At the podium of the Craft Brewers Conference in New Orleans, Garrett Oliver is preaching to the faithful. But even here, among a roomful of brewpub owners -- who are listening intently and taking notes on how to plan a successful beer dinner -- it seems he feels obliged to offer up a punctuated apologetic for his point of view.
"How many of you would pay as much for a bottle of beer as a bottle of wine?" Oliver, who is brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery, asks at one point. He grins knowingly when only a couple of hands go up. "Wine is not better with food than beer -- especially here in the U.S.," he says. "You'll never find a wine that's as good with pork as beer is."
Preached by the poet warrior of real beer and real food, the gospel according to Garrett Oliver is largely contained in his new book, "The Brewmaster's Table" (Ecco, $29.95). It's a feisty and erudite tome that disdains bland mass market lagers and our fast-food lifestyle and at the same time argues that French-derived wine and food snobbery makes no sense in a country where salsa is the No. 1 condiment.
With so many styles of beer from so many different countries and cultures available, Oliver shows why there are wonderful brews to pair with everything from porcini risotto with foie gras to duck with Oaxacan mole negro. And how great beer, with its "full peacock display of flavor," is truly the "affordable luxury" that can match the spicy, complex foods we've grown to love. "Traditional beer is the new star with the international cuisines that we are all eating today," he says. Oliver's background may seem a bit unlikely for a man New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer has called "the Robert Parker of beer" and who serves on the board of directors of Slow Food USA.
Growing up in Queens in New York in the 1960s and '70s, the 40-year-old Oliver remembers, "there were only two types of bread, perhaps three types of cheese, and most vegetables were frozen." But there were also early lessons in the art of eating.
"My father, who was an artist -- a highly creative person -- was an excellent cook, and although he only cooked occasionally, he did terrific stuff when he did. We used to hunt pheasant and quail; he'd have them in wine sauce by dinnertime. He taught me how to make omelets; when I was in college, I was the only one around who knew how to make one" (see one of Oliver's favorite omelet recipes, right).
Oliver graduated with a degree in film and started brewing at home after spending a year traveling and enjoying beer in England and Europe, "not because I was interested in brewing but to have something decent to drink." He began brewing professionally in 1989, and in 1994 joined the Brooklyn Brewery as brewmaster and partner.
He became known for his award-winning interpretations of traditional beer styles, such as his dark, dessert-happy Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout and bright, brisk Blanche De Brooklyn. But it was his ability to articulate how serious beer could come to the table with serious food that made Oliver a star/host at beer tastings and dinners and brought about appearances on "Emeril Live" and "Martha Stewart Living" in the past few years.
At beer gatherings such as last month's Craft Brewers Conference, Oliver is conspicuous, not only for being the best-dressed and well-spoken person in the room but also because he's very often the only black person. He says he's rarely encountered outright racism since becoming a brewmaster, but there some who are taken aback when they first encounter him.
"People will sometimes speak to me over the phone, and then react with obvious surprise when they meet me," he says. "Some of them say that they expected an older European-looking fellow to show up. They also seem to be surprised that I have a good command of the English language -- I wasn't surprised when Vernon Jordan titled his autobiography 'Vernon Can Read.' "
"The Brewmaster's Table" is filled with Oliver's experiences brewing beer, tasting beer and traveling to the great beer countries. But the heart of the book is his deep belief that matching beer with food is a true culinary art and that artisan beers belong in the best restaurants.
Full page color pictures of Oliver cohorts like Chef Mario Batali, who toasts his own Babbo house- made sausage with a glass of Ommegang saison from upstate New York, help drive home that message. But Oliver acknowledges that chefs like Batali are still far from the norm.
"Even in New York, many good restaurants have yet to discover real beer," Oliver says. "But things are changing fast. Many chefs are realizing that the clich_d 'wine equals sophisticated, beer equals pedestrian' idea is simply not true at all. And, of course, many of them knew all along."

MAIN DISH
Brewmaster's Goat Cheese and Apple Omelet
Makes 1 serving
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 7-10 minutes
This is Oliver's favorite brunch dish to make at home on spring and summer mornings. It sounds strange, but it's delicious. Serve it with a Belgian wheat beer for a very tasty start to the day. The fruity flavors in the beer and the apples match each other nicely, and they both provide a counterpoint to the tang of the cheese.
2 teaspoons butter, divided
1/2 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Pinch granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
2 ounces goat cheese, cut into 3 inch-thick slices
Coarsely ground black pepper
In a nonstick pan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter. Add apples and saute until apple slices start to brown. Add a pinch of sugar and continue to stir until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a bowl, lightly whisk eggs and milk until just combined. In a nonstick omelet pan over medium heat, melt remaining teaspoon butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the eggs and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until underneath is firm and the top is almost cooked through. Arrange goat cheese slices on half the omelet and cover with apples. Fold the omelet in half, covering the filling, and cook on low for 1 minute. Flip omelet, turn off heat and leave for 1 minute. Place the omelet on a warm plate and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve.
Per serving: 489 calories (percent of calories from fat, 68), 29 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 37 grams fat, 455 milligrams cholesterol, 394 milligrams sodium.

GARRETT OLIVER'S TIPS FOR THE PERFECT MATCH
The trick to matching beer with food, says Oliver, is to first "match up the impact on your palate." In other words, pair delicate foods with delicate beers rather than overwhelming them with a beer with a huge flavor. Next, he says, match up some of the flavors in the food and the beer. "I call this the 'flavor hook' -- the part of the beer's flavor that links up directly with the flavor of the food." With that in mind, here are his general recommendations for:
Grilled meats: A lager with some caramel flavors from caramelized malts, which pick up the caramelized flavors that develop when meat meets flames. "Wine can't do this kind of match, but beer can."
Mexican fare: If it has lime and cilantro, consider an American pale ale. "They tend to have very citrusy flavors and aromas from the American hops they use."
Pizza: "Something with some snappy hops to cut through the cheese and a little bit of sweetness to match the sauce. American amber lagers and amber ales are good choices."
Cheese: "Beer has a broad range of flavors that link up with the flavors of cheese. For example, aged gouda has a big caramel flavor that is perfect with amber ale and lager; good cheddars are sharp, bright and fruity, and you could say the same about a good American pale ale."
Dessert: "Stouts are beers made with malts that have been roasted like coffee beans. They taste like coffee and chocolate, and they're perfect matches for chocolate desserts. They match other desserts, too -- they work just like coffee. Another great dessert style is traditional fruit beers, most of which are from Belgium. They're perfect with chocolate, but also great with ice cream or cheesecake."

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