Diggin' the Dinosaur

BIG business meeting, 20 people coming into town, and I’m in charge of entertainment for the evening.  Where do you take a large group out to dinner? Well if it left to me, I will pick a place with large quantities of spicy food and a great beer selection.  So I picked Dinosaur Barbeque (http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/locations/troy/) in Troy since it met both of my criteria, and the set us up really nice in the back room so that we could talk as a group.

Dinosaur was featured on Man vs. Food (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le7a5QwSMwo), but at their original Syracuse location (bar-b-que and bikers).  I always go to their Rochester location when I’m at the Synod Assembly, and we were fortunate when they opened a location in Troy.  They have about 20 taps, and have always had Middle Ages (MA) brewing from Syracuse brew their house beer, Dinosaur Ape Hanger Ale.  I was happy to see a new MA beer, Dinosaur Smoked Porter, on tap.  What a great selection to go with all the smoked meats.  The beer was on the light side for a porter (as compared with a Smuttynose Baltic Porter or Alaskan Smoked Porter), with only a hint of smokiness, presumably so that it would not overpower the taste of the food (boy does that sound like my Harpoon beer dinner last week).  Our table got the large swag plate for an appetizer (I love the deviled eggs and the fried green tomatoes), I tried a local IPA from Crossroads, and then we ready to order dinner.

I always get the same thing, the Pork-Sket sandwich that was highlighted on the TV show.  It’s a natural choice for me since it is pulled pork, beef brisket, pickled jalapenos and NY cheddar cheese (all delicious).  This time I decided to try something different and went for the Bronzed Catfish.  It was marinated in Tabasco and I thought it may have been a better choice for Weight Watchers (although not much better).  It was delicious, tasty, and certainly spicy.  For my next beer I went for a Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye on draft, a great new offering from the microbrew king.  One of the best things about Dinosaur are their sides, and I always have to get their BBQ fried rice.  I also got their chopped salad with their House BBQ dressing.  The meal was great, so was the company.  It is always good to go out away from the office to find out more about your teammates, giving us something else to talk about besides technical issues and schedules, and of course the beer helps.

It was a nice evening (lots of positive feedback), and since I was in the neighborhood I stopped at the Ruck for a Southern Tier oak aged pumking to distress.  That is strange to say, but it is true.  Hosting and talking is stressful work for me, and I enjoyed the time for myself.  5990/12017

“Work is the curse of the drinking class.” – Oscar Wilde