Caribe Caribbean Bistro

2012 Valentine's Day Dinner at Caribe

2012-02-01T10:16:00.009-06:00

You asked for it, and here it is! Dinner for two, including a bottle of wine and award winning, locally made Muddy Paws Cheesecake dessert.

Here is Caribe Valentine's Day dinner menu...

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Tuesday, Feb. 14th, 2012

By Reservation Only: 651-641-1446
Full beverage menu will also be available. Prices do not include tax & gratuity.
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5 Course Dinner for Two
with bottle of wine

5 Course Dinner for Two, including 1 bottle of wine ~ $100 per couple

Wine ~ Choice of the following:

(Red) Antaño Crianza Rioja 2008, Tempranillo blend, Spain
Elegant spice notes with oaky undertones.

(White) Anakena 2009, Sauvignon Blanc, Chile
Light, tart, and clean mineral finish.

I. Amuse-bouche
Chef’s selection

II. Appetizer
Grilled salmon with rum glaze over grilled baby bananas.

III. Salad
Micro-green and arugula salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

IV. Entrée
Grilled beef tenderloin topped with jerk bernaise and crispy shallots.
Served over gingered purple yams.

V. Dessert
Dulce de leche cheesecake, covered in chocolate ganache.
Locally made fresh by Muddy Paws Cheesecake.

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5 Course Dinner for Two
(without wine)

$80 per couple

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5 Course Dinner
(Single person, no wine)

$40 per person

Banana Mango Chutney Recipe

2011-06-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

The picture above is of my lunch the other day at Caribe. It's my favorite appetizer on our menu and I love to make a lunch of it.

See that crispy, chewy fried flat bread in the photo? This recipe is not for that. See that little red dish (it has hot sauce in it)...this recipe is not that, either. See the channa chickpea mixture tucked in the bread? Nope, not the recipe for that. See that wet, mushy looking little pile of stuff just under the green onion garnish? Bingo!

This is the recipe for one of the best parts (in my opinion) of the "Doubles" pictured above. It may not be much to look at, but this fruity, spicy chutney is packed with deliciousness that compliments seafood and meats. And doubles. I love every part of doubles, but it's just not complete without this little topping. I always end up asking for a little more ;-)

After a little arm-twisting, Tony decided to share his recipe.

Banana Mango Chutney

by Tony Panelli, Executive Chef, Caribe Caribbean Bistro

1 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

1 Medium red onion, diced

3 Cups vinegar

3 Tbsp. Jerk Seasoning

2 Mangoes, diced

4 Tbls. Pickapeppa sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Cup raisins

1/8 Cup Tabasco sauce

4 Bananas, diced

Combine brown sugar, onions, and vinegar and bring to boil. Add jerk seasoning, mangoes, pickapeppa sauce, raisins & Tabasco sauce. Reduce heat & simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Add bananas last. Chill. If too thick, add water to thin.

Tony serves it with Trinidadian Doubles or Marlin, but it's good as a topping for any seafood or grilled meat.

Would you like puppets with that? Staff spotlight: Liz Schachterle

2011-06-15T12:53:00.004-05:00

(above) Liz Schachterle (left) & Elise Langer of Millie & Tillie

If you've come into Caribe any time in the past year, you may have had Liz bring you your meal. But did you know when she's not at Caribe, she's making puppets, writing shows, and performing shows as a puppeteer with Open Eye Figure Theatre?

She's a woman of many talents and you and your kids can enjoy her creativity at live performances of "Millie & Tillie" on stage, and all summer during Open Eye Figure Theatre's Driveway Tour performances of "The Adventures of Juan Bobo" and "The Amazing Cow Boat."

The traveling puppet shows are short, fun & free. I don't know about you, but those are things I look for when choosing entertainment for our kids!

2011 Driveway Tour

All performances are free, family-friendly, and open to the public.

The Adventures of Juan Bobo

June 1st-August 7th

Summer 2011 Driveway Tour - locations, dates & times on website

The Amazing Cow Boat

June 1st-August 7th

Summer 2011 Driveway Tour - locations, dates & times on website

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Millie & Tillie

July 8-24

Open Eye Figure Theatre

506 East 24th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55404

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm

Sundays at 4:00pm

Reservations highly recommended; call (612) 874-6338 for reservation,

Suggested donation at the door: $5 adults, $1 for children 12 & under.

Banana Recipe: Coconut Curry Bananas

2011-05-26T10:53:00.005-05:00

Coconut Curry Bananas. Photo by Shaina Olmanson

Here is a recipe for Coconut Curry Bananas, as featured on TV during a banana cooking segment on Twin Cities Live Like most of Tony's recipes, it's an easy one to tweak and adjust to suit your taste. It's shown on TV with grilled, jerk-rubbed red snapper, but is a tasty accompaniment to any grilled fish, meat, or just over plain rice.

Coconut Curry Bananas
by Tony Panelli, Caribe Caribbean Bistro

1 Cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 large bananas

Peel and slice bananas into 1" rounds. In a medium sauce pan, add desired amount of coconut milk, up to 1 cup (can be adjusted for taste & sauce consistency). Stir in curry powder and ginger, and add bananas. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until bananas just begin to fall apart. Serve over basmati rice. Goes well with grilled fish or pork.

Summer Grilling Recipe: Grilled Tilapia with Jerk Butter & Roasted Root Vegetables.

2011-05-26T10:46:00.004-05:00

Summer is upon us in Minnesota (finally!). Looking for something different to try on the grill? Here is a recipe Tony's served as a special. It's easy to do in foil packets on the grill. Any fresh herbs from your garden will work, and any fish, really (fresh caught in Minnesota, perhaps?). Don't be afraid to experiment with the ingredients. It's an easy recipe to change up to suit your tastes.

Grilled Tilapia with Jerk Butter and Roasted Root Vegetables

Tilapia (or any other white fish) fillets
1 Lime
Fresh thyme (or other fresh herb)
Salt
Pepper
1/2 C Butter (1 stick), softened
Bottle of jerk marinade
Foil
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Yuca
1 Carrot
1 Sweet potato
1 Taro
1 Plantain (green)
1 Tblsp. olive oil

Grilled Tilapia
Cut a large piece of foil for each fillet; large enough to make a pouch. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 fillet on each piece of foil. Squeeze lime over fish and salt and pepper to taste. Top each with 2 sprigs of thyme or other fresh herb. Close foil tightly, leaving air space inside for steam to cook the fish. Grill for 7 to 9 minutes or until fish is fully cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the temperature of the grill.

Roasted Root Vegetables
Heat oven to 350º. Wash, peel and cut all vegetables into thin, fry-size strips, no thicker than 1/8". Put in mixing bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper (as desired) and toss until vegetables are coated. Spray coat sheet pan with cooking spray and place vegetables on pan. Roast for 20 min 350º or until vegetables are tender.

Jerk Butter
Place stick of butter in mixer w/ 2 Tblsp. jerk marinade. Mix until well incorporated.

When fish is done, top with 1 Tbsp of jerk butter and serve with root vegetables.

We have a winner!

2011-05-17T13:31:00.004-05:00

We chose Christine F.'s entry as the winner. Christine nominated her mom, Melinda to win the two VIP dinner tickets to the Dole Banana Dinner.
Congratulations Melinda!

Here is Christine's entry:

Good Evening and thank you for the chance to win tickets to your VIP Dole Banana Dinner.

I'm excited to nominate my mom, Melinda, for the honor. I believe she would enjoy an evening on the town as a break from the craziness of her everyday life. Things in her world are truly "bananas!" Not only does Mom work as a high school principal's secretary, she helps organize the scheduling of all the 2000+ students in the school (no small task). When her work day is done, Mom comes home to the house we share with our crazy dog, who has yet to realize he's a dog. One of their favorite snack foods to share actually happens to be bananas (though if it comes in the form of her home baked banana bread he's even happier). Finally, Mom lends constant support to a network of friends and family around the country without a complaint. I rarely see her take a moment out of the day for herself, and I would think that enjoying your VIP Dole banana dinner would have great "a-peel" to her.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you could consider "Dole"-ing out the banana dinner honor to my amazing mom, Melinda.

