DECEMBER 2008 ARCHIVES
This week's email
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 by Ben
I hope everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We are in the final stretch now: it's December, we've got Christmas and Hanukah on the way, followed by New Year's Eve. Santa is probably packing his sacks of toys already, the Elves are probably feeling the pressure and already starting to grumble, and Mrs. Claus has probably started the task of letting that red suit out just a little bit more around the waist (another night of Milk & Cookie overload on the way...). It's definitely the most wonderful time of the year.
Speaking of which, we will once again be doing our annual Christmas Eve Brunch. On Wednesday, December 24th, we will be open for brunch from 9am to 2pm. One of the things that makes this day different from our usual Sunday Brunch is that for this holiday we accept reservations for parties of only FOUR or more, instead of the usual eight. So gather up the family, make some reservations for that morning (or feel free to just drop on by), fortify with some of our brunchy goodness, then go brave the lines for those last minute Christmas gifts (you'll probably see me out there!). What could be better? To make reservations, call the Dining Hall at (503)235-1600 or
email us.
Something you might want to start pondering nowish: what to have for Christmas dinner? Start mulling some ideas over, poring over your favorite cookbooks, etc. I'll have a lot more to say on the topic next week, but here's a little teaser - 21-Day Dry Aged Prime Rib. In the words of the immortal Stan Lee - 'Nuff Said.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still have this weekend's dinners to get through. And next week's, and the week after. On Friday night, Scott Ketterman will be preparing a little something he like to refer to as New York Italian. The only thing missing is the red check tablecloths and Uncle Guido. And on Saturday, something equally delicious but a bit more... refined. We'll be dishing up one of our most popular items, French Onion Soup, followed by some grilled Piedmontese Beef Tenderloins. How can so much delicious be contained in one tiny paragraph? That's the skills in action. Here's the menus:
Friday, December 5th
New York-Style Italian Dinner
Fried Calamari with Lemon, Capers& Aioli
Romaine Lettuce with Sicilian-Style Olives, Pickled Peppers and Focaccia Croutons
Saltimbocca of Chicken with Polenta and Rapini
Mascarpone-Espresso Tiramisu
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, December 7th
French Onion Soup with a Gruyere Crouton
Frisee Salad with Fried Oysters, House-Cured Guanciale Lardons and Sherry Vinaigrette
Grilled Fillet of Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes, Smoked Chanterelles and Sauce Foyot
Ginger Bread Men with Carrot Ice Cream
Price is $45 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
I apologize for the decidedly Christian bent of this email, what with my constant references to Christmas, Santa and Christmas Eve. I just want to say that I love everyone, of all races or creed (with a few obvious exceptions - no haters). Should you happen to need something special from me for whichever holiday you may celebrate, please feel free to call us at Viande at (503)221-3012. I hope everyone has a great weekend, take care of yourselves. Until next week...
This week's email
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by Ben
Hey, everyone! I hope this email finds all of you well. I'm going to keep it relatively brief this week, I need to go get my daughter's birthday dinner ready. My 9-year old wants Spaghetti and Meatballs, how can I argue with that? Two weeks ago my 7-year old wanted Tonkatsu for his birthday. I'm so proud.
Before I run, though, I've got a very special announcement to make. We will once again be doing our Fifth Annual New Year's Eve Dinner on... well, on the 31st, New Year's Eve. The boys and I sat down and came up with some yummies to share with all of you. We will be commencing dinner early again this year, giving you folks plenty of time to fortify with us then make it to another New Year's Eve party in time to see that creepy old guy cavorting around in a diaper. Makes it hard to keep all that champagne down, but I'm sure most of you are made of sterner stuff. Send him my regards. Following is the menu... good stuff. Also, Travis our wine guy extraordinaire will be pairing the meal with some really fantastic wines. Or, feel free to embark on your own adventures as you wade through our nicely apportioned wine list, or just stick with straight liquor or beer from our broad selection of libations. Mmmm, libations. Anyhow, here's the menu:
Wednesday, December 31st
New Year's Eve Dinner
Prawn Cocktail, Oysters on the Half Shell with Tabasco Mignonette and Lobster and Housemade Pickle Salad with Lobster Coral Aioli
Hoppin' John Soup (A New Year's Tradition)
Grapefruit and Bay Laurel Granita
Dry Aged Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin with Pan Seared Foie Gras, Balsamic-Tart Cherry Sauce, Potato and Root Vegetable Pommes Anna and Sauteed Chicories
Crepes Suzette with Housemade Orange Marmalade and Chantilly Cream
Price is $75 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. Please RSVP or call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Just a few more notes before I get into the menu for this weekend, then I'm outta here. Dave went out today and picked up a little Christmas Tree for the Dining Hall. As he was setting it up, he had one of those lightbulb moments which I will now share with you. Sharing is the key word, here. We have decided to turn it into a giving tree; whenever you come to the dining hall, be it for brunch, a dinner, or just to say "hi", feel free to throw some money into the kitty, or stick some toys underneath. Right before the Christmas holiday, we'll gather up all of your generous gifts and donate them to a local charity (charity to be determined). I'll let you all know how we did. Oh, and a big, fat, huge thank you in advance from me and all of the folks over at Simpatica and Viande.
