Miguel, Second Garde Mange
Eduardo, Master Sanitation Engineer.
Juan, Senior Garde Mange
Cacho, Sous Chef
Jeff, Saute
Justin, Foodie in Training
Victor, Master Saute
Saturday, January 17, 2009
La Brigade de Cuisine
Miguel, Second Garde Mange
Eduardo, Master Sanitation Engineer.
Juan, Senior Garde Mange
Cacho, Sous Chef
Jeff, Saute
Justin, Foodie in Training
Victor, Master Saute
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Fill
As always I encourage you to click on the photo for a closeup.
Uber fresh sable fish, braised with mirin, sable stock, coconut milk, peppers, micro Thai basil. Purple sticky rice and a little garnish. Killer.
I'm just filling with some recent photos. Above is the ever present tuna tataki. The colors look especially good in this shot. The tuna was exceptional as well. Big-eye out of Hawaii
Our apple turnovers fresh from the oven.
I'm not a sauce over the protein guy but I needed some contrast between the golden pancake and salmon.
Special salad we did tonight. Spring mix and romaine rolled in a nori sheet with golden pea shoots, amaranth and typical sesame dressing.
I really like the title pic. It's kind of interesting when you zoom in on specific areas. I love the clothes pins. Been there a long time.
Classic.
Uber fresh sable fish, braised with mirin, sable stock, coconut milk, peppers, micro Thai basil. Purple sticky rice and a little garnish. Killer.
I'm just filling with some recent photos. Above is the ever present tuna tataki. The colors look especially good in this shot. The tuna was exceptional as well. Big-eye out of Hawaii
Our apple turnovers fresh from the oven.
I'm not a sauce over the protein guy but I needed some contrast between the golden pancake and salmon.
Special salad we did tonight. Spring mix and romaine rolled in a nori sheet with golden pea shoots, amaranth and typical sesame dressing.
I really like the title pic. It's kind of interesting when you zoom in on specific areas. I love the clothes pins. Been there a long time.
Classic.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Another Fireman Story
Not sure why but this one's been popping up in my head lately.
I was working on Engine 28 that night. 28's is a fairly busy engine in an old "Victorian" neighborhood. Old mansions mostly broken up into small low income housing units. Also the nut-case capital of Milwaukee. A number of group homes and halfway houses are located in 28's "first-in" area. Also a neighborhood I used to call home.
In the middle of the night we got a run for "smell of gas." It's a common call that usually turns out to be a neighbor who left the stove on or something minor. Anything significant we call the gas company and ventilate the building. No big deal. We pull up to a three story brick apartment building on N 27th St. Looks like a heavily populated 12 unit building. We were first in and was joined shortly by Ladder 9. We walked in the front door and immediately realized it wasn't a "gas" smell it was GASOLINE! Very nasty stuff. A substance that every Firefighter respects. Extremely flammable. It doesn't have to touch a spark to ignite, It's fumes can reach many feet in search of an ignition source and when it finds one watch out. It all goes up at once. If your in the same area the only thing you can do is get away and if you're in the same room you are dead or you will be in a week.
We begin to search for the source. It seems to be coming from the basement and the only door we can find is blocked by a stack of cinder blocks. Coincidence? I don't think so. This is beginning to get scary. We had that stack moved in no time and entered the basement. It's dark, real dark. The only light is from our flashlights, a fire fighter's best friend, everyone had their's on. Old couches and furniture are stacked up against the walls and wreak of gasoline. It looks like someone loaded the basement with fuel and soaked it in gas. We walk into the next room and some one's light shines on a pile of rolled up carpeting. Immediately every one's lights reveal three or four large rolls of carpeting. On top of the rolls is a glass jar half full of a clear liquid with a long taper candle sticking out the top. The candle is lit. The contraption was a simple fuse intended to light the gasoline fumes in the jar and the room. Obviously someone was trying to torch this place and didn't care how many people they killed doing it. The room was full of highly flammable fumes and additional fuel for the fire to consume. The fact that it hadn't blown by now is amazing. It was was overdue to ignite and would any second.
SOP would have been to get the hell out of there as fast as possible, call for a full assignment and start laying lines. (Hoses) Of course by now the candle would have ignited the fumes, the basement would have exploded and getting those 50 or 60 people out of that burning building would have been a daunting task. I'm guessing we lose a bunch. That's if we make it out. If we don't, the truck (Ladder 9) calls for multiple assignments (Alot more firemen)and a rescue operation begins for us and 50 or 60 people.