Best Regards,
Christine F.

Contest: Enter to Win VIP Tickets to DOLE Banana Dinner at Caribe

2011-04-30T14:21:00.006-05:00

DOLE Caribe VIP Dinner
We have 2 tickets to give away ($120 value).

April showers brings...bananas!

The folks from DOLE Bananas caught wind of Caribe's interesting uses of bananas in the menu, and, as part of their "Go Bananas After Dark" tour, they've asked Caribe to partake in the Twin Cites stop of their tour.

We're excited to help DOLE show local food bloggers and the banana-loving public that "bananas aren’t just for breakfast and lunch anymore."

On Thursday, May 26th at 6:00pm, together with Shaina Olmanson, the home cook and photographer behind Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography we will host a VIP media event, featuring a four course, banana-centric dinner menu created by Tony Panelli, and some new signature banana drinks (alcohol) to enjoy that evening. The dinner is for a select group of Twin Cities food bloggers, food writers, and media to get the word out about creative ways to enjoy bananas...after dark.

But wait! We thought, nobody's more "VIP" to us than our own customers! Our supporters! You! So we requested that we be allowed to give away a couple tickets to OUR VIP's.

And two tickets we have.

HOW TO ENTER

Nominate someone (it can be yourself!)...anyone who deserves to win VIP tickets to our 4 course banana dinner.

Nominate by sending us an email telling us in as many words and pictures as you like, why they (or you) deserve to win.

Email: heidi @ caribemn . com (minus the spaces)
subject: "VIP ticket contest entry"

Do you know a couple who desperately deserves a night out? Know an aspiring chef, home cook, foodie, or food blogger who'd love to schmooze with food media guests? Know someone who's just plain bananas for bananas? Nominate them!

JUDGING

Make us laugh...or make us cry...but make us say, "yes! This person must win!"
This is not a random drawing. Simply emailing us a name will not count as an entry. We (Tony, myself, and the staff) will be choosing who we feel is the most deserving entry to win based on the email entries you write and send us.

If you are nominating someone other than yourself, email addresses of nominees are not needed at this time. Should your entry win, we will email back and request the necessary information to contact the winners.

DEADLINE

Deadline for entry:
Send us your email by Friday May 6th

Winner will be chosen by Thursday May 12th (entrant will be notified by email, winner announced on our Facebook Page)

RULES

The small type...
Family members of Caribe staff & owners are not eligible to win.
Entries must be sent by email only.
By entering, you grant Caribe permission to publish your entry online and in our email newsletter (private contact information will not be shared, last names can be omitted if requested). Winner will receive two tickets, via email invitation. Each ticket includes admission to event, four course dinner, and two alcohol banana mixed drinks (per person). Any further question? Don't hesitate to ask:
heidi @ caribeMN . com (minus the spaces)

An Evening for the senses: Caribe Beer Dinner

2011-04-20T14:55:00.016-05:00

Sharone, setting the stage for an intimate dinner.

Every beer glass was washed, sanitized, polished and inspected closely to ensure it was "beer clean." Without perfectly clean glassware, the beer will not form the desired head upon pouring.

Adam Schulte, the certified Cicerone from Ale Jail starts off the evening with a fun sensory trick we all got to try, and encourages guests to breathe deep, take in the smells, and savor the flavors.

After frying the tostones, Tony & LaRonn quickly plate the first course.

The Amuse Bouche before it got whisked away to the dining room: Salt Cod Ceviche, toston, with avocado relish. Paired with Hennepin Saison.

The food guy & the beer guy.
With each course, Adam speaks about the beer, and Tony speaks about the food.

Back in the kitchen, the staff works like a machine (even with me in the way!) LaRonn & Tony pull the hot appetizers out of the oven & within minutes they are all plated and ready to serve.

II. Appetizer: Pionono (a "mini piñon"), topped with coconut chutney. Paired with Weihenstephaner Hefe.

Tony talks about the next course, explaining cooking techniques, ingredients used, and answers questions.

"This is soooo good!" was heard several times in the back, as we got to sample dishes once everyone in the dining room was served. Sharone (left) and Jenn.

In another well-choreographed act, they pour, drizzle, garnish & send off the third course.

Guests at Adam's table are served the third course.
III. Soup: Gazpacho topped with black bean sauce and micro greens.
Paired with Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale.

The fourth course is underway in the kitchen.
Rum glazed jumbo shrimp sits in the pan of bubbling glaze; waiting to top the Paella.

Tony pulls the cover off the steamed mussels & I grabbed a picture.
Here they are, just before being scooped out and plated with the Paella.

IV. Entrée
Caribbean Paella: Saffron rice, spicy chorizo, jerk chicken, octopus, mussels, langoustines, almonds, golden raisins, roasted sweet peppers; topped with rum glazed shrimp. Paired with Lagunitas Maximus IPA.

The Paella is served.

These LaTrappe chalices are specially designed for the LaTrappe beer, made by monks in the Netherlands, to be served in. They feature a tiny etched feature in the bottom to enable the carbonation to originate from the center of the glass.

Tony sprinkles powdered sugar over the Banana rum cheesecake, made locally by Muddy Paws . It was complimented with pineapple caramel, whipped cream and fresh berries.
Paired with La Trappe Quadrupel.

Shortly after the cheesecake course was served, Tony and Adam surprised guests with an extra beer; a pour of Rodenbach, as we toasted to celebrating our first year in business!

A happy chef.

Twitter & tasting. How the beer dinner came about.

2011-04-05T22:41:00.005-05:00

It began on Twitter. @CaribeBistro met @AleJail. Adam from Ale Jail had a question. Heidi (me) from Caribe tweeted back. And not long after he was eating our food; we were tasting his beer, and soon planning a beer dinner.

If you haven't heard the buzz on Twitter yet, we've teamed up with Certified Cicerone (similar to a sommielere, but of beer. There are currently less than 200 of them in the United States) Adam Schulte, of Ale Jail, to put on Caribe's first-ever beer dinner.

What's the big deal? Isn't it just beer and dinner?

If you're already a connoisseur of fine beers, you probably know all about beer dinners and food pairings, (and several of you have already made your reservations). But if you've never heard of a beer dinner, you're not alone.

Yours truly was skeptical at first when Adam first tweeted me a message, asking if he could bring by some beer to try with our food. I mean, my only prior experience with beer was with whatever was cheapest on a night out in college. I'm a grown up now. Beer? No, I'll have wine, thanks. I, after all, had graduated from the college days of quarter tapper nights and never looked back. Was I really missing out on anything?

And then Adam sent me descriptions of the beers he had in mind to maybe add to our menu. Here are a couple examples that piqued my interest:

Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale: Toasted biscuit malt meets banana, spice and floral hop aromatics. Caramel sweetness lends to a medium body before the beer dries on the finish. A very versatile food beer.

Lagunitas Maximus IPA: Orange zest and herbal hop aromas combine with subtle malt sweetness and balanced bitterness. A powerful beer for powerful food. Try something spicy!

Whaa? Was this beer he was talking about? Add to this list a bright, effervescent, aromatic German hefe who's yeast swirls in the bottom of the bottle, a quadrupel made in the Netherlands by Monks, and a refreshing saison made in New York. Everything I (ignorantly) thought I knew about beer had changed.

Why April, 2011?

In all honesty, we hadn't considered looking into specialty beers since Caribe opened last year because, being such a small restaurant, we barely met minimum order quantities as it was with the more mainstream beers we carried. And, truly, we didn't know what we were missing. But Adam persisted and took it upon himself to not only bring us samples (that instantly won us over), but lined us up with distributors who could work with our "smallness."