Speaking of Viande, let's talk about holiday dinner real quick. We've got some special goodies for you to think about... how about 28-day dry aged prime rib, or fresh geese, ducks, rabbits or turkeys? Or maybe you want to get in on some dry aged beef tenderloin and don't want to wait until New Year's Eve (call at least a week in advance for this one)? Or perhaps one of our fine house-cured smoked hams? Maybe crown roast of Calton Farms' Pork? Or a bone-in leg of lamb from Cattail Creek Farms? The sooner you get your orders in the better. Give us a call over at Viande and let us know what your evil little culinary minds are scheming. The number is (503)221-3012. Our team of culinary proffessionals are waiting anxiously by the phone to help you out. Tell 'em Ben sent you.
Also, let's not forget Christmas Eve Brunch, from 9am to 2pm. Now accepting reservations for parties of 4 or more. Make a reservation by calling (503)235-1600 or email us at rsvp@simpaticacatering.com. Tell 'em Ben sent you.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves... we still have this weekend to get through. On Friday our man Scott Ketterman has developed a fine little menu for you. Saturday, unfortunately, has been rented out for a private dinner (unfortunate for you - no dinner for you!). Here's the menu:
Friday, December 12th
Seared Sea Scallops with Cauliflower, Golden Raisins and Lemon
Handmade Spelt Tagliatelle and Chanterelles
Glazed Pork Shoulder with Phipps Heirloom Cannelini Beans and Braised Fennel
Brioche Bread Pudding with Dried Cherry Sauce
Price is $35 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. Please RSVP or call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
Hmm... well, that wasn't short at all. Thanks for listening, though. Have a great weekend everyone. I gotta rush now, bye.
This week's email
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by Ben
What a fun week, huh? Chilly willy. It's funny how much frosty weather affects our fair burg. By affect, I mean bring to a sliding halt. You would think the end of the world were here (it's not). But it has been a lot of fun playing in the snow with the kids; they got their snowshoes on yesterday and tromped around in the 2 inches of snow we had in our yard... oh, the look on their ruddy little faces... Undaunted by such trivial things as weather, we are going full steam ahead into the coming weeks. We've got two killer dinners this weekend, then of course we have Hannukah and Christmas this next week. Let us not be daunted by Old Man Winter!
Seriously, though, if you are looking for a reason to bundle up and head out for the night, check out the menus for Friday and Saturday. They are no joke. Also, keep in mind Sunday Brunch, Christmas Eve Brunch, the weekend following Christmas, and then New Year's Eve Dinner. See if you can attend all of the Simpatica events through the rest of the year!
Real quick though,let's talk about holiday dinner real quick. We've got some special goodies for you to think about... how about 28-day dry aged prime rib, or fresh geese, ducks, rabbits or turkeys? Or maybe you want to get in on some dry aged beef tenderloin and don't want to wait until New Year's Eve (call at least a week in advance for this one)? Or perhaps one of our fine house-cured smoked hams? Maybe a crown roast of Carlton Farms' Pork? Or a bone-in leg of lamb from Cattail Creek Farms? The sooner you get your orders in the better. Give us a call over at Viande and let us know what your evil little culinary minds are scheming. The number is (503)221-3012. Our team of culinary professionals are waiting anxiously by the phone to help you out.
