Spring Cheeses: Alpha Tolman, Kinsman Ridge, Mt. Alice, Mitica Sardo, Verde Capra

ALPHA TOLMAN

Raw Cow's Milk

Alpine-Style

Aged 8-12 months

Jasper Hill Creamery, VT

Alpha Tolman is named for a philanthropic dairy farmer who built the Greensboro library in 1900. Alpha's grandfather, Enoch, was one of our town's original settlers. His namesake cheese is made in our satellite creamery, located within the Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick, VT - a facility designed to incubate value-added projects and enrich our agricultural economy.

Sensory Notes: Alpine cheeses like Appenzeller inspire the recipe for this Jasper Hill Creamery original. Alpha Tolman has a buttery, fruit & nut flavor when young, developing bold meaty, caramelized onion flavors as it matures. The texture is dense and pliant, easily portioned and ideal for melting.

Pairing and Service: The texture, aesthetic, and flavor make Alpha Tolman an ideal choice for fans of Appenzeller (or fondue!).  Try pairing with a robust ale, plummy red wine, or onion jam. For a satisfying meal, follow the lead of Swiss/French raclette – melt onto a plate of fingerling potatoes, cured meat and natural sour pickles.

KINSMAN RIDGE

Unpast. Cow's Milk

Aged 3-5 Months

From Landaff Creamery, NH aged at the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farms, VT

Deb and Doug Erb's debut cheese, Landaff, was designed with approachability and versatility in mind. They aim for something more daring with this second creation; Kinsman Ridge is inspired by funky French tommes like St. Nectaire, a style that's enviably more common in Europe than on this side of the pond.

Sensory Notes: Kinsman Ridge is a semi-soft, tomme-style cheese with aromas of fresh butter, forest and cured meat. Young wheels are washed with brine before a natural, mottled rind is cultivated. As it matures, Kinsman's interior transitions from smooth and firm to a giving and creamy consistency. Flavors are rich, savory, and softly floral, with hints of roasted artichoke and asparagus.

Pairing and Service: Kinsman's rustic appearance and decadent texture make it a perfect choice for a composed cheese board or plate. Try pairing with a Sauvignon Blanc, wheat beer, or saucisson sec. Though mottled in appearance, the cultivated, mixed rind is delicate enough to be palatable and does not need to be removed before portioning.

MT. ALICE

Past. Cow

3-5 weeks; bloomy rind, Camembert style

Von Trapp Farmstead

This bloomy rind Camembert-style cheese is an elegantly smooth milky delight composed of our organic pasteurized cows milk and aged for three to five weeks.  Mt. Alice is named after the peak southeast of the farm.  Creamy, sweet, and buttery.

MITICA SARDO

Pasteurized Sheeps Milk, 

Semi-hard, 8 months

Sardinia, Italy

This semi-hard sheeps milk cheese from Sardegna is made in the style of Fiore Sardo.  Since the island has more sheep than people, its inhabitants tended to be shepherds with generations of cheesemaking experience.  The producer of Mitica Sardo has been making cheese since 1962.  Nutty and a bit sharp with a great depth of flavor, Mitica Sardo maintains its moisture through an age of 8 months.  

LA TUR

Past. Cow, Goat, and Sheep Milk

Aged 3-5 Weeks

Piedmont, Italy

La Tur is a straw-colored, creamy, soft mid-aged cheese made from cow, sheep and goat

milk. The taste is mild when fresh, becoming stronger with age. The idea of La Tur – “Little Tower” –originated from the hundred towers built around the Alta Langa land during the Middle Ages to defend the village against invasions.

La Tur exemplifies the tastes of the traditional Alta Langa land. The three milks are blended together in such a harmony that does not allow one flavor to overwhelm another. The tangy taste of goat milk and the strong one of sheep milk are well combined with the sweetness of cow's milk cream.