We figured a new beer menu like this deserves celebrating. And what better way to kick it off, than to have Adam pair the new beers with a 5-course Caribbean dinner and talk about the beers at the dinner? Tony's prepared a fantastic menu, (which we'll reveal later on the website) and Adam will join us for the dinner to discuss the beers, fill your glass, and answer questions.

And, to make things sweeter, the dinner falls mid-April, which happens to be Caribe's 1-year anniversary. Another big reason we want to (need to!) celebrate this month.

Now what?

So where does this leave me? I've now tasted all the beers to be featured in the dinner (also shown and described here). I love the new beers. I can't wait to try them with various dishes on our menu. I'm no longer an ignorant beer-scoffing snob. I'm humbled, eager to learn more, and look forward to sampling more unique beers from Ale Jail, which, by the way, is an experience in and of itself. If you haven't been by the store, you're in for a treat. If you're not sure where to start, Adam can help you put together a custom 6-pack from the walls lined with beautifully labeled bottles you won't see in other liquor stores.

So that about sums up my enthusiasm! This beer dinner is more than just a pairing of fine beer and food, but a pairing of Tony's passion for Caribbean cooking, with Adam's passion for beer. One can't help but get caught up in the excitement when creative, delicious ideas collide. So much so, that I admitted to Adam how I was sipping some wine the other night and kinda wished it was a beer. "It's OK," he assured me, "it's part of the process."

More information

To get the word out about the dinner, we've been having fun with "the story"- beers escaping Ale Jail and taking Caribe hostage. Watch the site, as the story continues to unfold (was the chef really taken hostage? Or was he conspiring all along?) while we draw closer to April 18th.

The beer dinner is by reservation only. Tables are still available. Call the restaurant to get on the list: 651-641-1446

Caribe Valentine's Day Menu, 2011

2011-01-31T13:00:00.009-06:00

This Valentine's Day, we'll be dimming the lights,

lighting the candles, and dressing up the dining room
to set the stage for a romantic evening.

Guys: Trust us; she will be impressed (and have you to thank).

Ladies: There will be molten chocolate cake (need I say more?). Now is the time to start dropping hints. Make it easy for him; just show him this menu!

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Valentine's Day, Monday February 14th, we will be open for dinner from 5pm-9:30pm, and in place of our regular dinner menu, we will be offering a special prix fixe Valentine's Day dinner menu.

Call now: 651-641-1446 to reserve your table.
(if you call after hours, just leave a message and we will return your call & confirm your reservation.)

There will be two dinner options:
a 3 course dinner, & a 5 course dinner, each with optional wine pairings.

The wine for the wine pairing will be selected by our staff, who will choose the perfect wine to best accompany each course. Wine pairings will be a 1.5 oz. pour of a different type of wine for each course. Wine by the glass or bottle will also be available, as well as our full beverage menu.

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Valentine's Day Menu: 3 Courses

3 Course Dinner ~ $37
Optional wine pairing, add $15

~First Course~
Salad
Spinach & Arugula Salad with Avocado relish and citrus vinaigrette

~Second Course~
Entrée

Choice of the following:

1. Grilled Lamb Chops with jerk beurre blanc,
and pigeon pea cassoulet.

2. Grilled Rib Eye Steak with caramelized onions,
roasted garlic and yucca mash.

3. Seafood Paella. Seafood and saffron rice
cooked in Jamaican coconut rundown.

4. Pan-seared Pork Medallions with apple chutney
and roasted tropical root vegetables.

~Third Course~
Dessert

Choice of the following:

1. Cafe con Leche Créme Brulée

2. Piña Colada Panna Cotta with berry coulis

3. Spiced Molten Chocolate Cake (allow approx. 10 minutes extra prep time)

4. Tropical Fruit Bread Pudding

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Valentine's Day Menu: 5 Courses

Same as the 3 course dinner, with the addition of an appetizer and soup.
5 Course Dinner ~ $50
Optional wine pairing, add $20

~First Course~
Appetizer
Arepas (3): Salt cod ceviche, curried bananas, and pulled pork

~Second Course~
Soup
Chick Pea and vegetable Curry

~Third Course~
Salad
Spinach & Arugula Salad with Avocado relish & citrus vinaigrette

~Fourth Course~
Entrée

Choice of the following:

1. Grilled Lamb Chops with jerk beurre blanc,
and pigeon pea and chorizo cassoulet.

2. Grilled Rib Eye Steak with caramelized onions,
roasted garlic and yucca mash.

3. Seafood Paella. Seafood and saffron rice
cooked in Jamaican coconut rundown.

4. Pan-seared Pork Medallions with apple chutney
and roasted tropical root vegetables.

~Fifth Course~
Dessert

Choice of the following:

1. Cafe con Leche Créme Brulée

2. Piña Colada Panna Cotta with berry coulis

3. Spiced Molten Chocolate Cake (allow approx. 10 minutes extra prep time)

4. Tropical Fruit Bread Pudding

Please note: Our regular dinner menu items will not be available on Monday, Feb. 14. Coupons, special offers or friends & family discounts are not valid during the Valentine's Day dinner. Walk-ins welcome, but tables will only be guaranteed with a reservation made prior to Feb. 14. Prices do not include tax or gratuity. Reservations must be made by phone 651-641-1446 or in person; not via email.

Caribe Caribbean Bistro. Phone: 651-641-1446 791 Raymond Ave. St. Paul, MN 55114

Now serving gourmet plantain chips!

2010-12-03T11:18:00.003-06:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to announce we have switched our plantain chips to a major upgrade. These are the chips we serve with all of our lunch sandwiches.

The new gourmet plantain chips are made by a small company in New Jersey. They're thin and crispy (compared to the thick, crunchy plantain chips we were serving before), all natural, and lightly salted with sea salt from the South American coast.

They're my personal favorite of the plantain chips we've been sampling and we think you'll agree, they're a great addition to the lunch menu (at no extra cost to you).

Ingredients are simply: plantains, safflower oil, and sea salt. Nothing else. Oh yea, and they're gluten free, too. Can't wait to hear what you think of the new chips!

Step by Step Photos: How to cut a Breadfruit

2010-11-29T22:54:00.014-06:00

How to cut a breadfruit...

But first, what is a breadfruit?

If you read the St. Paul Pioneer Press restaurant section, you may have caught a recent article on unique fries in the Twin Cities where food critic Kathie Jenkins interviewed Tony and several other area chefs to talk about their non-potato fries.

Step 1. Cut off the top & bottom.

Our new breadfruit fries hit the menu this fall, but don't feel bad if you have no idea what a breadfruit is. I sure didn't. I grew up in Minnesota. I know about bread and fruit; but breadfruit? Well, I had a vague recollection of it from a trip to Puerto Rico a few years back when Tony showed me all sorts of produce I had never heard of.

Step 2. Cut off the skin in strips.

To refresh my memory, he brought one home and excitedly cut it open. "Smell this!" he said, "Doesn't it smell so refreshing? You just can't describe it!"

Step 3. Cut in half and admire the weird looking center.

Step 4. Cut lengthwise in quarters.

He was right. There really are no words...it smells citrucy and somehow also like fresh baked bread, especially when it's cooked. It's a big round fruit that grows on trees and is starchy like a potato or plantain and slightly sweet. It's popular in the Caribbean and usually served sauteed, boiled, or baked.

Step 5. Cut out the core and all porous portions of the flesh.

The outside looks like snakeskin & the inside looks weirdly porous like bread. Cut off the skin off and porous part, slice into fries, and there you have it...breadfruit fries! Well, OK, there are a few more steps like tossing in adobo spice & deep frying & something with pumpkinseed oil & serving them with avocado dipping cream, but at least you can see how we cut fries from a breadfruit.

Step 6. Slice into 1/4" - 1/8" strips and prepare as desired.

And if you've had our new fries, then maybe you can help me describe the taste.

Our finished breadfruit fries.

