Chef And Menu Report: Week Of 12/07/14
Chicago
David Burke's Primehouse, located at The James Chicago, recently introduced a new lunch program, "Prime Spot at Primehouse." The updated lunch program includes a revised menu (the first from executive chef Dino Tsaknis) with menu highlights comprising a charcuterie ($21) that includes an assortment of locally sourced and house-made meats and a selection of dry-aged options; the 40-day dry-aged prime steak "Burker" ($16); a lobster roll ($16) with housemade kewpie mayo, celery, and pickled tomatoes; and artisanal new house-made sausage dish ($14) that will rotate seasonally and is served with a pan sauce made from sautéed grapes and walnuts. "Prime Spot dining at Primehouse" is available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and reservations are recommended.
Tête Charcuterie has introduced new season vegetable dishes to their menu, comprising Brussels sprout 'boulangère' with lardon, crispy shallot, and pepitas; Hakurei turnips with tarragon mustard and green tea herb crumbs; roasted delicata squash with quinoa and cranberry mostarda; and roasted sunchoke with za'atar, sunflower seeds, and caper-raisin emulsion.
Healdsburg, Calif.
From Friday, March 20, to Saturday, March 21, 2015, chef Charlie Palmer will take over Wine Country with top food and wine talent by his side for the 10th Annual Pigs and Pinot Weekend sponsored in part by Visa Signature®. The renowned chef's annual food and wine event celebrates its 10th anniversary, featuring culinary stars and wine experts from around the world, raising significant funds for No Kid Hungry and local Sonoma County charities and scholarships. Due to the wonderful attention and support from pork and pinot lovers, tickets to this event quickly sell out. Those interested in attending should visit their website regularly for updates and new offerings.
New York
The popular food delivery startup Goldbely has announced an exclusive, one-of-a-kind partnership with New York's legendary Joe's Pizza to ship the city's most famous slice nationwide for the first time. Pizzas will be "released" for purchase every hour on their site all day Friday, December 12, from Noon EST through 8 p.m. Additional timing announcements will be posted on the Goldbely Facebook and Twitter pages, and all orders will be shipped out for delivery next week. Goldbely has previously launched exclusive viral flash sales for some of the food world's most highly in-demand items such as Dominique Ansel's "Cronut," Momofuku Milk Bar's "Crack Pie," and Keizo Shimamoto's "Ramen Burger."
The House restaurant in Gramercy Park will welcome the public for caroling and complimentary hot cocoa on Thursday, December 18 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Just steps away from the Gramercy Park Christmas tree, The House is a magnificently restored 1854 vintage carriage house and will feature carolers singing classic and traditional holiday music.
New seasonal breads now available at il Buco Alimentari e Vineria from master bread maker Kamel Saci. The ever-changing bakery menu now features a cranberry-pecan bread ($7.50) and a hazelnut brittle bread with olive oil, honey, and hazelnut nougatine ($7.50). The breads are available every Saturday throughout the rest of the month. The Alimentari will also offer Kamel's takes on the traditional Italian holiday panettone with a chocolate and ginger candy panettone, and a fruit-soaked-in-amaretto-liquor panettone, available beginning this week throughout the rest of the month, in addition to their regular menu of breads and pastries prepared daily.
Chef Marc Murphy and the Gerber Group are excited to announce the launch of the new pre-theater prix fixe menu at Kingside, located steps away from Carnegie Hall. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. guests will have a choice of a small plate like white bean and kale soup with chicken meat balls, or roasted beets with citrus, stracciatella, and pistachio; large plates such as chitarra with roasted tomato and Parmigiano-Reggiano, or brick-roasted poussin with farro, Parmesan-Reggiano, and arugula; and a dessert like caramel pudding with bourbon whipped cream and pretzel crumble, or Ile Flottant with crème Anglaise and salted caramel, all for $45 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.
La Maison du Chocolat will be hosting their second annual "Hot Chocolate Night" on Monday, December 22, exclusively at their boutique in Rockefeller Center, with complimentary tastings of their legendary hot chocolate and macarons. The store will be open to the public from 8 p.m. to midnight, past their traditional hours. It's a perfect (and free) sweet treat for last-minute holiday shopping shoppers, or those who simply want to enjoy Rockefeller Center at night.
Portuguese eggnog eggnog is now available at Louro in the West Village. Chef and partner David Santos is the New Jersey-raised son of Portuguese immigrants, and so he enjoys adding Portuguese touches to his holiday celebrations. His Portuguese Eggnog ($13) pays homage to Portugal's history as a nation of world explorers and major spice traders, especially in cinnamon and black pepper; he also substitutes aged cachaça from Brazil (a former Portuguese colony) in place of the brandy.
San Francisco
Current Top Chef Season 12 contestant, chef Melissa King, will present a five-course "Flavors of Winter" dinner prepared in collaboration with fellow contestant, chef Mei Lin. Taking place on January 12, 2015, the dinner will be held at chef Nicolas Delaroque's restaurant Nico. Each chef will apply her signature style and technique to two courses and a fifth dish will be crafted together, and they will personally present the courses for guests to enjoy. Chef King will be sourcing seasonal ingredients from local farms including Petaluma's Moon Fox Farm. "Flavors of Winter" will highlight winter ingredients like celeriac, sorrel and beets in various textures. For one of chef King's courses, she will be combining venison with chestnut and Medjool dates in a homemade ravioli, while chef Lin will be preparing a duck breast with beets and brassica, adding a subtle Asian twist with one of her favorite seasonings, black garlic.
Kate Kolenda is the Restaurant and City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @BeefWerky and @theconversant.