New Pastas! Ancient Grain Rigatoni, Linguine Frutti di Mare, Conchiglie, Spaghetti Al'Amatriciana, Smoked Potato Ravioli

Ancient Grain Rigatoni   $12/18
Confit chicken, escarole, chili, lemon, burratta

The rigatoni is made from either farro or spelt flour, 00 pasta flour, durum flour, and water.

The chicken thighs and legs are cured in salt and herbs for 12 hours then confit in pork fat with rosemary, thyme, and mirepoix.  The meat will be picked off the bone and served in the pasta. 

At service the pan is started with sweated garlic and onion, chili flake and escarole will be added, as well as the picked confit dark meat, pasta, pork-chicken stock, butter, parm, lemon juice. 

The dish is finished with crunchy bread crumb and burratta whipped with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

ALLERGIES: Dairy* (prefer not to, but we can), Gluten*, Allium

Linguine Frutti di Mare $13/19
Squid, Shrimp, Lobster Brodetto, Black Bread Crumb.

Linguine is made with 00 pasta, egg yolks

We first make a lobster brodetto (brodetto = seafood broth) by roasting bodies, shrimp shells, and squid ends.  The seafood is pounded down with a meat mallet, then has our chicken stock poured over it.  We roast more seafood, then refortify with the new pounded down shells.  The frutti di mare base is the lobster brodetto stewed with white wine, tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaves.

At service ground shrimp and squid, squid tentacles, sweated garlic, colatura di alici (italian fish sauce), chili flake is added to the frutti di mare base and a touch of butter. The linguine is added and married.  The pasta is finished with black bread crumbs and bonito.

Black Bread Crumbs: Sourdough bread dredged with squid ink and olive oil, toasted, ground

ALLERGIES: Shellfish, Non-pescatarian, Allium, Dairy*, Gluten*

Conchiglie  $12/18
Rabbit Sugo Bianco, Fennel, Cerignola Olives, Fiore Sardo

Conchiglie (con-KEEL-yay) means “little shells.”  The pasta is made with durum, semolina, and 00 flour.  Extruded.

Sugo bianco:  A sofrito of garlic, carrot, fennel, onions, espelette will be started in a pan. Ground rabbit hind leg will be added and cooked with white wine, chicken stock, and a sachet of white peppercorn and parm rinds. 

At service we will cook the sugo base in pan with cerignola olives (red or green, native to Tuscany), parsley, lemons, parm, and olive oil.

The pasta will be finished with shaved mitica sardo, crispy garlic, and fennel pollen.

ALLERGIES: Gluten*, Dairy, Allium

Spaghetti  $12/18
Sauce al’Amatriciana, Guanciale, Pecorino

Amatriciana Sauce:  Smoked Nueskie bacon and guanciale are ground then braised with sweated onion, carrot, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, aleppo pepper, and a sache of smoked pork skin, peppercorn, and bay. The braise is milled to a smooth consistency. It is finished at service with lemon and olio verde.

Garnished on the plate with pecorino, oregano, and crispy guanciale.

The noodle: extruded Semolina, durum, 00 flour

Spaghetti Amatriciana is a traditional dish of the region of the town of Amatrice in Lazio.

ALLERGIES: Gluten*, Allium, Nonvegetarian

Smoked Potato Ravioli  $10/16
Caramelized Onion Brodo, Sage, Parmesan  

Pasta dough:  pasteurized egg yolks, water   6 for a small, 10 for a large

Filling: potatoes cooked in seasoned water, riced, smoked
Creme fraiche, sour cream, pecorino, parm, black pepper,

Brodo: White onions caramelized in olive oil, deglazed white wine, water, salt.  Cook for 2 hours, strain and press onion overnight.

At service:  The pasta is cooked in seasoned water, and the brodo is warmed and reduced.  Pasta goes into the sauce, finishes with butter and parmesan cheese.