Colorful details

2010-10-19T13:51:00.005-05:00

More color on the way! We're super excited about this seemingly "little thing" but we've finally placed an order for new dishes after weeks of scouring china catalogs, testing factory samples (maybe you've eaten on them!), and narrowing down our choices...so above is a sneak preview of what our new dishes will look like. Along with the new dishes (plates), will also come some new dishes (food), as Tony's working on some new additions to the menu.

Being this is our first restaurant venture, we had limited funds. Being creative and resourceful was about the only way we could get this thing off the ground. A major part of this was the decision to purchase a location that was previously a restaurant. A place that would already have furnishings, equipment and all that little stuff that adds up to buy new. Part of that business purchase included things like the chairs, tables, and the dishes. Sure, they're sturdy. They work, and probably worked for the past two restaurants operating in this location. And, hey, they did help us get our dream off the ground! But they didn't quite fit our vision. The old white plates were lacking the color, class, and whimsy we wanted.

With all the "business of running a business" we have to do on a day to day basis, this is the fun stuff. Unable to choose just one shape, we decided to go with some curved triangular plates, some circles, and some squares...each in various colors that'll pop on the black tables, tie into our decor, and best show-off the food presented on them.

So now that we've been in business for a little while, we're starting to be able to focus more on these little details that help make your meal special, different & memorable. Watch for more fun details popping up this winter as I get in to do more painting & decorating. Who knows, I might even finish the mural this winter. :-)

We will miss you, Chef Gil Gaitan

2010-09-22T12:13:00.006-05:00

A beloved teacher and mentor; Tony's favorite professor at Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Gil Gaitan passed away on Monday at the age of 57.

With sadness yesterday, Tony called with the news and reminisced about how Chef Gaitan was in Caribe recently and he was still as passionate as ever about teaching. Always teaching, and loving what he did. He was always joking, and smiling, almost giddy with excitement like a child when he talked about cooking.

Measuring to make a huge batch of gingerbread

Back in 2003/2004 when Tony was attending school, he learned of Chef Gaitan's interest in food art. Tony brought in some pictures of some artsy pumpkins I had carved & airbrushed to share with Chef, who later invited Tony and I to join him on a weekend in December at the school to make some food art of our own: ginger bread houses from scratch.

Assembling the houses

From what I understand, Chef Gaitan came in every year on his days off to make several houses that he would donate at Christmas time. That particular weekend he taught Tony and I how to make and bake the dough for the walls, how to make pulled sugar flowers and candy canes, the icing for holding it all together, and the meringue snow. He sent me home with copies of recipes and templates and I had a blast finishing my ginger bread houses at home.

Chef showing us how to make candy canes

One of my finished houses at home

I remember upon meeting him, thinking it was generous of him (or maybe a little crazy?!) to take so much of his free time to do this each year, making a dozen plus houses to give to charities. But it didn't take me long to notice he was a Christian...in how he acted, and later in how he spoke of Bible studies and his church.

Later in the spring and on another occasion, I joined Chef Gaitan on a weekend day to learn how to make Easter eggs out of sugar–the big, hollowed out kind with a sugary scene inside.

Pressing sugar into the moulds

Chef & I discussing airbrush techniques

Airbrushing the sugar eggs

I brought in my airbrush & we exchanged tips and tricks. He showed us how to make roses and lilies out of frosting (he sure made it look easy!) and other techniques of sugar egg creation and assembly that I was as excited to learn, as he was to teach. Though a couple flowers have broken off since then, I still display my egg each year at Easter.

One of the eggs we made

I was blessed to know Chef Gaitan, even if only through a handful of encounters, but also to know him through Tony, who spoke of him all the time while attending school and often over the years since. There's no doubt he was an integral part of shaping Tony's career in cooking. He will be missed. And he will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Visitation is this evening. More info and obituary.

A Bad Review & A Pleasant Surprise

2010-09-21T10:40:00.015-05:00

Tony called me today pretty moved by the gestures of a customer and an employee. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.

The gestures being letters they each wrote in response to a negative review recently published about Caribe. The paper, being The Southside Pride, a South Minneapolis neighborhood newspaper. The article being the words of the "Queen of Cuisine," Carla Waldemar. To Southside Pride's credit, they published both of the letters in response to her review, which is how Tony and I found out about it today. A customer brought in the paper to show Tony.

The customer is Carmen, who we did not know before opening Caribe, but she has since become one of our favorite regulars. She's Puerto Rico born and proud of it. The employee is one of our cooks, Katy, who unknowingly to us, also wrote the editor, not knowing we had just seen the review for the first time last week, also brought to our attention by Carmen, who was outraged.

Here is the review, followed by the letters in response:

Caribe BY CARLA WALDEMAR

The letter to the editor from Carmen

The letter to the editor from Katy

To say we are humbled is an understatement. Not by the article, but by those who stepped up on our behalf, without our knowledge. Your words far outweigh the insulting review and we are truly grateful for your kindness and support.

And as far as the review goes, we're not necessarily concerned with the negativity of it. We can take criticism and try to learn and grow from it. But the writer's decision to take it a step further and personally insult Tony, the waitress (or was it her grandma?), and make claims that weren't even accurate is what bothered us. It seemed her biggest complaint was that the food didn't properly meet her misconstrued expectations of Caribbean cuisine.

Was everything really that bad? And truly, if everything except the dessert and beer was so unacceptable, why didn't she say something at the time and allow Tony or our staff to correct the problem? Really...if we make a mistake, we want you to let us know. If something wasn't cooked properly, that is a problem. But if something wasn't as spicy as you thought it should be, then the problem is not with the food.

Ms. Waldemar, we invite you to return. We really do want you, and everyone who visits, to enjoy their meal. We value your feedback...just refrain from insults.

What's with the Cuban Sandwich lately?

2010-07-17T17:42:00.004-05:00

Tony's never been one to follow trends in food. In fact, he tends to avoid them. And we can never really predict how dishes will sell until we throw them out there and see what sticks. Whether it's because Caribe is new or small, or situated where it is, we seem to go through cycles of certain things being popular one week, the next week another thing is selling well and so on. And it's been totally unpredictable, too, with the exception of the Doubles, which are selling like crazy since a recent Citypages article raved about them.

So what's the hot seller lately besides the Doubles? Our Grilled Cuban Sandwich.

A quick search of the history of the Cubano, or Cuban Sandwich, will tell you it's been around for a while. It's popular in southern Florida & Miami where many Cubans have settled. A traditional Cubano is usually made with Cuban bread, pork, ham, cheese & pickle, smashed together in a sandwich press (usually a flat grill, not panini style with ridges) and grilled until heated through.

It wasn't long after we took over Jay's Cafe, just before we changed over to Caribe, when Tony began serving his Grilled Cuban Sandwich, a traditionally prepared Cuban sandwich (his is with roasted pulled pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles on Cuban bread, served with plantain chips and pineapple mango coleslaw).

Shortly after Caribe had officially opened this spring, I heard Latin sounding music over the radio and a commercial for Panera Bread company's Cuban Chicken Panini.

And just the other day, while listening to the radio while driving, what did I hear on the radio? Yet another interlude of latin music leading into a commercial. What's this? A commercial for Subway's new Cuban pulled pork sub.

And suddenly we can't seem to sell enough Cuban sandwiches. They're the "hot" thing now at Caribe. Hmmm...Tony may try to avoid trends, but maybe that's because he'd rather start them?

OK, we're a dinky new restaurant and we can't claim to have started the trend, but it's nice to see his menu items doing well with Minnesotans. And I guess we'll take the free advertising from Subway & Panera, putting it in people's heads, if only subconsciously, to eat a Cuban sandwich. And they are eating them at Caribe. A lot of them.

So let it be known, Caribe served a Cuban sandwich before the big chain places did! And, for that matter, If I'm not mistaken, we are one of only two restaurants in Minnesota who serve Doubles. Keep your eyes peeled....we predict doubles just might start popping up on more MN menus soon.

