A couple of posts back I wrote about our lobster du pays served with a chilled lobster consomme. Here is the newest version of the dish. It is a citrus lobster claw salad with a truffled lobster tail, Early Girl tomato vierge and lobster pearls.
We’ll be switching over to the Fall menu soon so come in and check it out before it’s too late.
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For the last couple of weeks we’ve been running a weekend special of Kobe Beef Rib Eye. Kobe Beef is derived from the Tajima-Ushi breed of Wagyu Cattle. It is known for it’s beautiful marbling and wonderful mouth feel.
If you’ve never had a chance to try true Kobe Beef, come in this Labor Day Weekend and give it a shot. It is unlike any other steak you have ever tried.
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I know, cheesy title right? But summer is here and halibut is in peak season, which means the fish side of the hot line finally gets to do some work. Since we sell so much halibut, I thought that a little education on the subject might be in order.
Halibut is loved by diners and foodies alike for its sweet flavor and firm yet flaky texture. It is a great source of protein and minerals and is low in sodium, fat and calories, (that is until we smother it with a beautiful beurre blanc). Halibut can grow to more than 8ft long and 700lbs. It’s great fried, poached, baked, pan fried, roasted; it’s kinda like the Bubba’s Shrimp of the fish world.
Halibut fishing and the regulations governing it has changed dramatically in the last 35 years. In the 70s, halibut was fished during a 5 month season, but in the 80s, this was changed to two “openers” only 24-48 hours in length each year. This “derby” style fishing made it almost impossible to buy great high quality halibut that hadn’t been sitting in some fishery’s freezer for the last 6 months.
This all changed in 1995 when halibut fishing switched to an individual vessel quota system which has increased the availability of fresh halibut to an 8 month annual span, also increasing the quality of the halibut caught.
Well, right now we are right smack dab in the middle of halibut season and the quality fish that we’ve been getting fresh from Alaska is amazing. We’ve been running it as a fish special for the last couple of weeks and it seems like no matter what, we can never buy enough.
So come into the Big Water Grille this weekend and try out our “roti” of halibut, you’re guaranteed to love it.
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We held another tasting menu in the Wine Cellar of The Big Water Grille, this time paying homage to Chef Jay’s Italian heritage and love for wine. The menu was simple and rustic, letting the flavors of the food and wine pairings speak for themselves. Here is the five course menu that our guests enjoyed with wine pairings listed below each course.
Ippogloss di Liguria, ciabatta, tartufo, aioli
Paired with Aneri Prosecco
Ponsoti, langostino, aragosta, crema con foie gras, sausiccia casa
Paired with with Feudi Fiano d’Avellino
Colino della Virginia, incolto frisee, uovo colino, pomodori a ciliegina, parma di anatra
Paired with Caroso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Costata di Vitello, crusto a beitola, tartufo, floscio con foie gras, risotto con fungo
Paired with Marchese di Barolo Barolo
Mascarpone al Albicocca, buffo extracto, mandoro
Paired with Planeta Moscato di Noto
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This is an awesome time, an awesome time indeed! The Big Water has gone into full summer mode, and with the impending doom of July Fourth rearing it’s ugly head we still have no fear!
We’ve created some new dishes that we’re very proud of. As a team, we seem to work out the flaws and become one in creation.
Case in point: the new lobster dish as factor one in ” can’t find the words”. This dish, to say the least, is money! This dish is on hit with it’s components. Sweet Brentwood Corn, white truffle, Wieille Farms baby tomato; and the consume, oh the consume! It’s a full reduction lobster broth that is clarified to perfection and chilled. It’s one of the most simple yet complex flavors as a whole that I have ever experienced, and that’s saying something!
This is only a small part of the ” new way” that we have taken. The path of most resistance and the path leading to perfection. The never ending quest for simplicity and balance to let the flavors and local fresh summer ingredients not only speak for themselves but blare out their greatness with the voice of a golden trumpet perched high in the Sierra Nevada range we call “The Village”. The summer is here and we are too; ready to satisfy, entice and gain the respect of any soul willing to explore the bounty and greatness of the limitless potential of the summer harvest.
