Holeman And Finch

High on the 'Nog

2011-12-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Loitering around mistletoe, sweeping up pine needles, acting like you like eggnog: Christmas as usual.

Not anymore! Now that Holeman & Finch Public House is making its own version of eggnog. From this day forward, you can unabashedly love the stuff, and drink it any night you please. We’re always looking for an excuse to grate some fresh nutmeg for you.

Drink scholars (a more sophisticated way of saying boozehound) disagree as to the exact origin and etymology of eggnog. Some believe it may derive from the middle English word ‘noggin,’ which referred to a small wooden mug used to serve alcohol. There is also speculation that it’s a shortened version of ‘egg and grog,’ grog being the Colonial term for drinks made with rum. Other histories point out that warm milk drinks have been served since medieval times.

Whatever the ancient origin, this eggnog recipe, whipped up with whimsy and lactose, rhum delirium by Greg Best and Andy Minchow, begins – surprise, surprise – with eggs. The following measurements are for a batch that would last you all winter or do nicely for a party for 12 or so, though keep your eyes peeled at the Bottle Shop; word on the street is you might find a cocktail kit down yonder, along with Lemon Hart Rum and Bitter Truth Pimento Dram, the liqueur that gives the milky mix a bit of zing.

H&F Nog

12 eggs

1 ½ cups castor sugar

6 cups whole milk

3 cups cream

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

4 oz. Bitter Truth Pimento Dram

Lemon Hart Rum

Separate egg whites and yolks. Mix sugar and yolks together in a large bowl. Warm milk, cream, and vanilla on stove top, then add a ladle at a time to sugar mixture. Return all to stove top and continue to warm on low, careful not to boil or curdle eggs. Remove from the stove top and allow to cool. In a metal bowl, whisk egg whites until they begin to stiffen. Add whites to the cream and mix thoroughly. Add the dram. Once this mixture is complete, it can be stored in refrigerator for several weeks. To make a drink, pour 1 ounce of the rum into a glass, and add 4 ounces of the 'nog. Grate nutmeg to finish.

December Newsletter: Keeping up with the H&F Family

2011-12-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Casserole Story

2011-11-26T02:30:00.000-08:00

As any cornbread lover can tell you, South Pittsburg, Tennessee is the location of the National Cornbread Festival. It also happens to be the home of the finest cast-iron cookware in the world, produced by the Lodge family. Joseph Lodge began making cast iron in 1896, in this little town named for its greater industrial counterpart in Pennsylvania. Some 115 years later, his family continues to make products that are venerated in the cooking world and beloved by Chef Linton Hopkins. So much so that he has declared this season “A Winter of Casseroles” at Holeman & Finch Public House.

For Chef, finding a good cooking vessel is as exhilarating as finding good greens or grass-fed beef. He relishes the character that emerges when vegetables and proteins are cooked in unique, and traditional devices. Just as a discerning wine palette will notice the subtle differences in terroir between Napa and Sonoma, dedicated foodies can recognize if something’s been cooked in a clay pot or in a cast-iron skillet.

The right pan deserves the same kind of quest and care as sourcing exquisite sea salt or just-ripe fruit for sorbet. Because Chef feels so strongly about Lodge cookware, he sees no reason to confine it to the kitchen. Y’all can enjoy these casseroles in the very dishes in which they’re cooked.

This winter greens casserole is an homage to Virginia Willis, who was recently guest-of-honor at a Restaurant Eugene Author Dinner with her newest book, Basic to Brilliant Y'all. Using butternut squash from Burge Plantation and greens from Truly Living Well, Chef has conjured a dish that is sure to please on a chilly December night. What brings the whole dish together, however, is a béchamel, whose star ingredient is a ham hock from Benton’s Hams. Which just so happens to be in Tennessee. There’s no need for you to travel far, however. There’s a Lodge casserole dish at the Public House with your name on it every night. And, in case you would like to try this at home:

Winter Greens Casserole

1 medium butternut squash
1 lb. hearty winter greens (collards, mustards, turnips, etc.), diced
1 gallon water

For béchamel:
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups milk
¾ cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. flour
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham hock
1 bunch thyme in sachet
2 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 nutmeg
For crumble:
½ cup butter
½ cup crushed crackers

