Milk and cookies, beer and pizza, coffee and doughnuts—some pairings are no-brainers. While these classic duos are comforting, it’s also a delight to find complimentary flavors in unexpected places. You could do some experimenting yourself, but you could also let the experts do the pairing work for you. Here are bartenders, chefs, beverage directors, and owners from some of the best restaurants around on their favorite unusual food-and-drink pairings.
The food at popular San Francisco cocktail bar The Alembic is anything but simple. Naturally, inventive food demands inventive pairings. Enter Larry Piaskowy, head barman who oversees the cocktail program. One of his favorite challenges is the jerk-spiced duck hearts with pickled pineapple and thyme salt—not exactly a dish you can pair with a Pinot and call it a day. So, he pairs it with a cocktail, the Brown Wolf: bonded bourbon, Amaro Lucano, spiced pear liqueur, mole bitters, nocino (a walnut liqueur), and grapefruit bitters. “The spice from the overproof bourbon compliments the five-spice seasoning and gamey hearts,” Piaskowy says.
Not all pairings need to be as intricate. In fact, some are super simple. Take Ghirardelli’s Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree chocolate: It’s peppered with crunchy almonds and bits of coarse sea salt crystals, giving the chocolate even more depth and body. It’s great to savor alone, but paired with a drinkable partner, it can be pure bliss. A rich red wine, like Syrah, is always a good choice. Or, you could go slightly off the beaten flavor path with a creamy Porter or stout beer. Most surprisingly, this chocolate pairs beautifully with a sip of Añejo Tequila, which has been aged in barrels. The slightly smoky, toasty flavor of this kind of tequila loves the sweet, salty, and bitter notes found in this complex chocolate. If you want to impress your friends at a dinner party, just serve this combination for dessert.
Speaking of tequila, even margaritas can be paired serendipitously with food—and not just tacos and chips. Bartender Will Falaro from Boston’s Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar pairs his Tropic Thunder margarita (a deliciously smoky combination of tequila, mezcal, muddled ginger, grilled pineapple, and lime juice) with an oyster ceviche made with a rainbow of tropical fruit and habanero peppers. “The grilled pineapple in the margarita makes an incredible and refreshing way to finish a clean dish that is packed with fresh fruit flavors,” he explains.
Even brunchy dishes need a buddy—and not even a boozy one. Current Top Chef contestant Chef Marjorie-Meek Bradly who heads Ripple in D.C. has made homemade juices and other non-alcoholic drinks a staple at her restaurant. “For brunch we love pairing a homemade beet soda with gravlax-based dishes,” she explains. “Beet-cured gravlax is a natural flavor infusion, so it pairs extraordinarily well.” Over in Maya Riviera, Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna Torres of Le Chique at Karisma Hotels & Resorts pairs his whole seven-course prix fixe menu with playful, seasonal juices. One of the coolest duos is honeydew, orange flower, and ginger juice paired with foie gras and a winter truffle that’s coated in dark bitter chocolate—a combination that is the perfect balance of bitterness, fat, sweet, and sour.
A prestigious wine like fine red Bordeaux can stray from its usual pairings, too. Often paired with dishes like steak or a rich beef stew, these wines can feel too precious to experiment with. Bruce Bromberg, founder and owner of New York’s Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken fondly remembers the first time he tried a glass of Bordeaux with the restaurant’s storied fried chicken. “Our good friend and great patron, Mario Batali, is actually the one who put the two together for the first time late one Sunday night many years ago,” Bromberg says, “And what a revelation it was!” He couldn’t believe how beautifully the crisp, juicy chicken with its hint of sweet and spice coaxed out the complexity in the aged Bordeaux wines. “It is a perfect example of ‘Haute’ France and ‘Down-Home’ America coming together to make a memorable experience for anyone who dares!”