It was one of those moments when time slows down. What took a second seemed to take minutes. We all looked at each other for what seemed like hours, in a heartbeat we all saw in each other's faces what our fate would most likely be. We seemed frozen in indecision, panicked beyond comprehension, as if we were looking at the devil's work and his goal was to kill us.
It only took a second to cover the ground between us and the candle. After what seemed to be an excruciatingly long period of time a firefighter confidantly covered the distance between us and the candle and wisely snuffed out the flame with his gloved thumb and fore-finger. If he'd blown that candle it may have been enough to introduce those rising fumes from the jar to the flame and we'd all be toast.
As with most runs I didn't give it alot of thought at the time but it keeps popping back into my head (along with others) and don't fully understand why. For an instant we all faced death together and an hour later it was if it never happened. I do believe it was one of those runs that in a another world could have gone much differently. Perhaps because of skill, pride, determination and some balls things came out as they did.
I use it as a lesson to myself. Sometimes things come out as they do for a reason. Not luck or destiny. Efficiency, skill and good foundations may be enough of an edge in this world to get ahead, tip the scale in your favor and perhaps change your life.
It wasn't luck that we didn't get fried in that basement. It was a well funded fire dept. that prides itself on 3 minute response times, well trained firefighters, fit firefighters (we had that cinder block "wall" down in no time) and a tradition of aggressive firefighting and pride. Another day, a different crew, another city, who knows how things could have turned out.
Especially in these tough economic times and this tough profession. Improve, practice and pay your dues. Sometimes it works.
I was working on Engine 28 that night. 28's is a fairly busy engine in an old "Victorian" neighborhood. Old mansions mostly broken up into small low income housing units. Also the nut-case capital of Milwaukee. A number of group homes and halfway houses are located in 28's "first-in" area. Also a neighborhood I used to call home.
In the middle of the night we got a run for "smell of gas." It's a common call that usually turns out to be a neighbor who left the stove on or something minor. Anything significant we call the gas company and ventilate the building. No big deal. We pull up to a three story brick apartment building on N 27th St. Looks like a heavily populated 12 unit building. We were first in and was joined shortly by Ladder 9. We walked in the front door and immediately realized it wasn't a "gas" smell it was GASOLINE! Very nasty stuff. A substance that every Firefighter respects. Extremely flammable. It doesn't have to touch a spark to ignite, It's fumes can reach many feet in search of an ignition source and when it finds one watch out. It all goes up at once. If your in the same area the only thing you can do is get away and if you're in the same room you are dead or you will be in a week.
We begin to search for the source. It seems to be coming from the basement and the only door we can find is blocked by a stack of cinder blocks. Coincidence? I don't think so. This is beginning to get scary. We had that stack moved in no time and entered the basement. It's dark, real dark. The only light is from our flashlights, a fire fighter's best friend, everyone had their's on. Old couches and furniture are stacked up against the walls and wreak of gasoline. It looks like someone loaded the basement with fuel and soaked it in gas. We walk into the next room and some one's light shines on a pile of rolled up carpeting. Immediately every one's lights reveal three or four large rolls of carpeting. On top of the rolls is a glass jar half full of a clear liquid with a long taper candle sticking out the top. The candle is lit. The contraption was a simple fuse intended to light the gasoline fumes in the jar and the room. Obviously someone was trying to torch this place and didn't care how many people they killed doing it. The room was full of highly flammable fumes and additional fuel for the fire to consume. The fact that it hadn't blown by now is amazing. It was was overdue to ignite and would any second.
SOP would have been to get the hell out of there as fast as possible, call for a full assignment and start laying lines. (Hoses) Of course by now the candle would have ignited the fumes, the basement would have exploded and getting those 50 or 60 people out of that burning building would have been a daunting task. I'm guessing we lose a bunch. That's if we make it out. If we don't, the truck (Ladder 9) calls for multiple assignments (Alot more firemen)and a rescue operation begins for us and 50 or 60 people.
It was one of those moments when time slows down. What took a second seemed to take minutes. We all looked at each other for what seemed like hours, in a heartbeat we all saw in each other's faces what our fate would most likely be. We seemed frozen in indecision, panicked beyond comprehension, as if we were looking at the devil's work and his goal was to kill us.
It only took a second to cover the ground between us and the candle. After what seemed to be an excruciatingly long period of time a firefighter confidantly covered the distance between us and the candle and wisely snuffed out the flame with his gloved thumb and fore-finger. If he'd blown that candle it may have been enough to introduce those rising fumes from the jar to the flame and we'd all be toast.
