HOW we work, WHAT we eat, WHERE we do it, WHO we work with
The Chefs have been working on the menu under the careful watch of Chef Justin who, as much as he would love to be in the ZZest kitchen that night,has to do a little chicken frying at that other place… Porch. Been there yet? It’s great! Also, in house Somm, Jason, has been working on some gorgeous wine pairings with Tyler Melton from Libation Project. Jason too, will be busy that night at Porch, but Tyler is stepping in to give us a hand. This is going to be fab menu with some (in Tyler’s words) pretty geeky wine. I like geeky, and I like fun, Tyler is fun! Call for reservations 507.424.0080. Two seatings 6pm and 8:30pm ZZest NYE Chef’s Tasting 6 courses $65 wine pairing $25 1- charcuterie and cheese . accoutrements 2- chanterelle mushroom soup . parsnip . chestnut . pickled pear 3- clam . potato . herb gelee . house oyster cracker . intermezzo – thai basil . black pepper . caramelized pineapple 4 -braised lamb . cavatelli pasta . cavolo nero . pomegranate . ramp vinegar . coffee 5- veal leg steak . sunchoke . soybean . pickled cauliflower. dukkah . brown butter 6- black tea cake . creme fraiche . caramelized orange . parmesan and lemon crumble NOTE-Sometimes there’s a last minute substitution needed but so far things are looking...
HOW we work, WHEN we play, WHERE we do it
I’m preparing for those questions once again. The first time was about 20 years ago. I had a boy and a girl, ages 9 and 7 and was heading into my 40s. Life was easy, the future bright, a perfect little family. Then I found out I was pregnant and we were starting Zubay Family: Part 2. We were excited though. We happily told friends and family our news. Then came the comments Wow, really? You already have 1 boy and 1 girl… Are you crazy? You’re done after that, right? And (my favorite) How old are you anyway? But here we are again with some joyous news! We are adding to the ZZest family. There’s an awesome, super cool building in downtown Rochester: the historic train depot (formally El Loro) is ours to lease. The bones are solid, and the parking lot is a big plus. We have a fabulous design (and great food) in progress. Are we crazy?! Maybe! Times 2! Because it won’t be just one restaurant it will be TWO! We’re having twins! Due Oct/Nov 2016: PORCH. Urban farm fare. For those of you who know the Twin Cities restaurant scene, think Brasa and Revival sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. For those not familiar, think casual, rustic, come-as-you-are, pull up a chair, and SHARE! The bar will pour pilsners of your favorite everyday beers, like PBR, Mich Golden, maybe even Grainbelt. No worries, beer connoisseurs. Craft beers will play nicely right along side the domestics. The full bar will included the usual, but big sister ZZest will influence some great cocktails and the wine list....
HOW we work, WHAT we eat, WHO we work with
Last Spring I took the time to discover, again… Asparagus. Yes, I have been eating asparagus for years. Loving it. The first few times were probably smothered in cheese sauce but as time went on I moved on to steamed, roasted and grilled. It’s a great quick cooking vegetable and can take on just about any cuisine. Just threw some in fried rice the other day… But last spring, I had an epiphany about asparagus. Things have not been the same. We were heading up north to check on our property. When there, I cook. Before the trip I stopped by the Co-op and grabbed a few things. The local asparagus seemed appropriate and I was roasting a chicken so… hey, perfect. I was also bringing a couple bottles of wine. One being my first bottle of summer Rose. Exciting! So, for brunch the next day as I pondered over what to make, the asparagus tempted me so eggs won out over the chicken. I decided to make an asparagus, gruyere and spring onion omelet. It seemed only appropriate to open the Rose, why not? let the relaxing begin. The sun was warm and we dined on the deck, sipping Rose and and enjoying the omelet, much more than usual. So much so, I had to stop and analyze it. This requires picking apart the food to taste each ingredient, separately. Yes, the cheese, Gruyere Cru Surchoix was amazing. (BTW this cheese just won 2016 World Championship blue ribbon, and is hard to get right now!). But, it was actually the asparagus that caught my attention. It tasted different....
HOW we work, WHAT we eat, WHEN we play, WHERE we do it, WHO we work with
Josue and Andre What a team these two make! Growing up in two different parts of the world Josue, in Veracruz Mexico and Andre, in South Dakota (with a few years of Brazil in there), both were doing similar things! Check out their chosen team name, Fifa. Andre and Josue both grew up playing soccer. Josue was defense and I’m pretty sure he still plays and plays well, and when he’s not on the field you might find him salsa dancing. I’ve seen his he’s fantastic! Andre was a striker on the Varsity team, although he admitted to never scoring a goal. Awwww, that makes us love him more! He also played basketball and track. When they were not playing soccer they both grew up farming. Josue’s family had a huge farm with lots of vegetables (yes! potatoes!) along with chickens, pigs and lamb. Meanwhile in SD Andre worked on a beef and dairy farm raising and selling organic grass fed beef. Ok, what’s in the refrigerator and what can you make. Josue was up for the challenge getting Andre’s list of, kombucha, left over beans and rice and pomegranates! Without missing a beat Josue said, add salt, pepper and garlic to it all that’s all you have to do! In Josue’s fridge he listed beer, milk and orange juice and Andre quickly created an orange julius with a beer chaser. Team Fifa loves fingerling potatoes, roasted or fried so it’s no wonder that’s the potato they chose for their warzz. #theheatison #potatowarzz #zzest ZZest warrz schedule spoiler alert here’s what they are making: fingerling potato soup . nduja creme ....
