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[Jacob Burton]

Here's a rough draft of the Summer Menu that I'm planning on launching in a couple of weeks. Just curious to see what you think about it.

If you were eating dinner at the restaurant, what would you order off of this menu?

Apps

“Fish & Chips”
Diced Prawn Ceviche, Lime,
Mango, Pineapple “Chips”
~13

Deconstructed Sushi Roll
Spicy Ahi, Seasoned Rice, Avocado,
Cucumber, Nori Chips, Tsume
~11

“Soup, Salad, Sandwich”
Chilean Crab “Club,” Avocado,
Watercress, Carrot-Ginger Fumet
~14

Scallops Dynamite
Scallops on the Half Shell,
Spicy Aioli, Wakame
~12

Smoked Salmon Pate
Caramelized Onion Brioche,
Caper-Parsley Salad, Naval Orange
~10

Duck Rillete
Vanilla Cured, Watercress-Frisee Salad,
Pickled Onions, Truffle Grilled Baguette
~11

Lobster Dogs
Masa-Leek Breaded Lobster, Spicy
Red Banana, Green Tomato Coulis
~15

Soups
Miso Soup
Aged Red and White Miso,
Monterey Mushrooms, Sweet Sherry, Tofu
~9

Melon-Mint Gazpacho
Honey Dew-Mint “Broth”, Blackberries,
Watermelon “Yolks,” Togarshi
~9

Salads

Butter Lettuce
Naval Orange, Thai Basil, Toasted Pine Nuts,
Cilantro-Mirin Vinaigrette
~11

Shredded Green Papaya
Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Cilantro,
Toasted Peanuts, Tempura Long Beans,
Thai Basil-Vinaigrette
~10

Heirloom Tomato Napoleon
Buffalo Mozzarella, Fried Basil,
Tomato Vierge, De-hydrated Olive Oil
~13

Raw Asparagus Salad
Sliced Summer Asparagus, Shaved Pecarino,
Caramelized Shallots, Bacon Lardons, Balsamic Reduction
~14

Sushi Rolls

Thai Style
Shaved Papaya, Avocado, Bean Sprouts,
Salmon, Mango-Thai Basil Chutney
~12

Striped Dragon
Tempura Prawns, Ahi, Shiro,
Unagi, Avocado Tsume Sauce
~15

Turf and Surf
Beef Tenderloin, Lobster, Mascarpone
Cheese, Tempura Battered
~14

“South of the Border”
Ceviche Shrimp, Avocado, Jalapeno,
Cucumber, Sliced Lemon, Japanese “Salsa”
~13

Hawaiian’s Hand
Pineapple, Spicy Ahi Tartar, Jicama,
Mango, Macadamia Puree
~11

Cali’s Best
Crab, Cucumber, Avocado,
Strawberry “Sashimi,” Wasabi Tobiko
~14

Tropic Thunder
Pineapple, Mango, Papaya,
Jicama, Topped with Sesame
Seeds and Melon “Caviar”
~11

Entrees

“Melons & Beef”
Mirin Braised Shortrib, Sesame Seared Watermelon,
Watercress, Honey-Dew Mint “Pesto”
~28

Duck Breast “Au Roti”
Warm Potato-Fennel Salad,
Wilted Frisee, Cherry Relish
~27

Pan Roasted Salmon
Summer Squash “Ratatoulie”
Garlic-Thyme Emulsion
~29

Filet of Beef
Panko Fried “Mac & Cheese,”
Radish-Frisee Salad,
Heirloom Tomato Confit
~32

“Beefy Muscles”
Steamed Green Lip Mussels, Homemade Spicy
Beef Sausage, Poached Garlic,
Tomatoes, White Wine, Crostini
~27

Grilled Pork Chop
Ginger Brined, Citrus Mint Cous-Cous,
Grilled Asparagus, Preserved Blackberry
~26

Dessert
Warm White Chocolate “Panacotta”
Peppered Rum “Air,” Oregon
 Bing Cherry Compote
~9

Coffee and Doughnuts
Cinnamon Sugar Beignets,
Buttered Mocha Emulsion
~8
Vanilla Fried French Toast
Raspberry-Sour Cream Custard
Maple-Blueberry Coulis
~8

Valarohna Chocolate Bread Pudding
Lemon-Mascarpone Glaze,
Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream
~9

Basil-Berry Tart
Seasonal Berries, Basil Simple Syrup,
Homemade Tart Shell, Whipped Cream
~9


Let me know what you think!

[JamieFutureChef7988]

Jacob, all of your dishes look incredibly creative and inspired. I do have a few suggestions, which I certainly hope will not offend you. With the prawn appetizer, I think a lot of people would be worried about shellfish in a ceviche. Maybe making it a cooked seviche would ease people's minds. Also, I think that prawns are best prepared as a whole, to deliver their full flavor. Dicing them might make it difficult to taste the actual prawn over all of the other flavors. I might butterfly and grill or roast the prawn and slice it and place each half on a chip. With the deconstructed sushi roll, I suggest making a sort of guacamole with a tartare of fresh sushi grade fish and fried nori roll sheets. Again, I don't mean to act as an expert or trash your menu, which looks incredible, I just can't help the creativity within me and the ideas that flow.

