Summer Menu Preview

First Course

Maine Lobster Green Pea Panna Cotta, Country Ham, Lemon, Caviar, Buttermilk Viniagrette

Summer Greens Roasted Strawberries, Shaved Fennel, Local Feta, Pistachios, Poppy See Vinaigrette

Ahi Tuna Tartare Avocado Sheet, Yuzu Gel, Candied Jalapeno, Cilantro, Sesame Cracker, White Soy

 Second Course

Warm Turnip Soup Green Onion Flan, Veal Sweetbreads, Okinanawa Sweet Potato, Bacon Honey

Salmon Ravioli Fried Capers, Lautrec Garden Dill, Potato, Caviar Butter, Aged Black Garlic, Cured Egg Yolk

Foie Many Ways Lychee, Pickled Blackberries, Cashew, Lime

 Entrees

Milk Poached Hen Sweet Corn, Fava Beans, Pickled Peppers, Chive Blooms, Fried Potato, Basil Honey Jus

Wagyu Tenderloin Confit Heirloom Tomatoes, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fourme d' Ambert Fritter

European Sea Bass Hawaiian Blue Prawns, Braised Artichokes, Black Olive Gnocchi, Tomato Cream

 Finals

Blueberries Local Chevre Cheesecake, Lemon Curd, Shaved Almond, Candied Lemon Thyme

Lautrec Ice Creams and Sorbets Accoutrements

Chef's Selection of Local, Domestic and International Cheese 

*Smore dessert picture soon*

James Beard Dinner, June 21st 2011

Outside the James Beard House

Plating Up...

The Menu...

Deviled Quail Eggs, Hybrid Caviar, Smoked Paprika, Memo Chive

Elysian Fields Lamb Loins ready for the  thermal circulator

Crab Maison, Fried Caper, Micro Parsley, Fried Brioche

Beard Kitchen

First Course - Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

Final Course - Strawberry Rhubarb Consomme

Prep Sheet

The James Beard Dinner went amazingly well. The goal through it all was to represent Lautrec 100% without making sacrifice due to an 80 person dinner being out of our comfort zone and we accomplished just that! The food looked great! More food pictures to come as a few courses were left out simply because time didn't allow for me to stop and bring the camera out. 

James Beard Bound

5 Diamond Luxury

Hors d’Oeuvre

Deviled Quail Eggs with Caviar, Tomato, and Micro-Chives

Peekytoe Crab Maison with Brioche and Baby Parsley

Truffled Scones with House-Cured Ham and Cream Cheese

Champagne Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV


Dinner

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup with Local Goat Feta, Olive Oil Powder, and Basil
St. Supéry Virtú 2009

Pappardelle with Black Truffles, Farm Egg Confit, and Parmigiano-Reggiano 
Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba 2006

Chilean Sea Bass with Potato Butter, Lobster Sausage, and Caviar Butter
Jean-Marc Brocard Domaine Sainte Claire Chablis 2007



Elysian Fields Lamb with Summer Squash, Vidalia Onion Risotto, and Honey–Mustard Jus
Castello Banfi Summus 2000

Époisses with Local Honeycomb, Blackberry Preserves, Brown Butter Pecans, and Sea Salt
Domaine de l’Arlot 1er Cru Nuits-St.-Georges 2001

Strawberry–Rhubarb Consommé with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Basil Tapioca
Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d’Oro 2009






Only 6 seats left!!! Come and show your support on June 21st!!

Misc. Tasting Menu Dishes

Poached Asparagus Morel Mushrooms, Spring Peas, Sunny-Side Up Quail Egg, Sherry Cream

Blueberry "Sundae" Local Chevre Ice Cream, Aged Balsamic, Vanilla, Lemon Curd

Mashima Steak Salad Pickled Radish, Baby Carrots, Micro Mache, Shaved Truffle, Chive Blooms, Truffle Vinaigrette

Cucumber Soup Goat Cheese Panna Cotta, Preserved Lemon, Dill Creme Fraiche, Pickled Cuc, Rice Wine

Tuna Bouche Seared Tuna, Ginger, Candied Yuzu, Kanzuri Aioli, Cilantro Gel, Fried Rice Paper

Copper River Salmon Ossetra Caviar, Confit Carrot, Pickled Carrot, Baby Chervil, Lemon Butter

Crispy Pork Belly White Asparagus, Shemiji Mushrooms, Sherry Cream, Pea Panna Cotta, Tendrils

Foie Two Ways Seared Foie Steak, Foie Custard, Coconut Pain Perdue, Salted Caramel, Red Ribbon Sorrel, Borage Bloom, Vanilla

Soft Shell Crab Celery Mayo, Corn Relish, Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips

Buttermilk Fried Quail Confit Ramp, Fiddle Head Ferns, Baby Potatoes, Cream, Sweet Violets

New England Fluke Butter Poached Potatoes, Melted Leeks, Kumamoto Oyster Cream, Caviar, White Celery, Black Pepper

Spring menu is in full swing...

