This week's email
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 by Ben
Hey everyone. I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend - it certainly was beautiful, warm and sunny out. I wanted to share a little story with you, and I hope you see the irony of the tale.
Let me set the scene - my wife and I are at a 4th of July block party in SE Portland, right over by Mt. Tabor. The street is blocked off, the kids (of which there are many) are running around, the adults are talking and laughing - a good time was being had by all. It was beginning toget dark, so it must have been around 9pm. The igniting of fireworks was in full swing, a variety of sparklers, fountains anda numberwhich were even more exciting. You could tell by the display that a few different folks on the block had made their way over the Columbia River and had purchased some 'works that are unavailable in Oregon. In the midst of everyone's "ooh"s and "aah"s, we realized we had visitors, of the sort that wear guns on their hips and shields on their chests. They wanted to know who was in charge, as they took issue with the fireworks display that was in progress (and very similar to the displays arcing up from the surrounding streets). As the children burst into tears amid questions of, "are they going to take my daddy away?", the officeres explained the fireworks from Washington are illegal here in Oregon. The children then followed with questions about why they would have beenlegal if we were a 10 minute drive to the north, but not here in their neighborhood. No satisfactory answers were proferred, leaving them confused. The officeres let us off with a warning, but not before confiscating our fireworks. Does anyone else find it ironic that on the day we celebrate our nation's independence the police find it necessary to confiscate our fireworks amid the cries of our children? Does anyone else see any parallels here? Anyway, I just wanted to share that - I though it was funny in a sad kind of way.
I'll tell you what's not funny - the menu for this Saturday. This menu is not joking around. We're starting with Shrimp Fritters, moving into salad with Country Ham and Pickled Eggs, followed by Smoked Brisket and Pork Ribs(!) and finished off with Blueberry Pie (!!!). Each one of those courses is worth going for, but combine them all.... the race is on to get to the reservation line. There will be no dinner this Friday, as we have a private event in the Dining Hall. So this is your one chance to get some. Hope to see some of you this week!
Also, I'll end the email witha reminder and the full menu for this week's farm dinner at Square Peg Farms - be sure to read to the end! Here's the menu for this week...
Saturday, July 11th
Shrimp Fritters with Creole Remoulade and Gypsy Peppers
Viridian Farms’ Romaine Lettuce with Country Ham, Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Oregano Dressing and Pickled Eggs
Smoked Brisket and St. Louis Style Ribs with Ozark BBQ Sauce, Cider Braised Kale and Mom’s Beans
Duke Blueberry Pie with Spiced Ice Cream
Price is $40 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. Please RSVPor 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.
Here's the menu for this week's Farm Dinner, along with the pertinent information. This should be a great time.
Outstanding In The Field Farm Dinner
Thursday, July 9th
Square Peg Farm Forest Grove, OR
Troy MacLarty, Chef
Andrew Rich, Vintner
Passed Charcuterie with Assorted Pickles
2008 Sauvignon Blanc Croft Vineyard
New Garlic Soup with Scape, Basil and Calabrian Chile Pesto
2007 Roussanne Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
Slow Cooked Salmon with Summer Squash, Nasturtiums and Creme Fraiche
2006 Pinot Noir Reserve
Porchetta with Green bean, Pickled Cherry and Almond Salad andBacon Vinaigrette
2006 Syrah Les Vignes en Face
Apricot Tart with Peach Leaf Ice Cream
2007 Gewurtztraminer Dessert Wine
To make reservations, please see the Outstanding In The Field
website.
I think that's it. I hope everyone has a great week. I'll talk to you soon. Until then, take care.
This week's email
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by Ben
Hey, hey, hey! And so another fine week has been put behind us. I hope everyone enjoyed this past weekend - I took Sunday off to hang out with my kids, and had a wonderful day - of nothing (I mowed half my lawn, and that's all). Fantastic.
The weather was so nice out today - finally. I am seriously ready for some real summer action, no more of this mamby-pamby overcast cloudy stuff. I'm sure I'm not alone.
