Photo by Patricia Chang One thing that I love as much as guns, is food. Seeing as guns are used by many hunters as a way to harvest meat from the land, there is a natural connection between the guns and food. Having grown up in Orange County, California where many kids think meat comes from the grocery store in styrofoam containers, over the past year I've enjoyed gaining a greater appreciation for where real food comes from.
A group of restaurant chefs and friends formed a supper club called The Stag Dining Group that holds clandestine 'pop-up' dinners throughout San Francisco, which is home for me. One of their dinners is called "A Shot and a Beer" where diners got to take five shots on a skeet field. Hosted by The Pacific Rod & Gun Club in San Francisco, the setting is picturesque where shooters bust clays over Lake Merced. Only steel shot with biodegradable wads are permitted to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. After the shooting is over, the guns get put away, and diners are treated to a multi-course meal that is paired with some fantastic local beer.
A group of restaurant chefs and friends formed a supper club called The Stag Dining Group that holds clandestine 'pop-up' dinners throughout San Francisco, which is home for me. One of their dinners is called "A Shot and a Beer" where diners got to take five shots on a skeet field. Hosted by The Pacific Rod & Gun Club in San Francisco, the setting is picturesque where shooters bust clays over Lake Merced. Only steel shot with biodegradable wads are permitted to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. After the shooting is over, the guns get put away, and diners are treated to a multi-course meal that is paired with some fantastic local beer.
I was a shotgun instructor for the Shot and a Beer event, and I had just completed my NRA Instructor Certification course a few days prior. One of the challenges of this particular event is to quickly give a shooter instructions so we could move through the sixty or so attendees. My main focus was of course safety, and the second, I wanted to ensure each shooter hit at least one of their five clays. For skeet shooters in the know, we were shooting at Station Seven on an American Skeet field.
We were using my Benelli Vinci autoloader 12 gauge. I was impressed with how many brand new shooters were busting clays, and I had to resist my urge to give more comprehensive training, due to the small amount of training time allotted. Regardless, the sun was shining bright and the weather was perfect for some shotgunning.
After about an hour and a half of shooting, the group transitioned into the dining area where we were treated with Almanac brewery beers. Chef Jordan Grosser and crew put together a really nice menu for the evening (menu link).
Here are some great pictures of the food.
We were using my Benelli Vinci autoloader 12 gauge. I was impressed with how many brand new shooters were busting clays, and I had to resist my urge to give more comprehensive training, due to the small amount of training time allotted. Regardless, the sun was shining bright and the weather was perfect for some shotgunning.
After about an hour and a half of shooting, the group transitioned into the dining area where we were treated with Almanac brewery beers. Chef Jordan Grosser and crew put together a really nice menu for the evening (menu link).
Here are some great pictures of the food.
Between each course, the chef and brewer would talk about the food and why the beer complemented that particular dish. As for Almanac beer, I hadn't had much of it before but will now keep an eye out for it when I'm shopping for beer or at a restaurant. In particular, the sour beer was perfectly paired with the 5 spice grilled quail.
During the meal, I had an opportunity to speak to many of the diners who were first time shooters. Their main attraction to the event was the food, and many of them had always wanted to shoot a gun but didn't know where to start. I really enjoyed bringing a first time shooting experience to attendees.
Toward the end, I was given a few minutes to talk about where my background and interest in food came from. When I was growing up, my mother cooked homemade meals for almost every dinner. My family is always talking about food, even when we're eating a meal, we're often talking about meals of the past, and meals to come. Enjoying the Stag Dining Group meal reminded me of where I came from, and that appreciating locally sourced, responsibly grown, and freshly cooked food made for a fantastic dining experience.
I look forward to introducing skeet shooting to future Stag Dining attendees. Pairing together a positive shooting experience with a stellar dining experience is a winning combination!
www.StagDining.com.
During the meal, I had an opportunity to speak to many of the diners who were first time shooters. Their main attraction to the event was the food, and many of them had always wanted to shoot a gun but didn't know where to start. I really enjoyed bringing a first time shooting experience to attendees.
Toward the end, I was given a few minutes to talk about where my background and interest in food came from. When I was growing up, my mother cooked homemade meals for almost every dinner. My family is always talking about food, even when we're eating a meal, we're often talking about meals of the past, and meals to come. Enjoying the Stag Dining Group meal reminded me of where I came from, and that appreciating locally sourced, responsibly grown, and freshly cooked food made for a fantastic dining experience.
I look forward to introducing skeet shooting to future Stag Dining attendees. Pairing together a positive shooting experience with a stellar dining experience is a winning combination!
www.StagDining.com.
Stag Dining co-founder Matthew Homyak takes skeet instruction from Chris Cheng. Photo by Chelsea Larsson.
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