Part 2 - Stagiaire, and Bourbon Pear - My time with the Sunday Dinner Club

Let me begin by saying that if you haven't read the previous post, then stop now, and go read to previous.  This way you get the whole picture and understand why this is such an amazing experience.

Now, let's get down to business.  I loved my meal at the Sunday Dinner Club so much that I just had to try to stage there.  There was so much passion and love, I wanted to work side by side with the folks that turned out such a great meal.  So I asked if I could stage.  Becca gave me her contact info, and we set it up.  Oh, and for those that do not know, a "stage" or "stagiaire", basically means an intern.  I observe, assist, and whatever else they ask me to do, all for no pay, but a massive amount of experience and the opportunity to be with people that have passion in their craft.  That to me is priceless.

Now, before I begin, check them out here - http://sundaydinnerclub.com and the business downstairs, Honey Butter Fried Chicken - http://www.honeybutter.com

I walked into the amazingly small kitchen, remember this was an apartment renovated into a dining experience.  Not much was done to change the kitchen.  A workspace in the center of the kitchen, a speed rack next to the non industrial stove/oven, another small workspace behind the center workspace, and another bit of work space in what I would consider a pantry space.  But this team makes magic with this space!  And that stove, look at that stove.  That thing is a workhorse!

Tonights meal was a wine dinner.  Sunday Dinner Club paired with Vinejoy - http://vinejoy.net/jkkajatt2lrummc6259h08hillmwop, to bring a night of great food paired with great wines.  How do I know they were great?  Well, because the other perk to staging with the Sunday Dinner Club is the tasting!  And the crew behind the meal tonight, Josh Kulp, Christina Cicowski, Becca, Alison, Julia, and Irma.

The menu is another brilliant creation by KITEMATH.  Check out the pictures and see if you can decipher it.  The first person wins something that you will never want to part with.

Now let's go through the menu.

First course was a Hamachi Crudo, dressed with grilled nectarines, red chillies, and mint.  The photos were taken prior to being dressed with the mint and nectarines.  This was my first photo while staging, so I wasn't sure what was going to be happening for service.  None the less, it shows a beautiful Hamachi, delicately dressed with a slightly sweet Thai chili.

Hamachi is a beautiful fish and Chef Kulp, while preparing the fish, treated it like he was treating a new born baby.  It's a delicate fish, with a very mellow, clean flavor.  Using it for crude was perfect and the dressing, not over done.  You could taste each individual flavor, starting with the fish, finishing with the mint.  And I think the mint, touching the back of your tongue is a great way to finish this.  The plating of each dish is careful and precise with being pretentious.

Now, I'm not very knowledgeable about wine or pairing it with food, however I will tell you that this first course was paired with a Thompson Vineyard Grenache Blanc.

Next on the menu-Elderflower Orange Chicken Wings, with Szechuan peppercorns, turnips, and pickled onions.  Now, before you turn your nose up with the turnips, hear me out.  They are not that bad.  They are more than the overcooked, smelly, scary root vegetable that nightmares were made of as a child.  When treated right, they are a delicious root vegetable and very versatile.

To begin with, the wings were baked for a bit, but not cooked through, then cooled.  When it came time to serve, the deep fryers were prepped, and we were ready to make wing magic. I coated the wings in rice flour(you get  a crispier crisp with rice flour), and placed in the deep fryer.  Then they were removed cooled, and given a second fry where they crisped like I had never seen before.  They developed a beautiful brown color and the skin was crisp without a thick layer of breading.  They were then dressed with fresh cracked Szechuan peppercorns, followed by a glaze of Elderflower Orange glaze.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with Elderflower liquer, check out St. Germain.  For me, St. Germain is ok, in very small doses.  I thought it came off as a very bitter, herbaceous flavor.  I was never a fan, however reducing the St. Germain with the addition of citrus, changed the flavor dramatically.  It was slightly sweet and delightfully syrupy.  This glaze hugged the wings and covered every inch perfectly.

The taste-Slightly sweet, even balanced with a nice burn from the peppercorns.  The chicken was juicy, the skin was crispy, even with the glaze, and suddenly something starts happening to your mouth.  Your mouth starts to feel a little numb.  A really cool feeling once you understand that is a natural reaction to fresh ground szechuan peppercorns.  And these were definitely the best wings I've ever had.