As with most runs I didn't give it alot of thought at the time but it keeps popping back into my head (along with others) and don't fully understand why. For an instant we all faced death together and an hour later it was if it never happened. I do believe it was one of those runs that in a another world could have gone much differently. Perhaps because of skill, pride, determination and some balls things came out as they did.
I use it as a lesson to myself. Sometimes things come out as they do for a reason. Not luck or destiny. Efficiency, skill and good foundations may be enough of an edge in this world to get ahead, tip the scale in your favor and perhaps change your life.
It wasn't luck that we didn't get fried in that basement. It was a well funded fire dept. that prides itself on 3 minute response times, well trained firefighters, fit firefighters (we had that cinder block "wall" down in no time) and a tradition of aggressive firefighting and pride. Another day, a different crew, another city, who knows how things could have turned out.
Especially in these tough economic times and this tough profession. Improve, practice and pay your dues. Sometimes it works.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
2009
The beginning of 2009 will see a small wine list tweak. I'm 86'ing a couple of wines because of poor service from the distributor. (ahem, Badger) Unfortunately I have to deal with them to get a few liquor products but there is alot of good wine out there that people can choose from. We'll probably lose a couple glass pours as well. I think currently we have 14. That's too many during a slow time of year.
Small menu tweaks are ahead as well. I found a good source of sustainable grouper that will allow me to put it back on the menu. I'll also change the tofu to a non vegan vegetarian dish. (I know that's going to piss some people off) Most likely a grilled mushroom, spinach and vegetable polenta lasagna. We ran it New Year's and it was well received.
We hope to concentrate on the garden this year. We are looking for a part-time gardener to help tend to it.
We will be advertising in Milwaukee. Something we really haven't done before. We are virtually unheard of north of the county line. We are 30 minutes from downtown Milwaukee with comparable food, better prices, service and tons of convenient parking. They should be beating down our doors. If they start coming look for us to spread our wings culinary-wise.
Knock on wood but I think 2009 will be a good one. (It can't get much worse)
Small menu tweaks are ahead as well. I found a good source of sustainable grouper that will allow me to put it back on the menu. I'll also change the tofu to a non vegan vegetarian dish. (I know that's going to piss some people off) Most likely a grilled mushroom, spinach and vegetable polenta lasagna. We ran it New Year's and it was well received.
We hope to concentrate on the garden this year. We are looking for a part-time gardener to help tend to it.
We will be advertising in Milwaukee. Something we really haven't done before. We are virtually unheard of north of the county line. We are 30 minutes from downtown Milwaukee with comparable food, better prices, service and tons of convenient parking. They should be beating down our doors. If they start coming look for us to spread our wings culinary-wise.
Knock on wood but I think 2009 will be a good one. (It can't get much worse)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
2008
A few comments on NYE's service. In short, a great night. We topped last year's customer count and sales. More importantly things went smoothly and I'm confidant our customers noticed. Despite the absence of a server (called in sick, never fails) the dining room ran like a clock with my wife Patrice and guest hostess Cory,(Our daughter)at the helm.
As far as 2008 goes, I'm glad it's over. A rough year dominated by the closing of The Yellow Rose. A seemingly "all consuming" task. That should be put to bed once and for all within a week. You add the dismal economy on top of that and it makes for a bleak year business-wise.
Personal-wise, we have sold our home and will be moving very soon. The added stress of selling a home in this market hasn't helped our already amped stress level either. The up-side is we are now prepared for whatever this economy throws at us.
With all that behind us we're excited about 2009. Building improvements and new marketing plans will be our focus. A new website is also a priority. We also hope to travel more and spend quality time in Door County.
Food-wise, I think you're going to continue to see an emphasis on sustainable and natural. Local sourcing and chef to farmer hook-ups. It will be all the rage. The benefit of this movement is I think it will bring the focus back to the food. Simple, real and comforting food. I think restaurant design will follow. In other words "retro" with a sleeker more modern look. Prices will be an issue. Operators will want to keep the prices down but will have ever increasing budgets to cover. For the big guys, something's got to give. Their customers won't notice it for a couple more years yet. Then they'll go the way of Cork and Cleaver, Steak and Stein and my Alma mater Victoria Station.
Let's hope it's a peaceful and prosperous year for us all. Happy New Year!
As far as 2008 goes, I'm glad it's over. A rough year dominated by the closing of The Yellow Rose. A seemingly "all consuming" task. That should be put to bed once and for all within a week. You add the dismal economy on top of that and it makes for a bleak year business-wise.