So let the games begin! We are cheerfully awaiting your arrival!
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Summer is here! This means among other things that corn and tomatoes are in season, and what a great year they’re having so far. The corn that we’ve been getting at The Big Water Grille is so sweet that we’ve been shaving it off the husks and tossing it into salads raw.
With the addition of new produce means some changes in the menu. So if you haven’t already, stop by the Big Water Grille to try out some of our new menu items such as the braised beef shortrib, chilled lobster “soup,” and our scallop ceviche.
We will be doing another tasting menu in the wine cellar this Tuesday; this time it will be “The Tastes of Italy.” Unfortunately it is already sold out, but there will be more tasting menus to follow.
If you want to be on the early notification list, call us at 775-833-0606 or e-mail john@bigwatergrille.com.
See you soon!
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By Jacob Burton, Sous Chef
In the previous post, Chef Jay and I talked in an audio podcast about the bizarre foods tasting menu and what we thought people’s reactions might be. After all, myself and Chef would take braised boar tripe over a Fillet Mignon any day, but American culture has yet to embrace less straight forward foods that the rest of the world has passionately consumed for centuries…or so we thought.
Thanks in large part to TV shows such as Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and Andrew Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods,” (the inspiration for this tasting menu), these adventurous hosts have brought the eating of offal and other so called “bizarre foods” into the mainstream, making people aware of how delicious they can really be.
The tasting menu that we served in the Big Water Wine Cellar reinforced this notion. Selling out both Friday and Saturday night seatings in a matter of days, people were genuinely excited about taking part in this unconventional gastronomic journey. What was even more impressive was the guest’s response to the food. They absolutely loved it! Some even went as far as saying it was the best dining experience they’ve ever had. The cultural tides of American taste buds are changing, and changing for the better.
So with that said, here is our very own “Bizarre Foods” tasting menu! Keep in mind that any one course could have a whole post written about it, (and maybe some will), but for now, let’s check out the pictures and their corresponding descriptions.
Fresh Bodega Bay Sea Urchin (Uni) with Wasabi, Onion Oil and Rice Vinegar with Asian Pear and Ginger Caviar
Chilled Monkfish Liver in Spoons with Zuri, Soy, Cilantro, Chili Oil and Orange Sake Foam
Crispy Fried Frog Legs on Green Garlic Pesto with Slow Poached Garlic and Chopped Parsley Salad
SURPRISE! This was a surprise course that was not actually on the original menu. Lovingly referred to as the “Testy Taco,” this dish was made up of Braised Veal Testicles, with Diced Onions, Tomatoes and Micro Cilantro, served on a Corn Tortilla Rubbed with Chef Jay’s very own “Sissy Salsa,” (trust me, if you can eat this salsa you ain’t no sissy!)
Braised Lamb Tongue served on Wild Mache, Red Onions and Mustard Vinaigrette, Garnished with Crispy Tomato Skins
Sauteed Veal Sweetbreads with Fingerling Potatoes and an Orange Zest, Peppercorn Demi-glace
Crispy Fried Pig’s Ear with Red Wine Vinegar, Fleur De Sel and Arugula Puree
Stewed Wild Boar “Tripe” with Tomato, Basil and White Grits. Garnished with a “Dill Trapped Potato Chip”
Fried Jungle Python “a la Fish and Chips,” Chili-Lemon Aioli with Truffle-Dill Potato Chips
Roasted Leg of Kangaroo with Fried Asparagus “Hairs,” Sauteed Wild Mushrooms and Thyme-Wine Demiglace. A quick note about the Kangaroo: “very nice, I like!”
Chef Jay likes to describe it as tasting like beef back when beef was still good, (nowadays it’s ruined by all sorts of chemicals, hormones and other unnatural influences). It turns out that not only is kangaroo really good, but it’s also really good for you!
Durian Fruit with Sumac, Fleur de Sel, Figs and Water Crackers.
This stuff is definitely an acquired taste, but the trick is, you need to eat it as if it were a ripe French cheese and not treat it like a fruit. It’s fragrance is reminiscent of a fermented animal that was marinated with pineapple and onions to hide the smell. In my opinion, there’s a reason why your nose is above your mouth.
