New Polenta Spin Rosso

Polenta Spin Rosso

Slow Poached Egg, Cranberry Beans, Chanterelle Mushrooms
This is a really cool polenta brought to us by Anson Mills in Columbia SC. Spin Rosso means red point or red thorn in Italian and refers to the pointy shape of the kernels of this red corn. This polenta is traditional to Val Sugana, a valley in the Trentino region of northern Italy. The exterior bran of the corn is red, but the interior is yellow, resulting in a classic deep yellow polenta with red flecks throughout. the Polenta is cooked in water, then finished with olio verde and parmesan cheese. Also on the plate is a slow poached egg (cooked at 64 degrees celsius for 1 hour), braised Cranberry Beans (onions, garlic, olive oil, stock, and sage), and a mix of local beans (haricot vert, dragon's tongue, and wax beans, although the selection will change. The beans will be prepared braised, blanched, and raw). Tossed with the cranberry beans are chanterelle mushrooms (poached in white wine, white wine vinegar, marsala wine, orange zest, garlic, bay leaf, shallots). Finishing the plate are shaved raw beans tossed with local arugula, heriloom cherry tomatoes, and a sunflower and arugula pesto (sunflower seeds, benne seeds, arugula, basil, olive oil, honey and pecorino). The plate is garnished with parmesan cheese, sea salt, and olio verde.

New Lunch Items 8/10/2016

Sandwiches

Pork Belly BLT

Heirloom Tomatoes, Gem Lettuce, Fines Herbs Aioli

Pork bellly is seasoned with salt, brown sugar, paprika, fennel pollen, coriander. Cooked in combi for 9 hours, then seared. Heirloom tomatoes, gem lettuce. Fine Herbes aioli (eggs, garlic, oil, salt, parsley, tarragon, chives.)

Allergies: Gluten*

SP Meatball

San Marzano Tomato, Ricotta, Basil, Olio Verde

Meatballs from dinner menu, san marzano tomato sauce (tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil.) Ricotta mixed with salt, pepper, and cloumage (fresh farm style cheese). Parmesan cheese, basil and olio verde finish.

Allergies: Gluten, dairy (can’t be done without either)

Salads

Panzanella Salad

Heirloom Tomatoes, Parmesan Crema, Market Cucumbers, Tomato Vinaigrette

Panzanella is a classic italian salad including fresh heirloom tomatoes, local cucumbers, shaved celery, shaved fennel all tossed in a tomato vinaigrette (tomatoes, preserved tomato juice, olive oil). Also includes torn and grilled Iggy’s baguette that is coated in tomato vinaigrette. It is garnished with basil, celery hearts and parmesan crema  (buttermilk, parmesan, and olio verde).

Allergies: Gluten, dairy (can be done without either but loses a lot of it’s character.)

Boards

Farmstead Board

Bûcheron, Pecorino, Roquefort, Honey, Almonds

New Menu Items 8/10/2016

Burrata

Prosciutto, Local Melon, Watermelon Radish, Basil, Espelette

Burrata is a stuffed mozzarella, ours is being made in house using mozzarella curd, that is stretched, and then stuffed with a house made ricotta cheese (milk, cream, citric acid, salt), and then soaked in a brine made from salt, heavy cream, and buttermilk. The burrata is being plated with a variety of local melons, shaved cucumber, shaved watermelon radish, all dressed in a melon vinaigrette (pureed melon, pedro ximinez vinegar, olio verde, grapefruit zest). Garnished with mint, basil, and espelette (a spanish dried chili), finished with olio verde and salt.

Pizza Bianca

Local Clams, Potato, House Bacon, Green Onions, Bechamel

The pizza has an olive oil base and is topped with shaved raw potato, steamed clams, house made bacon, roasted garlic, sliced green onions, and a bechamel made from bacon fat, butter, flour, milk, and clam juice. The cooked pizza is finished with lemon juice, olive oil, and a paprika salt (maldon salt, paprika, and cayenne).

Roasted Corn

Walnuts, Preserved Ramps, Feta

Corn is being sauteed with toasted walnuts, then finished with ramp butter, pickled ramps, and lemon juice, then garnished with sheeps milk feta.

New Cheeses 8/3/2016

Leicestershire Red $8

Pasteurized Cow’s milk cheese from Thomas Hoe Dairy in Leicestershire England. A cheddar style cheese named after the county in which it was produced, the cheese is traditionally colored with annato seeds in the hopes of distinguishing itself from other local cheeses. Leicestershire Red like cheddar is clothbound and rubbed with butter to seal in moisture. Leicestershire Red is formed into smaller and flatter disks than cheddar allowing for aging to progress more rapidly. Similar to a cheddar the cheese is sweet and sharp with some caramel notes.

Beato de Tabara $7

Raw Goat’s milk cheese from Zamora in Spain. Beato de Tabara is a manuscript written by monks of the Tabara Monestary in 975. Within this manuscript are instructions for cheese making. One Spanish Family has decided to revive that tradition and begain making this tomme style cheese based on the instructions found in that manuscript. Aged for three months the cheese has a natural rind and is grassy and bright with earthy undertones. 