1) In a 2 quart sauce pot slowly heat the butter. Once it begins to foam, add garlic and shallot, place on a medium-low heat and sweat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour and stir until combined. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently to cook off raw flour flavor.
2) Add milk, whisking to mix into roux. Add hock, thyme sachet, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a mixing bowl and reserve the hock.
3) Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seed. Place cut side down on an oiled sheet tray and roast at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until tender throughout. Medium dice once cooled.
4) Bring water to a rolling boil. Add 1 cup salt. Blanch greens until tender, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Drain and shock in ice water. Squeeze out all excess moisture.
5) Combine all preparations and buttermilk in mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Put in a casserole dish and top with buttered cracker.
6) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until top is evenly golden brown.

November Newsletter - Keeping up with the H&F Family

2011-11-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Raising Cane

2011-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Someone once sang that he got no kicks from champagne. Wedon’t know what that guy was talking about. Here at Holeman & Finch PublicHouse, we get a lot of kicks from champagne, and we share them with you.

In his desire to craft a cocktail that could pay homage to both the classicChampagne Cocktail, and the foodways of the South, Greg Best was visited by three spirits; namely, Wathen’s KentuckyBourbon, Regan’s #6 Orange Bitters and Jacques Pelvas Brut. From this trinity, we have the genesis of a fine drink. And Best saw that it was good and he named it Copper & Cane. The title refers to the copper-pot stills used todistill the whiskey, and to the tall canes of grass which when pressed provide us sorghum syrup (otherwise known as the sweet nectar of the southern gods).

Great care and creativity go into every cocktail we make. This starts witheach ingredient. There’s a lineage of respect, dedication, patience andpreservation behind every bottle from which we pour. Wathen’s SingleBarrel Bourbon is produced by Charles Wathen Medley, from a recipe that’s beenpassed down through eight generations of Wathen and Medley family members. That’s250 years of distilling expertise—and you can taste it in every drop. Before Wathen’s arrives atour bar, it has gone through an exhaustive process that includes selecting andmilling only the finest grains, and the addition of the Medley family yeast tospur the fermentation process. All ingredients are added to the spring waterfiltered through Kentucky limestone before undergoing the 100% copper doubling.Add to this elixir a little fresh lemon juice, wicked orange bitters, a dash of sorghum syrup, a spot of brut and a pinch of freshly shaved nutmeg, and you’ve got the ultimate holiday sip-fest.The Copper & Cane represents a fine mix of regional wonders andcosmopolitan tradition, makes for good company before a meal and will warm upany cold fall or winter’s night.

“I need more whiskey in my whiskey.” The memorable line fromthe Felice Brothers tune, is a lyric we can definitely get behind, but sometimes its fun to put champagne in your whiskey. Stop by thePublic House tonight to experience a champagne whiskey cocktail at its finest. Those of you who would rather to play along at home can make a stop atH&F Bottle Shop to pick up a Copper & Cane cocktail kit—it haseverything you need to make this potent potable.

Mea Coppa, Tua Coppa!

2011-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

The statement on thehomepage of the EcoFriendly Foods website could just as easily be a Holeman& Finch Public House motto: “Eating EcoFriendly Foods is a celebration ofthe shared meal.” Chances are you’ve already joined us for such celebrations. We are proud to serve a number of eco-friendly foods, including products from Bev Eggleston’s farm in Moneta,Virginia.

Eggleston,whose pastures sit in the Blue Ridge not too far from the historic farmlandsthat once belonged to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, has become anagricultural celebrity due to his principles and practices when it comes togrowing and cultivating food. An embodiment of Slow Food, he believes thatfarming should contribute to the welfare of animals, workers and eaters alike. Whereas theAgribusiness Industrial Complex can process about 130 chickens in a minute,EcoFriendly Farms handles only 400 chickens per day.

Egglestonalso raises sheep and pigs—or as Frank Bruni once put it, “outrageously fineswine.” We enjoy a fine swine as much as a fine wine, like you probably do.Our Chef de Charcuterie, James Ellington, is particularly jazzed about the swinethat comes from EcoFriendly Farms. He is using it for the Coppa currently on the menu. James notes that Coppa, a cut from the rearneck and shoulder region of the pig, is perfect for the season, particularlywhen cured in a marvelous mix of winter spices like cracked black pepper andcloves that add spice and warmth to each delicately thin slice.