But the crazy thing is, almost everyone at the Bizarre Foods Dinner absolutely loved it. Some people even asked for seconds. It just goes to show, you can get almost anybody to like anything if it’s prepared properly.
If you were one of the lucky few to take part in this extraordinary tasting menu, or if you just stumbled across this post randomly, we would love to hear your thoughts. Simply click on the comment button below and tell us and everyone else what you really think of this menu.
And if you weren’t lucky enough to take part, well, better luck next time. The dinner was such a success that we already have plans to do a another menu with even more “Bizarre Foods”. If you want to get on the early notification list, simply email events@bigwatergrille.com or call John at 775-833-0606. See you next time!
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By Jacob Burton, Sous Chef
This coming Friday and Saturday, we will be doing a Bizarre Foods tasting menu here at the Big Water Grille in our wine cellar. The menu is listed below, and right underneath the menu is an interview that I did with Chef Jay where we discuss the Bizarre foods that we will be serving. To play the interview, click on the play now link and then hit the little play arrow. Or you can click on the download link to download it to your computer’s hard drive.
Bizarre Foods Menu
Are you going to take part in the Bizarre Foods tasting menu. What do you think of the menu itself? Let us know by clicking the comment button below and leave us your thoughts.
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Memorial Day Weekend is in a couple of days, which is the unofficial start of summer for us here in Lake Tahoe. It’s been a long winter, and now that it’s summer, we have all sorts of great seasonal products coming available and plenty of people ready to chow down.
As we move into summer, you will see our menu slightly change, using more salads and fruits with our entrees to give people that lighter food that they crave when the weather is hot. If you’re a fan of our bone sticking braised dishes, don’t worry, the Lamb Shank with the English pea risotto is staying, plus we’re adding a braised beef short rib to the menu.
Just a little side note, if you do plan on coming from out of town this summer to dine with us, make sure that you call in a reservation at least a week ahead, as our books are quickly filling up.
And keep your eyes peeled for the next blog post or two, where we’ll be talking about our “Bizarre Foods” tasting menu that we’re doing in our beautiful wine cellar at the end of this month.
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Taking part in consuming a multiple course tasting menu can be one of the most gastronomically exciting experiences in your life. The difference between eating a single dish as opposed to a 5 or more course tasting menu is like the difference between a musician performing a single song and listening to an orchestra perform a symphony.
When a tasting menu is designed, it is laid out in such a way that each course progess towards the following courses, conditioning your palette for what’s to come. One of the greatest things about a well orchestrated tasting menu is that it deters palette fatigue.
Think for a second about when you order a huge 26 oz steak with a huge side of mashed potatoes at a steak house. Is it going to fill you up? Sure. And that first bite you take is probably going to taste pretty good. But after chewing on 26 oz of steak, bite after bite, tasting the same textures and the same flavors over and over, your palette becomes fatigued. Your taste buds are ready for something new.
When designing a tasting menu, smaller portions are served not only because you will be consuming multipe course, but if done right, you want the person who’s eating each course to wish they had just one more bite. That yearning for more is than replaced with the following course, and once again, the patron wants just one more bite.
This creates, in their mind, a superbly memorable experience. By the ending of the tasting menu, the customer is not bloated and full, but intensly satisfied.
Throw in some great wine pairings with each course, and your tasting menu will be taken to the next level.
During the off season at the Big Water Grille, every now and then we get a special request for a tasting menu. For me as the chef, this is the ultimate compliment. What the guest is saying to me is that they want me to take them on a gastronomic journey, and they trust me to be their guide.
If you are ever in the mood for a great tasting menu, for a true culinary adventure, all we need is a weeks notice and we’d be more than happy to create a custom tasting menu for you. Unfortunately, during the summer and holiday seasons, this is not always an option due to the high volume we experience. But I’ve always believed that Lake Tahoe is most beautiful during the off seasons when there’s less crowds. Not to mention we have the time to pay extra special attention to your dining needs.
We also have a great wine cellar that seats up to 18 people which is a great place to have custom tasting menus done for you and some friends. For more information, visit the Big Water Grille website .