Garnish:  Served on a plate.  Garnished with crispy sage

ALLERGIES: Gluten, Allium, Dairy, Egg

Movement In the Dining Room

Movement in the Dining Room

MOVING WITH GRACE

• Our ability to move gracefully through the dining room is of the utmost importance, both for the sake of safety and because our movements and energy have a profound impact on the experience of the guest.
• Maintain professional posture: stand tall and proud- you are the best at what you do and you should convey that to your guests at all times- even while standing near the server station.
• Don’t lean against a wall, stand with arms crossed or hands in pockets: it gives an unprofessional and disinterested appearance.
• Time to lean=Time to clean
• We should be moving quickly, but only as fast as you can while doing so smoothly and calmly to avoid our guests feeling a sensation of chaos around them while dining.  Nothing makes a guest nervous faster than a frantic-seeming server.
• Think of restaurant movement as if you were a swan on a pond: below the water there’s a whole lot of frantic paddling going on, but up on the surface you’re just gliding along.

PACING

Your approach to a table should give the following impressions:

1. You have planned to come there. Avoid just “pulling over” on your way to do something else – We have plenty of time for our guests!!!
2. You are at ease with time to spare – SLOW DOWN your movements and your speech tableside.
3. Meanwhile, internally account for how much time you are table side, and whether your other guests are getting appropriate attention. Use language such as “I’ll give you a few minutes” to indicate that you will be back to take their order.

Stay on the Move!!  Constantly flow through the DR, making yourself available to your guests and coworkers: you’ll never make eye contact from the upstairs server station!

RIGHT OF WAY

1. Guests always have the right of right of way! When moving through the restaurant you should always have your eyes up and 10 steps ahead. If you see a guest approaching you should plan your next few steps so that you can position yourself out of the way and defer to the approaching guest.
2. Kitchen Staff always have the right of way! You should always step aside for one of our Chefs, cooks or dishwashers when approaching from the opposite direction
3. FOH Co-workers must adhere to the “Pass on the Right” rule when approaching one another from opposite directions.  We drive on the right, therefore we pass on the right.
4. General Yielding Priority - You should yield to traffic in the following order:
1. Guest
2. Guest being led by staff member
3. Hot food
4. Hands full
5. If a guest insists that a staff member goes before them, after the second time they insist, a staff member may go before the guest with a smile and a “thank you.”

VERBAL AND NONVERBAL CUES

• When moving throughout the dining room and kitchen it is important to let fellow co-workers know where you are and what your intentions are.  Say “behind you” or “behind you with a guest.”
• If you need to call a co-worker's attention (and he or she is table-side), gently tap them on the back and then stand aside so that they can finish the interaction with the guests. If you are the one whose attention is called, wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible.
• KEEP YOUR EYES UP!! It is essential to keep your eyes up and constantly moving- you never know when you’re going to catch the eye of a server at a table that desperately needs YOUR help!

WHILE IN THE SERVER STATION…

• Our service stations are tiny and crowded.  Avoid the crunch by completing your task as quickly as possible and heading back to the floor.
• Speed things up for the dishwashers by grabbing the empty bus tub from them when they go to pick up a dirty one -- 1 fewer body squashed in!
• ZIP IT!!!
• Keep in mind that the guests can and do observe, listen, and hear almost everything that goes on in the restaurant
• Speak in the side stations as you would if you were in the middle of the dining room, because more often than not, the guests are right there with you, and they may not want to be a part of the hottest new gossip.
• NEVER comment on guests’ behavior, personality, actions etc. in a demeaning or negative manner. Also DO NOT comment on guests’ actions, responses etc. UNLESS it is part of a serious conversation about resolving a problem or enhancing their experience.  

Cheese 101

CHEESE 101 Like bread or wine, cheese falls into basic categories based on its texture and the process with which it's made. Luckily for cheese heads like us, the categories are simple: Fresh: Think of these cheeses as the ones without rinds. This category is where you'll find casual favorites like goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese.

Semi-Soft: If you're making a grilled cheese sandwich, consider these guys. Semi-soft cheeses—ones like Gouda, Provolone, Havarti and Jack—are great for eating out of hand and even better for melting.

Semi-Hard (a.k.a. Semi-Firm): Cheddar is the king of this category, which includes tasty favorites like Edam and Gruyère.