Thisunsmoked cut of meat has been particularly popular in Italy for centuries,where it is sold as "coppa fresca" in most cases, and tastes bestwhen braised or roasted. Coppa is, essentially, an even mix of meat and fat,adding pronounced flavor to stews and soups, or as the star of a small platewith sides. At Holeman & Finch, it is being served with tempura-friedpickled ramps, which are temptingly positioned on a small bed of griddledendive.

We look forward to sharingthis meal with you, and suspect that it will become an instant favorite.

If you'd like to make some ramps at home, see the recipe below:

Tempura-Fried Pickled Ramps

4 ramp bulbs, root end removed
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup corn starch
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup dredge

1)     Combine water, peppercorns,vinegar, and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour over ramp bulbs, makingsure they are completely submerged. Refrigerate in sealed container for 2weeks.
2)     Remove ramps from thepickling liquid. Separate bulbs into several hollow, bell-shaped layers.
3)     Drop ramps into dredge andtoss to coat thoroughly. Remove and shake off any excess dredge.
4)     Dip into batter, then addto fryer or pan of frying liquid. Fry until golden brown, approx. 3 minutes,remove to let cool. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to serve.

Honorable Minchow

2011-10-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

We love making cocktails as much as we love sharing them, but we are committed to sharing more than just drinks. We also want to share knowledge and skill. Perhaps none among us is more devoted to proselytizing than Mr. Andy Minchow. A steadfast prophet of all the spirits, Mr. Minchow has a special fondness for gin. Which is why two of his concoctions have found their way onto the pages of a new (good) book, All the Gin Joints: New Spins on Gin from America’s Best Bars. The book includes recipes for ‘101 Artisanal Cocktails,’ compiled by Michael Turback, a longtime champion of Slow Food whose other recent tome is the Ithaca Farmers Market Cookbook.

In his introduction, Turback traces the history of the cocktail back to the Prohibition era mixing of ‘bathtub’ gin with various tinctures and botanicals, the history of gin back to a 16^th century distillation of barley wine infused with juniper berries (thank you, Dutch physician Sylvius de Bouve!), and the history of the juniper plant back to ancient Egypt, where it was used in burial rituals and believed to secure eternal life for the pharaohs. At the Public House we are always humbled by the rich history of culinary, botanical, and libationary arts that precedes us. We strive to honor that history, at the same time as we pursue, with religious fervor and glee, the new.

Andy’s first drink in Gin Joints, called The Clean Getaway, may be considered a variation on the French 75, that classic combination of gin and champagne. This concoction is distinguished by Amaro, which lends a slightly bitter, herbal note, and Mosacto d’Asti, a brighter, sweeter sparkler. Throw in the gin and some fresh lemon juice, and you’re ready for a party.

His 2^nd offering, Wolf’s Bite, is named in honor of H & F partner Greg Best, who’s earned the nickname Wolf for his ‘ferocity and courage.’ The bite comes from the addition of pungent Chartreuse to the gin, rounded out with a splash of grapefruit juice.

Both drinks have been shaken, stirred, and served at the Public House, and are always available upon request.

The dedication page of Gin Joints features a quote from David Augustus Embury that enthuses a well-made cocktail’s ability to make “the whole world…a better place in which to live.” We couldn’t agree more! We encourage you to visit the H & F Bottle Shop, where you can purchase not only the book, but also everything you need to make the drinks, thereby doing your part to make the world a better place.

#14 Has Arrived

2011-09-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Since opening in 2008, we've never stopped questing to grow, learn and keep it interesting --- for our guests and for ourselves. Changing it up is imperative, not just because our sourcing (from small-batch, sometimes obscure producers) demands it, but also because that's one way we keep it interesting. Pushing ourselves to gain more knowledge, try new things and always get better. One of our favorite change-ups has just transpired. We proudly present to you Cocktail Menu #14.

These carefully crafted harbingers of fall are conceived and artfully executed by an all-star pirate team including Shooter, Hopscotch, Timber, Captain Snake and, of course, Wolf. Stop in soon to begin the journey of sipping through them all. We promise it'll be interesting, deep and delicious.