Turnip Vichyssoise Celery, Potato, Preserved Lemon, Yuzu Pebbles, Ossetra Caviar

Braised Pork Belly Roasted Plum, Wilted Arugula, Almond, Vanilla Port

Spring Garlic

Fiddle Heads

There are two seasons in particular that I love the most...spring and fall. Yea, summer has corn and tomatoes, crisp lettuces and beautiful melons and berries but spring has unique items that I find just absolutely amazing. For a hot second out of the year the sun shines, the spring rain falls and everything turns green. Wild Ramps poke up through the earth, fiddle heads begin to unfurl, green garlic is at its peak and the ideas start flowing to utilize these items in as many ways as possible before they disappear as quickly as they arrive. 

Pig legs, baby ducks and other random acts of kitchen madness...

Local Hind Legs for Proscuitto -

We are lucky enough to have an totally understanding Sommelier who graciously gave up a corner of her wine cellar to accommodate my most recent venture of charcuterie. We currently have house cured duck ham, 3 proscuittos, soppressatta, truffle cured local ham and country ham aging downstairs with much more to come throughout the summer!

Baby Ducks...yes swimming in the kitchen sink and living in my bathroom...

(its all part of a master plan, read below)

Making Pasta

Candy Cart

My Expo Mise En Place

The explanation for the ducks...

Growing up in rural western Pennsylvania and now cooking and running a restaurant here again presents the opportunity that I have been waiting for, for quite some time now. The plans are drawn up, the materials have been priced and the enthusiasm is at its peak for our new garden here at Nemacolin. Twenty Three above ground beds with crops ranging from heirloom tomatoes to every herb we can pack in, oh and did I mention my two ducks Mario and Robert (long story behind the names). 

At a past job at the Inn at Little Washington I split my time between Chef Patrick O'Connell's kitchen and his gaggle of Rhode Island Reds or his "ladies" as he so lovingly refers to them. Now, as I am not particularly ready to pursue my own group of "ladies" I figured I would start off small with a few ducks as we use duck eggs frequently in Lautrec. Ok, lets be honest, they are cute as shit and a total impulse buy at the Tractor Supply but it sounds good in the "master plan."  

So pushing on and trying to do nothing more than create a more unique and exciting dining experience for our guests. Every thing I do is a learning experience and if nothing else I have that. 

Good Press...

http://tribune-democrat.com/atrandom/x1281099391/Seasoned-master

It's always nice to be recognized by the people that mean the most, the ones who know you best.

Bison Tenderloin Kabocha Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Dates, Spiced Pecans

Ice Cream and Sorbet Chef's Selection of Seasonal Favorites

*This is a switch up of a dish we have had on the menu for the past year or so. We typically do a tasting of 3 sorbets and 2 ice creams in little glasses with spoons. After getting our hands on a waffle cone maker we decided to switch it up this spring and summer with some waffle cones.

Poussin Truffle Farce, Morel Mushrooms, Spring Garlic Dumplings, Peas, Sherry Cream

* Love this dish! We take local poussin out of Ohio and completely remove the skin. We then remove the breasts and thighs from the bird and make a truffle farce out of the dark meat. The breast then gets stuffed with the farce and wrapped back up in the chicken skin using transglutaminance to glue it together. We then wrap it in plastic to create a cylinder and cuvee it for one hour. When the chicken is finished being cuveed we then deep fry it until it is super crispy an slice it. Its served with morel mushrooms, spring peas, sherry cream sauce and these great little dumplings made from a puree of spring garlic from the Chef's Garden. We finish the dish up with garlic salt, black pepper and gold and green pea tendrils.

More...

Potato Cappelletti Fried Truffle, Caramelized Cippolini, Local Chevre, Garlic Salt

**A play on a classic perogie. We stuffed cappelletti pasta with a feeling made from potato, chevre and roasted garlic. Then we tossed it in a vermont butter buerre monte, added fried truffle shavings for texture, caramelized onions for a balance of sweet and bitter and made a sour cream and chive sheet that creates a temperature contrast as well as adding another depth of flavor. The garlic salt finishes the dish with just the right amount of seasoning.

Scallop Ceviche Finger Lime, Yuzu Gelee, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Lotus Root

Chocolate Crisp Rice, Cocoa, Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, Milk Ice Cream

Potato Crusted Flounder Confit Carrot, Artichokes, Maine Lobster, Lemon Butter Sauce

Strawberries In Many Forms, Textures and Temperatures

**A total overload of strawberry...Strawberry consomme with basil tapioca, a pistachio dome filled liquid strawberry, a chocolate covered strawberry, roasted strawberries, strawberry gel, strawberry shortcake on a poppy seed biscuit, strawberry whipped cream, freeze dried strawberries, strawberry ice cream, strawberry leather and enough components to make my pastry girl lose her mind!