December Menu!

Greetings from the Paladar kitchen! After a quick Thanksgiving break we are back in action! We're finding the holiday season to be so inspiring and homey. The lights and ribbons and evergreen everywhere really have us in the mood to be around a table with good friends and good food! We hope you feel the same. In an effort to get our upcoming attendees excited by this idea, we are sharing our tentative menu for this weekend:

Amuse: Oyster Shooter

Soup: Button and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Pancetta, Okra, and Chanterelle to top

Salad: King Crab Leg and Lobster saute served over a bed of Tangerine and Avocado with shaved Asparagus

Meat: Tenderloin Bordelaise with Potato Fondant and Cognac Creamed Spinach

"Pasta": Spaghetti Squash with Andouille Sausage and Walnuts tossed in a Maple Blend

Dessert: Creme Brulee

Cleansers and Wine Pairings will also be served, and we might even throw in some Eggnog!

An Evening at Paladar!

Although the evening lasts for more than two minutes, our friend Day Benedict did a fantastic job capturing the essence of Paladar! Thanks to his expertise and generosity, we bring to you this quick video.

Autumn Table Settings

At Paladar, it's not just about the food. Every event has a different vibe - shaped by each attendee, the flowers, the lighting, the music, and the conversation. This picture was captured at a moment right before twelve strangers walked in - only to create a completely different ambience.

What will it look like when you come?

Action Shots in the Paladar Test Kitchen

Stuffing a duck breast on a beautiful Saturday morning!

Sushi. Duck Leg Confit Risotto, Sushi

Although it may sound strange, the savory flavors of duck leg confit and wine risotto DO go well with Nori. We had a blast rolling these maki rolls and placing it next to more traditional duck servings - the pan seared and stuffed variety, as well as foie gras.

Menu for November 7th!

Our next event is approaching quickly, how about a sneak peak of the projected menu?!

Amuse Bouche

"Sunchoke, meet Artichoke"

Sunchoke, Mushroom, and Pancetta Salad in a Softened Artichoke leaf

Soup
Zucchini Vichyssoise

Pasta
Salmon Rillette Ravioli in a Dill Pernod Butter Sauce

Cleanser
Basil Sorbet

Meat
"Trois Canards et Bebe" - Duck Served Three (and a half) Ways

Duck Leg Confit Risotto "Sushi"

Pan Seared and Fig Stuffed Duck Breast

Bruleed Duck Foie Gras served on Grilled Apples with Truffle Oil

Cleanser

Dill Sorbet

Salad
Beet and Apple salad

tossed in a Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette

with a Goat Cheese Croquette

Dessert

Rich Chocolate Orb with Mint Ice Cream

~ Each aspect of every dish is created with love in the Paladar Kitchen ~

Gadget of the Day: Kitchen Torch

What is better than the first bite of an indulgently silky Creme Brulee? Breaking through a perfectly crisp caramelized sugar shell THEN taking a bite of that indulgently silky Creme Brulee! That is why the Kitchen Torch is our Gadget of the Day - without the kitchen torch this beautiful and tasty outer layer would not be possible!

Hats off to the kitchen torch!

While we are signing our praises, let's take a photo tour of just how the Kitchen Torch gets it done


Images compliments of Emma Miller

Cocktail Hour

With our next event just days away (5 to be exact) we could not be more excited about our latest opening cocktail....West Cedar Cider. In a quest to combine a fall fave (Apple Cider) with a Happy Hour fave (Spiced Rum) we landed on our latest creation, and of course it has a special Paladar twist!!

Endorsement of the Day: Physalis Alkekengi

Also known as: Bladder cherry, Chinese Lantern, Japanese Lantern, Winter Cherry, and Cape Gooseberry
A retalitve of (some of our Paladar Kitchen regulars): The tomato, tomotillo, potato, sweet pepper and chilli.

This beautiful botanical will instantly brighen up any room and will last for weeks (or longer!) with little care. We certainly loved incorporating these into our latest Paladar Event on October 17th.

Daily Favorite: Figs

Figs are a lovely fruit with origins in both southwest Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region. In the Paladar Kitchen, they are a fall favorite as they pair exquisitely with flavors both sweet and savory.

Our palates respond particularly well to unions with rich and flavorful meats such as duck, salty indulgences like prosciutto, and blue cheeses akin to Gorgonzola and Maytag. Note, this post may be taken as a hint for menu items soon to come!

Upcoming Dates!

November 7
December 12
January 23

We are also hosting private events in the interim, so just ask if you have an idea for a 10 - 14 person event!

The Color Purple (and Orange)

We are always surveying our
surroundings seeking inspiration; however, sometimes it's right under our noses, in our very own test kitchen!

We found the colors in our latest Beet & Apple Salad to be so completely alluring we just could not resist sharing some close ups. Do we have you feeling inspired?!