Authentic Caribbean food. What is it? Should it matter?

2010-05-26T12:39:00.003-05:00

If a pimento tree falls in the woods and a chef doesn't use it, would his jerk not be authentic?

Time and time again, Tony and I have had the same discussion about food: does "authentic" matter? Who decides whether or not a dish is authentic? And how does one even define it? Especially Caribbean food, which was born out of so many cultures and varies not only from island to island, but cook to cook. Mind you this is coming from a Caribbean native who cooks and sells Caribbean food.

And who really cares?

Obviously some of you care, as we had a couple folks recently, on separate occasions enlighten us with their wisdom. Yes, they informed us that our food was not, in fact, authentic. We were not "Puerto Rican" enough for one woman, and not "Trinidadian" enough for one guy.

Maybe to alleviate any confusion we should change our name to: "Caribe Caribbean-Inspired Recipes by a Cook Who Doesn't Care if His Creations are Entirely Authentic as Long as they Taste Good Bistro."

Our restaurant does not claim to be authentic Caribbean on our website. And although we do sell some traditional dishes you might find on the dinner table in a typical Puerto Rican home or a traditional sandwich you might find at a Cuban food stand, every recipe has Tony's unique twist to it. He does what he thinks our customers will enjoy, whether or not it's "authentic." Taste is his first priority.

Even though we don't have pimento trees chopped down and imported so the green wood can be used to grill our Jerk Chicken over in an earth pit out back, Tony's version of Jamaican Jerk has gotten some Jamaicans excited. And even though he serves tostones topped with mashed avocado, he continues to get compliments from Puerto Ricans telling him his food tastes like home. Does that make it authentic? Depends on who's mom's cooking we're comparing it to.

Is "authentic" the way a dish was made 200 years ago when it was invented? Or the way it's served today in the country of origin? Ah, but what country did it really originate from? Caribbean cuisine grew out of the influence of several cultures including French, West African, British, American (we brought beans, corn, chili peppers), East Indian (curry), Chinese (rice), Spanish (plantains, fruit trees), Danish, and Portuguese (cod).

I suppose not long ago the islander food snobs of yesteryear complained that the very dishes we speak of today were not authentic at the time. After all, those early "authentic" Caribbean dishes were merely creative concoctions using techniques and ingredients borrowed from other countries, new to them at the time.

History aside, Tony sums it up well, "The only thing that should matter when you go out to eat is if the food tastes good to you. It shouldn't matter if it's authentic. What matters is if you like it."

But what do we know. We're not authentic.

--------

When has "authentic" mattered to you? Do you have examples of your own?

Don't overthink it - Creativity in the Kitchen.

2010-05-20T17:03:00.008-05:00

As the one who's home while Tony's at the restaurant every day, I love hearing about how he runs the kitchen, especially his creative process. Being an artist myself, I can relate in that more often than not, my best ideas are the ones I don't over-think. The ones from my "gut." The creative cooking process is much like that with art. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones done on the fly.

Not all dishes, sauces and sides on our menu were carefully formulated months before we opened Caribe. In fact, some of our most popular items Tony came up with, on a whim, right before we opened. I admit being a little nervous when we'd discuss the (future) Caribe menu and he'd say things like, "I'll come up with something, I'm not worried about it."

Many of you took part in our menu survey we ran months before even finding a location, so you saw some of Tony's ideas early on. But many of the recipes themselves were not at all figured out or even tested! Tony's jerk chicken sandwich that got a great review by CityPages this month, was a sandwich he had never made before we started the restaurant.

When he needed something to serve with our lunch sandwiches, Tony came up with his pineapple mango coleslaw with a hint of cilantro & just the right amount of "kick." It is as popular as the sandwiches.

Pineapple Mango coleslaw served with the BLT and other lunch sandwiches

When the Chicharrones needed a dipping sauce, Tony came up with the jerk barbecue sauce. A unique blend of ingredients that might surprise you. Time and time again we hear from customers how they either want that sauce "on everything" or that we should bottle and sell it.

Chicharrones (chicken drumsticks and wings) with jerk barbecue sauce

And the Caribe Eggs Benedict was an entire dish, not planned until Tony got in the kitchen and thought it up one day. Now our signature breakfast dish and a good seller.

Caribe Eggs Benedict. Poached eggs on roti, sauteed curried spinach, sweet potato,
tomatoes, onions, & chick peas. Topped with Creole hollandaise.

And the creativity will continue as Tony has the staff come up with our omelets of the day and other specials on occasion. It only seems fair to pass along some creative freedom to our staff, as it was the previous cooking jobs where Tony was allowed some creative freedom that helped him grow as a chef.

How about you? Have you come up with some great recipes under pressure or on the fly?

The Chef wants to meet you

2010-05-01T23:14:00.005-05:00

It's been about two and a half weeks since opened our doors and I can't tell you what a thrill it is (and relief, considering the mountain of debt we amassed in this crazy venture of ours!) to not only see people coming in day after day, but the same people already coming back with their friends.

Considering these long days, working out the kinks, fine tuning the menu, hiring new cooks, teaching the servers the new menu, serving larger than anticipated crowds with not enough staff, I think Tony and the staff (All of you! You know who you are!) are doing a fantastic job. Is everything perfect? Of course not. We are learning as we go. But when issues arise, we respond, fix it, do better next time. All in all, I keep hearing how people are liking the food and plan to come back and tell their friends. But I don't think it's just the food they're liking.

Tony came home tonight and as if to make a revolutionary discovery, tells me (something I've been saying since day one, thank you very much!), "Ya know, people really like it when I come out and say hi."

I think it's finally sinking in, how much that adds to the dining experience. It's nothing to Tony, he loves to socialize and meet new people. Any of you who know him already know this and are probably smiling and nodding. You know how he is. He is in his element when he can come out and chat with our guests. Even when it's busy, he tries to make rounds in the dining room.

But I was thinking about that more tonight. Trying to think back to all the restaurants Tony and I have eaten at over the years. All of our dating years plus the past 7 years we've been married, and I can honestly say I cannot recall a time when the cook, let alone a chef or owner of a restaurant came to our table to greet us and ask us how our meal was.

Sure, we'd get the occasional manager of a place doing rounds, which is always nice. But there's just something special about the person who prepared and cooked your food (and, in this case, the guy who drove to the bakery to buy that bread and picked up the fresh fish that day) genuinely wanting to say hello, thank you for coming in, and wondering what you thought of your meal. It's nice Tony's finally seeing how much that means to people. Although the social person he is, he'd do it anyway. He's just that kind of guy.

And what you've been giving him back is what's making it a pleasure to be in business. And I don't mean just dollars. The first thing Tony told me when he came home tonight was, "the customers are just so gracious." He's so humbled by all of you. And I get to hear the stories. Since we opened we've had people in from Puerto Rico (and a lady from Ponce, Tony's home town), a couple who drove from Wisconsin just to have dinner at Caribe, a woman who came in and later brought her Jamaican husband in for their anniversary (who loved Tony's Jerk Chicken, by the way. There's no greater compliment than when Caribbean natives approve of the food.). We've had regulars from when it was Jay's Cafe returning. We have people from the neighborhood come in regularly, some several times a week. And even had a local radio personality come in one day, a personal favorite of Tony and me, who's name I won't mention, as he's not one to want to be in the spotlight off-air.

So thank you for all you've given back. It makes our job a pleasure.

Next on my to-do list is an online T-shirt store, since we've had so many requests for the "Caribe" shirts that Tony wears. Watch for that coming soon!

OPEN

2010-04-15T11:27:00.005-05:00

Boy, it's never felt so good to flip on that "OPEN" sign.

Finally the restaurant smells like food instead of welding and wet paint.