Oysters – the 13 Mile High Club

2011-08-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Coca isn’t the only Cola getting play on the Holeman and Finch Public House menu. Apalachicola is known as the oyster capitol of the world, and 13 Mile is the jewel in the crown. We are pleased to offer cornmeal fried oysters from 13 Mile Oyster Company , served with a creole remoulade and scallions.

This week our staff viewed Working the Miles, a documentary Joe York made for the Southern Foodways Alliance about Johnny and Janice Taylor, who have made their living in Apalachicola Bay. As the film says, Johnny oysters and Janice shucks. Watching the boats, slow and isolated in the waters dappled by sunrise and sunset, and hammers cracking open shells, you realize how much work goes into bringing oysters from their home to your plate. Last year’s oil spill turned our attention in general to the men and women who bring us shrimp, fish, and oysters. York’s film does a wonderful job of bringing just one family to the forefront of an industry.

We believe the more you know about your food, the better it tastes. So watch the film, then come in for a glass of Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Gris and a plate of delicious 13 Mile catch.

Lunch & Learn - H&F Style

2011-07-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Part of the fun of being Holeman & Finch is that sometimes we get to host interesting and delicious private events. Recently, we hosted a lunch for Hendrick’s Gin and the US Bartenders Guild. A lunch and learn of sorts --- a gin tasting complete with 10 o'clock burgers and Mary Randolph's fried chicken. It was great fun for everyone involved, guests and staff alike, and as a result we’re now even more smitten with this most amazing gin.

Hendrick’s Gin is the result of a good idea and a simple experiment conducted in twentieth century Scotland. The “gin craze” of the nineteenth century had just swept through England, prompting William Grant & Sons to try to create their ideal gin: lighter with subtle essences of cucumber and rose petal.

At an auction in Girvan, Scotland, the company bought two different types of stills which they then restored. The two stills operate by different methods, producing very different tasting spirits. The idea was to blend these two spirits for a uniquely subtle final product. The first, a small pot still, creates a spirit with a heavy and oily character and a strong juniper flavor. Sometimes called the Bennett still, this small vessel allows for most of the aromas of the botanicals to pass into the spirit during the distilling process. The three ingredients, a neutral spirit, the botanical recipe and water, are steeped together and then boiled. Initially, this still can produce gin with up to 92% alcohol, but as the distillation continues, the spirit’s alcohol content will gradually decrease, and the final spirit will be about 75% alcohol. The second still that Grant & Sons bought was a Carter-Head still, a very rare kind of still invented by the Carter Brothers and first constructed in 1948. The Carter-Head produces a gin with light floral and sweet fragrances. Only a neutral spirit, a clear, colorless liquid with a very high ethanol content, and water are added to the still’s pot. The botanicals are added up at the top of the still. Rather than being steeped and boiled in, the Carter-Head bathes the botanicals in the alcohol vapors before they are condensed, making a much lighter gin.

The idea proved to be a good one, and the resulting spirit, the Hendrick’s Gin of today,is indeed a blend of these two different distillations, with the addition of cucumber and rose petal essences. The gin is created in batches of only 450 liters, which allows the distiller to carefully control the entire process, ensuring an artfully perfect concoction, which is then bottled in a dark blue, almost black-looking, apothecary-style bottle, giving it a unique look to match the signature taste.

In 2003, Hendrick’s Gin was awarded the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Gin in the World” award, and since then has merited numerous awards and high ratings.

The creators of Hendrick’s say that it is best served with tonic water over ice with a slice of cucumber as a garnish rather than the traditional citrus or olive. Our staff finds many creative applications for the product. At the upcoming Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, we will be using Hendrick’s Gin in a Gazpacho Martini --- a perfect choice due to the gin’s cucumber essence.

Come in to H&F Public House anytime we're open to discover Hendrick’s Gin for yourself, or bring some friends in for a private lunch or dinner party. You can write to info@holeman-finch.com to arrange such a thing. Cheers!

What Is Wurst and Why Curry It?

2011-06-10T13:47:00.001-07:00

Currywurst is a dish of German descent. It is a spicy, generally pork sausage (or wurst in German) seasoned with curry. How did curry get into Germany, one might ask? After World War II there was a huge influx of foreign workers who made their way into Germany, bringing influences from around the world into the culture. Middle Eastern and Eastern European influences began fusing with German traditions, leading to the marriages of tastes and the creation of yummy dishes.