Word of the day: Frizzle

Frizzle
Verb
to fry or sear until crisp, especially with a sizzling noise

Foie Gras

It's happening. At our next event. It will probably be seared and situated on something delectable. Get ready.

*Image courtesy of flickr

Cocktail Hour!

And now onto everyone's favorite topic... How does this sound?

Bourbon (not always a crowd favorite, but bear with us), Fuji Apple pureed with Fresh Ginger and simple syrup. Mixed with a bit of ginger ale.

Makes us wish it was 5 o'clock already!

Whet: to make keen or eager; stimulate: to whet the appetite; to whet the curiosity.

How about a preview of some of the creations to be unveiled at our upcoming event?!

A beautiful Boeuf Bourguignon...

...a fall-inspired Beet & Apple Salad (with a goat cheese croquette!)...

....mmmmmm

Menu, Menu, Read All About It!

While we are never 100% sure about what will be served until we know every ingredient is available and fresh the day we serve, it helps to have a good idea. Hence the juxtaposition we now bring to you: our tentatively finalized menu for the next event! We tried to bring in tastes of the changing seasons - warm and savory meats and sauces along with sweet and fruity touches to appease all varieties of taste buds.

And the menu winners for October are:

Amuse Bouche

Warm Zucchini Vichyssoise with cool Creme Fraiche

Fish
Pan Seared Scallops in a Bed of Cauliflower Puree

with frizzled Tarragon, Bacon, and Shitake

in a White Wine sauce

Pasta
Duet of Ravioli:

Sweet Potato, Apple Butter, & Manchego in a Brown Butter Sauce

and Butternut Squash & Chorizo in a Thyme-Garlic Sauce

Cleanser
Mint Sorbet

Meat
Boeuf Bourgignon

served with Roasted Garlic Country Bread

and a slice of Robusto

Cleanser
Basil Sorbet

Salad
Beet and Apple salad

tossed in a Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette

with a Goat Cheese Croquette

Dessert
Crème Brulee topped with freshly whipped cream

~ Every aspect of all dishes are completely homemade by Paladar! ~

Two Weeks!

With only two weeks to go until Paladar's October event, upcoming menu items include:

Pan-Seared Diver Scallops submerged in a Madeira-Chestnut bisque topped with Shitake, Bacon, and Tarragon garnish

Goat Cheese Croquettes with Roasted Beets and a Grilled Peach & Vidalia Onion Medley tossed with a Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette

Stay tuned, there's more to come!

Chestnuts, Duck, Creme Brulee, Oh My!

As we gear up for the next evening at Paladar, there are so many wonderful flavors of fall that are just begging to be included in the menu. Our thoughts so far start with a flavorful, warm, spicy chestnut soup and end with a cranberry topped creme brulee. Of course, the courses in between will evoke the flavors and colors of autumn as well... and we will be divulging this information to our audience as we finalize ingredients.

One question for our audience: what would you prefer with your pancetta-gorgonzola stuffed duck breast, a blackberry cracked wheat dish, or a cool and sweet grilled peach compote? Your thoughts are appreciated, I'm sure our next guests will be thankful as well!

Paladar Opening Night!

Paladar opening night was a great success - a fantastic, vibrant gathering of old and new friends around five courses, each of which went off without a hitch! Please enjoy the photographs of the Paladar's opening night highlighting the food prep and setting for the evening.




Of course, this taste of success does not mean that we are resting on our laurels! In fact, we are wasting no time in gearing up for Paladar #2 on Saturday, October 17. We are looking forward to perfecting the second menu, which will feature the rich, warm and spicy flavors of mid-fall.

A big thanks goes to the delightful group of bon vivants who attended Paladar's opening night - we greatly enjoyed sharing this exciting evening with you and are endlessly grateful for your feedback and support!

For information about the next Paladar evening on Saturday October, 17th please email us at paladarboston@gmail.com.

Cocktails, Anyone?

For our debut night we plan to feature a brand new cocktail: the Myrtle Street Mojito. This refreshing cocktail has ingredients even we didn't know would work perfectly with white rum. For example: Cardamom?!

We hope the MSM will do it's job of opening the taste buds and hearts of our first attendees!

Paladar: Debut Tasting Menu

5 seasonal courses with wine pairings

amuse bouche

sliced oranges with kalamata thyme puree

soup

roasted pepper topped with creme fraiche and basil-lemongrass olive oil

toasted pesto baguette

fish

raw meyer lemon salmon with a colorful fruit medley

cleanser

asparagus mousse over cubed canteloupe

drizzled balsamic reduction

meat

fresh ground seasoned lamb over a bed of sweet lemon greens

tri-colored potato fries dipped in a mint yogurt sauce

cleanser

basil sorbet

salad

mache rosettes tossed with truffles and topped with poached quail eggs

dessert

poached pear golden cake paired with a dallop

of homemade lavender ice cream