Hello! Welcome to the weekly overview of menu items and changes here in Vi at Highlands Ranch. This blog is a new thing for us here, and I would love to hear how you like it, suggestions for improvement, and ideas for change. I would like to point out that you can now like and comment on posts, and I will try to answer and keep a lively discussion going. We have added a feature on the home screen of the site, called The Buzz, which is a forum for further discussion not only with members of the team but with each other. Please use this for another way to communicate, but of course I can always be reached at gstrickland@viliving.com. If you read this post, drop a comment and say Hi so I know you are here.
So, finally we are opening the dinner menu to full service-with a few changes.
From Monday through Thursday at dinner, we have the four Always Available menu items, we have four Weekly Entrees, and two Daily Entrees. On Friday and Saturday, we will still do buffets, allowing for the staffing shortages that remain. takeout menus for the buffet nights will be the always available entrees. Even more importantly, we are returning to full Brunch buffet on Sundays, beginning February 6.
The soup of the week is classic Chicken Noodle. Nothing fancy, but full of chicken and vegetables, great for a cold evening. Soups of the day throughout the week include Clam Chowder, Pot Roast Soup, and White Bean.
The appetizer is a Grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewer. We utilize the tips and tails of the beef tenderloin when we clean it for Filet Mignon, and it is delicious. Marinated in olive oil, herbs and garlic, it is served with a cream sauce with Danish bleu cheese folded into it. For daily specials, look for Shrimp Escabeche, Roasted Marrow Bruschetta and Tomato Cucumber Salad.
At dinner, we have Seared Sea Scallops. These are the large scallops, as opposed to the tiny Bay scallops that some East coast people might remember. This is served with a purée of roasted corn and cream seasoned with a little thyme. It also comes with grilled trumpet mushrooms, and cornmeal polenta with lemon oil. Scallops are very easily overcooked, so I am excited to serve this again in the dining room where it can be served to you directly. I don't recommend this dish on takeouts.
We have Wagyu Beef Sirloin Steak, grilled to order and served with truffle compound butter on top. Wagyu is a breed of cattle known for it's incredibly rich meat and flavor. a sirloin is of course not a tenderloin, it has more flavor but not as tender so I recommend this dish cooked medium or less so it doesn't get tough. We serve caramelized onions with this and gorgonzola mashed potatoes.
Roasted Duckling is on the menu, with breast or leg meat available as your preference. Slow cooked and tender, this is served with a sauce made from Moro or blood oranges and brandy. Carrots are julienne cut and sautéed with fresh herbs and wild rice comes with this as well.
A vegetarian stir fry of Tofu and Tempeh is available as a plant-based alternative. Both tofu and tempeh are made from soybeans, they are very high in protein, but have little flavor on their own-absorbing flavor from the ingredients added to the dish. These are cooked in sesame, soy, ginger, and garlic with sliced vegetables and served over lo mein noodles with a crispy vegetable spring roll on the side.
We have Penne Bolognese this week, Bolognese is basically a meat sauce, but is made with veal instead of beef, making the flavor lighter and just a touch of cream that further softens the acidity of the tomatoes. This dish is garnished with shaved Parmesan cheese with grilled garlic bread on the side.
For daily dinner specials, look for Lamb Chops, Snapper, Bison Flat Iron Steak, and Pork Bourguignon. I will discuss these in greater detail at the Culinary Corner meeting this Monday at 10 am.
On Friday and Saturday nights we will have full buffets, and the takeout menu will consist of the always available items on the menu, Filet Mignon Roasted Chicken, Grilled Salmon, and the Entree Salad.
Sunday Brunch will return with an omelet and waffle station, delicious pastries, lox platters, and sometimes a carving station as well. there will continue to be a limited version available for takeout.
At Lunch we have Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with a sauce made from red wine and tart cherries. This is served with crispy artichokes, and Hasselback potatoes, a sort of baked potato with garlic butter and cheese sliced into it.
We have a light Chicken and Apple Waldorf salad served on a buttery croissant with house chips
We have a Burger made in the style of a Philly cheese steak with grilled onions, peppers and provolone cheese topping the CAB patty. this is served with sweet potato fries.
At lunch for specials, look for Chicken Carbonara, Grilled Ribeye, Beef Meatloaf , and Mahi Mahi along with other favorites. Don't forget we have Steamed Lobster Tail on the menu now through March so please take advantage of this.
I am hoping that this will be the way we do things for a while, I'm sure there will be changes and adjustments. Please bear with us as we make this transition, we are out of practice a bit, and of course there are team members who have never done the full menu before. See you all on the Buzz!
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