Traditionally, currywurst is a fast-food dish, usually served from food trucks. Legend has it that currywurst was first made by Herta Heuwer in Berlin in 1949 with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and curry powder that she got from British soldiers stationed in Berlin. Now, it has become a traditional “diner” food and a favorite of many. It is found most often in the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Hamburg.

This dish is back by popular demand at Restaurant Eugene. Chef de Charcuterie James Ellington of Holeman and Finch is making his currywurst with lamb. “I’d say it’s about 90 percent lamb, 10 percent pork, and about 78 percent lean and 22 percent fat.” The lamb comes from Border Springs Farm in Virginia and the pork comes from Riverview Farms in Ranger, Georgia.

After being ground and combined with curry and spices, the currywurst will be piped into a casing and poached. The H&F currywurst will be made with cream, to give the meat lightness and just the right texture.

It is estimated that 800 million servings of currywurst are sold in Germany every year, and it seems that currywurst is growing in popularity in the states as well; overwhelming demand is what inspired James to put it back on the menu. “We usually serve it in early spring, but everyone likes it a lot and wants us to bring it back, so I’m making it now before it gets too hot.”

Currywurst is on the menu at Holeman and Finch now, being served with roasted beets and cucumber chutney, topped with pea shoots and beet greens. Come see what you think.

Field Trip #5 - Mayhaws and Mulberries, Our Best Yet !

2011-05-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

On May 23, Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch staff journeyed down to Albany, GA, to see mayhaws and mulberries in their natural environment. The crew visited the farm of Lawrence Funderburke, who lives with his wife Dee on the farm where he was raised. Funderburke, a lifelong farmer and cattleman, spent thirty years as an Engineer for CSX on the southwest Georgia route. He now spends his days growing various fruits, turning bowls and training mules. Dee does the canning and putting up, including jelly-making, both mayhaw and mulberry. As we pull onto the property, we know we're in a special place. We're greeted by an old millstone in perfect condition sitting in the front yard, not too far from a prickly pear plant just beginning to blossom.

The Funderburkes have planted a multitude of fruit-bearing trees on their 30 acre property. “Dee’s got the green thumb,” says Larry. Her garden behind their quaint screened-in porch, features blueberries, peppers and tomatoes. Beautiful daylilies and oleander adorn the front of the expansive property. Pear, fig, and mulberry also grow in abundance, but the dominant crop comes from the sizeable Mayhaw orchards, planted with the assistance of friend and extension agent Burl Turnage.

Mayhaws are a native fruit tree which grow primarily in the wetlands of the southern United States. They are commonly used to make a sweet jelly that Albanians (and folks throughout the Deep South) have been putting on biscuits and toast for centuries. Agent Turnage specialized in mayhaw trees before his retirement. Both the Turnage #57 and Turnage #88 are cultivars named in his honor. He helped Funderburke plant his orchard over the course last few decades, populating it with multiple varieties of mayhaws, many taken from grafts of trees found at one of Georgia’s two experimental mayhaw orchards: one found at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College experiment station, and the other in Attapulgus, GA. Only a few miles from the Florida border, Attapulgus is also the site of a huge fuller’s earth mine, in case you wanted to know.

Mayhaws take their name partly from their fruiting time --- you guessed it: May. The “haw” part is derived from their botanical family: the hawthorn. Most people would say that Mayhaws have to grow near a body of water; Funderburke has proven this to be not entirely true. The property had native mayhaws, around which he built a pond. Then he transplanted seedlings onto higher ground. Across the street, he and Burl planted an entire orchard of grafted trees. He says he has been able to get trees to grow just about anywhere. “And they never grow up the same. You can plant three seeds all from the same mayhaw and they will all come up differently,” he informs us.

Funderburke has extended his fruiting season significantly by planting multiple cultivars within the orchard, most of which he can identify by site. No matter how different two mayhaws may look, their taste is always the same --- tart. There’s a reason they're called the cranberry of the south. Despite their small, round, berry-like appearance, the tartness, and the four large seeds inside the fruit make it difficult to pop in your mouth and eat plain.

Recent droughts have unfortunately diminished Funderburke’s mayhaw harvest. “When it don’t rain, I don’t make,” he tells us as we walk through a dried-up riverbed. We briefly stop to look at each type of Funderburke’s trees. Dee may have the green thumb, but Lawrence also has obvious expertise concerning everything he grows on his farm.