Through all of this gray, though, there has been one bright ray of sunshine beaming through - Simpatica Dining Hall. The kids down there have really been doing a bang-up job of keeping the place rocking and rolling while we have been focusing on our new project, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all of their hard work these last few months. If you've been following the menus these last fewweeks, then you'll know that there has been a minimum of slouching going on. The menus for this week are no exception - check out Scott's menu for Friday - he is bringing it! And Saturday's no red headed step child either. A fine pair of menus for you.
I'm not going to waste your time any more. Read the menus. Sign up for one of the dinners. Eat. Enjoy. Come get Brunch on Sunday morning, because one meal at Simpatica in a weekend just isn't enough. Tell your friends. Rest five days. Do it again. Peace.
Friday, June 26th
Cardoncello Mushroom Tart with Prosciutto and Juniper Grove Redmondo Cheese
Chilled English Pea Soup with Maine Lobster and Tarragon
Roasted Rabbit Saddle with Summer Squash, Fava Bean and Fingerling Potato Ragout
Dark Cherry-Filled Gateau Basque with Whipped Crème Fraiche
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, June 27th
Summer Squash with Basil and Creme Fraiche
Beets, Arugula, Blue Cheese and Spiced Pecans with a Lemon Vinaigrette
Cedar Plank SalmonandPotato and English Pea Puree with Bing Cherries,Tarragon and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pot de Creme with Whipped Cream and Cookies
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
Thanks everyone. Remember that fund raiser I did a few months back with all of the guest chefs and winemakers to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Team in Training? Well, this coming weekend is the culmination of that fundraiser. My wife, Megan, will be competing in a Triathlon in Sun River with the rest of the Team in Training crew - and I'll be there to egg her on (I mean cheer). Wish us luck, I'm looking forward to a great weekend. Take care!
This week's email
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by Ben
Hey there. Well, the kids are all out of school, it's officially summer. The days are approaching their longest, the flowers are in bloom, and the weeds in my yard are out of hand. Now we just need the sun to come out and stay out. Thanks, Oregon!
As many of you are well aware, Father's Day is this coming Sunday. Ah, Father's Day, you rank right up there in importance right behind, well, pretty much everything. There's the obligatory card, maybe a nice little gift, and then the festivities are over. It just can't compete with "Mother's Day Brunch". If you're lucky, maybe Dad will get to fire up the grill and cook some tasty on the the BBQ.
Well, in the spirit of that, I've got two options, maybe three. If you are, indeed, going to let dad fire up the grill and do something fun, maybe swing by the Laurelhurst Market Butcher Shop and pick him up something special - I've got a bevy of ribs, steaks, sausages and the like just waiting to make someone happy. Imagine the old man's eyes getting a bit misty when you run in to jump on him in bed at 6am to wish him a Happy Father's Day and you hand him a package and say, "Here, Dad, I got you a ribeye." Proudest. Moment. Ever.
That's one. Option number two - let the guy sleep in (at least until 8 - then run in, jump on him in bed, and drag him out to Sunday Brunch at Simpatica. Make sure to get him a couple of Bloody Mary and stuff him full of delicious, then take him home and maybe let him mow the lawn, or something.
Option three? So excited you can't wait 'till Sunday? Maybe dinner at Simpatica one of these nights. This is actually a great time of the year - we've got a lot of the Spring vegetables on hand, like some of the early beans and such, but we're also seeing a lot of great mushrooms, too. Check out Friday's menu - fresh Porcini mushrooms, fava beans, and we're also seeing the first cherries - very nice. And on Saturday, something a little more special - some roasted beef tenderloin preceded by one of my favorite soups - Soupe au Pistou (vegetable soup with a garlic-tomato aioli). Check out the menus, then sign up. Even if you don't want to bring pops along for dinner one of these nights, you can at least call him on Sunday to tell him how great the meal was and oh, by the way, Happy Father's Day.
Friday, June 19th
Salad of Porcinis, Baby Fennel, Parmigiano and New Olive Oil
Ravioli of Fava Beans, Ricotta and Mint in Brown Butter
Seared Black Cod with Crushed Potatoes, Cracked Green Olives, Calabrian Chiles and Parsley Sauce
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Dark Cherry Compota
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, June 20th
Soupe au Pistou
Frisee Salad with Grilled Prawns, Preserved Lemon Aioli and Piment d'Espellette
Grilled Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Creamed Spinach Gratin, Roasted Carrots and Saba
Almond Pound Cake with Fresh Srawberries and Vanilla Whipped Cream
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
I hope everyone has a great week. If you don't like options one, two or three, you can always bring Dad to this new restaurant everyone's talking about - Laurelhurst Market. See you there.
