Here at last! Cassoulet Days at Jimmy’s No. 43

We’re living la vie folle with the addition of cassoulet to the menu. Starting today, we’ll have menu options that include varieties of this quintessential French country dish, which has become an integral part to January at Jimmy’s No. 43. Pair your cassoulet with an amazing French beer or bottle of wine. We have an extensive list that will transport you to the land of the Rhone and Seine Rivers.

We’ll also have several very special events (regular bar/restaurant service available, as well) celebrating cassoulet. First up, starting at noon today we’ll be doing a very special French beer and cassoulet tasting (three hours unlimited samples of both for $45 – tickets online until 11 a.m., then available at the bar by cash or cc) with Shelton Brothers Importers. Beers will include:

  • La Choulette Ambrée,
  • Les Sans Culottes,
  • Theillier La Bavaisienne,
  • Thiriez Extra,
  • Mikkeller – Santa’s Little Helper Holiday Ale,
  • Wandering Star – Mild at Heart (English dark ale),
  • Brasserie Dupont La Bière de Beloeil,
  • Midnight Sun Trickster,
  • L’Anjub 1907 Pale Ale,
  • Plus, Thiriez Blonde, Rockaway Brewing – Gold Stout, Carton Brewing – BDG Brown Ale, and Lagunitas – IPA, on draft with other beers TBA.

We’ll pair these interesting and unusual beers with three different (bean/meat) cassoulets made by guest chefs Josh Stokes (f/o Gramercy Tavern), Patti Jackson (f/o i Trulli), and Jimmy’s No 43. These cassoulets will also be available on our dinner menu.

Then we have tomorrow’s Fifth Annual Cassoulet Cookoff, where guest chefs (amateur and professional) compete for judges awards and great prizes of Anolon Nouvelle Cookware, Microplaner Tools, and Wüsthof Knives. Chefs include:

  • Ian Kapitan, Alobar;
  • Patricia Clark Catering;
  • Patti Jackson;
  • Robbie Richter, f/o Fatty Cue;
  • Jessica Garcia, Agullo, who will create a Catalan Cassoulet with Iberian Beer United Castonon Cider;
  • Jimmy’s No. 43 + amateur chefs TBA.
Tickets are $30 (CASH – pay at bar starting at noon on Sunday, January 13th), with proceeds benefitting GrowNYC Greenmarket programs. Your ticket gets you one drink (beer/wine/hard cider/soda) and unlimited samples from all the cassoulets from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Our final organized event is the French Wine & Cassoulet Prix Fixe dinner, which is sold out for Monday evening. However, we will have cassoulet on the menu for a la carte purchase. If you want to make sure you get a place at the table for our next Prix Fixe dinner (Monday, January 28th), be sure to get your tickets now. It’s a Spanish tapas menu with Iberian beer and (hard) cider pairings; sure to sell out in advance.

French Beer & Beans? Je ne sais quoi!

Jim Barnes of Shelton Brothers. Photo courtesy of Jeri Lynn Astra, Jude The Blackbird Productions.

Ah Mon Dieu et Sacre Bleu! We have ze cassoulet and now everyone’s favorite DJ with a beret will be pouring some amazing French beers to go with it at this weekend’s Beer & Beans. (That’s Bières et Haricots en français!) C’est vrai! Monsieur Jim Barnes will be in the house for Beer & Beans, featuring French brews from Shelton Brothers (see full list below). He might even be bringing his mix cd of French disco called Cassoulet du Disco.

