Preview Market and Perch Dishes at Downtown Brew Fest

Get a taste of possible menu items at the new The Perch, opening next Friday at the Downtown Container Park, and The Market, the new grocery store coming Oct. 8, at the Downtown Brew Festival Saturday night.

And, yes, some of the dishes will feature beer in some way.

"It felt like it was a great idea to use beer," says Downtown Project's chef Sonia El-Nawal, who is behind the two concepts. "They gave me the beer to work with and I gave them the direction for the beer."

The Market has a crostini dish with mushrooms fricasse cooked with Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, while The Perch is serving apple beignets in beer batter with thyme using Palm Speciale Belge ale. Find the dishes in the VIP area.

El-Nawal has worked with Downtown Project since she came to them with her own proposal several years ago. Instead, the team asked her to work with them on the restaurants they operate Downtown.

Other dishes she plans to serve include a 26-month-old aged gouda with celery salt, meatballs filled with egg and served in a chipotle tomato sauce, an adult grilled cheese sandwich with a tomato chutney, Havarti, brie and roasted apples on ciabatta and a cheesecake with caramel drizzle with a pretzel crunch from The Market. The Perch will have tuna tostadas with chipotle mayonnaise, a tomato bread, beef carpaccio on crostini with parmesan and white truffle oil and an Italian sausage flat bread with arrabbiata sauce, roast peppers and mozzarella.

Not going VIP Saturday night? Here's what other restaurants are serving.

Comme Ca
Boudin Blanc Sausage, with red onion jam, pickled mustard seeds served on a squid ink bun
Freshly-Shucked Kumamoto Oysters, with smoke mignonette and lemon
Crispy Pig Skins, with chili lime sea salt

DW Bistro
Three-Chili Beef, with fresh-brewed coffee, dark beer and smoked bacon
Pork Jerk Tacos
Beer battered Fried Chicken

Forte Tapas
Stroganoff Fries
Chebureki, Georgian-style fried beef dumpling
Forte Feta Fries

Truck-U Barbeque
BBQ Pork Torta, slow smoked pork butt, ancho honey BBQ, duck fat fries, chipotle coleslaw served on a brioche bun
Short Rib Fries, Habanero molasses BBQ, duck fat fries, caramelized onions, blue cheese, bacon and chipotle aioli
Texas Dip, smoked Texas brisket served on a French roll with Oaxcan Chile au jus, duck fat fries and rosemary horseradish sauce

Nacho Daddy
Cheeseburger Nachos
Chicken Street Tacos
Chimichangas
· All Coverage of the Downtown Brew Festival [ELV]