Dear Friends,
Happy Fall, Y'all!🍂
Summer has officially come to a close, and I am so excited to start preparing for the holiday season! We are looking forward to the eventful months ahead and the cooler patio weather that comes with it!
We are also ecstatic to announce that two new menu items will be making their debut this month -- keep scrolling to read more!
As the holiday season approaches, consider having your company gathering or holiday party at Napa Café in any of our spacious dining rooms that can comfortably seat up to 65 guests!
I recently embarked on the frightening journey of gardening. Since starting, I have asked a million and one questions to anyone that will listen about this fascinating and challenging world of gardening. To think, I first started this process with kitchen shears and a dream, but those only got me so far!
With the right utensils, and people that pretend to delightfully listen to my various questions (you know who you are), I now have a beautiful garden that is flourishing! Whether it be a beautiful bush of hydrangeas or a wonderful hibiscus flower that leaves me by night, the work is nothing compared to the beauty that surrounds me!
The next time you are in Napa Café, let me know of any tips you can pass along to this beginner! We would love to feature your tips in the next
Garden with Glenda!
Here's what you can look forward to in this newsletter:
- Thank You for Dining with Us!
We look forward to seeing you for dinner soon!
Cheers!
Glenda Hastings and the Napa Café Family
|
|
Hastings' Tastings: DiamAndes Gran Reserva Malbec – Cabernet 2017
|
|
We are slipping into cooler evenings and this month our Hastings Tastings will make your nights extra warm and cozy while being a perfect companion for heartier dishes.
This particular vintage is full body with lots of black fruits-blackberry and blueberry,
DiamAndes de Uco Grande Reserve is a blended wine based on a majority of Malbec, the king grape variety of Argentina. Made exclusively from black fruits-blackberry and blueberry, from the region, the Malbec brings roundness, a hint of smoke and leather, with delicate tannins and a very long finish… absolutely delicious with our stout braised short ribs!
DiamAndes Grande Reserve is aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of 20 months and kept at the bodega for 3 years before being marketed. Intense and seductive, it has that touch of elegance that gives it unparalleled balance.
|
|
As they say, variety is the spice of life!
We are so excited to feature two new menu items that will be making their debut this month!
|
|
 |
Sea Scallops
with green onion and bacon relish, hot bacon dressing, rosemary polenta, crispy brussels sprout petals
|
|
|
|
Bronzed Tuna
Moroccan spiced caramelized onions scented with mint and cinnamon, marinated warm lentils, creamy whipped cauliflower
|
|
|
|
From my garden...isn't she gorgeous!
One of the things I love about having these beautiful petals in my garden is that I get to have fresh flowers in the restaurant every day without having to take away the beauty from the garden. Having this rewarding hobby has caused me to spend more time outside, allowing me to appreciate my surroundings and the greenery around me even more than before!
These particular hibiscus flowers bloom each morning and die off by the end of the day. I leave them intact for the neighbors to enjoy all day and snip right before I come into Napa and share with you.
|
|
One of my favorite teas to enjoy when the weather begins to cool down is a sweet and slightly tart hibiscus tea! Hibiscus tea greatly supports the liver... it's warm, healing, and very rejuvenating for the liver.
Try a cup to begin or end your day. Add local honey for extra healing benefits. ALWAYS buy organic tea. My favorite brand is Traditional Medicinals. This particular blend has a touch of blackberry and lemongrass to add depth and a little zing.
|
|
Recipe of the Month: Short Rib Ragù with Pappardelle |
|
This pasta is a huge hit that we occasionally feature as a special in the Fall and Winter seasons.
At Napa Café we toss the pasta in our bacon tomato gravy before topping it off with the ragù.
It’s one of my favorites…. I hope you enjoy making it!
|
|
• 3 pounds of 3-to-4-inch bone-in beef short ribs (make sure it’s a meaty cut)
• 4 large garlic cloves, divided
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups yellow onion (1 large onion), chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes with juices
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup of water
• 10 fresh oregano sprigs
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
• 1 package pappardelle pasta or tagliatelle pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
+ a little extra for gremolata
|
|
• This recipe is worth the steps and you will have pasta for days.. or freeze some for a quick dinner a week or two later.
• Gremolata is a simple parsley citrus “salad” that’s dusted on top of rich and meaty gravies and sauces. It’s a nice bright note for this ragu.
• Always use a great wine to cook with… cook with what you drink!
• The wide ribbons of Pappardelle pasta hold up very well with the sturdy short rib ragu. Tagliatelle is a great substitute.
• Enjoy with the DiamAndes Gran Reserva Malbec-Cabernet! 🍷
|
|
|
- Preheat oven to 325°F. smash 3 of the garlic cloves; set aside. Sprinkle beef with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add beef; cook, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven. Add onion and smashed garlic to Dutch oven; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Add wine, water, oregano, fennel seeds, hot sauce, and allspice; stir to combine. Nestle beef into sauce. Bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat and cover.
- Transfer Dutch oven to preheated oven. Bake until meat is falling off the bone, 2 hours, 30 minutes to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Remove and discard bones and oregano sprigs. Skim fat from surface. Using 2 forks, shred beef in Dutch oven. Stir orange juice into ragù. The ragù can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. While pasta cooks, finely grate remaining garlic clove. Stir together grated garlic, parsley, and orange zest in a small bowl for the gremolata. Divide cooked pasta in pasta bowls and top with warm ragù and gremolata (optional)
|
|
Thank You for Dining with Us! |
|
|
|
📷: Deidre Gordin Stephen Hartley |
|
|
Duck Confit
braised duck, cherry gastrique,
creamy rosemary poleta
|
|
Pork Chop
dry-aged heritage Duroc ribeye chop, roasted granny smith apple sauce, apple ginger demi-glace, smoked bacon & blue cheese mashed potatoes
|
|
Carpenter Art Garden Yard Hearts |
|
Decorate your yard this spring season with a Carpenter Art Garden yard heart- available at Napa Café!
Yard Hearts help raise funds for the children of Carpenter Art Garden and awareness for Le Bonheur Children's Research Hospital for $30.
Carpenter Art Garden is a non-profit organization dedicated to working with the children of Binghampton to promote each one's creativity and self-worth through exposure to artistic, educational, and vocational programs.
|
|
In Case You Missed It - Links to Past Newsletters |
|
From time to time, guests request to see past newsletters. We thought what better to way include them than in our monthly announcements?!
Click on any, or all, of them below and enjoy!
|
|
Ways to Support Napa Café |
|
|
Have Dinner
at Napa Café
|
Ask about our private dining rooms including Jan’s Room and the Wine Cellar. |
|
|
|
One of our staff members will bring it directly to your car or home, whichever is best for you!
Add a bottle of wine that we’ll pair with your meal!
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase Gift Certificates |
Purchase a gift certificate for yourself or to gift to someone else. There’s no better gift than to give to others! 💛
Call 901-683-0441 to purchase!
|
|
|
|
Write a review of your Napa Café experience on OpenTable, Facebook, or Google. Reviews are very helpful in being able to spread the Napa Café cheer! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