This week's email
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 by Ben
Hey there, friends! I hope this email finds all of you happy and well. If not - chin up and cheer up! I don't have a whole ton to talk about this week - last week of school for the kiddies, summer's getting rolling (although typical Oregon - it's been cold and grey this last week), the farmers are starting to really roll out the produce... all in all I think I'm just looking forward to next week.
However, to tide everyone over until next week, we've got two really swell menus to share with you folks. As usual, we are loving our farmer friends - they continue to keep things interesting and delicious. And they make our jobs SO much easier. Check the menus, I think there's a number of things there you'll like. Also - see what's fresh and exciting right now - come get inspired by our dinners, then rush right down to your local Farmer's Market to try some of these things at home, before their peak of freshness window closes. I'm especially talking about asparagus, baby lettuces, peas(!), strawberries, and fava beans.
Friday, June 12th
Asparagus and Leek Soup with Crème Fraiche
Creative Growers Speckled Baby Romaine with Ricotta Salata, Pickled Rhubarb and Champagne Vinaigrette
Cedar Plank Roasted Chinook Salmon with English Peas and Carrots
Viridian Farms Strawberries with Crisp Meringue and Mint Syrup
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, June 13th
Rabbit and Morel Mushroom Rillettes with Grilled Bread and Grain Mustard
Leaf lettuce Salad, Radishes, Sugar Snap Peas, and Herb Vinaigrette
Moorish Braised Lamb Shanks with Fava Beans, Spring Onions Chick Peas and Fresh Cilantro
Cherry Clafouti with Almond-Cherry Pit Ice Cream
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
That pretty much covers it. I look forward to being a bit more effusive next week. Until then, take care.
This week's email
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 by Ben
Howdy! First off, my apologies over last week's email fiasco - first I was having technical difficulties (some of you got the email four times - sorry), then I was having mental difficulties and sent the wrong menu. Then, the correction STILL had the wrong date. Well, at leastI got my quota of screwups taken care of in one day. I hope. All I can say is I've been working really hard recently, and I haven't been at my usual level of sharpness (sharp like a soup spoon). How about I leave and walk back in so we can start over?
I'm back. Hi. We've got two really fun menus for you this week from the Dining Hall. For Friday, we've got a tip to tail Hog menu, starting at the head and working our way down to the hams, course-by-course. Oh, and by the way, the hams? Dessert. Awesome. This one should reallybe a good time. Also, we've been getting a bunch of strawberries from Viridian Farms recently, and we've been pretty jazzed up about them. As such, we'veput together an allstrawberry menufor you folks. This should be good times, too. Either way, Friday or Saturday, you can't lose. Check them out, see which one sounds better, then get on the horn and sign right up.
Friday, June 5th
All Hog All The Time
Housemade Sweet Briar Farms Head Cheese with Pickles and Dijon Mustard
Viridian Farms Sugar Snap Pea Risotto with Braised Bacon
Spit-Roasted Sweet Briar Farms Pork Loin Chops with Ayer's Creek Farm Grits and Spring Garlic
Candied Ham with Butterscotch Ice Cream
Price is $35 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.
Saturday, June 6th
We Love Strawberries
Effervescent Strawberry Soup with Ginger Mint
Creative Growers' Speckled Romaine with Fried Strawberries, Goat Cheese, Hazelnuts and a Strawberry Vinaigrette
Seared Duck Breast with Viridian Farms Bright Light Chard and a Strawberry-Balsamic Gastric
Sour Cream Pound Cake with Strawberries and Amaretto Whipped Cream
Price is $35 perperson 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.
By the way, Laurelhurst Market has been open for a few weeks now, and things have been going really great. The butcher shop is humming along nicely, and we've been cranking out the sandwiches during the day. We have a new sandwich menu with daily specials that change fairly often that everyone seems to love. And as for the restaurant, the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Thanks everyone for the love and the support. We'll see you over there soon, I hope. Until then, take care.