The mulberry trees are also producing fruit this time of year. We can reach up and pick them off and snack on them as Funderburke tells us about the mulberry trees. Mulberries can be used in pies and tarts, as well as jelly. Dee tells us that the mulberry jelly is the most fickle jelly she has ever made. “It will gel,” she says, “but it might take a few days. Or it might not; it might take just one day. You never know with mulberries.”

Additional trees of interest on the property are the Osage Orange trees (aka “hedge apples” or “bow dock”), the wood from which was once used by the Creek to fashion bows for hunting, and which Funderburke now uses to turn bowls of a brilliant yellow color, and his Catawba trees, used to attract the Catawba Worm (some say “Catalpa”). Catfish just love Catawba Worms, according to Mr. Funderburke.

Dee Funderburke brings out two bowls containing her mayhaw and mulberry jelly, offering us all a taste of it. The two begin to tease about which is better. “Tell me y’all like the mulberry best,” says Dee. For Lawrence, it’s all about the mayhaw. “The mayhaw is sweet, but not too sweet. It’s got to be a little tart. You’re supposed to be able to feel it in your jaw,” Larry Funderburke tells us as he eats his spoonful. Dee continues that jelly is the only thing she has been able to create out of mayhaws. “They just love the mayhaw down here,” says Dee. She’s from north Georgia originally, see, where they don’t grow mayhaws.

After a final tour around Funderburke’s barn (his “man cave” he calls it), donkeys Sassy and Classy bid us adieu and Larry loads up our cars with bags of mayhaws and mulberries to bring back to Atlanta, with which we’ll make our own jellies, preserves and mixers. Join us soon to try them for yourself.

Cheers to the H&F All Stars

2011-04-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

You may have heard the news: Holeman and Finch Public House is all grown up. Well, maybe not quite, but we have just turned three. Yup, our third year anniversary just passed and since we've got that plus lots of other things to celebrate --- such as spring and all the amazing produce it brings, and the recent opening of the H&F Bottle Shop, and our bakery is killing it now that all the farmer's markets are open (did we mention that the H&F Bread Co. was named one of the top ten bakeries in the US by Bon Appetit Magazine?) --- we thought we'd run an All Stars cocktail menu. For the rest of the month come in and find our greatest hits from the past three years. Have you been craving the Edgewood Cocktail? Celia 39? Rhythm and Soul? A Punch in the Rye? Angora Sweater? Muddy Waters? Jacks' Press? Soul Grabber? Harrier? And, yes, of course, the Southern Cola? They're all on. Come n' get it.

Oh yeah, and thanks for three fantastic years! Y'all are the real All Stars!!!

Atta Boy, Squirrels, May the Force be with You

2011-02-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Seems like everything southern is hot right now, or maybe it always is. The upcoming Imbibe Magazine is all about drinking in the south. We're happy to see so many of our friends and colleagues featured so prominently in this ode to liquid culture. To further support our point, we'd like to announce that our very own Michael Searles (pirate name "Squirrels) is taking some of this heat to New York City this weekend to represent Atlanta in the Cocktail World Cup, an international event co-hosted by 42Below and the US Bartenders Guild. Searles is advancing to New York because he killed it in the regional competition held earlier this year with his "Betty Rampage."

Says Squirrels, "The drink's a bit girl-friendly, but those drinks have their place, damnit! The peaches I'm using are from Gaffney, South Carolina, who beats Georgia in overall production, to this day, and the ginger ale is Blenheim's spicy variety. The cocktail's color and opacity represent a uniquely Southern U.S. red clay that's given life to our local foodways and ruined every pair of white tennis shoes I've ever owned. I've named it for a true Southern Belle who's not afraid to engage in a bit of roller-derby violence. It's sweet and sassy and not at all shy, which again encapsulates (through our character, the Belle) all I've learned and love about the South."

We'll all be cheering for you on Sunday, Squirrels, and can't wait to see you move on the final round in New Zealand.