It's been a whirlwind of activity for us during those 16 days the restaurant was closed. I can't even begin to describe what an exhausting two plus weeks that was. The "to-do" lists that seemed to grow as fast as we were crossing things off. The unexpected turns. The expenses. The red tape. But now we're proud to say that the renovation period is over. The mess has been cleaned up. The food has been purchased and prepped. Our restaurant...our dream...is OPEN!

Yesterday after the final inspection from the fire department, we were able to open for lunch, and later dinner. Tony was so glad to finally be cooking his menu in the finished kitchen, with his new equipment.

He said it was a pretty busy day for a dreary Wednesday. We sold all of the new lunch, dinner, and appetizer menu items (except for the skirt steak, I believe...which is not bad news: people are trying the more unfamiliar food and liking it.) We had some take out orders, and anticipate a lot more with all of the new appetizers.

The dish that was getting the most attention last night was the Piñon, a Puerto Rican layered casserole made with sliced plantains, seasoned ground beef & green beans and topped with corn relish. It's served with white rice and stewed red beans. It's one of my favorite dishes Tony's mom makes for her Sunday dinners, so it's no surprise to me that other Minnesotans are liking it. It's unique, and very good. And very Puerto Rican.

So now the to-do list is all about the details. The finishing touches. The big stuff is done and we couldn't be more happy.

Renovation: Day 5 Shiny new Metal

2010-04-02T22:31:00.003-05:00

Being that we're in an older building, there really wasn't much "new" of anything when we took over in December. So to come in today and see walls of brand new shiny stainless steel being hung was exciting, to say the least. They had to peel off that protective film like they put on new appliances. Doesn't get more new than that!

The hood, however is used, but new to us and will do the job of sucking air out of the kitchen over the line, while the makeup air unit will return fresh air into the kitchen & dining room (so as not to create a vacuum). The hood and air unit used to have their home at Andy's Garage, a burger restaurant on University Ave. that's now closed.
So, the hood is in the building (well, currently taking up most of the floor of the kitchen). It should be hung on Mon. after an inspection.

Renovation: Day 4 Ductwork & Insulation

2010-04-01T22:24:00.007-05:00

More painting on the mural today.

The backsplash insulation is almost done. The new code requires 4" thick insulation for fire safety. Although it's a hassle, the good thing is we'll have a pretty fire-safe kitchen when all is done.

Holes were cut into the dining room for vents that will bring fresh air into the dining room. Lots of work being done up in the ceiling, that we'll never see, once it's done! Tomorrow I think they start welding the hood & backsplash into place.

Renovation: Day 3 Crane & Color

2010-04-01T01:19:00.006-05:00

Painting the coat rack

The mural on day 3

There's not much to photograph as far as the kitchen goes today. Tony was there at 6am this morning while the crane moved the air conditioner unit & hoisted the makeup air unit onto the roof. After that, they were done for the day and it was my turn to come in and paint. Tony and I have been tag-teaming this week, taking turns with the kids and restaurant.

Dad & I by the shocking green door

I get so excited every time we crack open another container of paint, and today was no exception. Check out our new green door! This color, appropriately named, is "shocking green." More color to go on that later. But right now it's looking like a whole new door.

Here's the new coat rack (nicely re-constructed using parts from the old coat rack by my Dad), which is now decorating the back wall, just waiting to hang up some beach towels (or swim trunks?!)...or coats, I suppose.

Painting the big Conch shell

Thanks again to my folks for coming up to help today (and putting up with my meticulous plans!). The decorative borders look great, Mom :-)

The dining room

Renovation: Day 2 Holes & Setbacks

2010-03-30T22:29:00.004-05:00

The mural's coming along; the fun part of this renovation. It's not the reason we're closed, but it does give me a nice chunk of time to add more color to the dining room!

Today they cut two nice skylights in the kitchen & worked on the roof. Unfortunately the nice new "windows" will have an air conditioner unit over one, and a makeup air unit over the other.

Aside from the contractor finding out today that there's some new regulation regarding the backsplash that may set us back, we found out that there is a new law requiring us to construct a guardrail on the roof because the makeup air unit will be somewhat close to the edge of the roof. The rail is for safety, should someone needs to service the unit.

The contractor asked the city inspector if he would allow us to still open, but have an additional 30 days to complete the guardrail (which was not originally worked into the time line or budget because we didn't know about this regulation) and still open the restaurant once the kitchen is complete.

Any guesses as to what the city said?

Renovation: Day 1 "Just a hood"

2010-03-30T00:14:00.008-05:00

Today's Special: Kitchen Renovation! Yes, had you come into Caribe, today on the menu you'd find sliced ceiling tiles, insulation fluff, crispy plaster chips, and slabs of sheetrock with a side of sawdust. Mmmm.

I probably shouldn't post the following photo, but I'm frustrated.

Many dear friends, bless their hearts, have asked about the remodel and why we're closing down. And here's how the typical conversation goes. I tell them how we are closing down to have a new ventilation system put in so we can have new equipment to make our new & improved menu. And then comes their reaction: "oh, so you're just putting in a hood, huh?"

Well, yea, we are, but "just?" Just? JUST!

"Just" implies quick & easy. As if to say, "why would you close down so long to just put a hood?"

So, to my dear friends and well-meaning curious peeps who really do care, but "just" don't understand, here is what it means to have a ventilation hood put into our kitchen:

It means we have no kitchen.
It means we shut down for a week or two.
It means tens of thousands of dollars.
It means more contractors, sub-contractors and crew than I can count.
It means tearing out the kitchen ceiling.
It means a crane will be parked out front of our building tomorrow, just to hoist the makeup air unit onto the roof. A crane!
It means re-doing all of the ductwork in the kitchen ceiling.
It means electrical work has to be done by an electrician.
It means the ansul system has to be re-piped (is that even the term?) by the fire suppression guys.
It means huge holes cut into our ceiling and roof.
It means having to build additional structures on the roof to accommodate the new equipment up there.
It means new ductwork going into the dining room.
It means building an entire new ceiling over the line.
It means permits.
It means inspections.
It means mess.
And, well, I still don't understand everything they have to do, but it's a lot.

So now when someone tells you they're putting in a new hood in their restaurant, instead of saying "huh" you can say "wow, that's major work!"

Work, all worth it, of course. Because it also means when it's all done with, we can have our fryer (angels singing) and make crispy deep fried yummy things like empanadas (angels singing), bacalaitos, tostones and more.

I'll keep posting all week with progress (and mess!) photos. As well as the mural in the dining room.

Behind the scenes: our life in this restaurant start-up adventure

2010-03-25T07:36:00.002-05:00

Everyone I run into these days asks me two questions: "How are you doing?" and "How's the Restaurant?"

Not feeling they really want the full story, I give them the usual, "good/tired/excited/exhausted."

And how is the restaurant? My answer is, "crazy!" And I mean that.

But I thought I'd take a little more time to give the long answer. How we really are. What's it really like?

Don't get me wrong, this is what we chose to do and had expected and prepared for a crazy few months (years?) in the beginning. And we've come so far! We have our restaurant! We are grateful and humbled to say the least. But how do I sum up our lives the past few months as we count down to closing day (March 29th) for the final renovations to the kitchen?

We took over in December and since then have had to learn on the job how to run a restaurant, while fixing it up, changing it to our concept, and eventually changing the name and menu. I'm certain we'll look back on this time in our lives some day and say, "how in the world did we do it?" Until then, I don't have much time to contemplate. We're too busy getting this thing off the ground.

So how are we doing? How's the restaurant?

Here's how it goes in a typical week for Tony and me...

