taco salad, fried calamari, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries and lemonade, but being Lambertville, a unique gourmet destination, some restaurateurs also will be setting up booths outside their locations around town, to offer samples of the best of their chef’s kitchens.
Many people who have never tasted the event’s namesake shad, will get a chance from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, as Jim Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s Grill Room will demonstrate how to cook shad roe and give out samples in front of his restaurant, in the Porkyard on Coryell Street. The event also marks the first time Hamilton’s Grill will be open for lunch on the weekends.
Hamilton, a lifelong Lambertville resident as well as having a career as a Broadway set designer, cook and operator of a number of other restaurants, says he will separate the sets of roe, the shad’s eggs, and show how to first poach, then batter-dip and pan-fry the roe in bacon fat, “so it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.” He’ll top it off with crumbled bacon as a garnish.
Hamilton says that shad is now becoming available in Lambertville-New Hope area supermarkets, although last year because the river was too high and the water temperature wasn’t right, it was hard to get shad. This year, he says, the fish is plentiful, and he expects to be cooking free shad roe for more than 100 people, as he has done at past festivals.
Lambertville Station will prepare grilled shad outside the restaurant at 11 Bridge St. Among the other food court offerings, festival fans are not only looking forward to the famous crab cakes made by Paul Eschallier of Bell’s Tavern on N. Union Street, but the debut this year of his shad and shrimp fritters.
Triumph Brewing Company of New Hope will offer beer samplings and pulled pork sandwiches.
Giuseppe’s Ristorante will provide water ice and cookies next to its restaurant at the corner of Bridge and N. Union, and also on N. Union, Ennis Market will sell shad wraps and shad fillets as well as roe to take home and cook yourself.
Sushi lovers can stop outside Ota-Ya at 21 Ferry St. and Wonderful World of Wines, 8 S. Union St., is featuring a wine sampling from the local vineyards of Alba and Crossings. Wrap up the tastings meal with a bite of fudge from The Chocolate