This week's email
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 by Ben
Happy Spring, everyone! It has been a fantastic week - the sun has been out, the birds have been singing, and we have the first week of business at Laurelhurst Market behind us. Thanks so much to all of you who have come by the see our new project. The reponse has been overwhelmingly positive - we're really happy to be a part of our new neighborhood over there, and our new neighbors seem to be really enjoying what we've been doing. It's been a good week - we've been super busy getting rolling but I feel like we've got a good groove on. Our customers have been really pleased - the food that Dave, Will and the crew have been pumping out has been really fantastic. Definitely come by and check it out, we'd love to show you our new baby.
Speaking of Spring, very little says Spring to me like some Spring Lamb from Cattail Creek Farms. Located down in Junction City, just north of Eugene, our pal John Newmeister has some of the best lamb ever. Period. I've been cooking with his lamb since 1997, and this is the lamb that makes people who don't like lamb change their minds - definitely check out Saturday's menu. But first, on Friday, we've got one of my personal favorites, corned beef short ribs. Seriously, both menus for this weekend are really incredible, you will definitely want to check one or both out. But make your reservations early, these ones are going to go quickly.
Friday, May 29th
Sheldon's Savoy Spinach Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese, Warm Bacon Vinaigrette and Roasted Walnuts
House Smoked Ham, English Peas and a Soft Boiled Egg
Corned Beef Short Ribs with a Loaded Twice-Baked Potato
Rhubarb and Almond Trifle
Price is $30 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, May 30th Smoked Black Cod with a Green Apple Mustard, Grains of Paradise and Breakfast Radish
Mussel Soup with Fennel and Saffron
Grilled Cattail Creek Leg of Lamb with Artichoke Swiss Chard and a Date-Almond Chutney
Polenta Cake with Strawberries and a Hibiscus Sorbet
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
Come by and see me at Laurelhurst Market - I'm there every day (right now). I would love to show you what we've got. Swing by for a sandwich during the day or for a killer steak or some such during the night. Or come check out thecocktail stylings of our bartender, Evan Zimmerman, who's a whiz with the bottles and concoctions - he just tasted me on a chorizo-flavored tequila margarita he made with some of my chorizo - sounds crazy, I know, but it was really pretty tasty. Anyhow, see you folks soon. Until then, take care.
This week's menu
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 by Ben
Hey, folks. Well, it's on. We opened the butcher shop yesterday at the new Laurelhurst Market, and it's been really great. It's been both a pleasure and an honor having so many of you come by to say hi to welcome our new business and to welcome us to the neighborhood. Thank you all so much for your kind words and compliments on our new space. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should come take a gander, and pick up a steak while you're at it. On Friday, the restaurant officially opens to the public at 5pm. We've been gearing up for the big day, and we're all really excited. We hope to see you there soon.
Before I move on to this week's menus for Simpatica, I would like to take time out for one sec to make a special mention, especially in light of the previous paragraph. A warm thank you and much, much love to our families who have been supporting us through this whole project. It has been a rough road, and there have definitely been days that were better than others (and others that were much, much worse). And the worst is probably to come - there are many long and stress-filleddayson the way, and they won't make us the easiest to be around (if we're around at all). So - thanks for your support and - we love you.
Okay, on to Simpatica. I promise that soon this whole other project will be off the ground and running, and you won't have to hear about it (as much). Scott has put two humdinger menus together for all of you - these will be hard to pass up. Spring has sprung and it is fantastic! OK - here's the goodies, I'll talk to you soon.
Friday, May 22nd
Hush Puppies with Cayenne Remoulade and Zucchini Pickles
Sheldon’s Arugula with Creole-Spiced Shrimp, Cornbread Croutons and Mustard Vinaigrette
Smoked Beef Brisket and Country Pork Ribs with Ozark BBQ Sauce,Long Cooked Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hocks
Strawberry Shortcake with Chantilly Cream
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, May23rd
Provencal Style Dungeness Crab Soup with Crostini and Saffron Rouille
Little Gem’s Baby Romaine with Anchovy Vinaigrette, Pecorino and Fresh Tarragon
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Oil Poached Potatoes, Fennel and Green Garlic
Orange Crème Brûlée with Lavender Shortbread
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
I'm really tired. I'm gonna finish my work up and get on to bed. I hope to see you soon. Until then, take care.