Personal-wise, we have sold our home and will be moving very soon. The added stress of selling a home in this market hasn't helped our already amped stress level either. The up-side is we are now prepared for whatever this economy throws at us.
With all that behind us we're excited about 2009. Building improvements and new marketing plans will be our focus. A new website is also a priority. We also hope to travel more and spend quality time in Door County.
Food-wise, I think you're going to continue to see an emphasis on sustainable and natural. Local sourcing and chef to farmer hook-ups. It will be all the rage. The benefit of this movement is I think it will bring the focus back to the food. Simple, real and comforting food. I think restaurant design will follow. In other words "retro" with a sleeker more modern look. Prices will be an issue. Operators will want to keep the prices down but will have ever increasing budgets to cover. For the big guys, something's got to give. Their customers won't notice it for a couple more years yet. Then they'll go the way of Cork and Cleaver, Steak and Stein and my Alma mater Victoria Station.
Let's hope it's a peaceful and prosperous year for us all. Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
NYE 2008
First Course
Soup
Wild Mushrooms ala Crème
Shitake, Portabella and Oyster mushrooms, garnished with Amontillado cream.
Prime Beef Brochette
Skewered prime tenderloin tips served over caramelized onions
with bourbon–Dijon sauce.
Crab Cake
Asian slaw, apricot and mustard sauces.
Scallops
Sautéed U-10 “dry” day boat scallop served with
smoked tomato beurre blanc
Second
Tuna and Micro Greens
Slices of rare tuna with micro greens, wakami salad and ginger dressing.
Boston Wedge
Bleu cheese dressing, smoked bacon, vine ripened and hard boiled eggs.
Spinach and Prosciutto
Fresh baby spinach served wit a warm prosciutto dressing with
toasted pine nuts and Parmesan crisp.
Third
Filet of Beef
Béarnaise, demi-glace and Wisconsin cheddar mashed potatoes with chives.
Chicken Ballantine
Boneless chicken stuffed with roasted vegetables, goat cheese and cornbread. Served with chicken demi-glace and French green beans.
Cedar Roasted Grouper
Roasted on a sheet of cedar and topped with Burgundy truffle butter. Served with potato croquettes and French green beans.
Lobster Dumplings
Shitake-mirin sauce with sautéed spinach.
Roast Vegetable and Polenta Lasagna
Natural Ricotta and goat cheese.
Fourth
Chocolate Decadence
Flourless chocolate cake with crème Anglaise and raspberry sauce.
Pumpkin Maple Flan
“Upside down” crème brulee, morello cherry sauce and caramel.
Berries and Sabayon
Fresh berries in a chilled light custard.
Sorbet and Pastry
Green apple, mango and raspberry
For the comfort of all our guests seating are limited to two hours.
Soup
Wild Mushrooms ala Crème
Shitake, Portabella and Oyster mushrooms, garnished with Amontillado cream.
Prime Beef Brochette
Skewered prime tenderloin tips served over caramelized onions
with bourbon–Dijon sauce.
Crab Cake
Asian slaw, apricot and mustard sauces.
Scallops
Sautéed U-10 “dry” day boat scallop served with
smoked tomato beurre blanc
Second
Tuna and Micro Greens
Slices of rare tuna with micro greens, wakami salad and ginger dressing.
Boston Wedge
Bleu cheese dressing, smoked bacon, vine ripened and hard boiled eggs.
Spinach and Prosciutto
Fresh baby spinach served wit a warm prosciutto dressing with
toasted pine nuts and Parmesan crisp.
Third
Filet of Beef
Béarnaise, demi-glace and Wisconsin cheddar mashed potatoes with chives.
Chicken Ballantine
Boneless chicken stuffed with roasted vegetables, goat cheese and cornbread. Served with chicken demi-glace and French green beans.
Cedar Roasted Grouper
Roasted on a sheet of cedar and topped with Burgundy truffle butter. Served with potato croquettes and French green beans.
Lobster Dumplings
Shitake-mirin sauce with sautéed spinach.
Roast Vegetable and Polenta Lasagna
Natural Ricotta and goat cheese.
Fourth
Chocolate Decadence
Flourless chocolate cake with crème Anglaise and raspberry sauce.
Pumpkin Maple Flan
“Upside down” crème brulee, morello cherry sauce and caramel.
Berries and Sabayon
Fresh berries in a chilled light custard.
Sorbet and Pastry
Green apple, mango and raspberry
For the comfort of all our guests seating are limited to two hours.
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