Wednesday, May 10, 2006

My Sunday with David




What a gas! Going back 10 years to the same comedic timing and style of a good friend.
We all met at Marja Martins' kitchen in Santa Fe. You may know her as Marja's Custom Catering. What a wonderful kitchen. I had a little something to do with it : )
David prepared a great little menu. Including duck mole, made from fresh duck legs he marinated and brought in his suitcase from California. Even though the menu reads super simply, everything was just dynamite. If I was younger, and didn't have kids, I would be on my way to Berkley to work with David again at Chez Panisse!!!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Wish I had some goat cheese

Grilled flat iron steak....Roasted poblano cream sauce, topped with blue cheese. I would like to have this with some excellent gratin potatoes, but we don't have that basic mastered at the restaurant yet. Tomorrow, we will have ANOTHER lesson...would anyone like one also? I'm gonna run it this weekend topped with some soft goat cheese and browned a little bit. It was most excellent. The flat iron is just the right amount of texture for me. You need a steak knife to cut it, but it is just the right amount of tenderness so you don't have to work too hard to chew. Very good flavor.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

David Tanis

One of the more influential chefs I have had the pleasure of working with will be in town this weekend to cook dinner for a Buddhist wake/memorial.
Six months out of the year, he is the chef at Chez Panisse and the other six months, him and his partner Randy live in Paris and host dinner parties. Their seventeenth century apartment is called. "aux chien lunatique"
I know David from Cafe Escalera in Santa Fe. I'd give you a link, but Escalera 'flamed out' years ago. At least, that's what it says when you do a 'Google.'

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Dinner...

Ah, the power of the internet...where else can you find such worthless information. Decided to grab a burger, and leave work in time to drive home and kiss my kids goodnight : )

Coffee

When Matt and I first started talking about the 'diner', one of the first orders of business I felt was to get a truly unique coffee for the restaurant. My first (and only) call was to Dave Black. Since it turned out that we had lots of time, we ended up going through just about every bean that was available.

I wouldn't say that I am like that guy that works for Starbucks that walks around a table set with lots of coffee cups, tasting one at a time with a tiny spoon, but I definately like my bean. My first pre-requisite was that the coffee be fair trade and organic, it's a small price to pay I think.

Dave and I settled on a Sumatran bean (here's some interesting info coffee research and coffee review) and a medium roast.

Just thought I should share a little bit of the background on the bean. I drink it daily...in moderation of course, wouldn't want to get jittery now would we.

More

New Menu

Okay...here's what's changing. I wish I could post a better copy of our menu, but I think the only electronic copy is on a computer in Bernalillo. I guess that's a good place for it, we definately shouldn't put it up on our website. Here's a scan of the Menu

Meatloaf...gotta be more summery, on top of that we are REALLY tired of dicing and roasting butternut squash. I'm thinking about some fresh herb blend, maybe some nice sweet onions. I think Walla Walla sweets should be available soon, but maybe Vidalia. Sautee'd chicories, maybe a roast tomato gravy.

Tuna Spring Roll...Matt hates it, I don't disagree, but I know people are going go apes**t on me for changing it. Matt keeps talked about a tuna 'caprese', which sounds cool, but he keeps bugging me. I'm thinking some toast, basil aoilli, red and yellow tomatoes, thin sliced tuna, and some arugula. Sounds like summer, but I need that one other thing to put it over the top...hmmmm, what could it be?

Definately need a new beef tenderloin dish...I personally dislike beef tenderloin, no texture, no flavor, just being honest. It's kinda like the pre-requisite grilled chicken breast dish every restaurant feels it needs. : ) I am getting some flat iron steaks in to sample.

Cool article on Flat Iron Steaks

The onion brick has gotta go. We just can't pull it off consistently. I think really good onion rings, (maybe with the Walla Wallas), served up in our cool baskets.

Steak Salad...working on that...as published earlier.

We gotta put onion rings on the pulled pork...it's REALLY good.

The Pork T-Bone is a real dog. As a result, the less of an item you sell, the less love goes into by the linecooks. Even though, I would like everyone to think I cook everything, it is my buddies on the line that are responsible for ensuring that my dreams make there way to reality.

Risotto...gonna make something springier. I'm thinking a kinda lemony risotto with lots of parmesan and a spring vegetable ragout. Fresh tomatoes, peas, asparagus, maybe some fava beans...I think that's dinner!

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Jay's a bonehead

I think one can now post comments...but only to new posts?

J

My Dinner...Hey, get away from my dinner


I am sampling some 'pub steaks...they come from the 'shoulder clod heart'. Thinking about using it instead of flank steak that is on our steak salad. Matt REALLY hates our steak salad, and I don't really blame him. Personally, I think steak and salad just shouldn't go together, but hey, that's just me.

Anyway, I marinated the steak in some J-1...damn that's some good sauce, grilled it, and I am eating with our curry sauce from the pot roast. Veggies and mash potatoes, cuz I knew I would be taking a picture of it. I swear I am cleaning my plate though.

Monday, April 24, 2006

New Menu - Menu Tasting

I have put together some new menu ideas...drop me an email with a good reason why you should be part of my menu tasting group.

jay@standarddiner.com

mmmm

Friday, April 21, 2006

Tribune and Journal

Albuquerque Tribune...thanks Carrie!!!

Albuquerque Journal...thanks Andrea!!!

BLOGS about us

I'm not sure, but if I link to other blogs that talk about 'the restaurant', it creates like a vortex or something, right? The good, the bad and the ugly to date.

'albloggerque'
great pix

'Gilgour'
scan down the page for this one...not the best review...

letter to the alibi

matt's response

very nice, thank you

one more

The Dish

I guess I should put a link up for this review...quite a nice one, but it was so early on, I kinda forgot about it.

The Dish!

Thanks guys!!!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

SIN

That would be Service Industy Night - Standard Diner employee discout applies to anyone with a server certificate and photo ID. That would be 50% off your food. ENJOY

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

My Dinner Tonight...I know your excited



Pulled pork sandwich, on our baquette bread and topped with onion rings...buttermilk onion rings, mmm. Soo soggy, soo crispy. It pays to be chef.

Til' tomorrow

J

Mother's Day Menu

Here's a peek at the

Mother's Day Menu

Make your reservations now!
505-243-1440

blogdate april I

kid's are sleeping, wife is sleeping (ever notice how close 'wife' is to 'wifi'? Coincidence?) trying to pound out a Mother's Day menu so we can get it advertized a bit and not have an embarrassing repeat of Easter. anyone have a Mom's day favorite? I'm thinking beer battered egg's benedict with green chile hollandaise.

time for coffee!!!