Welcome to a new week! Did you realize that it is Easter week as well as Passover? I sure didn't. No worries though, we have all of this covered. I promise not to serve braised rabbit this year.
The soup this week is a Spring Vegetable with Beef. Artichokes, asparagus, new potatoes and other vegetables with sirloin in a rich broth seasoned with basil and thyme. This is gluten-friendly
The appetizer this week is a Chilled Salad of Soba Noodles, tossed with peanut dressing and vegetables, seasoned with cilantro and mint and topped with lobster meat.
We have an Herbed Gouda cheese this week from Holland. This is a traditional gouda that has basil, parsley, garlic and dried tomatoes added to the curd. This one will be served with caramelized onion jam, and house made crackers
We have Seared Corvina with Grilled Pineapple Salsa this week. Corvina is an ocean fish in the Drum family, but for culinary purposes we treat it like snapper or grouper, which it resembles very closely. The flavor is mild, and the fish is really good with tropical ingredients like pineapple. The asparagus is sautéed with garlic and sesame seeds, and the Okinawa potatoes are dense and sweet, with bright purple flesh.
We have Beer-Braised BeefDuck, Two Wayshis week. These boneless ribs are braised in 90 Shilling beer, onions and garlic until very soft, and then the cooking liquid is strained and reduced to a gravy. Sautéed Green Beans are tossed in Dijon mustard with bacon and chive mashed potatoes on the side. Very soon we will be able to use our own house-,made beer.
This week we are serving Duck Two-Ways: the breast will be marinated grilled and sliced thinly while the leg will be cooked confit-style until it is very soft. Lemon and honey are whisked into a light butter sauce to go with it and we have roasted carrots and wild rice as well.
We are serving a Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Butternut Squash as a vegetarian option. Rice in Italy dates back to the 14th Century in Sicily where it was introduced by the Arab cultures. In time it became very popular throughout the country, especially short grained very starchy varieties like Arborio. To cook risotto, we first toast the unwashed rice in a pan with olive oil. Warm stock is added and absorbed by the rice a ladleful at a time, while the dish is constantly stirred. The starchiness of the varietal keeps the grains from overcooking as they absorb the liquid, and the starch is rubbed off by the constant stirring, eventually creating a creamy and flavorful dish which we finish with wine, butter and cheese. We like to add fresh herbs and whatever else is fresh in the kitchen to finish this classic dish.
We are serving a Scallops Putanesca over housemade pasta this week as well. Putanesca sauce has many variations and the history of the name is lost in the mists of time, but ours will have large sea scallops, in a sauce of tomatoes, anchovies, olives, capers, garlic, fresh herbs, more garlic and red pepper flakes. The pasta is made by Samten, our talented Sous Chef and the best pasta maker we have in the kitchen. I'm sure Samten is trying to teach someone else to do it better so he can retire from his post as head pasta maker...
For dinner specials this week, look for Barbecued Ribs, Amaretto Trout, Picanha Steak, and Flemish Beef Stew. We have decided to extend the Buffets for another week as we are still having staffing challenges. On Friday we will have a seafood buffet with King Crab, Lobster and Sea Bass, and on Saturday we will have a buffet of traditional Passover foods like Brisket, Honey Carrots, Roasted Chicken, and Salmon.
At Lunch, look for Wild Boar Chili, Korean Pork, Carved Turkey with Gravy, and Chili Rellenos.
Come in for Breakfast if you haven't been in a while, we are having a lot of success with the scones, but get here early because the Chef arrives around 8:30 and eats a double portion.
On Sunday we will be Celebrating with an Easter-themed Brunch. If you haven't gotten a reservation yet, there is still time. As a reminder, Friends and Family are welcome here at Vi.
The first week of the Flights of Fancy menu went well. We just had to start with Single Malt Scotches, but if you have a favorite wine, beer or spirit let us know, we love this kind of thing.
White wines don't always get the respect they deserve, and Chardonnay is a victim of its own success, being such a versatile and approachable grape gives some the impression that it is not as elegant or serious as red wines. I'm not sure where this comes from but join us in finding out just how much fun you can have with four glasses of wine.
Flight of Fancy
Week of April 11-16
Four Chardonnays $6
Cave de Lugny Les Charmes , Macon, France, 2019
Polish caviar on buttered white toast point with crème fraîche
Plum Creek Colorado Grown, Palisade, Colorado 2020
goat cheese crisp with pear jam
Straight Shooter Willamette Valley Oregon 2019
grilled mango, dusted with fennel pollen
Butter, Lodi California, 2020
chilled lobster salad tartlet
I hope you all have a wonderful week, please don't forget to join us on Mondays at 10 AM for the Culinary Corner, where we will discuss all of this and more in greater detail. Coffee and pastries are on us.
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