Hello! Welcome to the end of October, in like a lamb out like a lion.
It's been a crazy couple of weeks, hasn't it? We are trying to stabilize the front of the house, giving support where we can and hold it together. Not having enough staff has been a problem for a very long time and I don't see it letting up with the cost of living going up so rapidly and the minimum wage increasing again in 60 days. Every time a position turns over, we lose all that training, all that stability, the familiarity with the residents. The holes in the schedule create a domino effect, putting extra strain on the remaining staff who know they could get a much easier and less stressful job within a day of leaving. It's frustrating, for both residents and staff, and all I can offer is my dedication to plugging holes in the boat while bailing, steering and charting new courses. Thank you to those of you who have been so understanding and supportive through all this.
If you haven't yet, check out Dio de los Muertos display that Our Sous Chef David Meraz set up with the help of his wonderful wife. It's in the Living Room, and I love that our staff feels comfortable sharing the culture of their families with all of the residents here at Vi. I will post pictures as soon as I can.
OK. so the good news is that we have the online ordering back up and running. As of Sunday the 29th, all systems were tested and we got the orders. I prefer online ordering as it takes less time and has fewer chances for errors. Menus and order forms can be found on the TouchTown app under "Dining" .
On the Touchtown app, there is now a link to this blog. If you have friends who say they can't get the blog or you want to look up past issues, take a look under the tab marked as "Culinary Corner". Under that same tab, there is a menu for The Hive Market.
In the Hive Market, Check out the Bahn Mi sandwich. In the 1950's Vietnam was still a French Colony, and the Chefs in Saigon found ways of serving their own flavors in the ever- present French Baguette to make this flavorful sandwich. Ours has grilled pork, cucumber, carrots, sesame and cilantro. In addition this week we have a Cobb Salad Sub, an Egg Salad Croissant with Smoked Trout, Crab Cakes, Loaded, Baked Potato, and a Portobello Wellington that our Cook Josh Ballantine created that is to die for. Anna is putting Tiramisu into glasses again, you don't need to bring them back. Remember we are open seven days a week from 8am-2pm.
So the Soup in the Mt. Rosa Dining Room this week is Autumn Wild Rice. Think mushrooms, sweet potatoes, kale and, of course, wild rice in a coconut broth--very delicious.
The appetizer of the week is Pistachio-Crusted Goat's Cheese served over baby arugula with toasted French Bread and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction.
The Cheese this week is a Port Wine Derby. Now Derby is sort of like Cheddar, but before pressing the curds, Port wine is added, giving the cheese a tangy flavor and beautiful marbled color. we are serving this with Fresh berries and Toast points.
At Dinner we have Cajun-Seared Halibut with Mango Coulis. Did you know, the name Halibut comes from the name haly (holy) and butte (flat fish) for it's popularity on Catholic Holy days? I didn't. Anyway, it's delicious when available, and we are serving it with mashed cauliflower and roasted asparagus. Try it with Sauvignon Blanc-- we have a really nice one from Kim Crawford Winery.
We are offering Veal Osso Bucco all week, too. Now this is the cross cut of the Veal Shank (leg), with a large bone in the center. Normally this would not be a tender cut but long slow braising in wine renders it fork tender and absolutely delicious. We'll top this with Gremoulata-- a sort of herb and citrus zest that cuts through the rich flavor of the meat, and the whole thing goes over soft polenta. Definitely time to order Chianti with this one.
Don't miss the Tuscan Chicken: a crispy breast served in a creamy Dijon sauce with Roasted Potatoes and Broccolini.
Try David's Vegetarian Ramen Noodles with mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables in a rich miso broth.
Our featured Pasta is Beef Bolognese served over cavatappi noodles and zesty garlic bread on the side.
For specials, check out the Game Hen, Broiled Snapper, Steak Au Poivre, Linguini di Mare, Beef Wellington, and the Tandoori Lamb.
At Lunch check out Colombian Chicken Stew, Beef Lasagna, Mojo Leg of Lamb, Honey Garlic Salmon.
We are working on a new wine menu, if you have a favorite or a preference, please let me or Susan Jackson know what it is and we will try to accommodate it. I hope to have something in place very soon, and of course we will be taking a much broader look as we revamp the dining areas and bar into something more workable.
I hope to see you all Monday Morning at The Culinary Corner, 10am in the Dad Clark Bar.
Thank You!
