ORSO Newsletter – December 2009
FROM THE KITCHEN
Saturday January 23rd at 10:00 AM join me at Spenard Builders Supply on Tudor and Minnesota for another installment of Bon Appétit Cooking class. What will I be cooking? Definitely something “Romantical” for Valentine’s Day!! And....ORSO will be present at the American Cancer Benefit at the Captain Cook Hotel that same evening.
On December 20th I was a panel speaker at a film documenting the Local foods movement, Ingredients. The film documents the local food movement in Portland, Oregon. The film discusses food - particularly local and chemical free food - with farmers and restaurateurs in different parts of the country. It is a very interesting insight into healthy food and how it affects Alaska as well. For More Information Click Here
Along the same lines, take a look at this article in the Alaska Journal of Commerce, and how ORSO contributes to eating local.
As the winter moves along we notice some of our farmer friends are not coming around anymore, because we BOUGHT THEM OUT of their winter harvest! Thanks to Mark Rempel for the beautiful winter squash, parsnips and daikon radish. He has agreed to grow more next year so we can celebrate them all winter long!
Alaskan Birch Syrup is another challenge to keep on our menu. Kahiltna Birch Syrup Company, outside of Wasilla is in a growth pattern and is completely shocked at the volume they have sold this year. Thank you for choosing to be our guest and keep our local food producers busy!
Our Fresh Fare Travels continue to Spain. A tremendously diverse and vibrant cuisine that is sophisticated with its history, yet simple with the execution. This will start on Thursday 7 January 2010. A few of the items you will see are a Shrimp and Reindeer sausage over a orange, fennel salad with greens, Alaskan grown pork belly - braised with apple, topped with a crispy Alaskan razor clam and a shredded celery root and apple mixture and Umpquah Valley petite lamb rack and house made linguica - simply seasoned and grilled. Finished with a Pedro Ximenez-fig glaze. From the bakery we will have an olive oil-citrus cake. The wine pairings for this event feature a wonderful albariño, a spicy garnacha and a well rounded rioja, plus a nice surprise or two.
All the best,
Rob Kinneen, Executive Chef
FROM THE CELLAR
Cheers to the New Year!
Are you familiar with our case of the week program? Starting every Monday we will offer an amazing bottle of wine at an awesome value. We have 12 bottles to sell and they go fast. Check out our Facebook page every Monday to find out what case we will be selling.
Our wine list is stocked plenty of wonderful finds, such as Lecinquevigne Barolo from the Piedmont area, a Wooden Nickel Petite Sirah from Napa Valley and a Cold Creek Chardonnay from Columbia Valley, with over 250 wines on the list, we think you will find a nice treat to enjoy.
For you wine lovers out there, we will continue our wine series in February. Chad Culley will be hosting it and we will have dates to follow.
Cheers!
Mariah Storter and Josh Biringer, ORSO Dinner Managers
FROM THE FLOOR
Happy New Year! What better way to start off the New Year than with a throw down. Wednesday January 13th at 7:00 PM is the date and time for our Wine and Beer Throwdown. Join us at ORSO as Chef Rob prepares a 4 course Dinner that will be paired with Glacier BrewHouse beers and selected wines. The goal is to see what pairs better with the food, the wine or the beer! Sommelier Chad Culley, and Head Brewer Kevin Burton will be hosting this fun event. Come and be part of this throwdown. Call us directly at 907-222-3232 to make reservations for this limited seating event. Chad is wondering if Kevin's taste buds and pairing abilities are up to the challenge?
Looking for something to do in the early evening? Don’t forget to visit us for our Bear Bites program featured every day in our comfortable lounge from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM. You can relax with a $3.00 glass of Cypress Chardonnay or Cabernet, $2.00 BrewHouse ales, $3.00 selected specialty cocktails and some fabulous appetizers ranging in price from $1.50 to $3.50.
For those of you who might not be in the know…. Our lunch menu features a wide array of lunch items. ORSO lunch features fantastic sandwiches, a great burger hand crafted from beef tenderloin, Alaskan Elk meatloaf and wonderful soup and salads. We serve lunch from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Monday through Friday. If you visit us between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM you will receive a complimentary sweet treat.
We also serve brunch on the weekends. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM till 3:00 PM.
Look forward to seeing you soon,
Anna Plumb, General Manager
Thanks for a great 2009 and looking forward to seeing you many times in 2010. Happy New Year!