Hard (a.k.a. Firm): Grating cheeses and cheese tray stand-outs like Mimolette, Parmesan, and aged Asiago rule this category.

Washed-Rind: Cheeses like Tallegio, Limburger and Muenster bathe in salty brine, sometimes with a little beer, wine or liquor added to gild the lily. The brine in turn helps cheese to form an edible rind around its soft or semi-soft interior.

Bloomy-Rind: These cheeses are purposely exposed to mold spores to create a gently fuzzy rind on the outside. The rinds on these cheeses, like those of Brie and Camembert, are generally edible, though some folks choose to skip to the creamy insides.

Blue: Love it or hate it, blue cheese is here to stay. These pungent, delicious cheeses are marked with blue mold, introduced when mold spores are injected or added to the cheese (eg Stilton and Roquefort)

Champion the Cheese Course Planning: Putting together the perfect cheese course or cheese tray is magical, and thankfully, so easy. There really aren't any rules to it; just aim for a variety of flavors and textures. Try combining a blue cheese, a washed- or bloomy-rind cheese, a fresh cheese, a hard cheese and a unique locally-made cheese.

Buying: Need an easy rule-of-thumb for deciding how much cheese to buy? Allow for about 2 ounces of cheese per person. Simple.

Serving: Give cheese about 30 to 45 minutes out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature before serving, then keep these 5 Dos and Don'ts in mind. (You can thank us later.)

1. Do spread fresh cheese on bread or crackers. 2. Don't wear a cheesehead hat while serving cheese. Contrary to popular belief, everyone doesn't think they're funny.

3. Do serve dried or ripe seasonal fruit (dried cranberries or fresh pears are perfect), olives or nuts alongside your cheese tray. It makes for great flavor combos and gives tasters a chance to relax their taste buds on other foods in between cheeses.

4. Don't serve semi-hard and hard cheeses in huge chunks. Cut them into wedges, cubes or shards instead; it exposes them to the air and broadens their flavor.

5. Do consider serving wine (or beer!) with your cheese. Rennet and Enzymes and Cheese, Oh My! We think it's important to know what you're eating. A little education never hurt anybody, right? If you're curious about how milk becomes cheese, read on:

What are enzymes and how are they used to make cheese? In order for milk to coagulate (i.e. separate into curds and whey) and eventually become cheese, enzymes are added to break down the proteins that keep milk a liquid.

What are rennet, rennin, and chymosin? Take a deep breath. According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary rennet is "the lining membrane of the fourth stomach of the calf (and/or) a preparation or extract of the rennet membrane, used to curdle milk, as in making cheese…." In layman's terms, rennet is essentially a broad term used to describe any enzyme used to coagulate milk, and rennin and chymosin are enzymes found in rennet.

How many different types of enzymes are used to make cheese? Animal, vegetable, microbial and genetically engineered rennet can all be used in cheese making.

Is the use of rennet in cheese making controversial? At times, yes. Because it's an animal by-product, rennet sparks discussions on the issues of animal rights, vegetarianism, bioengineering and even religion (some animal-based rennet isn't considered "halal").

Three Types of Cheese Rinds Rinds are the outside shell on cheese that forms during the cheesemaking process. Cheese rinds are natural and usually edible, as opposed to other things that cover cheese, such as wax, cloth and leaves, that are inedible. Although rinds are edible, the question you need to ask yourself is, do I really want to eat it? If the flavor and texture of the rind enhances the experience of eating the cheese, the answer is yes. Take a little nibble of cheese with the rind and let your taste buds guide you. If a rind does not look or smell appealing to you, or the texture is too hard or chewy, don’t eat it.

Bloomy Rind Bloomy rinds are white and soft, sometimes even fuzzy. Cheesemakers spray a solution containing edible mold spores (Penicillium candidum, camemberti or glaucum) on the cheese. Humidity in the room where the cheese is ripened encourages this mold to grow, or bloom, and form a rind.

