Friday night there was a Chocolate & Belgian Beer Dinner at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco. Chef Bruce Paton, a.k.a. the Beer Chef, has been putting on these sort of dinners for ten years and is rightly famous for them. The beers for the dinner were Aventinus and all of the imported Chimays. The chocolate was Scharffen Berger. Besides the cocktail hour of Aventinus and chocolatey hors d’oeuvres, there were four courses, each with a different Chimay beer paired with it and chocolate used in the dish itself. First course was Napoleon of Butter Poached Lobster, Artichoke and Celery Root with Chocolate Sauce Americaine paired with Chimay Cinq Cents. The second course was Ravioli of Duck Confit and Cocoa Nibs in Natural Jus with Duck Ham and Micro Arugula paired with Chimay Premiere. Third course was Angus Beef Short Ribs Braised in Chimay with Creamy Grits and Chocolate Balsamic Reduction paired with Chimay Grand Reserve. The fourt and dessert course was a trio of Artisan Chocolate Escapades with Vintage 2000 Chimay Grand Reserve to wash it down. Everything was delicious and the evening was a rollicking success for all.

Beer Chef Bruce Paton addresses the crowd.

Lars Larson, brewmaster at Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley, poses with Judy Ashworth’s daughter, whose holding up the back page of the Celebrator with Lars’ picture on it, and Tom Dalldorf, Celebrator publisher.

Tom Dalldorf with Pete and Amy Slosberg, of Pete’s Wicked fame. Pete’s now doing his own chocolates and they’re quite yummy under the name Cocoa Pete’s.

Fal Allen (who’s now in Singapore), Kate Gaiser (from Washington) and me.

Two Marin brewers. James Costa (from Moylan’s) and Arne Johnson (from Marin Brewing)

Dave Suurballe (from the Toronado), Fal Allen and Shaun O’Sullivan (from 21st Amendment)

Fal and Shaun mug for the camera.

Yes, Shaun that’s mugging for the camera. If you keep making this face I’ll continue calling it mugging.

Matt Salie, who’s now with Big Sky Brewing cracks up Fal and Shaun.

Our yummy dessert plate.

Getting a leg up on dessert.

Chef Bruce Paton (in white) and someone from Scharffen Berger whose name I didn’t catch along with all the brewers present. From left: Arne Johnson, Fal Allen, Lars Larson, Shaun O’Sullivan and James Costa.