This week's email
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 by Ben
Hey everyone! I hope you've been loving this spring weather... at least it stays interesting. We've been working on tying up all of the loose ends over at Laurelhurst Market, our new restaurant and butcher shop. It's been a ton of busy work, a little bit of stress, and a lot of organization.
Just a few words of heads up before I get into this week's menus at the Dining Hall. At this point (barring catastrophe - in the form of permits and inspections) we plan on the following opening dates:
Butcher Shop: Monday, May 18th - 10am
Restaurant: Friday, May 22nd - 5pm
If you come by Monday morning for some fresh meats or some deli sandwiches, and you find a locked door - sorry - I'll be in there and hopefully I'll be able to give you an updated opening date. And if the restaurant date changes, I'll let you know in next week's email.
Okay, for this week's menus, Scott has (as usual) put together a really nice collection of goodies. Guess what we're getting from Viridian Farms? Give up? Fresh, local strawberries! I am excited! I love the seasons - the rotation of fruits and veggies seems to come around at just the right pace to keep you pumped up for each one.
I love food.
Here we go with the menus - we have one of our most popular items on Friday - Paella. Fantastic stuff. Bring some friends and treat yourselves to a fine meal. And we'll see you at the new butcher shop next week.
Friday, May 15th
Fried Smelt with Cardoon and Lemon Aioli
Viridian Farms’ Baby Lettuces with Sheep’s Milk Cheese and Honey Vinaigrette
Paella Valenciana with Rabbit, Chicken, Heirloom Beans and Saffron
Lemon Bizcocho with Fresh Oregon Strawberries
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, May 16th
Claudio's Salami, Marinated Olives and House Pickled Vegetables
Pappardelle Pasta with Bison Bolognese, House Made Pancetta, and Pecorino Romano
Charcoal Grilled Young Chicken with Red Wine Braised Chicories
Rhubarb Crostada with Honey Rosemary Ice Cream
Price is $30 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
We'll see you soon. I can't wait to show you our new space. Wish us luck with getting this ship to sail. Love you.
This week's email
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 by Ben
Hey, friends. First off, I would like to thank all of you who wrote after last week's email with such positive words of encouragement and congratulations regarding our new restaurant/butcher shop that will be opening very soon, Laurelhurst Market. We all really appreciate the good wishes and look forward to sharing our new creation with all of you. We are really getting very close, and I will probably have some firm dates for all of you next week regarding opening.
As for now, I've got two really great menus to share with you from our man Scott Ketterman. Our local farmers continue to get the produce ball rolling, and we're starting to get our hands on some really beautiful and delicious early-season goodies. The asparagus from our friends at Viridian Farms is tender, sweet and delicious - so good it's on both menus! Let's not forget, though, that our local farmers don't only raise veggies. My good friend John Newmeister, from Cattail Creek farms will be dropping off some of his incredibly delicious lamb for all of you this week, which Scott will be working his magic on. If you've never had John's lamb, this is the stuff that makes people who don't like lamb change their minds - really clean flavor and very tender. Totally delicious.
Check out the menus for this week, I think you'll really like what's cooking. Just a reminder, too, there is no more Saturday Brunch - that ship has sailed. Maybe we'll do it again next year, we'll see. But for now, we still have Sundays. See you there.
Friday, May 8th
Seared Chicken Livers with Shaved Asparagus and Saba Dressing
Potato Gnocchi with Arugula Pesto and Parmesan Reggiano
Crisp Fried Oregon Razor Clams with Smokey Housecured Bacon and Braised Lettuces
Panna Cotta with Dried Cherry Sauce and Apple Mint
Price is $30 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30 pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, May 9th
Parma Prosciutto with Fresh Mozzarella and Plum Mostarda
Mache and Roasted Beet Salad with Preserved Orange
Sausage-Wrapped Cattail Creek Lamb Loin with Viridian Farms Asparagus
Rhubarb Frangipane Tart
Price is $35 per person plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
Have a great week, everyone. I hope the sun comes out to shine on all of us.