The only reason you might not want to eat a bloomy rind is if the rind has separated from the cheese somewhat, has a gritty texture or an ammoniated flavor or smell.

Examples of bloomy rinds: Brie, Camembert, Saint Andre, Mt. Tam Washed Rind

Look at the color of the rind. Does it have a noticeably orange or reddish hue? If so, it's probably a washed rind. Brine or alcohol (or both) is washed over these cheeses, creating a damp environment where edible molds, like B.linens, like to grow. Washed rind cheeses are often the most aromatic, or what some people call “stinky cheese.” The flavor of the cheese is typically stronger and saltier, due to the brine and alcohol.

Washed rinds are edible, although you might want to avoid the rind if it tastes excessively salty.

Examples of washed rinds: dorset, alpha tolman, brebirousse Natural Rind Natural rinds form with the least amount of intervention. In the temperature and humidity controlled rooms where cheeses are aged, air naturally dries out the outside of cheese. Over time, this forms a thin crust on the outside of the cheese which becomes its rind. Cheesemakers monitor this process and periodically rub the rind with oil, salt and/or a damp cloth soaked in brine.

Natural rinds tend to be thicker and harder, and sometimes gritty. For this reason, they aren't always the most pleasant eating experience.

Examples of natural rinds: Stilton, Tomme de Savoie, Cantal, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Kinsman Ridge

Next on Tap: Ninja vs Unicorn, Sunday Paper, Puny Partridge, Yo! Blueberry

PIPEWORKS NINJA VS. UNICORN

Style: Imperial IPA

Abv: 8%

Size, Price: sm, $8

First off, these cats are definitely strange ones, with an intense nerd-core alien/ninja bent: just check out their

artwork here.  Started in Chicago in 2012, the brewery has expanded rapidly and is now self-distributed across

Illinois, in New York and Connecticut, and lastly in Boston due to the recent expansion of Night Shift into

distribution (thank you NS for not just your beers).  The descriptor provided by the brewers on Beer Advocate:

Ninja vs. Unicorn celebrates the epic battle between two of the biggest hop-heads of lore. Brewed with over

five pounds of hops per barrel, this unfiltered double IPA is sure to please the most discerning hop lover.

Whether you’re rooting for the mythical horned horse or the deadly assassin of the east, we hope you’ll enjoy

Ninja vs. Unicorn.

EXHIBIT “A” SUNDAY PAPER

Style: Imperial Stout

Abv.: 9.9%

Size, Price: sm, $7.5

This beer is brewed with local malt from Hadley, MA, as well as coffee from Barrington Coffee Roasters.

 Though really high abv, the beer is very balanced, with intense aromas of coffee, toffee, and chocolate.

TRILLIUM PUNY PARTRIDGE

Style: Pale Ale

Abv.: 5%

Size, Price: Lg, $8.5

Part of our Small Bird series of seasonal, sessionable pale ales, Puny Partridge features Mosaic and Nelson

Sauvin hops balanced with a malt profile of Maris Otter and Naked Malted Oats.  Leading with aromas of

freshly squeezed orange juice, pith, and tropical fruit, Puny Partridge pops with a palate of fruit salad and

melon. A crisp, light body and lower ABV make Puny Partridge an easy drinking, delicious Pale Ale.

SLIM PICKINS YO! BLUEBERRY CIDER

Style: Fruited Cider

Abv.: 6.2%

Size, Price: sm, $8

Made by a company specializing in cider and mead out of Tampa, Florida.  Distribution is small, so go us for

having it!  Made from apple juice and blueberries, the cider is dark pink in color. Aroma is fruity and lactic, like

a blueberry yogurt. Taste has sweet red apples, apple skin and candied berries

Allagash Pastiche, Devil's Purse Kolsch, HA Plane Wave, E"A" Leitmotif 7, Citizen Dirty Mayor

