July 31st, 2012 Tasting Menu

New England Clam Bake Themed Tasting Menu:

Tuesday, July 31 2012

1st Course:

Georges Bank Scallops

baby frisee, roasted asparagus, creamy lemon-truffle dressing, polenta croutons

banyuls vinegar

2nd Course:

Pan Roasted Blue Hill Bay Mussels

roasted fennel, candied tomatoes, preserved lemon, grilled focaccia

3rd Course:

Seared Filet Mignon & Butter Poached Lobster Tail

creamed local corn, potato croquettes, pickled watermelon

cabernet demi glace, shellfish emulsion

4th Course:

Blueberry Croustade

Beltane Farms chevre ice cream, lemon curd, thyme

The menu above is the final draft of the menu for the upcoming tasting.  The wine pairings are nearly complete but we still have a few tests to run before finalizing that.  I hope to post those in the next few days.  We are also hard at work testing Non Alcoholic beverages to pair with each course, as something new to offer our guests, specifically those who aren't drinkers or are under the legal age.  The "soft cocktails" are nearly determined and testing on those is scheduled to be complete by Monday evening.  Perhaps I'll snap some pics. 

The photos below are a bunch of random pics from the testing that my team and I have been doing for the past several weeks...

...I hope you enjoyed this random installment of food porn.  Hope to see you soon

Tasting Menu Resurrection

It's been nearly a year since our tasting menu and truth is we almost passed entirely on doing one this year.  There are a lot of factors that have gone into our decision making process such as limited space, re-working of our core menu that has taken up what little space we have (and where we have always staged our tasting menu plating and much of its production), labor costs, etc, etc...  But the honest truth is that none of these are good reasons to pass entirely on our tasting menus of Summers past.  We don't yet have all of the details worked out, though we are close.  I can tell you that our first tasting menu will be for 1 night only on Tuesday, July 31st and we will be able to take only 50 reservations.  Last year we were doing 3 nights in a row and booking these near solid a month in advance.  The menu will be inspired by a New England Clam Bake and nearly complete.  My team and I have been testing recipes for the past 2 weeks in preparation and anticipation for this upcoming event.   I will post the menu and some other goodies soon...hope to see you on July 31st.