For those of you who might like to try this at home, we submit the recipe here:

The Betty Rampage

1) Coarse chop one pecan, cut a small wedge from a 2nd pecan

2) Add chopped pecan, .25oz white wine vinegar, 3 dashes Angostura bitters to a tumbler

3) Add 1.5oz peach preserve to tumbler... Canned peaches will suffice

4) Add ice and 1.5oz 42Below vodka to tumbler

5) Top with .75oz spicy ginger ale or ginger beer, though be aware and adjust (more vinegar or more bitters, respectively) if the ginger ale is either overly sweet or the ginger beer is overly citric

6) Shake vigorously

7) Double strain into double Old Fashioned over rocks

8) Garnish with the near-whole pecan and sprig of spicy green such as arugula or rapini

Enjoy!

btw, the Bottle Shop is opening next week.

Silent Night, Burger Night

2010-12-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

What makes the Holeman & Finch Public House burger so darn good?

Attention to detail .... house-made everything (from the buns, to the ketchu to the pickles to the mustard to the perfect custom-grind of local pastured beef) ... the fact that sometimes you can't have it?

All of the above and more. It is perfectly delicious; the epitome of burgerness and usually we only serve twenty-four a night, but December 24th, we're serving burgers all night long --- our present to all you burger fans. Join us for a new holiday tradition.

Our Daily Bread

2010-12-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's a corny title, but we really do get amazing bread from our bakery, the H&F Bread Co., daily. Chef Linton Hopkins was so keen on ensuring that we serve the best, freshest of everything that he up and started a bakery. Our delivery comes by cart every day right at 5pm. Greatest hits include: the soft pretzel, pan au levain, sesame crackers, bacon caramel corn and, of course, the burger bun. Speaking of burgers, we are serving burgers all night on December 24th --- our little gift to you.

And speaking of the the H&F Bread Co., you can order holiday treats for your home (including the bacon caramel corn) by visiting the website, and clicking on "place your holiday bread order."

Many more good things to come soon...

Celebrating Local --- Including Local History

2010-07-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that Holeman & Finch Public House features a Coca-Cola poster on the bar side of the restaurant. Perhaps you regular patrons have even noticed that it changes from time to time to reflect the season.

The Coca-Cola "Yes" Girl poster currently hanging on the walls of the Public House is more than a piece of eye-fetching nostalgia. It is a little bit of Atlanta history straight from the Coca-Cola archives. The poster, painted by Haddon Sundblom, was first used to promote the product in July of 1946 and received the first place award in the poster class by The Art Directors Club of Chicago in the same year. Paul Smith, art director of the D'acy Advertising Company commissioned the painting and received the award on behalf of Coca-Cola. It's almost like Mad Men come to life (a generation preceding).

Through the magic of community partnership, we select a quarterly ads from the archives to dress our wall. Next time you're in, be sure to check out this little homage to our local history.

Hunting Honey

2010-06-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Honey. Everyone knows what it is, but what do we really know about it?

Recently Holeman & Finch staff (and a few Restaurant Eugene friends) took a field trip to Hidden Springs Farm where Ray and Donna Lopes, beekeepers and farmers extraordinaire, toured us through their amazing 110 acre apiary in Williamson, Georgia. The Lopes have been keeping bees for over a decade, and it's not just honey they produce from their 200+ hives. They also raise queen bees to sell, as well as about 100 head of Brangus cow and enough laying hens to fill egg orders at The Peachtree Road, the East Atlanta Village and the Emory Farmers Markets.

The Lopes were kind enough to share a tremendous amount of knowledge with our staff, and a bee suit with Holeman & Finch Chef de Cuisine Ryan Smith who harbors a love of the apis mellifera. Suited up, he smoked the hives to calm the bees --- the smoke simulates a forest fire which triggers the bee's instinct to binge on honey in preparation for migration. At the first wiff of smoke, the bees become so busy filling up that they are less inclined to sting those who tamper with their colony. While the bees binged, Ryan hunted for queens and looked for full frames to rob of honey.

We took full frames from the hives inside to the extractor, a centrifuge used to spin the honey out of the comb. Then we brixed it to test the water content, and filtered it just once to remove any residual bits of wax.