2015 Cuvée Bellenos Rosé $10/40

Where: Coteaux Bourguignons, Burgundy, France

Who: Maison Roche de Bellene (same as the red)

What: 100% Gamay

Tastes like: Light, mineral driven rosé with subtle fruit (strawberries)  on the nose and a surprisingly elegant and subdued profile.

What to pair with: Fresh cheeses, the pea green salad, burrata. Great “thinking wine” for when you first seat down

From their adorably plain website:

Domaine de Bellene has been created in 2005 by Nicolas Potel after the purchase of various old vines in some of the best plots of Burgundy.

Nowadays, our vineyards are situated in Santenay, Saint Romain, Volnay, Beaune, Nuits Saint Georges and Vosne Romanée. They are all vines from 50 to 110 years old.

All our vines are grown with the biodynamic methods. We add no outside products to our wines, no acid, no cultured yeast, nutrients, enzymes, sugar...

The domaine de Bellene is situated in the city center of Beaune in Burgundy. We are established in some very old buildings dating back to 1600. All the buildings have been renovated with a green spirit following the "HQE" method.

Fruit comes from Coteaux Bourguignons (“Hills of Burgundy”), a new appellation created to showcase the classic taste of the entire Burgundy region, from south (Beaujolais) to north (Côte d’Or).

Fruit undergoes whole-cluster fermentation and maturation in stainless steel tanks. (833 cs)

2015 Vintage

The 2015 growing season was harvested in early September due to a very hot summer. A lack of rain concentrated the fruit flavors but did not produce large yields. The resulting fruit produced very balanced wine with low acid potential.

2015 Domaine Lafage “Centenaire”

2015 Domaine Lafage “Centenaire” $11/44

Where: Côtes du Roussillon, France

Who: Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage

What: 80% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne

Tastes like: Medium plus bodied white with a little bit of oak (30% of the wine spends 4 months in new French Oak, to be exact). Round profile with bright acidity. Should please those folks looking for an oakier white, while still remaining very balanced and food-friendly.

What to pair with: Fish and lighter meat dishes. Anything with butter. Cheese plates!

Jean-Marc Lafage works at his estate in the Roussillon, and across the border in Spain where he consults on several projects.

Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage farm 160 hectares of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan. Some of their vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean while others can be found in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This range of sites allow them to make both refreshing whites as well as concentrated reds and, this being the Roussillon, some fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate is farmed organically. They grow primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old. The soil, as you near the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist. They harvest by hand and the winemaking is surprisingly uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites but mostly concrete tanks for the rest with a small amount of French oak demi-muids.

“Run by the talented (and fast driving) Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage, from their cellar located just outside of Perpignan (which is being completely renovated), this estate includes vineyards spread throughout the Roussillon, allowing them to make the most of the diverse terroirs and micro-climates. I struggle to think of another portfolio that encompasses anywhere close to this level of value, and the average quality to price (QPR) for these wines is just hard to believe.”

– JEB DUNNUCK

2013 Rainoldi Rosso di Valtellina

2013 Rainoldi Rosso di Valtellina $12/48

Where: Valtellina, Lombardy

Who: Aldo and Peppino Rainoldi

What: 100% Nebbiolo (called Chiavennasca in this part of Italy but same exact grape)

Tastes like: very perfumed nose, classic red fruit (red cherries, ripe cranberries) and dried flowers, with a powerful backbone of minerality and dried herbs. Rich mouth feel, bigger than the Nino Negri Nebbiolo, with some ripe fruit. Still a relatively light wine (I would say medium body.)

Alcohol: Med (12.5%), Tannin: Med+, Acidity: Med +, Sugar: low

What to pair with: Charcuterie for sure, also lighter red meat dishes, pork, chicken, mushrooms.

“Peppino Rainoldi and his nephew Aldo make wines with strong personalities…bringing out the best of the various terroirs where Nebbiolo rules supreme.” – Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2010

“This producer based in Lombardy’s Valtellina makes a number of delicious, value-priced reds.” – Antonio Galloni

Founded in 1925 by the current proprietor’s grandfather and great-grandfather, respectively, Casa Vinicola Aldo Rainoldi is THE flagship estate in the Valtellina, the heart of Lombardy’s heralded Nebbiolo-growing region. The northernmost wine region in Lombardy, vineyards in the Valtellina are located at extremely high altitudes (600+ meters) and are protected from cold, harsh winds by the nearby mountain peaks, which also trap the heat in the valley. The stony schist-based vineyard soils also retain heat and release it during the night to warm the vines. These conditions provide a long, slow growing season for Nebbiolo, known locally as Chiavennasca, allowing it to fully develop its flavors over a long, slow growing season. Vines here are cultivated exclusively by hand on the impervious (but optimally exposed!) steep slopes along the north bank of the valley.