Here's the menus for this weekend... read 'em and weep:
Friday, December 19th
Apple, Yellow Beet and Frisee Salad with a Creamy Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Spiced Pistachios
Razor Clam Fritters with a Pork Belly Vinaigrette
Double Cut Carlton Farms' Pork Chops with Housemade Sauerkraut and a Brussels Sprout and Bratwurst Hash, served with Picalilli and Pickles
Black Forest Cake
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. Saturday, December 20th
Radicchio Salad with House-Cured Pancetta, Your Kitchen Garden Red Beets, Almonds and Preserved Orange Vinaigrette
Washington-Grown Mussels in Fennel-Tomato Brothwith Sweet Potato Fries and Aioli
Espresso-Braised Piedmontese Beef Short Ribs with Stewed Barley, Glazed Shallots and Parsnips
Chocolate "Quake" Cookie and Peppermint Candy Ice Cream Sandwiches
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Just for giggles, Here's the New Year's Eve menu one more time:
Wednesday, December 31st
New Year's Eve Dinner
Prawn Cocktail, Oysters on the Half Shell with Tabasco Mignonette and Lobster and Housemade Pickle Salad with Lobster Coral Aioli
Hoppin' John Soup (A New Year's Tradition)
Grapefruit and Bay Laurel Granita
Dry Aged Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin with Pan Seared Foie Gras,Balsamic-Tart Cherry Sauce, Potato and Root Vegetable Pommes Anna and Sauteed Chicories
Crepes Suzette with Housemade Orange Marmalade and Chantilly Cream
Price is $75 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
That's the extent of it. Have a great weekend, everyone, and stay safe out there. Talk to you soon.
This week's email
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 by Ben
Howdy, friends. Wow, what a crazy week, huh? This is the most and longest lasting snow this city has seen in a long time(some say over 100 years?). Wow. It's been a ton of fun. Not in a retail business, catering business, restaurant business kind of way, but definitely in a take the kids sledding and throw snowballs at people kind of way. I almost wish it wouldn't stop. Almost.
First off, huge thank yous to all of you who have trekked out to pickup your holiday orders from us over at Viande Meats & Sausage. An especially huge thank you to those of you who have been so understanding about delayed/altered product. This weather has really wreaked havoc on the availability of certain items... but I think by tomorrow we'll have everything squared away. I hope everyone has been having a great Hanukah and will have fantastic Christmas Eve/Christmas Day meals. One more day to go...
We've got two great meals lined up for this weekend, be sure to check out those menus. First, I would like to mention New Year's Eve. I'll leave the menu posted... I think we're mostly full, but these things change like the weather, so if you are interested, please give us a call and see what's up. And, if you're looking for something to do after your fine repast with us, maybe you should check out the event at the LeftBank. For more info, got to
www.leftbankproject.com and click under Celebrate! Looks like a good time.
OK, what else? I think that's it. I'm a little burnt tonight after the last few days at the shop, so if I'm forgetting anything I apologize. A note about Friday's menu: last year Dave, Jason and I took a field trip up to the oyster beds in Olympia, and made some great friends up there (as well as eating way too many super-delicious oysters). We called one of our friends up there and got some oysters sent down, which we'll be using Friday. We'll also be using some of their oysters for New Year's Eve... Don't miss these beauties! And on Saturday, we went with three super-decadent courses, instead of the usual four moderately decadent courses. This one should be a killer. After being cooped up in your house all week, what could be better than a night out at Simpatica? (Answer: nothing) Here's the menus, we would love to see you this weekend.
Friday, December 26th
Willapa Bay Oyster Stew
Wilted Spinach Salad with Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Egg and Blue Cheese
Red Wine-Braised Beef Shortribs with Broken Potatoes and Gremolata
Lemon Pound Cake with with Clabbered Cream and Plum Syrup
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, December 27th
Seared Foie Gras with Cast Iron Shallot Tart and Wilted Curly Endive with Pear Butter Vinaigrette
Herb-Crusted Bone In Prime Rib servedFamily Stylewith Sunchoke Mac n' Cheese and Sauteed Swiss Chard with Sherry & Preserved Orange
Chocolate Souffle with Whiskey Anglaise
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. Just for giggles, Here's the New Year's Eve menu one more time:
Wednesday, December 31st
New Year's Eve Dinner
Prawn Cocktail, Oysters on the Half Shell with Tabasco Mignonette and Lobster and Housemade Pickle Salad with Lobster Coral Aioli
Hoppin' John Soup (A New Year's Tradition)
Grapefruit and Bay Laurel Granita
Dry Aged Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin with Pan Seared Foie Gras,Balsamic-Tart Cherry Sauce, Potato and Root Vegetable Pommes Anna and Sauteed Chicories
Crepes Suzette with Housemade Orange Marmalade and Chantilly Cream
Price is $75 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
Thanks, everyone. Have a wonderful, safe, happy holiday. I hope Santa brings you everything your little hearts desire. And hey, if you've been bad, a little coal in this weather might not be such a bad thing, right? Take care, everyone, much love to all of you. Until next week...
