Ceviche and a crisp German Pilsner, chocolate lava cake with a roasty English milk stout, pungent blue cheese and a barley wine—each is a classic beer pairing. But try this on for size—a septet of roasted, puréed vegetables with a side of conscience-raising wholly urban rap. That pairing was unleashed with equal parts delicacy and lyrical mastery care of musical duo Parker and the Numberman and local chef Nick Brune at a recent SoundBite dinner. Throw in the Abnormal Beer Co. offering that was included and it was a three-piece ensemble that was entertaining on multiple sensory fronts.
Originally launched as Storytellers, this series of dinners venturing to pair food, beverages and music in perfect harmony is Brune’s brainchild, and it’s been going since 2014. Back then, Brune was the culinary muscle behind dearly departed Cali-Creole eatery and craft beer refuge, Local Habit. He had just returned early from a trip to Mardi Gras in his hometown of New Orleans so he could hold a crawfish boil at his restaurant. He remembers sitting at the bar at Local Habit pinching tail and sucking head (the proper method for consuming boiled crawfish) and hearing the Euphoria Brass Band start playing overhead. That Louisianan shellfish and jazz made him feel like he’d been transported right back to NOLA…and inspired him to try to create similar meaningful, personal experiences for others via food and music.
Brune has always been a music fan. In fact, he moved to Los Angeles specifically for the music industry 13 years ago. He has kept up on the local scene and some of San Diego’s artists, and leaned on those relationships when giving this multifarious venture a go, starting with a live gig paired with a multiple-course feast on the rooftop of Pizza Port’s Ocean Beach brewpub in 2014.
“Me and the chefs who I partner with for these dinners cook what the songs make us feel, which makes for dishes like I’ve never seen…and may never see again,” says Brune, who has invited more than a dozen local chefs on stage for guest sets through SoundBite. When asked why the interplay of edibles, quaffables and aural stimulation works so well and has become such a draw both for diners and his fellow toques, he replies, “The two are basically meant for each other. First and foremost, [intake of food and drink and intake of music] cause our brains to release dopamine, which puts a big ol’ smile on your face.”
Much dopamine and creative juices are spilled in the conceptualization of dishes for SoundBite dinners. Brune listens to songs over and over, studying their lyrics but also letting the music transport him.
“Food and music have a way of creating reference points throughout life. Furthermore, when local food is paired with local music, you really begin to understand a place and its people. Or in SoundBite’s case, a band’s background and a chef’s experiences come to life,” says Brune. “You will find yourself listening to a song over and over when you love it, and you will do the same with food once you find the perfect bite.”
Brune has always gone the extra mile to work with local purveyors when sourcing ingredients for his cuisine. Similarly, he keeps things geographically tight when it comes to musicians, focusing on local, independent bands. To date, the two that have since earned the most fame are Blackout Party (who are now in Nashville) and Midnight Pine.
The next SoundBite dinner will take place at downtown San Diego’s Quad Ale House on February 25.
Quad executive chef Brandon Brooks and his significant other and culinary teammate for the night, Lhasa Landry of Little Italy’s Crack Shack, will just have returned from Belize.
The musical act will be a reggae band, so the trio have decided to embrace an “endless summer” theme and go with tiki cocktails as well as Quad’s 28 taps of awesome beers.
Brune says he is pretty much into any and all styles of music, but admits he’d be very excited to do a metal show. But finding a venue that would be into something that loud and heavy has been a challenge. (Calling the new chef over at metal-clad vegan South Park bar and restaurant, Kindred?) Sounds like something that’s definitely worth keeping an ear out for, and the best way to stay up-to-date on future SoundBite happenings is via the series’ official Facebook account (SoundBiteDinner).
Click below for Recipes:
Red Beans & Rice Noodles with Smoked Pork
Paired with “Brooks’ Room” by Rosewood & Rye
“This dish was about keeping it simple and easy; that food and life can and should be simple. Also, a little about a small home or room with not much to it is all you need if you experience life outside your house. So, a little nod to my travels in Southeast Asia mixed with the humblest food from my home—red beans ‘n’ rice.”
¼ cup canola oil
1½ cups yellow onions, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
¾ cup green bell peppers, chopped
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1½ Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
½ pound andouille sausage, diced
3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 pound red beans, soaked overnight
1 pound ham bone with meat (if available)
12 cups roasted chicken stock
1 package rice noodles
¼ cup chopped scallions, for garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, season with salt, paprika, oregano, black and cayenne pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the andouille, bay leaves and parsley. Cook for 25 minutes with the lid on, stirring every 5 minutes. Add the red beans, ham bone and chicken stock, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer ¼ of the beans to the bowl of a food processor and purée. Add the puréed beans back to the pot. Stir well and cook for 30 minutes. (NOTE: This style of red beans and rice is soupier than others.)
Place the noodles in a Pyrex dish and pour 2 quarts of boiling-hot water over them. Let stand for 4 minutes. Rinse the noodles in cold water and store in ice-cold water until it is time to serve.
To plate, place the noodles in a bowl and top with beans. (NOTE: If the beans are too thick, thin the mixture out with additional chicken stock.) Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.
# # #
Blackened Catfish with Arugula, Passion Fruit Vinaigrette & Spiced Rum
Paired with “Paper Hurricanes” by Grandpa Drew
“This dish was created to celebrate New Orleans’ rebirth after Katrina. After all the damage, life goes on. Hurricane parties and hurricane cocktails are a celebration of people and community working together. So, I combined the idea of the classic cocktail with a Louisiana favorite—blackened catfish. I also made this to give a little salute to famous Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme.”
8 ounces water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 allspice berries
1 whole clove
½ star anise pod
1 envelope powdered gelatin
3 ounces rum
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp passion fruit juice
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp agave nectar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds fresh catfish (preferably blue cat is best)
5 Tbsp Prudhomme’s blackening seasoning
4 ounces arugula
orange supremes, for garnish (optional)
Combine 6 ounces of water with the sugar, allspice, clove and star anise in a very small pot and heat until the sugar is dissolved and the water has reduced by half. Bloom the gelatin in the remaining water for 5 minutes, then whisk into the hot water mixture. Slowly heat the mixture until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove from the flame and add the rum. Stir well and pour the mixture into a thin layer in a quarter-sheet tray or Pyrex container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into equal-sized squares.
For the dressing, combine the passion fruit juice, oil, agave nectar, salt and pepper, and whisk into all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. Set aside.
Heat a cast-iron skillet on high heat for 4 minutes. Generously coat the catfish with blackening seasoning. Place the catfish fat-side down into the skillet and cook for 1 to 1½ minutes per side depending on thickness of the fillet. It may be a good idea to toss your fish into the oven after blackening if it is a large fillet. Remove from heat.
To plate, dress he arugula with the vinaigrette, top with catfish, a thin sheet of rum and an orange supreme. (NOTE: The rum should begin to melt slightly.) Serve immediately.