Menu Changes 7/16/13

Menu Changes 7/16/13

1.       Meats

a.       What came off: Lardo, Fennel Salame

b.      Spicy Coppa from Biellese in New York/New Jersey.

c.       Salame Calabrese

                                                               i.      From Creminelli in Utah

                                                             ii.      Spicy dry cured salame

                                                            iii.      Calabria is a region in Southern Italy. It is the “toe” of Italy. Calabrians have historically emphasized preservation tactics (curing) in their food because of their climate and potential crop failures. Calabria region is also known for spicy foods.

d.      SP Beef tongue

                                                               i.      Beef tongue is brined for 7 days, smoked, and slow cooked

                                                             ii.      Beef tongue is finished with Grains of Paradise. Grains of Paradise is native to West Africa. It has a strong  peppery and citrusy taste.

2.       Cheeses

a.       What came off: Tomme de Savoie, Garroxta, Gorgonzola, Peccorino Sardo

b.      Valdeon

                                                               i.      From Leon, Spain: Cow and Goat

                                                             ii.      This is a blue cheese.  The goat milk makes this cheese a bit lighter than other blue cheeses, which is great for the summer months.

                                                            iii.      This cheese is semi-firm but it has a very pleasing creaminess and starts to melt relatively quickly. It is spicy, peppery, and strong.

c.       Montcabrer

                                                               i.      From Catalonia, Spain: Goat

                                                             ii.      This cheese is aged in charcoal

1.       Charcoal is a more intense carbon covering for aging. It is caked on to the outside of the cheese, therefore, you probably don’t want to eat the rind.

                                                            iii.      This cheese is dry, firm, and is more mellow than the Garroxta. This cheese doesn’t have the same goat-y twang as the Garroxta.

d.      Casatica di Bufula

                                                               i.      From Lomardy, Italy: Buffalo

                                                             ii.      The milk comes from water buffalos. This kind of milk is lower in fat than that of cows, goats, and sheep. The milk from these animals tends to be light and slightly herbaceous.

                                                            iii.      This cheese has a  bloomy rind and is aged for 30 days.  It is light, tangy, salty, and semi-soft.

e.      Peccorino di Pienza

                                                               i.      From Pienza, Tuscany, Italy: Sheep

                                                             ii.      Sheep milk is higher in fat than cow, goat, and buffalo. This gives cheese a creamier texture and a bit of sweetness.

                                                            iii.      This cheese is aged for 6 months. It is a firm, full-flavored cheese with a touch of sweetness.

3.       Round Outs

a.       What came off: Red wine jelly, shishito peppers

b.      Eggplant Sott’ Aceto

                                                               i.      Pickled eggplant

                                                             ii.      Sott’ aceto means “under vinegar”

                                                            iii.      Eggplant is peeled and salted. Salt extracts the bitterness from the eggplant. It is then hot pickled. Finally, the eggplant is marinated in olive oil, chili flake, and dried oregano.

c.       Charred Romano Beans

                                                               i.      Romano beans are locally sourced- Stillman Farm, Hardwick, MA

d.      Stone Fruit Mostarda

                                                               i.      Made with peaches and apricots.  Peaches are pureed with Gruner Vetliner.  This mixture is then boiled to burn off some of the alcohol.   After, pectine (thickening agent) is added along with mustard seeds, apricots, coriander,  and rice wine vinegar.

4.       Starters

a.       What came off: Beef Carpaccio, Polenta, Octopus

b.      Burrata

                                                               i.      New set up

                                                             ii.      Served with heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers sourced locally. 

                                                            iii.      The dish also features cherry tomatoes (that have been peeled), micro basil, focaccia crouton, smoked eggplant puree, and botarga

1.       Botarga is cured red mullet (type of fish) roe sack from Sardinia, Italy.  The roe sack (fish eggs) is salted and cured.

c.       Insalata di Mare

                                                               i.      Seafood salad.

                                                             ii.      **GLUTEN AND DAIRY ALLERGY**

                                                            iii.      Served with local seafood, lemon, cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, chili, black olives, and patio nepitella.

                                                           iv.      The seafood will be sourced locally and will likely change from week to week

1.       The only exception being octopus which we get from Spain. Octopus will almost always be on the dish.

                                                             v.      There will be a puree of lemon peel. Lemon peels and pith (the bitter, white part of the fruit, under the skin) are blanched three times to get rid of the bitterness. Honey, salt, and olive oil are then added to the mix.

                                                           vi.      Chili aioli will be served as well. Aioli is mayonnaise with the addition of garlic.  Aleppo pepper (spicy pepper from the Middle East) is bloomed in olive oil and used to make the aioli.

