JUNE 2009 ARCHIVES
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, 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 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 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!
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