The first Wednesday and Thursday of each month, Chef Nick and I put our heads together to host our “At the Bar” event. Think of a chef’s tasting table accompanied by cocktail pairings created for each specific dish and held, well, at the bar. Eight guests join us each evening to spend a couple hours working their way through dishes and cocktails developed for the event. It’s laid back, provides a great platform to discuss flavors, regional fair and spirits and allows us to explore new combinations in an intimate setting.
In January, we landed in New England. When the mercury plummets and Chicago streets are a muddied mess of slush, ice and rock salt, nothing hits the spot like the comfort flavors of the Northeast. Chef Lacasse hails from the great state of Vermont and spent his early years delving into the rich flavors of the region. From the spirits and cocktail side, I was eager to uncover new combinations using the plethora of products, flavors and themes that grew from the area. As the docking point for pre-revolutionary Americans, our spirited history was launched by settlers in many of the would-be states that make up New England (that’s Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut….thank you very much Rand-McNally). Taking a look at the bordering areas reveals even more of the groundwork for our boozy beginnings (think Medford rums and Pennsylvania ryes of old).
It seems like each time Chef and I put our heads together for one of these dinners, our pairings compliment better each time. I guess we read each other better with practice, like a shortstop turning a double-play without missing a beat…although if his Red Sox jersey turns up missing, or say, discarded…I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it. We were definitely rewarded by our guests with clean plates and empty glasses as each course hit the bar.
Picking my favorite of the four courses is an unfair task, as chef outdid himself this time around. We greeted our guests with fresh pine aroma to help set the tone. The opening amuse was a trip to Nick’s childhood, reminiscing of “sugar on snow”. A tradition shared outdoors during winter festivities where locally tapped maple syrup is drizzled over fresh snow (insert yellow snow joke here). Using that inspiration a single spoon of rosemary granita, topped with apple gelee and Vermont maple syrup kicked the night off. Paired with a small-scale flip consisting of Michter’s 10 year rye, tawny port, a touch of that maple syrup and the indicative whole egg, we were off to start that made you want to paaark the caaar and strap on your snow shoes.
Moving into a local staple, the “chowdah” course did not disappoint. While taking cues from countless childhood meals, chef really made this one his own. My attention was immediately drawn to a beer pairing with this, so I went to work on a new cocktail using some regional suds. The Adams & Otis (named for two of the men who answered the call to stand up against unfair British taxation) combined Old Overholt rye, Creole Shrub, Boston Lager and finished with an I.P.A bitters mist that was cooked up early that day. I took a bit of liberty on the bitters by using Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA, from Delaware, as the base for the bitters. New Englander’s are known to be neighborly folks so what the hay.
Courses to follow included more reminiscent dishes with modern touches that even Grandma could love. Gouda scalloped potatoes, bison “pot roast”, and a cocktail named for a 40 foot tidal wave of molasses that took out more than 100 people in Boston after the turn of the century. And no, we didn’t forget about dessert.
So if you find yourself on the Third Coast or you’re fortunate enough to call this great metropolis home, make a reservation for one of our At the Bar experiences. You never know where in the world we’ll end up, but we promise to leave your belly full, your cheeks rosy and your brain armed with a few factoids that might just provide the final answer for that game show you’ve been wanting to go on (if you win, don’t forget who your favorite chef and bartender are please).
