I went to the Center for lunch, a treatment and dinner today. I am happy to report that Angeloe Dixon, the new Executive Chef, is brilliantly creative. He and Culinary Manager Ann Setler have designed an imaginative new menu featuring six new vegetable creations utilizing seasonal organic produce grown at the Center:
A Seasonal Vegetable Wellington (a puff pastry stuffed with
seasonal greens and squash for $8.75),
a Roasted Pattipan Squash stuffed with citrus summer couscous
with a fire roasted ragu ($8.95),
Rice paper wrapped Romaine lettuce leaves served with an
aioli dip and a crisp baked potato ($9.95),
a Spring Pea and Crimini Mushroom risotto garnished with pea
tendrils and an apple gastrique (a sweet and sour sauce),A Summer Squash and Mint Soup ($6.95), and
Green Bean Fries served with a spicy aioli ($6.95).
Every dish is different, attractive, and creative in its own way and expertly weds the flavors of the vegetables with their unique seasonings.
For example, the couscous is studded with thin slices of candied
orange zest that gives it a pleasant citrus flavor. I have never eaten couscous with orange zest. Where did he come up with such a great idea?
For those who want some protein with their vegetables, there
is a selection of five meats that can be added to any of the vegetable creations
for $11.00 each: Pan Seared Ahi Tuna, Herb Roasted Chicken, Grilled Jumbo
Shrimp, Lemon and herb Poached Trout, or Pan Seared Scallops. I let the Chef select the meat combinations for
each of the vegetable creations I tried.
Admission, I am the life partner of Suzette Lindemuth, the owner of the
Center and this review is based on a sampling prepared for me to try the dishes. But there was a couple that drove from Placitas
that ordered three of the dishes and their dishes were identical to mine. Although I enjoyed everything I ate, the three most interesting dishes to me were the Green Bean Fries served with a spicy aioli (Sriracha is added to the classic aioli sauce to give it a spicy kick and a slightly pink color), the Seasonal Vegetable Wellington, and the Rice paper wrapped Romaine lettuce leaves served with a Caesar/aioli dip and a crisp baked potato. I have never had these dishes anywhere before tonight.
The lovely young green beans had been picked fresh from the Center’s garden that day and dipped in tempura batter and deep fried and then wrapped in a piece paper towel tied into a tight bundle with a strand of green onion. How cool is that! The hot fried beans dipped in the spicy aioli were delicious.
I had never seen a vegetable Wellington (en croute). I have never even thought to eat one before, but I will never pass one up again. The vegetables were neither overcooked nor undercooked; they were tender and not crunchy or soggy and very warm. The puff pastry was also warm and light and yet crisp with a buttery flavor. I could have eaten two of them, but for the other courses.
The Romaine leaves wrapped in rice paper are Chef Dixon’s take on a Vietnamese Spring Roll, but it retained more of a salad characteristic, especially when dipped in the Caesar Salad dressing the aioli dipping sauce with a bit more anchovy paste. The salad was served with a very intriguing baked potato that was coated with an egg wash and cut into wedges like a flaky dinner roll that we loved.
We started with a complementary appetizer of moussaka made with fresh eggplants from the Center's gardens.
Then we served the tempura string beans which was the best presentation.
We were then served the Romaine wrapped in Rice paper salad shown and described above.
Then next dish was a very creative serving of the mint infused cream of squash soup. A bowl was brought with a small mason jar of the soup. One had to open the jar and pour the soup into the bowl.
Then another knock out dish, the Vegetable Wellington was served with soubise cooked ahi tuna garnished with a slather of local honey and a sprig of purslane. The soubise method of cooking creates a perfectly cooked item that lacks a tough edge produced by searing with the same flavor and texture from edge to edge.
Next was a beautifully poached whole trout stuffed with lemon wedges and served with the amazing citrus couscous filled baked pattipan squash (also raised in the Center's garden)
There seemed to be no end of amazing dishes, I have not had such an array of great food since a memorable lunch in 1992 when Ed Louden, the then owner of Bacchus Wines and Spirits, took me to the newly opened Range Restaurant in Bernalillo and ordered everything on the menu that I said looked interesting and then some additional dishes he thought I needed to try.
Everything on the new Bistro menu is interesting, so bring a big appetite.
Next came a bowl of creamy risotto full of quartered baby crimini mushrooms and baby peas from the garden garnished with pea tendrils. Two sides of the square bowl were lined with grilled jumbo shrimp. I loved the risotto and mushrooms and pea combination, especially with bites of the lightly charred plump shrimp.
Finally we were served the Daily special, two lamb chops braised in red wine on top of sautéed spaghetti squash tossed with red chili pesto served with a side of creamy risotto and garnished with balsamic pearls. The balsamic pearls were new to me also; they were thick dark sticky pearls of balsamic vinegar that had been reduced to a thick paste. They stuck to my teeth and were sweet, like a piece of candy. They were fun to eat with the super tender slow cooked lamb chops and a glass of red wine.
The Bistro also has a new pastry chef, Patricia Chee, who made a lovely assortment of desserts, including a gluten free chocolate torte glazed with a sugar coating, a pineapple upside down cake, a lovely rich carrot spice cake, and two wonderful pecan tortes, one with chocolate chips, and one without chocolate chips; as well as loaves of great herbed fresh bread.
I had a chicken salad sandwich with a bowl of the Summer squash and mint soup for lunch on a wedge of French baguette. The soup was a nice balance of cream and vegetable flavors. We had been served so many dishes, we had to take some home with our box of desserts and on Sunday we drove to Guadalupe Vineyard in San Fidel and spent a lovely afternoon eating the desserts and leftover dishes cold with Antonio and glasses of Antonio’s lovely 2011 Gewürztraminer at his picnic table in his vineyard located near the southern slope of Mount Taylor. The dishes were just as good cold as they had been hot. In fact the complexity and interplay of the vegetable flavors with each other within a dish was even more apparent and interesting cold. The biggest surprise was the braised spaghetti squash tossed in red chili pesto which formed a rather stiff base for the braised lamb chops on Saturday evening. By Sunday afternoon it had softened and the pesto flavor had become more integrated and more delicious. Here is Suzette enjoying the food and wine at Guadalupe Vineyard.
The Bistro serves its vegetable creations from 5:00 to 8:00
p.m. Tuesday through Saturday evenings.
The Bistro has its usual great selection of wines and beers and has recently added six selections of hard cider. I drank Champalou
Vouvray and Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon and a Camino Real Milot with dinner. After such a torrent of great food, we had no room left for dessert but we took a box of
desserts home from the Bakery and took them to Guadalupe Vineyards on Sunday.
Bon Appétit
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