by TT on October 28th, 2011 | Restaurant News
Our final Harvest Dinner event is not simply one event but an entire week of dining. Hosted by the
SJ Hot Chefs (AKA South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association),
Fall Harvest Week will take place from October 30th through November 4th. With more than thirty independently owned restaurants participating, it is sure to be an amazing week of food.
Each restaurant that participates will serve a four-course dinner, which will include a variety of locally sourced ingredients. Some of the menu items available from these restaurants include:
- Stuffed Bell Pepper- sweet sausage, fontina cheese, roasted tomato
- Fall Harvest Vegetable Misto Fritti- mushrooms, eggplant
by TT on September 23rd, 2011 | Chef News, Restaurant News
With today marking the start of fall, it seemed the appropriate time to start a new series. This series will features chefs and restaurants who are hosting Fall Harvest dinners that utilize locally sourced produce, meats, cheeses, and more. The series will highlight many delicious events from California to Florida to New Jersey and a few other locations in between.
Our first Harvest Dinner is taking place this Sunday, September 25th, at 5:30 p.m. at the
Lucky Bucket Brewery in La Vista, Nebraska, in conjunction with The Food Localmotion (Sierra Club Omaha, Green Omaha Coalition, and Slow Food Omaha). Preparing
by TT on June 15th, 2011 | Restaurant News, Summer Restaurants
From Long Island, we move back to the Northeast to feature Maine coast cuisine, at
88. This casually elegant restaurant is located at Spruce Point Inn, serving dinner nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. In addition to having the special charm of being a summer-only destination, this restaurant also has a father-son pairing in the kitchen providing delicious meals for their diners. I was able to speak with Assistant Chef Peter Stiles (not to be confused with Executive Chef Peter Stiles, Sr.).
TT: When does the 88 open and close for the season?
PS: 88 opened on May 24th for hotel
by TT on June 8th, 2011 | Restaurant News, Summer Restaurants
From the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, we travel to Long Island to learn more about the next restaurant in our Summer Only series,
Nello Summertimes. This restaurant is the sister of
Nello, located in Manhattan. Leaving the heat and bustle of the city for the relaxing pace of the Hamptons and this fine restaurant, we spoke with
Nello Balan, owner of Nello, to learn more.
TT: When does Nello Summertimes open and close for the summer season?
NB: Nello Summertimes opens Memorial Day Weekend. We close Labor Day Weekend.
TT: What prompted you to open a restaurant in the Hamptons while
by TT on June 2nd, 2011 | Restaurant News, Summer Restaurants
Continuing with our Summer Restaurant series, we travel to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. This seventy-six year old resort is home to a fine dining restaurant, which is open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day weekend. In addition to the restaurant there also is a beach-side bar that offers the full restaurant menu after 5:00 p.m.
I spoke with Cynthia Makris, general manager of the resort to learn more about the NASWA.
TT: Do you use local meat, produce, or dairy in your menu?
CM: We do use all locally grown fruits and vegetables when available. We receive deliveries six days
by TT on May 26th, 2011 | Restaurant News, Summer Restaurants
We are starting our summer series with a brand new restaurant,
Whim, which is located at
Smolak Farm. To learn more about this restaurant, we interviewed
Michael Smolak, owner of the farmer.
TT: Last summer you had a chef demo series. How did you decide to integrate that into your farm?
MS: We had been doing farm demos for years as crops came available. At the urging of our customers we took a chance and reached out to restaurants that were actually suggested to us by friends of the farm, such as Edible Boston and others, and we were shocked by
by TT on July 16th, 2010 | Regional Best, Restaurant News
Last month,
Think Tasty readers had the opportunity to choose the best restaurant in the Pacific Hawaii region. With ten wonderful restaurants from which to choose, it was not a simple decision. Many loyal patrons cast their votes and shared their opinions of their favorite restaurants. When voting ended, the restaurant that earned the most votes was
Cielo Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.
I was able to speak with
Comer Smith, who is executive chef at
Cielo Restaurant, about this fabulous restaurant.
TT: What makes Cielo unique?
CS: What really makes Cielo unique is the fact that you can
by TT on July 14th, 2010 | Recipes, Spreads & Sauces
At our house, fun dinners typically fall into one of two categories: make your own _________ (could be pizza, panini, quesadilla, etc.) or munchies. Recently, we had a make your own panini night, which made that dinner fun for everyone. As all of our tastes vary, the requests for the shopping list range from the expected to the unique. There were requests from everything from ham to blue cheese to figs.
As much as I would love to say that one of our four was so adventurous that he or she requested figs, that isn't the truth. I was the one
by TT on July 12th, 2010 | Regional Best, Restaurant News
Moving east from the Pacific Hawaii region,
Think Tasty now heads to the Rocky Mountain region. Encompassing Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, we will share our top ten picks from the many that were submitted. For the next ten days, readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite place. Voting will end at 5:00 pm EDT on Thursday, July 22nd, and the winner will be announced on Friday.
1. 1515 Restaurant, Denver, CO
1515 Restaurant is located in the historical neighborhood of LoDo in Denver. Nestled at the foot of
by TT on July 7th, 2010 | Recipes, Soups & Stews
It is hot.
That's about all I feel inspired to write at this moment. With temperatures in the high 90s and lots of humidity, the weather is less than comfortable. As my mom (who lives in Florida) explains, I just am not used to these wonderfully warm days. That is true. I like warmth, say 80s, and I can do without the humidity. However, I don't get to pick the weather.
To add to the excitement of the heat, one of my home's central air conditioning units decided this would be a good time to need new parts. The good news is
by TT on July 2nd, 2010 | Appetizers, Recipes, Side Dishes
Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables, as I find it to be quite versatile. From breakfast dishes, such as zucchini bread, to side dishes, such as zucchini stuffed with spinach and cheese, to entrées, such as stirfry, it is a wonderful ingredient. Last year, I made
Zucchini Cakes as part of a Tapas Night dinner. Recently, I decided to try a different version of those cakes.
To make these new cakes different, I switched some ingredients. Instead of using only zucchini, I also included a summer squash. As I was serving these cakes without a sauce, I wanted to