On Saturday, January 12 from 12-3 p.m., you’ll be able to sample from our incredible cassoulet dishes in a subdued environment (we’ll have them at Sunday’s Cassoulet Cookoff, as well) while we pair 10+ of our favorite beers, including many from the home of cassoulet, La France, including:
  • La Choulette Ambrée,
  • Les Sans Culottes,
  • Theillier La Bavaisienne,
  • Thiriez Extra,
  • Mikkeller – Santa’s Little Helper Holiday Ale,
  • Wandering Star – Mild at Heart (English dark ale),
  • Brasserie Dupont La Bière de Beloeil,
  • Midnight Sun Trickster,
  • L’Anjub 1907 Pale Ale,
  • Plus, Thiriez Blonde, Rockaway Brewing – Gold Stout, Carton Brewing – BDG Brown Ale, and Lagunitas – IPA, on draft with other beers TBA.
We’ll pair these interesting and unusual beers with three different (bean/meat) cassoulets made by guest chefs Josh Stokes (f/o Gramercy Tavern), Patti Jackson (f/o I trulli), and Jimmy’s No 43. Cassoulet recipes are still in the works, but may include: Smoked ham, brown ale, and Navy bean cassoulet; Hudson Valley Duck, “All duck and bean” cassoulet; and a classic French cassoulet. All our beans will be sourced from Cayuga Pure Organics, and all the meat from Union Square greenmarket meat farmers.
Which beers pair best with which cassoulet? You be the judge! Tickets available here.

Get A (Rex) Attitude Adjustment: Yeastie Boys and Thursday Tap™

Did you know it’s summer in New Zealand? We’re bringing a little joy from down under with today’s Thursday Tap™ – Yeastie Boys’ Rex Attitude! The NZ brewer has created an amazing golden ale, which they made with 100 percent heavy peated malt. This 7.0% ABV beer is going to bring some sunshine into your NYC winter. Find out more about this interesting and unusual beer here, or join us after 5 p.m. when Jimmy is tapping this particular keg. As always, while supplies last, and regular bar/restaurant/oyster service still available.

Get Ready to Cassoulet!

We’re gearing up for a very special weekend full of cassoulet delights! For those who don’t know, cassoulet is a traditional French dish that is made in the winter months from beans and various meats (or veggies, in the case of vegetarian cassoulet). Of course, if you’ve spent any time around Jimmy’s No. 43 in January, then you know… it’s all about the cassoulet!

From Saturday, January 12, through Monday, January 14th, we will be celebrating one of our favorite winter dishes with three amazing (and amazingly different) tasting events. Centering these events will be The Fifth Annual Cassoulet Cookoff. This year the format is a little bit different: $30 (cash only) at the door gets you one drink (beer, wine, hard cider or soda) and two hours of unlimited cassoulet samples by professional and amateur chefs (there’s still time to join in the cookoff; chefs e-mail for specifics). The cookoff takes place from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday (1/13 – tickets will go on sale at noon), with proceeds to benefit the NYC Greenmarket programs.

If you’re looking for something a little more lowkey (yes, our cassoulet cookoff packs them in!), you might be interested in trying our Beer & Beans from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday (1/12). We’ll be pairing some of our favorite beers (tickets/beer list here) with three different styles of cassoulet (bean/meat) made by guest chefs including Josh Stokes (f/o Gramercy Tavern), Patti Jackson (f/o I trulli), and Jimmy’s No 43.  What pairs best? An American Ale with duck cassoulet? A Stout with pork? A fine pour from Belgium with vegetarian? You get to be the judge!

And if wine is your preferred drink, we have the perfect match up (mash up?) when Neal Rosenthal Imports pairs French wine with a five-course prix fixe dinner (tickets here – we are almost sold out, so don’t wait to buy yours!). Wines will be selected from the Rhone Valley and Languedoc region by Blake Johnson our longtime wine expert at Rosenthal.

We’ll also be offering cassoulet on our regular bar/restaurant menu, which is still available during all these events!

Today’s Thursday Tap™ + Meet The Brewer: The Launch of Bronx Brewery’s Latest Specialty Beer

Jimmy’s No. 43 is happy to host the official launch of Bronx Brewery’s latest specialty beer: Bronx Black Pale Ale. For this week’s Thursday Tap™, we’ll be welcoming Bronx Brewery’s General Manager Chris Gallant, Head Brewer Damian Brown, and Sales Director Sean McCain, who will be on hand to talk about the new beer and answer questions about the recipe development and brewing process. The beer will be poured alongside the brewery’s flagship Bronx Pale Ale. Cask versions of both beers will be on hand as well.

As always, regular bar/restaurant/oyster service is available. We tap at 5 p.m. Expect the Bronx crew by 6. Join us tonight for a truly special Thursday Tap™ (first one of the new year!).