                                                          vii.      The dish also features black olives in a couple of different ways.

1.       There is a black olive-olive oil.  Dehydrated black olives are blended with olive oil to create this.

2.       There will be a black olive crumble made with dehydrated black olives, flour, and butter.

                                                        viii.      The Nepitella is grown right on our patio. Nepitella is an herb native to Central Italy. It is both minty and basil-y.

                                                           ix.      Some seafood will be ceviched

                                                             x.      Patio herbs are actually herbs grown right on our patio.

                                                           xi.      Currently, the dish features raw fluke: a flat fish similar to flounder. Along with Razor clams (from MA),  calamari ( from RI), and mussels.

1.       Razor clams are long and slender and their shell resembles than of an old fashioned straight razor.

d.      Proscuitto and Melon

                                                               i.      Served with chilled brodo, Aged Balsamic, Figs

                                                             ii.      **MIS WITH A SPOON**

                                                            iii.      Brodo is an Italian term for “broth.” In this case the broth is made with honeydew melons.

1.       The broth is served chilled. In addition to the melons, rice wine vinegar and salt are used to make the broth.

                                                           iv.      Honeydew is also shaved and served on the dish. 

                                                             v.      Cantaloupe melon is balled and compressed. Compressed melon intensifies the flavor.

                                                           vi.      Proscuitto is featured in two ways.

1.       Is served thinly sliced.

2.       Prosciutto is ground and mixed with Fontina cheese and served as a beignet. Beignets are battered, fried morsels of deliciousness.

                                                          vii.      There will be two types of figs used: black figs and white Calimyrna Figs.

1.       Aged Balsamic Vinegar will be served on the figs. 

                                                        viii.      Olive Oil will be served as a powder on the dish. Olive oil is combined with tapioca maltodextrin. This compound turns fats into powder. The powder is light, fluffy, and dissolves as soon as it is eaten.

                                                           ix.      The dish will be finished with sorrel, which is a type of lettuce.  

5.       Pizzas

a.       What came off: Tarte Flambee, Mushroom

b.      Peperonata

                                                               i.      Tomato base, goat cheese, spicy sausage, oregano, peppers.

                                                             ii.      Peperonata is an Italian dish consisting of fried peppers.

                                                            iii.      An Italian style spicy pork sausage is made in house using fennel, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot pepper.

                                                           iv.      The pizza has a tomato sauce base and is served with goat cheese and fresh oregano.

                                                             v.      Peppers are stewed with roasted garlic, shallots, sherry vinegar , and currants. The result is both savory, slightly sweet, and tangy.

c.       Pesto

                                                               i.      **NUT ALLERGY**

                                                             ii.      The pizza has a garlic –crème  base and is served with fresh tomatoes, fried eggplant, scamorza cheese, and is finished with pesto.

                                                            iii.      Scamorza is an Italian cheese similar to mozzarella. Many times, scamorza is smoked, we are using the smoked variety for this dish.

1.       This cheese has a much stronger flavor than mozzarella. During the cheese making process the curd matures in its whey for a relatively love period, which gives it its stronger flavor.

                                                           iv.      The pesto is made with basil, garlic, pinenut, parmesean, and pecorino. All of these ingredeints are then emulsified with olive oil.

6.       Sandwiches

a.       What came off: Tuna Belly

b.      Smoked Turkey

                                                               i.      New set up

                                                             ii.      **NUT ALLERGY**

                                                            iii.      The sandwich will be served with a sun dried tomato pesto that is made with pinenuts, garlic, and olive oil.

                                                           iv.      Basil aioli is made using basil that has been blanched (to retain the color of the herb), egg yolk, garlic, and olive oil. Aioli is a mayonnaise made with garlic.

                                                             v.      The sandwich will also have baby kale that is dress with olive oil and lemon.

c.       The Italian

                                                               i.      **Nut allergy alert**

                                                             ii.      This sandwich is served with soppressatta (dried pork salami), spicy coppa (cured pork shoulder), and Mortadella (CONTAINS PISTACHIOS.)

                                                            iii.      It is served with cacciocavallo cheese, Cherry tomatoes, capers, black olives, and a tomato vinaigrette.

1.       Caciocavallo cheese is long, slender, and cylindrical in shape made with stretch curd. Provolone is a common example of caciocavallo cheese. Years ago, caciocavallo was transported to market via horseback. The shape of the cheese was conducive to this mode of transportation. A notch in the top of the cheese was used to accommodate a rope that would be tied around the cheese and slung over the horse’s back.