This week's email
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 by Ben
Okay, today is the day many of you have been waiting for. If you didn't see the article in last Friday's Oregonian, the word is out. And the word is... Laurelhurst Market. That's the name of our new restaurant/butcher shop that we'll be opening in a few weeks over on the corner of 32nd and East Burnside. The exact address is 3155 E. Burnside St.
We will have a butcher shop located within, open 7 days a week from 10am to 7pm. The restaurant will be open (as of this writing) Wednesday thru Monday from 5pm to 10pm (that's closed Tuesday...). The butcher shop will have the usual (for us) selection of top notch pates, handmade sausages, natural meats, dry-aged beef, house cured deli meats, etc. Also, we'll be crafting sandwiches for sale during the day at the butcher shop. If you ever had any of the sandwiches we made over at Viande, it'll be like those, with a few additions and variations. If you haven't had any of our sandwiches, then this will be your chance to get one of the finest deli sandwiches available in the city.
At the restaurant, the theme will be... umm... kind of classic steakhouseishwith Pacific Northwesty flair mixed with our own personalities. How's that for a definitive answer? Basically, we love that classic Steak House feel, with things like French Onion Soup and Steak Frites with our own hand-cut fries. But we don't like being just a steakhouse. I mean, don't get me wrong, we've got our own butcher shop in there - there's gonna be some meat. But we'll also really be working closely with our local farmers to display what's fresh and awesome that day - between the salads and the sides there will be a lot of veggies to keep you strong and healthy. Also, we've really built a name for our cedar plank-grilled salmon and black cod, so we'll be grilling our fish to order on a cedar plank just for you. With Dave Kreifels as head chef, and Will Cisa as our Chef de Cuisine, and there's me kickin' it over in the butcher shop, and Jason Owens running the floor, there are really a lot of culinary personalities to choose from. Hopefully we'll be able to come up with a combination that you like. This whole rock, paper, scissors thing better work...
Seriously, though, we're all very very excited to be presenting this project for you. I can't wait to share our new baby with the world. I'm not going to commit to an opening date just yet, but expect to see us in the next few weeks. I'll be sure to give all of you a head's up when the time is right. If you like, check out our new website (it's
very simple) - we'll be throwing updates on there occasionally. The address is
www.laurelhurstmarket.com.
For now, though, and for a long time to come is Simpatica. This wonderful part of our business won't be going anywhere. Under the guidance of "rising star" (to quote The Oregonian...)chef Scott Ketterman, Simpatica will still be one of our most important projects. I will still be doing these emails every Tuesday, dinners will continue to be Friday and Saturday, Brunch on Sundays. Why fix it if it ain't broke?
On that note, let's talk dinners for this weekend. I'm sitting across the table from Scott right now, and it's been fun watching the culinary thoughts start to bubble and percolate up and out of him. He works at his computer, head down, thinking about food, when there's this kind of "Aha!" moment, where he sits up in his chair and gets a big grin on his face saying, "I've got it, I'm really feeling it now!". And then I have the honor of passing his inspiration on to you. It's really a pleasure.
The local farms are finally starting to produce in quantity - our menus are primarily farm-based now, whereas before we could just plug in some things here and there. Nice.
Friday, May 1st
Wood Grilled Prawns with Chick Peas and Mizuna
Gathering Together Farms Leaf Lettuce with Breakfast Radishes and Lemon Vinaigrette
Oil Poached Halibut with Sorrel Sauce and Viridian Farms Asparagus
Warm Rhubarb Crisp with Cinnamon Ice Cream
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, April 25th
Cardoon and Potato Soup
Proscuitto-Wrapped Belgian Endive Gratineed with Gruyere Mornay
Grilled Piedmontese Flat Iron with Seared Asparagus and Broken Potatoes
Chocolate Souffle Cake with Hazelnut Ice Cream
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVP 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.
Saturday and 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.
By the way - this will be our last Saturday Brunch! Come and get it!
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