[mommycook]

Jacob - all I can say is WOW!  The menu reads like a great novel - twisting and turning in unexpected ways.  I think the menu is exciting and inspired - congrats.  My only suggestion (and it's a light one) would be longer explanations - or maybe that's where the wait staff comes in.  Cuz there were a few where I thought "oooh, that sounds interesting, but I still don't kinda get what it is."  And I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to ordering - I wanna know what I'm getting.  Now I'm not suggesting you go all Denny's with a laminated picture menu...lol...but a tad more within the bounds of fine dining would work for me.    The few that caught my eye were the soup, salad, sandwich, the lobster dog (this was one of the ones where I wanted to know more), the filet of beef, turf and surf, cali's best and the bread pudding.  Can't wait to hear more.  Ok, gotta go, now I'm starving...

[Starkman]

You know, Jacob, I have such a dull palate (did I spell that correctly...palate?) and such an untrained palate that I don't know where to begin in trying to imagine how many of the items on your menu will taste.

Now that's just me, but furthering the frustration is that I cannot get around this problem by visualizing many of the menu items, which is important to me, since that's part of what helps me decide on a meal. There's plenty of ingredients in your dishes, but I don't know how to comprehend how many of them will look, which means I can't make much of a leap in trying to discern how they will taste...if that makes any sense at all.

Again, that's just me, but perhaps this will give you food for thought with regard to the way your menu is to communicate to your customers.

Thanks,

Starkman

[AmusedMouth]

I think the most important thing is that the menu made me hungry -- job well done.  I would order the duck appetizer, asparagus salad, "beefy muscles" (despite the unappetizing name), and finally the bread pudding.  The only thing I would work on is some of the language -- anything "deconstructed" seems a little passe, as does a "napoleon" of any kind other than the original.  Otherwise...yum.

[Jacob Burton]

First of all, thanks to everyone who has given me feed back so far.

@ Jamie,

With the prawn appetizer, I think a lot of people would be worried about shellfish in a ceviche. Maybe making it a cooked seviche would ease people's minds. Also, I think that prawns are best prepared as a whole, to deliver their full flavor. Dicing them might make it difficult to taste the actual prawn over all of the other flavors.

I've tried the prawn ceviche a couple different ways and people seem to really enjoy it. There's a specific flavor and texture that comes from cooking something with acid instead of heat, and if I were to apply heat to the prawns first, it wouldn't be a true ceviche.

The decision to dice the prawns came from the concept of the dish being something akin to chips and salsa. I want the ceviche mixture to be something that they can literally dip the pineapple chips into, and use it as a delivery system for the ceviche. The prawns would be a medium to large dice, where as the other ingredients would be a brunoise, as to not outshine the prawns.

However, this is just a working concept that I'll probably start testing next week; it's meant to be fun and the dish itself will probably go through a couple evolutions before actually reaching the table.

@ MommyCook,

My only suggestion (and it's a light one) would be longer explanations - or maybe that's where the wait staff comes in.

You definately make a valid point.  My thought is that some people can easily get lost when reading a "wordy" menu, and I like there to be a little bit of mistery with each description. But there definately is a fine line.

Also, its very important that my menu evokes some questions and creates curiousity. It gives your server a chance to engage you in a conversation about the food, which is vital (in my opinion), to any great dining experience.

@ Starkman,

There's plenty of ingredients in your dishes, but I don't know how to comprehend how many of them will look, which means I can't make much of a leap in trying to discern how they will taste...if that makes any sense at all.

First of all, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. But for myself, when I drop some serious dough on a dinner, I'm really disappointed if I can completely visualize a dish before it hits the table. I want to be intrigued and excited when anticipating the delivery of the food.

Also, my menu if fairly niche oriented. I believe that if you try to be everything to everyone, then you'll be nothing to no one.

I'll be posting some pictures of the dishes when I start the R&D phase, so maybe I can win you over once you get a visual of some of these dishes.

@ AmusedMouth,

I really like the title "Beefy Muscles," but then again I have a fairly odd sense of humor, that often cause this---> and every now and then this---> . I find that the act of reading a menu can become extremely monatenous, so I like to spice the descriptions a bit to snap people out of "menu mode" and to get them to really think about the food. However, I can see why the name might not be too appealing...it's something that I'll have to give some thought to.

Also, good point on the use of "deconstructed" and "napoleon." I think the term deconstructed is way over used, but this was really a place holder name because I couldn't think of anything more creative to call it at the time; a little bit of "menu block" so to speak. The "Deconstructed Sushi Roll" is a concept that I've been playing around with for a few months, and I pretty much alread have an exact dish that's going on the menu; but I definately need to come up with a new title thats more unique.

