On the way up to our weekend getaway with friends, Susann, Dave and I stopped at our old school for lunch. We wanted to try out the new Caterina, but since that was booked for a private party we chose American Bounty.
American Bounty has always been my favorite of the 4 restaurants, and it did not disappoint. Dave and I were also pleased to see that Chef Phillips was in the kitchen. We had both had him for Stage (a class that I'm not even sure still exists, the curriculum has been changed up quite a bit since we left). Everytime I saute mushrooms I think of Chef Phillips, who always made sure we didn't stir them after putting them in the pan. You let them cook undisturbed, which lets the water in the mushrooms evaporate so they will brown faster and not end up stewing in their own juices. Chef Phillips always had some great vegetarian options, so I knew I'd be all set for lunch.
Here's what we all ordered:
- A sampling of three soups: Butternut Squash Apple Cider Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil, Minnesota Smoked Wild Rice Soup and New England Clam and Seafood Chowder. (pictured above)
- A sampling of three salads: Spring Greens - Tiny Greens with Spring Herbs, Shaved Fennel and Truffles, Lemon Vinaigrette. McEnroe Organic Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Pine Nuts, Arugula and Spinach, Southern Corn Dressing with Lime and Fresh Thyme. Mixed Greens with Plums, Macadamia and Aged Coach Farm Goat Cheese Plum Dressing.
- McEnroe Organic Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Pine Nuts, Arugula and Spinach, Southern Corn Dressing with Lime and Fresh Thyme. (pictured above)
- Seared Wild Pacific King Salmon on a Syrah Blackberry Reduction - Crispy Polenta with Aged Coach Farm Goat Cheese and Glazed Baby Carrots. (pictured above)
- Native American Sampler - Corn Flautas filled with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese on Red Chili Sauce. Black Bean Masa Crepe with Quinoa, Herbs and Cheeses, Mango Salsa, on Black Bean Sauce. (pictured above)
- Grilled Pork Chop with a Plum Gastrique, Butternut Squash, Corn Pudding, Pickled Peaches and Pecan Butter. (Susann, did I get that mostly right, no description online... how rude of them!)
- Chocolate Piñon Bombe on Prickly Pear Sauce and Ancho Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream. (pictured above)
- Pineapple Bundt Cake on Mango Sauce with Coconut Ice Cream.
- A bottle of Miner Viognier (will see if I can find the vintage).
Between our entrees and dessert, Chef Phillips came out to say hi and we chatted for a bit about other school chefs, the new curriculum and all of the new buildings on the grounds now. And another reason why 'It's a small world'... the student who waited on our table is from the city right next to my hometown, the city where my mom grew up and where I spent many an hour skating at the local rink.
After lunch we walked around and showed Susann our old classrooms, the library, the bookstore and the new cafe. We saw another one of our chefs, Chef Griffiths and Dora, who Dave worked for while at school. Of course we bought a few treats at the cafe for the weekend, including challah and a semolina bread, delicious cookies (chocolate chunk, peanut butter and mudslide) and my personal favorite - chocolate caramel apples with pecans. Yum!
