August 5th, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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After separating from Niman Ranch, Bill has been working with goats and turkeys, but his real interest remains beef. For him, the ideal beef animal is older, more developed, grass-fed, and harvested while the grass they’re eating is still green. We’ll be getting…
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July 22nd, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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Aged Grass-fed beef, wild fennel pollen, and superior Chianti Classicos…sounds like a good weekend…
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June 23rd, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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A month ago we took delivery of two vitellone (young beef) from Mac Magruder. We only get these animals about 3-4 times a year and they usually go fast. Primarily raised on mother’s milk & grass-feeding on Mac’s ‘ice cream’ pasture, we hang the meat in our meat locker to help develop the characteristic, more concentrated aged-meat flavors. These thinly sliced… [make a reservation]
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June 18th, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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We’ve been getting the first local freshly dug potatoes from the Capay Valley for the past few weeks. The above beauties are German Butterballs from Full Belly Farm. When potatoes are freshly dug their skins haven’t had time to harden so they need to be refrigerated if kept more than a few days. They are creamier, less starchy, and sweeter, although the flavor is…
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June 4th, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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The kitchen has been busy this week, testing dishes & laying the ground work for next week’s Oceanic Dinners. Chef Canales took some time to show us what he’s doing with a top loin from a large swordfish just in from Monterey Fish Company…
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May 13th, 2010 by Bob Klein
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Beginning tomorrow, May 14th, we’ll have a new addition to the Oliveto Cafe evening menu — La Polenta. This fresh, whole-milled heirloom Red Flint corn polenta will be served with simple to exalted accompaniments that run the gamut from saucy meats, cheeses, poultry and wild game, to vegetables, mushrooms and fish stew. To kick things off we’ll be participating in the Rockridge…
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May 7th, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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Our first soft shell crabs from Chesapeake Bay came in two days ago. We never know how long the season will last, but we do know we’ll have them on the menu this weekend.
Also, Martin Bournhonesque, our source for impeccable arugula among other leafy greens, recently sent us a movie he made last September. It features his prized, antique, …
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May 3rd, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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Things are definitely feeling like spring around here. Meaning deliveries from our suppliers keep arriving with more & more new stuff. Meaning the kitchen in like a sparking motherboard of ideas. Meaning the menu is like that magic trick where…
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April 15th, 2010 by Catherine Meng
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Ever wonder what the difference is between those long skinny artichokes and the shorter broader ones? Bill Fujumoto cuts a few open and shows us how the differences translate on the plate. The trick to determining the size of the heart is squeezing the backside. While that may sound like a perverted proverb, when selecting artichokes these are wise words to…
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April 9th, 2010 by Pastry Chef Jenny Raven
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Anyone who ever rooted around in the back storage coolers of Monterey Market under the stewardship of Bill Fujimoto knows what a truly magical place it was. The relationships Bill fostered made going to Monterey Market quite like a treasure hunt, because he often only bought a small amount of cases of produce from some specialty farmers, and if you didn’t know…
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