I also have to admit that you're right about the napoleon; for me its a nalstalgia thing. When I was an apprentice, the French place I worked had this beautiful heirloom tomato napoleon that really inspired me. I've taken the concept and made it my own over the years, with it going through a few different evolutions. Sadly, I think it might be to the point where its become a crutch, and maybe I need to rethink the dish entirely.

Just incase you're interested, here's a version of the dish I did last summer for a VIP tasting menu.


Thanks again for all the feedback so far.

PS. Here's a picture of the soon to be renamed deconstructed sushi roll. Its an earlier generation of the dish, and the picture was taken on my iPhone so its a little blurry, but it should give you a general idea.

[Zalbar]

Very pretty presentation looks good.

Unfortunately I'm not a big fish person, I'm going to assume that it reflects the local produce though.

Luckily, I love anything in a shell so, we'll start with Chilean Crab Club and proceed to duck breast au roti then finish up with coffee.

Maybe a personal pet peeve of mine, but I HATE seeing the words "homemade" on a fine dining menu. The only things I don't expect to be made from scratch when I'm forking out a good chunk of money is the olive oil and butter.

[Starkman]

@ Starkman,

But for myself, when I drop some serious dough on a dinner, I'm really disappointed if I can completely visualize a dish before it hits the table. I want to be intrigued and excited when anticipating the delivery of the food.

Also, my menu if fairly niche oriented. I believe that if you try to be everything to everyone, then you'll be nothing to no one.

I'll be posting some pictures of the dishes when I start the R&D phase, so maybe I can win you over once you get a visual of some of these dishes.

We do differ there, for sure: I prefer to see what the hek it is I'm going to be eating! (Hey, my eyes do more for me, sometimes, than my taste buds!)

And yeah, I forgot to mention, you do have a definite niche you're fulfilling, so that works perfectly, I'm sure.

Later,

Starkman

[Jacob Burton]

@ Zalbar

Maybe a personal pet peeve of mine, but I HATE seeing the words "homemade" on a fine dining menu.

That's a great point; but you would be surprised what passes for fine dining in this area, with a lot of product ordered in pre-made. The last chef that was here wasn't even making his own duck confit.

The term Fine Dinning is one that I'm starting to shy away from because it has become so bastardized anyway. I don't know exactly what to call it, but its safe to say that anything you order from my menu is homemade.  And that's a term that I will delete in the final draft.

[Lazy Home Cook]

Jacob,

I wish I could try it all! Your menu is huge. All that and sushi too!! It seems a bit much, but it all sounds good. I would love the Turf and Surf, why tempura battered? That sounds over the top.

Duck or Lobster for the starter, maybe both. Melons and Beef sounds weird. If I am eating at your place more than once or twice, I have to get it for the strange factor. Filet of Beef for the sides. Duck because it's duck and the sides are classic. I eat fish at home so it's not big on my eat out list.

All your desserts sound awesome! I am not a fan of white chocolate, and it still sounds good. The word "emulsion" is not food sexy in my opinion, sauce would do as well or better.

I love deconstructed, napoleons, and homemade. The word housemade is also fine, and got a write-up in Newsweek. I like to be suprised by my food as long as  it's good. Your plates look good! Thanks for the peek!

Sara

[wassit2u]

I think the food sounds great!

I think I would try:

Scallops Dynamite

Hawaiian's Hand

Pan roasted salmon

Tossup between bread pudding and coffee and donuts--maybe both  .

One little peeve, though.  You have, by my count, 16  cutesy items in quotes.  Once, maybe, to show your playful sense of humor, but after the 16th time I found it off-putting.  As a patron, I'm coming to drop some serious bucks on a fine meal.   Your menu is already lengthy and complex as it is, so please don't make me guess what you mean with half of the menu items.

JMHO

[Martin]

Jacob,
Great menu. All of it sounds fantastic. Thanks for sharing. Here are my choices:

Scallops Dynamite
Heirloom Tomato Napoleon
Turf and Surf
Duck Breast “Au Roti”
Valarohna Chocolate Bread Pudding

Martin

[Jacob Burton]

Here are some pictures of the summer menu that I've been running. You can check out the final draft by going to fredricksbistro.com


Scallops Dynamite



Tropic Thunder (Our Vegan Sushi Roll)



Lettuce Wraps



Salmon



Heirloom Tomato Salad



Shortrib



Green Papaya



Duck Breast



Pork Chop



French Toast



Chocolate Bread Pudding



Coffee and Doughnuts

If you're interested in seeing more pictures and their corresponding descriptions, you can check out the restaurant's Flickr Stream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredricks/

[Homecook]

Wow!

The picture of the Lobster Dogs on Flickr speaks to me. (All Minnesotans love food on a stick, it's a requirement of living here.)

Your description reads: Ginger Leek batter, spicy red banana sauce, tomatilio puree...

I assume the yellow sauce is the red banana sauce, where's the puree? Can you tell us how to make each of these sauces/purees?

Great flix!

[Unity451]

Those pictures look great!

On the Tropic Thunder, are those fish eggs on top?  Wouldn't that make it non-vegan friendly?