After glazed, the wings were dressed with a perfectly picked onion and the julienned turnips.

The wine paired for this course - Bien Nacido Vineyard Viognier.

Ahh, ok, time for a beer and a bit of bourbon to knock out the rest of the meal.

Alright, third course - Housemade Cavatelli Pasta, dressed with bacon, honey roasted cauliflower, black olive tapenade, and parsley gremolata.

Cavatelli, has an origin of Naples.  It's shape resembles a hot dog bun, but rolled on the sides.  It's made to be served with a heavy sauce, because those ridges can grab the sauce and hold more.

I've never been a fan of olives and black olives to me, should never come into play in any kitchen, so when I heard that tapenade was being served with the cavatelli, I was extremely skeptical.  But my mind may have been changed this night.  I think the combination of the bacon with the tapenade, I think took the bitterness that I find with black olives.  And when you roast cauliflower, it adds a level of flavor by sweetening up that cauliflower.  The parsley gremolata brightened up the dish.  The colors of the cavatelli reminded me of the Italian flag.

The pasta was paired with a Santa Barbara County Syrah.

This next course put me over my limit.  But the misery that I felt was well worth it!  I have to admit that I took half home, reluctantly.  The Patty Melt, yes, patty melt.  That infamous sandwich that you see on every diner menu, every family restaurant menu, and I can even remember seeing them on the menu of drugstores when drugstores had counter service.  For some reason, I was always the one to shy away from this sandwich.  As a youngster, I didn't realize that it was essentially a cheeseburger on bread, however tonight, tonight it was more than that.

Tonight's patty melt was a griddled patty of a mix of ground pork and beef.  It was topped with a Goat's milk brie from Prairie Fruit Farms(Champaign, IL), caramelized onion agrodolce(a traditional sweet and sour sauce in Italian cuisine), roasted red pepper rouille(a french sauce that consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron, and chili peppers), on toasted rye, served with charred kale.

I haven't been able to look at a cheeseburger the same after having this patty melt.  The pork complimented the beef, the agrodolce and rouille held hands as the flavors danced on the tastebuds, and the creamy brie bound everything together leaving a sweet, mellow flavor on the back of your tongue.

The charred kale were a nice addition as opposed to french fries.  When you touch heat to kale, it takes away some of that bitterness as well as makes it easier to chew and digest.  Touched with a little salt, you have the perfect accompaniment.

The Patty Melt was paired with Thompson Vineyard Petite Sirah.

Fortunately for my stomach, but unfortunately for this experience we come to the final course, dessert.  Now for some people, particularly for my Sister, the pear is her nemesis.  And I know she is not alone.  I hear people say that they don't care for the pear's gritty texture.  I won't get all Alton Brown on you, just know that all pears are not gritty, I promise.

The dessert for tonight was Bourbon Pear Upside Down Cake.  I know, pear upside down cake?  Yes, you can do something besides pineapple upside down cake and you are not violating any culinary rules by doing this.  The cake rested in a smooth layer of Anglaise(a light pouring custard, used a dessert cream or sauce).  It was topped with a bit of pecan crumble.  Even the person that dislikes bourbon would appreciate this dessert, but let's be realistic here, who doesn't like bourbon?  Well, ok, I can think of a few people, but I can overlook that.  And this was a terrific way to finish off the meal.

Dessert was paired with Bien Nacido Late Harvest Viognier.

This was by far the best experience I've had with a stage.  This was truly like cooking with friends, for friends.  The folks that came in to eat were all very friendly, not only to us, but between one another as well.  It really was like a big party, and everyone had the same interest in being there, to eat great food, and to celebrate the chance to be at the Sunday Dinner Club.  And many thanks to Josh, Christina, Becca, Alison, Julia, and Irma for giving me this opportunity and to make me feel like I was part of this family.

I highly suggest you email them, get on the list, and if you get the opportunity, eat there, it will change your idea on what dining out is.

By the way, I was able to return for a second stage, and just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the second experience rocked!  That blog will be coming soon!!

Thanks for reading everyone!!