This past weekend I was able to finally attend my first Bockfest. According to their website, “Bockfest is a celebration of historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati’s brewing heritage and the coming of spring.” In my own words I would say that it is a really big party, second only to Oktoberfest.

The Goat!

After a scary storm ripped through the area on Friday afternoon, I was a little unsure of the status of the Bockfest parade that evening that would kick of the weekend of events. As it turns out, nothing stops Bockfest, and I was glad to hear it. Kim, Trey, and I made a quick decision to get downtown so that we could catch the parade up Main Street.

More Goat

Christian Moerlein Beer Truck

CEO of Christian Moerlein, Greg Hardman

I held Trey for most of the 30 minute parade, so I didn’t get as many pictures as I would have liked, but it was a fun way to kick off the night. All of the local bars were serving various bock beers in plastic cups so the crowd could enjoy them outside on the sidewalk while enjoying the parade.

Once the parade was over we spent some time on the back patio of the new Mayberry location hanging with friends and enjoying more drinks. Later in the night I went out with some of my friends to some of the other participating venues nearby to sample other beers and party with thousands. I never made it to the Bockfest Hall, which was my only disappointment of the night. I heard that it was really crowded though, so perhaps skipping it wasn’t a bad thing. Next year I do hope to see the inside of the hall though. Put it in your calendar now to join me, the first weekend of March.

You may recall my post about collard greens, well another vegetable that is new to me is broccolini (or broccolette). We’ve had a couple of deliveries of this vegetable that is similar to broccoli, but with longer and thinner stalks. The first time I prepared it I just roasted it in the oven with some potatoes and garlic, but it didn’t cook well enough for my liking. This past week I dug up a recipe where the broccolini is blanched and then sautéed with butter, garlic, and lemon. The results were much better!

Ready To Eat