A Food
Drink focus issue.
Saturday, August 20, 2016 • Page 1B
Eureka Heights Brewing Co. opens doors By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader On Saturday, Aug. 13, the new Eureka Heights Brew Co. quietly opened its doors to the public for the first time. Announcing it only through social media, more than 500 people showed up for the celebration. Happy throngs bellied up to the bar 4-deep for a chance to taste the hottest new hand-crafted brews to hit the local market. The event was something akin to an indoor street party. People of all ages and backgrounds sat together in Eureka’s big hall at long, wooden tables laughing, socializing and sipping various $5-a-pint, hand-crafted beers. There were games of scrabble and checkers, tables competed at Trivial Pursuit, and children played cornhole, while adults tossed basketballs, and a few individuals even tried their hand at roping a dummy steer. Addi-
Dynamo tailgate celebrates culture
Christina Martinez Managing Editor
I
t’s 4:56 p.m. on a Saturday and my Uncle John pulls up to my Heights apartment and sends the “I’m here” text message – also known as, “andale, Christina!” ‘Forever Orange’ written across my chest and I’m ready for a Saturday night of family, culture and Dynamo futbol. I jump in the back seat and am greeted with a warm smile from my Tia and an “Hola!” from my Tio. Onward we go. We travel down the back roads of Houston, noting current neighborhood development along the way and forecasting progression around every block. We pull into the uneven parking lot that hosts our tailgate, greeted with waves from familiar faces, eventually turning waves into hugs and embraces all-around. We unload the car piece-by-piece, spreading out perfectly-imperfect fresh fruit cut by my Tia, spring rolls and dumplings from a family joint off of Highway-6 and banana bread from Tia’s oven. Cousin Ken is firing up the grill, prepping his salmon with seasoning and giving his youngest, Mia, guidance on her bacon wrapped asparagus. Tailgate regular Isek lays out his spread
Photo by Christina Martinez Ken Martinez fires up the grill, laying veggies on for a Houston Dynamo tailgate.
of olives, tomatoes, bell peppers and hummus, while Mecit is mixing libations with one hand and slicing a purple onion for one of his famous salads with the other. My Uncle John hands me the latest brew he’s picked up from the market and we indulge on craft talk and craft tastes. “From all the people that are here, we just have a grand time,” my Uncle John Martinez said. “We have a little Mexican food, we have Asian food, we have Turkish food, we have a little bit of British food, a little bit of everything. We love the tailgate, we love the game and the ability to just get together and See Dynamo P. 2B
941 W 18th St.
Eureka Heights’ brews can be found at these local favorites
Photo coutesy Jaime Leigh Collier From the left, Eureka Heights Brew Co.’s founders Rob Eichenlaub, Shelley Eichenlaub, Heather Swift, Joel Swift, Lori Motes, Casey Motes and Brent Davis in the front.
-Cottonwood -Petrol Station -Hughies -Hay Merchant -Beer Market Company -City Acre Brewing
tionally, food trucks outside kept the fare flowing, but the highlights of the party were the brewery tours. Each time a tour was announced, 50-plus people stood in line for the chance to observe the gleaming brew house equipment, learn about the brewing process, and breathe in the aroma of hops. The excitement of the crowd certainly surprised Eureka’s owners. “We were blown away by the turn-out,” brew-master and co-founder, Casey Motes, (also known as the ‘Wort Overlord’) said. “I was expecting maybe 100 or 200 people,” added co-founder Joel Swift who identifies himself as Eureka’s ‘Vice President of Miscellaneous Stuff.’ We were delighted with the crowd. They enjoyed the beers and the event, too.” See Eureka P. 2B
Tailgate fanatics Loyal fans, neighbors share love for the game By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Melissa Santiago distinctly remembers going to her first Texans game during the team’s first season. “I was nine months pregnant and the only thing that would fit was a black Gap dress,” she remembers. “People kept asking me if I was a Raiders fan because that’s who we were playing.” Now as a long time season ticket holder, Santiago is also a seasoned tailgater. She and husband Michael, along with her parents and friends, tailgate in the Blue Lot before games which many say is the place to be. Every year, H-E-B and the Texans pick a tailgater of the game. At the end of the season, the tailgater of the season is crowned. The Blue lot generally sweeps the competition. Since most games start at noon, the lot opens up about 8:30 a.m. which is what time the Santiagos roll in. While Santiago enjoys the afternoon games, she really likes the occasional night game where the lot opens up around 3 p.m. Whether the game is night or day, they bring their grill and an assortment of food and beverages. On the menu? Breakfast tacos, meatball subs, and fajitas. For a special occasion, they’ll go to Pete’s Fine Meats, 5509 Richmond Ave., and pick up stuffed quails, steaks and bacon wrapped shrimp which they have with baked potatoes. Beverages include champagne (French, for her) and beer (Coors Light, for him). For décor, they go with the obligatory Texans flag and her dad’s spray painted Dallas Cowboys t-shirt (Cowboys is Xed out, replaced by ‘Sucks’. “We always get a lot of comments about that one,” she laughs. David Hicks of David Hicks Plumbing hasn’t missed a Texans home game since the team started playing in 2002. When he was scheduling major surgery, he waited until the team was going to be out of town. When he got married, he made sure the nuptials wouldn’t conflict with the first game of the season. It’s safe to say that Hicks is a super fan. Although he has 10 tickets for each game and invites family, friends, employees and clients to join him, Hicks doesn’t put on his own tailgate. Instead, he likes to walk around the Blue Lot, chat with friends, and sample all the goodies at the go-to tailgates he’s enjoyed over the years. A lot of them are sponsored by large companies. “There’s shrimp, fajitas, chicken wings, Jalapeño poppers, sausage and sometimes specialty food like duck,” he said. And what’s a party without the king of rock and roll? “Vince King is an Elvis tribute artist,” said Hicks. “He sings in the parking lot. I help out with his sound mixing.” Planning a tailgate of your own? The Santiagos shared one of their winning recipes and we’ve got one for you, too.
Contributed photo Oak Forest residents and Texans season ticket holders, Michael and Melissa Santiago (pictured above with their children who got to come to a game) say that they have their tailgate down to a science.
Winning recipes for your next tailgate Santiago’s 7 Layer Dip
1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup tomato sauce 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined skewers
This is both super easy and super yummy. Bottom layer, two cans of Frito Lay Bean Dip, one hot and one regular Next layer, six avocados sprinkled with lemon Next layer (creamy), taco seasoning, sour cream and ½ cup of mayonnaise Next layer, three tomatoes chopped Next layer, chives Next layer, chopped black olives Next layer, shredded cheese
Directions: In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.
Marinated Grilled Shrimp
Marinate these at home and pack them in an icechest for the game. Prep, 15 minutes Cook, 6 minutes Ready In, 55 minutes
Ingredients 3 cloves garlic, minced
Recipe By:BLONDIEPEREZ, allrecipes.com
3814 N. Shepherd 77018 | 832-667-8081
www.farmboybrewshop.com Craft your own beer and set up your draft beverage system for the next tailgate. Choose from the best ingredients and enjoy friendly service
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