"The only thing there is to say, every silver lining's got a
touch of grey"
The Grateful Dead
Hello! Welcome to another November week. Thanks for all the feedback we are getting about menus and drink offerings. I want to encourage all of you to use the Food and Beverage response form that is listed in Uniguest (Touchtown) under the heading of "Forms". This goes directly to me, David and Brenda so we can see your responses in real time. It doesn't give a way to directly respond to you so if you want a response I would reach out directly to one of us. This form is not only for criticism but praise also, please don't hesitate to use it. This coming week is pretty quiet, which I hope everyone is enjoying as we enter the Holiday Season.
This week on the menu, The weekly Appetizer is Baked Asparagus wrapped in Boursin Cheese and Prosciutto. Asparagus is a little tricky to pair with wine, if anything I would recommend a Wheat Beer.
The Cheese this week is ColoRouge from Mouco. This award-winning cheese from Fort Collins is firm on the outside, soft and rich on the inside. Think of it as a slightly pungent and creamy Brie. Definitely have this one, we are serving it with Raspberry preserves and I recommend Sparkling wine.
This week we are serving Seafood Cioppino. Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants who fished off Meiggs Wharf and lived in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa. When a fisherman came back empty-handed, he would walk around with a pot for the other fishermen to chip in whatever they could. This became his "cioppino". The fishermen that chipped in expected the same treatment if they came back empty-handed in the future. It later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco. Our Cioppino will have mussels, fish, shrimp and other seafood stewed in a rich tomato and wine broth and will be served with Garlic Bread. Definitely order the Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay or even Riesling.
Don't miss our Country-Fried Steak. This all-American recipe is actually credited to German immigrants in Texas and Oklahoma and it bears a striking similarity to Wiener Schnitzel so I suppose that makes sense. Ours is Beef Tenderloin, pounded flat, breaded, fried and served with a creamy, white gravy. Now this is also controversial as the traditional recipe is served with a brown gravy and when it is served with a cream gravy it is known as Chicken-Fried Steak. We find those kinds of distinctions distracting from cooking good food and so we avoid them, and anyway why would you call something chicken when it clearly isn't? If you would prefer brown gravy just ask.
I suggest Chateau Blaignan Bordeaux for this one and I know you won't be disappointed.
Less controversial is the Pork Picatta this week. Pork loin is sautéed and topped with a sauce made from white wine, lemon, capers and butter. The name Picatta actually derives from the word "piquant" and as you would expect the sauce is bright, acidic and slightly salty. Definitely time to go with Sauvignon Blanc- I recommend the Murphy-Goode. Did you know that Sauvignon Blanc is one the parent wines of Cabernet Sauvignon?
As a light special we are serving a Santa Fe Chicken Salad. This is grilled chicken breast marinated in chili and lime, served over black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocadoes and red onions. Try the Helfritch Gewürztraminer.
Finally we are serving Shrimp Scampi. Our Scampi is shrimp sautéed in garlic, lemon, white wine, more garlic and lots of butter. We finish with tomatoes and basil and of course there will be garlic bread in case you didn't get enough. The key to this dish is to make sure that everyone has a taste. The history of Shrimp Scampi is quite interesting. The dish is said to have originated in the 14th century in the Italian city of Genoa. There are doubts to this age as the word Scampi simply refers to any large shrimp-like crustacean and therefore could be any dish. Today in Italy 'Scampi' is gently-poached prawns seasoned with lemon. In the UK it is breaded and fried langoustines with tartar sauce but here in America it is almost always shrimp in butter and garlic. The name 'Scampi' can refer to the style of cooking too-- so it is not uncommon to see Scallops or Lobster Scampi on modern American menus. At any rate go with a Sauvignon Blanc here; the high acidity will pair well with the lemon and wine in the dish.
In The Bar we are serving Coca-Cola Barbecued Ribs, a New England Lobster Roll, and a Honey-Buffalo Chicken Wrap. all very good, all pretty quick.
As always please attend the Culinary Corner Monday Morning at 10 am in the Private Dining room. We discuss the menus, past dining experiences, new suggestions and everything in between. You don't need an invitation just come and join us, we look forward to seeing you.
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