This Week's Email
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 by Ben
So here we are... the last email of 2008. I might as well end the year with a bang.
I've got a doozy of an email here for all of you, so pay close attention. I'll start with the easy stuff.
Beginning next week,Simpatica will be proud to offer our world-famous brunch two days a week - Saturday AND Sunday. This doubles your opportunity to get some of our incredibly delicious brunchy goods. I don't know if any of you noticed, but our crepes were featured in January 2009's issue of bon appetit, with full page color photo, no less. Anyway, this new double offering will be available through the rest of the winter, or at least until our new project opens up (still slated for April). Tell your friends.
Speaking of the new project, I have some pretty momentous news. Huge. No, I'm not going to tell you where it is, or even what it's called. But I will say this... remember how I told you a month or two ago that the new project will include a butcher shop in a restaurant? Well, as of Thursday, January 1st, Viande Meats & Sausage will no longer be located inside City Market. It will be... nowhere. We will be relocating to the new digs, but it's going to take us a few months to get there. After much deep thought and soul searching, we have decided to consolidate our entire operation to the East side of the city. A few of you West siders are probably freaking out right now, wondering how you'll be able to continue getting the highest quality and most delicious meats available in the city. First, let me say this - A HUGE heartfelt thank you to all of you who have supported us at Viande over the last five years. I will really miss all of you, and hope that you will be able to swing into the new location once it opens. But to answer the original question, here it is: I am proud to say that Paula and Eric will be taking over the butcher shop location inside City Market, renaming their new venture Chop. Good for them, eh? Again, I really will miss seeing so many of you folks that I've gotten to know so well. Come visit, OK?
I think that's it for news for now. In a few weeks I should be able to have more details to share about the new project. I will say this, though. Jason, David and I are super-duper excited about this thing we've got in the works, and we can't wait to show you what kinds of tricks we've got up our sleeves.
But let's stay in the here and now...we'll be seeing a bunch of you for New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow night, can't wait. And this weekend we've got two brunches, on Saturday and Sunday. AND, we are offering two dinners this weekend, one on Friday and one on Saturday. We've got two themed dinners this week. On Friday, one of our favorites, Cheesy Italian Night (think red check table cloths and wine bottlesin baskets - but without the tableclothsor baskets). And on Saturday,another one of our favorites, New England Seafood Dinner Night. Fun, huh? Here are the menus:
Friday, January 2nd
Cheesy Italian Night
Radicchio Caesar Salad with Spiced Grilled Shrimp, Focaccia Croutons and Olive Oil-Braised Fennel
Lasagna with Parsley-Parmesan Meatballs and Garlic Bread with Calabrian Chilies
Pistachio Semi-Freddo with Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Price is $30 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, December 27th
New England Seafood Dinner Night
Chop Salad with House Ham, Pickled Vegetables, Egg and Creamy Herb Vinaigrette
New England Style Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls
Boston Cream Cake
Price is $32 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Just for giggles, Here's the New Year's Eve menu one more time:
Wednesday, December 31st
New Year's Eve Dinner
Prawn Cocktail, Oysters on the Half Shell with Tabasco Mignonette and Lobster and Housemade Pickle Salad with Lobster Coral Aioli
Hoppin' John Soup (A New Year's Tradition)
Grapefruit and Bay Laurel Granita
Dry Aged Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin with Pan Seared Foie Gras,Balsamic-Tart Cherry Sauce, Potato and Root Vegetable Pommes Anna and Sauteed Chicories
Crepes Suzette with Housemade Orange Marmalade and Chantilly Cream
Price is $75 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 PM. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
Thanks, everyone, for a fantastic year. I have to say I am glad to put this one behind me, and am really looking forward to 2009. It should be an interesting one, and I'm hoping it will be a positive turning point for everyone. Happy New Year, friends. Best of luck to all of you. Much love.
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