Here are just a few of the bee facts we gathered on our trip:

- a single hive contains somewhere around 40,000 bees

- a hive has only 3 types of bees: 1 queen who lays all the eggs and regulates the hive, the drones which are male and exist soley to mate once with the queen and die, the worker bees which are female and do all the work of the hive (i.e. produce the beeswax for honeycomb, gather all the pollen and nectar to store for food, keep the queen comfortable - they can even unhinge their wing to fan her if necessary)

- queens lay around 2000 eggs a day

- during honey production time, a bee lives 6 weeks (in the winter they can live longer due to inactivity)

- bees die when they've worn out their wings

- honey bees visit about 2 million flowers to make 1 lb of honey

- bees communicate through pheremones, and by dancing (yes, dancing)

- bees fly about 15 mph

- to produce 2 lbs of honey, bees travel a distance equal to 4 time around the earth

- bees visit approximately 1000 flowers every day

- the queen slows or speeds her egg production based on the amount of pollen coming in the hive

- bees eat the honey to produce the wax for their combs. 8 lbs of honey are required to produce 1 lb of beeswax

- when it's time for a new queen, the worker bees feed royal jelly (a custardy looking substance they produce) to larvae to produce a new queen

Boudin Blanc and Mud Bug Pie

2010-05-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's to show solidarity with our high-spirited and sometimes hard-luck cousins in the gulf. Perhaps it's a hearkening to Chef Hopkins' culinary emergence in New Orleans all those years ago. Perhaps it's sous chef Jason Paolini's Louisiana roots. More likely, it's just cause the food is good. Whatever the reason, you don't have to be on the trail to get some good cajun food.

Boudin Blanc is back on the menu at Holeman & Finch Public House. Cajun style with rice and just the right amount of season. Handmade everyday by our head of charcuterie James Ellington (pictured here). We're serving the boudin with Sea Island peas. It's delicious. Come get some. Also, new to the menu tonight: Sheep's Ricotta stuffed in Squash Blossoms with English Pea Puree and Louisiana Crawfish Pie with Remoulade. oooooooo weeeeeee!

'Take the 5'

2010-04-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night Holeman & Finch's 3rd beer dinner kicks off at 7pm. Congrats to the lucky devils who managed to get a reservation to tour the best of the west coast breweries from cities situated along the famed Interstate 5, which stretches from San Diego to Seattle. We'll keep the beers a secret, but here's a preview of the menu based on the theme of spring time preservation:

Monkfish Liver Torchon

Shrimp Sausage
tasso, spring onion pudding, whipped fennel-honey and spiced cracker

Berkshire Pork Terrine
dijon mustard, pickled celery, crisp bread

Roasted Beef Spinalis
smoked tripe with onion and bronze fennel
warm tendon with pickled ramps
crisp corned tounge with wild peppercress

Spring Lamb Mortadella (pictured here with Chef Ryan Smith)
fava beans, cippolini onion, mustard greens, rosemary

Hazelnut Shortbread
strawberry sorbet, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb jam, hibiscus syrup, strawberry chips

Foie Gras Madeline

Yum! Come see us soon...

BACON!

2010-03-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

1st: April 21st 5:30 - 6:30
Join Holeman and Finch for a book signing and bacon tasting with Ari Weinzweig, whose most recent book,The Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon, has been called an essential guidebook for any bacon enthusiast. Holeman and Finch's celebrated barkeep, Greg Best, will be mixing the perfect pork pairing.
$25 per person; Reservations Required. Call 404.948.1175

2nd: April 21st 7:15
Join Restaurant Eugene for a very special collaborative dinner with esteemed guest Ari Weinzweig from Zingerman's. Chef Hopkins' inspiration for the four-course meal (with pairings) will come from Weinzweig's latest tome, The Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon, a 240-page examination of the history and deliciousness of salt-cured pork belly. Mr Weinzweig will continue the revelry by sharing insights from the book, including why bacon is "the olive oil of America."
$85 per person; Reservations Required. Call 404.355.0321

Books will be available for purchase at both events courtesy of A Cappella Books.

Shrimp-and-Smoked-Oyster Chowder Recipe - Linton Hopkins | Food & Wine

2010-03-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Shrimp-and-Smoked-Oyster Chowder Recipe - Linton Hopkins | Food & Wine

Travel + Leisure's '50 Best New Restaurants'

2009-09-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Travel + Leisure magazine calls Holeman & Finch ''wholly awesome..."

Peachtree Road Farmers Market Featured in Atlanta Magazine

2009-09-03T08:20:00.001-07:00