Half-Way Update on Caribe's Kickstarter Project!

 

What's going on here? In short: Caribe was a restaurant that used to be in St. Paul, MN. We endured over a year of light rail construction, losing the bulk of our normal sales for many months until we finally had to close April 15, 2012. We are now attempting to raise the necessary funds to start over in Northeast Minneapolis. Join us on our adventure and help bring Caribe back to life!

Half-Way Update

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have pledged, shared the link to our kickstarter video, passed out post cards. Our gratitude cannot be expressed! Only 15 days to go until June 13! Your pledge will be instrumental in Making caribe 2.0 a reality! 

What has happened in the last 15 days? Below is an update...

Chowgirls Fiesta w/ Caribe + ArtCrank
Thurs, June 7, 7-11pm

• Free Caribe food samples cooked & served by Tony

• Real Piña Coladas & cash bar by Chowgirls Killer Catering

• NEW: Live Steel Drum Music by Adam Frank

• Artcrank interbike poster show also going on!

Join us Thursday June 7th, from 7-11pm at Chowgirls Killer Catering Parlor in NE Minneapolis. If you've already pledged to our kickstarter project, then let us thank you with some free food! If you're not sold on the idea, let Tony convince you with his cooking! Either way admission is free and everyone is invited. Please help spread the word...invite your friends on FB & make a night of it!


Everybody sing-a-long...

If you like Piña Coladas

And eating deep fried plantains

If you love Minnesota

If you're into champagne

If you vacation up in Northeast

Beyond the downtown landscape

Then come and join us June 7th

And help us fund our escape

RSVP yes/no/maybe here!

New reward added!

Still thinking about pledging, but want something fun in the mail? Check out the new "napkin sketch pledge."

What has happened in 15 days?

• 115 backers have pledged a total of $11,820!
• Backers from the US, Malaysia, and Venezuela!
• 587 "likes" to our kickstarter video (if 500 of those folks each pledged $25 we'd double our current total!)
• The $1,500 mofongo of the month club reward sold out!
• We have 10 guests for the celebrity party with Matt muenster ($500 pledge gets you and a guest to the exclusive event).
• We are currently 23% funded.

 

Fun events coming up!

Johnstock Sat June 2 from 1-3pm, our whole family will be volunteering at the info booth.

First Thursday Fiesta w/ Caribe + ArtCrank! Chowgirls party w caribe food samples and real piña coladas! Thurs June 7,  from 7-11pm

Are you in our video? Share it with your friends!

In the News

Media attention is gaining traction. Check out the latest story, to appear June 4th in print, online now at the Journal, Mpls.
More recent coverage on our project in the news...
Pioneer Press
Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
The line media
Fox 9 News

Big donors needed

We are looking for a few " big donors" ...it won't take many, and the rewards are great! But a big donor doesn't have to be one person (unless you opt for the eat-for-free-for-life reward).

Why not pool your funds with your club or group and get one of the dinner party rewards?

Or, do you know of a corporation that may have interest in supporting a locally owned restaurant and getting the private party for 20 people reward?

The clock is ticking...if you have creative ideas of way to help, or if you can be the next big donor, now is the time!

Good to know:

• If we don't reach our funding goal, we don't get any funding via kickstarter
• Pledge today, pay nothing until June 13, after which your card is charged only if we reach our goal of $50,000.
• You can increase your pledge at any time between now & June 13, if you decide you want to upgrade your reward
   
• More FAQ answered here (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Kickstart a new Caribe in NE Minneapolis!

"Kickstart Caribe" has launched!

2012 Valentine's Day Dinner at Caribe

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...

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

Tuesday, Feb. 14th, 2012

By Reservation Only: 651-641-1446
Full beverage menu will also be available. Prices do not include tax & gratuity.
---------------------------------------

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.



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

5 Course Dinner for Two
(without wine)

$80 per couple

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

5 Course Dinner
(Single person, no wine)

$40 per person

Banana Mango Chutney Recipe

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

(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

----

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

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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

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!

--------

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.

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

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


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

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!

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

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

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

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.