Tony:

He works at the restaurant every day now. Business is slow at the moment, so he puts in the overtime. He leaves home at 6:30am, and returns around 9:00pm. Sundays and Mondays he's home closer to 3pm. When he's not prepping food, cooking it, managing staff, or visiting with customers, he is the one driving around town picking up bread from the baker, produce from the co-op, ice from the liquor store, food from various vendors, register tape from the store, meeting with the cleaning contractor, HVAC contractor, the ceiling contractor, the city health inspector, the painter, the electrical contractor, the landlord, salesmen giving him pitches as to why their company is the best choice for [fill-in-the-blank], or whoever has requested "just a moment" of his time that day. He's making bank deposits, making decisions, making phone calls when such-n-such breaks down/clogs up/runs out, writing checks, paying bills, paying bills, paying bills, (and a few more bills), logging sales, logging sales tax, logging liquor sales, filing receipts, cutting costs, cutting shifts, cutting potatoes, cutting fish, shoveling snow, sweeping the sidewalk, taking out the trash, answering phone calls from everything to charities asking for donations, scams (oh yes, scams!), solicitors, vendors, the payroll company, and of course, his wife!

When he gets home we can talk about our day, talk out our plans for the next day, business that will need to be taken care of and he's off to bed. Whatever we forget to discuss, I add to his pile of papers and post-it notes to bring to work the next day.

The best part of his day at the restaurant is usually talking with happy customers. It's immensely satisfying for him to cook food and have people like it. I wonder how he has energy to even do that, with all it takes to run the business end of things.

Heidi:

On the days we're closed for dinner, when Tony gets home, I rush out the door, stop at Menards or Michaels for supplies and to go work on painting the restaurant. That is my break from being "Mommy" each week. When I'm painting I can just be "artist." And when I'm gone, it's Tony's precious time to just be "Daddy" and the girls love it.

But when I'm home the day is like that of most moms who stay at home with their kids. Three little girls ages 4, 2, and 7 months keep me on my toes, needing me every few minutes. I'm making breakfast, making lunch, making dinner, cleaning up, playing, disciplining, teaching, answering "why", changing diapers, bathing, etc. For the most part it's all a joy & a privilege. We are very blessed. They are the cutest girls ever!

The tough part is when Mommy's got to be Daddy's administrative assistant who needs to talk on the phone with the banker, vendor, contractor, whomever and try to find a quiet room in the house. I keep the files (somewhat) organized, at the moment, on our kitchen counter in file boxes. I help with the bookkeeping. File the sales tax. Stuff like that. When the kids are occupied I can be found painting various decorations for the restaurant at our kitchen table, posting to Facebook on my laptop on the kitchen counter, or working on various web marketing or design projects for the restaurant in my studio in the basement.

When the kids are asleep at night, I do freelance graphic design projects and maintain a few websites where I sell T-shirts to help bring in an extra stream of needed income. Housework, somehow always falls to the bottom of my list. Grocery shopping has been a life saver these past months with CobornsDelivers.com (and actually a money-saver, too, I might add...but that's another post). And somewhere in my action-packed day I try to find time for a shower, and make LOST a weekly priority. The only hour of TV I watch each week now.

A typical "pile" on our kitchen counter these days. This one was of
our restaurant license application papers. Everything in this picture is what
was needed by the city in order to obtain our restaurant license!

"So when do you see your husband?" my friends ask. We talk on the phone all the time (as our staff would confirm). Tony's never been much of a phone guy, but since we started the restaurant, we talk on the phone every day, often several times a day. Mostly business stuff. There's never a shortage of business stuff to talk about. It has kept us more connected then one might think. We need each other to vent to when something is going wrong. We need each other for encouragement when it seems like too much. He'll bring me chocolate. I'll leave him candy in his bag. I could never run a restaurant, but he tells me he couldn't do it without me. We've never had to rely on one another as much as we do now and I think so far we make a pretty good team.

We're confident that after the kitchen renovation is complete and we have a full menu, business will pick up and Tony can take a day off each week. Until then, "crazy" is our normal and we wouldn't trade it for anything (not even our former jobs).

Caribe Caribbean Bistro Now Open

2010-03-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

Some photos of the dining room

The Grilled Cuban Sandwich, served with pineapple mango cole slaw and plantain chips

Heidi (me) with the new sidewalk sign

Wow, it's been a long time since I blogged. With the whirlwind of activity since we took over Jay's Cafe to turn it into Caribe, it's been easier for me to type a sentence here & there on Facebook and Twitter. But today is a big day...worthy of blogging. Today the new 20 foot yellow awning with the "Caribe" logo was installed on our building. Which means we are officially to be called "Caribe" now, and no longer Jay's Cafe.

As many of you who have frequented the restaurant know, it's been a work in progress since December when we took over. I've been sneaking in the building after hours to work on painting the walls, with the help of family and friends, and the interior is nearly finished. Still some projects to do, but the whole place looks different already with bright, bold colors, tropical foliage, and soon a mural will cover the one remaining white wall.

Tony's been slowly adding to the menu since we took over, too, and it's been great to get your feedback on the new dishes. Breakfast on the weekends continues to be our busiest days, but once we complete the kitchen and change the dinner menu (lots of new appetizers and some tasty new entrees!), we're confident Caribe will be just as popular as a dinner destination.

Speaking of the kitchen, an important date to make a note of is March 29th. That day we will be closing down for a couple of weeks as we have our kitchen remodeled. We are having a huge new hood system put in, which means holes cut in the ceiling, duct work relocated, electrical, gas, plumbing...all of that worked on. Once that new hood system is in place, we can hook up a deep fryer and grill, which will add several new dishes to our menu!

Until then, we are open and would love to have you stop in. We appreciate our loyal customers more than you know and it's you who have carried us through this challenging transition time.

We're so excited for spring and for all the new projects we have in the works. I'll keep you posted here, and as always, on Facebook, too!

Heidi (the chef's wife)

New Caribe items on Jay's Cafe menu

2010-01-28T10:11:00.000-06:00

Excited to try Caribe's menu? Well, you don't have to wait any longer!

Just as changes are slowly happening to the building (painting, decorating, cleaning up, etc.), we are slowly changing the menu at Jay's Cafe, taking out old items and adding in Tony's Caribe menu items as ingredients and equipment become available.

I wanted to post a few new dishes that are available right now at Jay's Cafe, future home of Caribe. Watch for more dishes to be added this winter until we change over completely this spring.

Mmmm....Sandwiches

The two new grilled sandwiches are grilled "Caribbean style" using a flat iron grill. It's basically a panini grill, but with flat grill surfaces. The bread used for these is a Cuban style bread. Since Tony added these to the menu this past week, they have been very popular.

Also new today are the cold sandwiches, ham/swiss or turkey/cheddar, each served on Puerto Rican Sobao Bread with avocado mayo. If you've been following us on Facebook or Twitter, you've probably read all my posts about our quest for this bread. We finally found a small family-owned Spanish bakery in St. Paul who was willing to make this special recipe for these sandwiches. It's a baguette-shaped loaf, soft and white, and slightly sweet. We talked to several bakeries and nobody was willing to try the recipe. So we're excited to finally have this bread! Tony picked it up this morning and said the smell of the fresh-baked bread reminded him of the bakeries in Puerto Rico.

Jumbo Shrimp for lunch

The new lunch entree debuts today. Tony was telling me this morning about the enormous size of the jumbo shrimp he just got in for the new Papaya Garlic Jumbo Shrimp. It sounds delicious. I'm usually at home, so I don't get to try these dishes until Tony brings some home for me to taste! If you do try it, be sure and let us know what you think. Tony's always open to feedback and will adjust the menu to best suit our customers.

New on the lunch menu..............

Grilled Cuban Sandwich
Roasted pulled pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles on Cuban bread, served with plantain chips and garlic chili pineapple coleslaw. $10.00

Jerk Chicken Sandwich
Spicy grilled jerk chicken, topped with caramelized onions on Cuban bread. Served with plantain chips and garlic chili pineapple coleslaw. $9.50

1/2 Sandwich Combo
1/2 cold sandwich served with cup of soup and side salad. $9.00

Sandwich choices:
Turkey and Cheddar with Avocado Mayo served on Puerto Rican Sobao Bread
Ham and Swiss with Avocado Mayo served on Puerto Rican Sobao Bread

Cup of soup of the day:
(ask your server about our daily special)

Side salad:
Mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette.

