Last night's prix-fixe menu was a really good one - especially those duck buns! Kevin took a page out of David Chang's Momofuku cookbook, using their recipe for pork buns as his guide, and made these glowing duck-filled buns for the first course of the menu:
Kevin baked his buns, rather than steaming them, which made for a much lighter, less doughy concoction.
They sat in a pool of sweet and sour sauce, which most guests mopped up with their buns...
The staff welcomed the chance to sample this new dish in their boss's repertoire. As for the diners' remarks: put these on the menu!
In continuing with the "theme" of the meal last night, the main course was a chicken curry plate.
Coconut cream caramel filled out the bill of fare. One of - I think - the best things coming out of these Wednesday menus is the opportunity it affords Kevin to try out new dishes. He might only make something one time (which I hope is not the case with those duck buns) but doing so gives him a chance to experiment and grow within his trade. He is never afraid to try something for the first time. And, as someone commented last night, like an artist, he wants his audience to appreciate his work - when none of the first few tables ordered the menu last night, he was sure they were rejecting his buns!
In other news - it's fruit pie season once again, and today the first one came out of the oven. Strawberry rhubarb with an almond streusel on top.
The streusel recipe comes directly out of this month's issue of Food and Wine. I thought it would go as well with rhubarb as with the stone fruit filling they suggested. We'll see - I wonder if the "staff" needs a slice to make sure?
It's approaching Mother's Day weekend all across the country, and sons and daughters (as well as husbands, for some unknown reason?) will be treating Moms to a meal out on the town. (I've never really understood why Mom's day of the year is celebrated by dining out, while Dad's day is spent with him doing the cooking on the barbeque out back.) Of course Brooks Tavern is closed on Sundays, so it is not an option for those who want to treat Mom to the kind of special meal in a dining room where she won't have to lift a finger. Luckily there are plenty of other nearby dining opportunities, many of which offer special Mother's Day menus for this very important lady - after all, where would we be without her, eh?
Right in DownTown Chestertown, the Imperial Hotel's Front Room will be featuring a MD menu that will be available for both brunch and dinner on Sunday. Out in the county, the Kitty Knight House will be doing a Mother's Day prix-fixe for the same meals, and at the other end of Kent, the Osprey will serve a brunch buffet to Mom. Also in Rock Hall, the Swan Point Inn is advertising Mother's Day specials, including complimentary dessert for Mom. The Kitchen at Rock Hall might be a good choice as well; this tiny hot spot has been on the receiving end of some very positive buzz ever since it opened. Mothers also get a free dessert at the FishWhistle on Sunday, along with great views of the Chester River. On the Bay Side, you could take the Mom out to Betterton, for a wonderful walk on the beach, followed by a Mother's Day special of Surf and Turf at the Sunset Bar and Grill.
You could leave the County. I guess. But you certainly don't have to, with these venues, and many others right in your own community, vying for your Mother's company. And of course, since we all know that every day is truly Mother's Day, you can always come to Brooks Tavern anytime with Mom, and celebrate her all year long!
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