Allagash Pastiche

Style: Imperial Amber

Abv: 8.5%

Size, Price: sm, $8

In literature, a “pastiche” is an original work done in the style of a previous work, artist, or period: as if you

decided to write an original symphony that reminded you intensely of something by Tchaikovsky.  “Pastiche”

by Allagash is a barrel-aged blend of four different ales aged in twice as many barrels, much the way

Belgian Lambric producers barrel age and blend their fermentations to create their perfect house style. The

beers in this blend use various local malts and were created specifically for Pastiche by their team of senior

brewers. Barrels included in the aging process were: rye whiskey, vermouth, port, rum, bourbon, red wine,

gin, and brandy. After aging the beers between three and four months, the brewers got together and

blended them all into a single, unified whole called Pastiche. This complex amber beer contains notes of

caramel, dried fruit, spirits, and oak.  Very limited production, we’re very lucky to have it.

DEVILS PURSE HANDLINE KOLSCH

Style: Kolsch

Abv: 5%

Size, Price: lg, $8

Devil’s Purse is based out of South Dennis, MA, down the Cape.  Two home-brewing buddies turned their

passion into a business, and brewed their first commercially viable test batch in early 2015.  They focus on

making tradition-inspired, approachable beer from the highest quality ingredients.  Their interpretation of a

German-style kolsch, Handline is mildly hopped with Vanguard. This unfiltered rendition has pleasant

aromas akin to lemon zest and cut grass, with a dry finish and refreshing taste.

HALF ACRE PLANE WAVE

Style: IPA

Abv: 6%

Size, Price: Lg, $8

Half Acre, out of Chicago, made the Plane Wave as a mashup of two of their taproom-only beers,

highlighting the impact of English yeast and malts when combined with a more traditional American hop

profile.  This is an incredibly limited release, they don’t even go to MA according to their website, so WTF,

Mike, how did we get this??  Don’t ask, just sell it and say thank you.

A plane wave is a complicated bit of theoretical math, wherein astrophysicists can use the infinitely uniform

amplitude of a signal to figure out a star’s distance from Earth or some shit.  I dunno...I haven’t done math

besides counting change since high school.  I’m not sure what the heck that has to do with this beer; I

assumed that they meant a Wave out of an airPlane window (hi mom!), as in you’re over the Atlantic and

sayin “hey girl hey” to both the English maltiness and the American hopiness of the IPA style...you decide

what to tell your guests.

EXHIBIT “A” LEITMOTIF OPUS 7

Style: Kettle Sour

Abv: 4%

Size, Price: Lg, $7.75

Another fancy-named beer, the Leitmotif series does what it’s name implies: it is a variation on a theme.  All

of the beers are kettle sours made with minimal intervention, sharing some common threads, but they all

make you feel just a little different.  This is the seventh brewing (hence “opus 7”) of this series.  This

particular version was brewed with blackberries, pink guava, and pineapple in the kettle.  It has a light sour

flavor with tropical fruit notes and a crisp, refreshing finish.

CITIZEN DIRTY MAYOR

Style: Ginger Cider

Abv: 5.2%

Size Price: Lg $7.50

So the cats up at Citizen Cider in VT are some funny dudes.  I think reading what they have to say about

their beer is one of my favorite things, and the Dirty Mayor doesn’t disappoint:

“We offer this cider to the honorable and fully infamous mayor of the only non-town in America, Fort Ethan

Allen, USA. The mayor likes his cider with a ginger nip, so in our current effort to ensure local harmony and

diplomacy we offer this cider up to the mayor and his fellow citizens.”

Fresh, zippy, and wicked crisp.  The apples are grown and pressed in Middlebury, VT.

TROEGS, NUGGET NECTAR

Style: Imperial Amber

Abv:  7.5%

Size, Price:  16 oz., $8.00

This previously was a spring seasonal from Troegs.  They add whole-flower Nugget hops to their hopback

vessel during the brewing of their imperial amber.

Nose and Flavor: Intensely hoppy, exploding with citrus, resin, and pine aromatics.  A slightly sweet

undertone due to the amber malt, but definitely a beer for hopheads.