Papaya Garlic Jumbo Shrimp
2 sauteed jumbo shrimp with garlic, red onions, and papayas served over white rice. $11.00

New on the Dinner menu..............

(New Caribe Salad)

Arugula & Spinach Salad
with avocado, oranges, tomatoes, candied zests and citrus vinaigrette. $7

(New Caribe Entree)

Mahi Mahi
Pan seared Mahi Mahi on garlic mash with celeriac, topped with butter lemon tomato sauce $16

New on the Breakfast menu..............

Smoked Salmon Croquettes
Pan seared, house cured and smoked salmon croquettes topped with citrus beurre blank on a bed of mixed greens. $12

Sweet Potato Pancake
Topped with papaya compote, candied pecans and whipped cream. $8

Pan de Majorca
Grilled Majorca roll with powdered sugar and butter. $3.50

Valentine's Day at Jay's Cafe (future home of Caribe)

2010-01-23T21:06:00.000-06:00

Looking for ideas for this Valentine's Day?

We will have live acoustic guitar and vocals by Phil Berbig on Valentine's Day, Sunday Feb. 14 from 5-9pm (no cover charge). In addition to Jay's Cafe regular dinner menu, we will be offering a five course dinner for one night only!

We hope you can join us, sit back and enjoy your Valentine's Day evening at Jay's Cafe, future home of Caribe.

Valentine's Day Dinner Menu:

Five Course Dinner $50 per person.
A glass of Five Rivers Pinot Noir is included with each meal.

I
Tapas Amuse
Serrano ham, Manchego cheese and onion marmalade on flat bread with cilantro drizzle.

II
Mussels Gratin
Mussels steamed, then baked with parmesan cream.

III
Spinach and Arugula Salad
Spinach, arugula, orange supremes, tomatoes, avocado, and candied zest with citrus vinaigrette.

IV
Salmon with Risotto
Pan seared, miso glazed salmon on wild mushroom risotto Milanese.

V
Pastel de Tres Leches
Three-milk cake topped with coconut creme anglaise and toasted coconut.

For reservations, call (651)-641-1446

"Mom & Dad-vertising"

2010-01-07T20:56:00.000-06:00

Phil and Rollie (Heidi's parents...the Chef's In-Laws) at Christmas, 2009

With as tough as the restaurant business can be, we'll take any marketing help we can get. Especially during this start-up phase we're in. And on my short list of top-secret advertising strategies that are within our budget (which is currently anything for, um, zero dollars) is what one might call "Mom & Dad-vertising." Seriously, there are no bigger fans of our crazy endeavors than our parents. I guess we're pretty lucky in that regard.

Back when my sister and I were in college and drew up plans for a booth to sell airbrush t-shirts and face painting at our county fair, our Dad didn't bat and eye...built us a booth (that Gretchen still works at every summer, 10 years later), and both he and Mom proudly wore my airbrush T-shirts and told everyone they knew who painted them and how they could get one.

When I wanted to start an online business selling my T-shirts, they'd proudly wear them for other to see. And Tony's mom took order forms and business cards to pass out at her work and also showed off her "gear" from my shop.

So when our restaurant plans were finally becoming more finalized, I decided to make them some new T-shirts for their collection and give them out at Christmas. Each with the Caribe logo. One reads: "Chef's Father-In-Law" the other: "Chef's Mother-In-Law."

In addition to those I made one for myself that reads "Chef's Wife" although Tony's siblings were quick to suggest I make mine say, "Chef's Boss." Tony occasionally wears his Caribe shirt that reads "Grand Poo-bah" under his chef coat. You'll have to ask him about that.

Tony and Rollie (Heidi's Mom, Chef's Mother-In-Law) at Jay's Cafe Jan. 6, 2010

But back to our parents. Even if we had it in our budget to pay one of those crazy-excited people to wave a huge sign all day on the corner of a busy intersection (i.e. "HUGE FURNITURE LIQUIDATION TODAY ONLY 90% OFF!!!), we'd still not get the enthusiasm we genuinely get from our folks.

So thanks, Mom & Dad for wearing your shirts out in public, and Tony's Mom (who's also sporting her "I'm the Chef's Mami" apron!). Your support (and free advertising) means the world to us.

Old News (is still news!)

2010-01-06T15:09:00.000-06:00

In case you hadn't already seen the Facebook & Twitter posts, I thought I'd post here the first articles on Caribe in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Q&A with Tony Panelli, chef/owner of Jay's Cafe in St. Paul 

12/30/2009

Even people in the restaurant business eat fast food  

12/23/2009

Restaurant News: Caribbean bistro opening in St. Paul  

12/09/2009

Finally a "Real" Blog

2010-01-06T12:16:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to finally have this blog in "blogger"...Google based blog that I can update from any computer at any time and not have to republish the whole website to make it live. Yes, this kind of thing makes an internet geek like myself excited. So if you were subscribing to the old blog, you'll need to resubscribe to this one to get future posts in your feed.

Technical speak aside, it's one more thing I can check off my ever-growing "to-do" list for Caribe. And with this up and running, I'm able to not only share easier what's going on and post photos easier, but you can leave responses and comments. There's nothing worse than a one-sided conversation (aka: the first blog). So now our blog can be more of a dialogue. Welcome to the conversation.

New Year's Eve Menu

2009-12-16T11:04:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for dinner ideas for New Year's Eve, consider Jay's Cafe for an intimate meal!

In addition to the regular dinner menu, we will be preparing a special New Year's Eve menu for one night only. Dinner hours are 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Space is very limited (no, seriously! Our dining room seats 40 max.), so reservations are recommended. Call (651)641-1446 today.

----Wednesday update-----
I just got the menu from Tony & Rick! It will be a four course meal with champagne included. You have the option to choose one of three main dishes, and one of two desserts. Your meal will include salad, a fruit/cheese/meat plate, main course, dessert and champagne. Not bad!

And I understand Rick is making the ravioli completely from scratch. It sounds delicious, guys!

Jay's Cafe New Year's Eve Dinner Menu:

Four Course Dinner with Champagne $50 per person

-------------------
I
House Salad
Spring greens tossed with Cider vinaigrette, beets, walnuts, scallions, and blue cheese

-------------------
II
Artisan Salami
Thinly sliced aged salami, fruit, and cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

-------------------

III

Broiled Walleye
with wild rice, fried leeks, and lemon sage brown butter on a generous bed of spinach

Portabella Mushroom Ravioli
Hand made mushroom, squash and spinach ravioli in herbed white wine cream sauce

Pan-seared Beef Tenderloin
Beef Tenderloin with red wine and cherry reduction sauce, brussels sprouts and roasted vegetables

-------------------

IV

Coconut Wafers and Mango
Crispy coconut cookies sandwiched around lime custard and sliced mango

Rum Chocolate Truffles
Rum infused dark chocolate hand rolled in cocoa

-------------------

A restaurant to call home

2009-12-14T11:02:00.000-06:00

For months even our closest friends and family had no idea where Caribe would be located. Until we signed the purchase agreement last month, all we could share was that we had a location "somewhere in St. Paul."

Well, I'm excited to announce that today Tony and I officially take possession of Jay's Cafe! We have a lot to learn, but are excited for the challenge. Today the restaurant is closed, but Tony will be busy with meetings all day and other miscellaneous tasks to get in order before we open tomorrow for lunch.

We want to thank everyone for your continued support through the many months it has taken us to get to this far. I don't think anyone really knows just what an undertaking this has been! And it's all been worth it, of course.

Please help spread the word and drop by Jay's Cafe for a meal and to say "hi" to Tony.
You can view the current menu online. Until we change over to Caribe, I will be updating both websites.

Also, please take a moment to sign up for the Caribe email newsletter!

We look forward to serving you soon!

Jay's Cafe on Urban Spoon