Muscat and Smokey Blue

With our refined focus on cheese at BIN 36, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to start thinking about that thing so many of us do already: why do we drink wine with cheese, and what pairs best with what?

Let's flashback quickly to ten years ago. Y2K became, finally, something to laugh at, and the nineties were sadly a thing of the past. And wine, the drink we've now grown to know and love, was something strange, expensive, and for most people, intimidating. It was for this reason we opened BIN and structured the wine program the way we did. And hey, ten years later, I talk constantly to friends of BIN while they're visiting with us about grapes like garnacha, albarino, and verdejo (and we're just talking Spanish wines here!). Ten years ago, you'd have been laughed at to try and bring those wines into a conversation. Well, this is where we feel most people now are with cheese.

And you know what, there's nothing wrong with that! That's why we've broken our new cheese list into seven different descriptive categories:

- Fresh
- Bloomy Rind Soft
- Semi-Soft Washed Rind
- Semi-Firm
- Firm
- Blue
- Flavored

Doesn't that make a heck of a lot of sense? Rather than break the menu up by geography, and have cheeses on the menu from Italy like Robiola, Gorgonzola Dolce, and Tartufo--and have no idea that the cheeses are all so different from one another--it's no so easy to understand that Robiola is vaguely similar in style to a cheese so many of us know, camembert.

Which brings me to the fun part: washing the cheese down with a glass of wine!

With the tremendous popularity of our new Smokey Blue Souffle using Rogue River Creamery's Smokey Blue Cheese, I thought it'd be a great cheese to begin with.

Rogue Creamery is famous for their blues, and the Smokey Blue is pretty special. It's the first blue cheese to be smoked in the United States, and the process calls for the use of locally harvested hazelnut shells. Cold smoked over the hazelnut shells for sixteen hours, the end result is a cheese that is all at once sweet, creamy, and smokey, and so beautiful with a bright blue vein. So what in the world do you pair with such a cheese?

Well, how about an Australian Muscat?

Muscat is a grape grown all over the world, and we've been drinking it for a very, very long time. Scientists even found traces of the grape in pots found on the burial ground of King Midas--that's almost 3,000 years of Muscat drinking--suited for a king.

At BIN we're pouring a non-vintage Muscat from a vineyard in Victoria, Australia called Campbells. Think about smoked foods you've had before, be it tomatoes on a pasta or salmon on a bagel. You've got the flavor bouncing on your tongue now, right? Now think about what you'd like to drink to compliment that smokey flavor... something big, right? I'm thinking something big and sweet, and this Muscat is both. With a gorgeous amber hue, the wine packs notes of raisins and oak, complimenting the cheese perfectly with its long finish.

Have you had this cheese before? What would you pair with it? I'd love to hear from you!

Simple Pleasures

(Lobster Pots via Clyde Barrett's photostream)

You know the old saying, the most simple things in life are usually the best. I believe that saying holds so true, especially with food. The tough part is that the when preparing simple items they are usually the most challenging to pull off correctly since they usually rely completely on their own characteristics.

This morning I was reminded of how delicious a simple item can be as I was making a lobster butter. What a simple pleasure! Drawn or clarified butter with inherent lobster flavor. What could be better? We all know how well butter and lobster go together, it's melted butter you're dipping that lobster tail in, and for me, the combination takes me back to sitting sea side in a small coastal town. Well, combining the flavors will allow not only for this, but for you to use it as a dipping sauce for vegetables, a butter sauce for another fish, or simply as a rich foil to dip your sour dough bread in (that’s what I like).

Four ingredients, that’s all. Lobster shells, butter, tomato and tarragon and a pan to combine them in. Next time you buy lobster to cook at home, when you are finished eating all the tail, claws and knuckles, save the heads and shells and the next day prepare a butter that you’ll never seem to get enough of.

One secret you must know is that most of the flavor is in the lobster head so don’t lose that, the rest of the shells will give off some flavor but without the head it won’t be special. Next, remove the gills from the inside of the head, but keep everything else. The gills are bitter, toss them out. You are now in business. Get your pan hot, very hot! Add a touch of oil and sear your lobster shells, head included in the oil. Add the tomato and toss around with the shells for a few minutes, now add the butter and tarragon. Done! Turn down the heat and allow the butter to melt and clarify. This can take about 20 minutes at medium heat. Your butter will be a bright orange/red color with a sweet lobster flavor. Strain the butter and use it as you like. Freeze it and save it for when your friends come over. But never again throw away your lobster left overs!

A Week In, and Lotsa' Cheese

Cheese, cheese, cheese. That's about all I'm thinking about these days. We're a week into the "new" BIN 36, and it's been great. I have to admit that we were not quite prepared for the onslaught on Saturday night—26 Rogue River Smoky Blue Cheese Souffles (for two) is a lot of baking in the middle of a busy service, but we survived. Now that we know what to expect we are ready. The souffle is pretty tasty—especially with the Sauternes Syrup, so I definitely recommend it when you stop by.

I think the best aspect of the new menu is its versatility. If you want to stop in for a quick flight of cheese and a glass of wine, you can do it. If you want a multi-course, full on dinner, you can do that. Or come in before a show for small bites and share a bottle of wine, then come by after for sweets created by our pastry chef Tom paired with any of our unique dessert wines. Seriously, the menu works in so many ways. And the obvious souffle aside, there are three dishes from this new menu I can't stop thinking about...

- Slow Roasted Pork Loin Chop with Gorgonzola Polenta

- Roasted Beet and Laura Chenel Goat Cheese Salad

- The Grand Platter which is a selection of our Sliced Salami and 3 Cheeses of your choice

That Grand Platter is the perfect thing to share before dinner. And, I almost forgot, John is making an amazing Fonduta—the Italian style, not the Swiss (no kirsch in this one), just pure cheesy (and gooey) goodness. We serve it with toasted sourdough, apples and bresaola—delicious.

All right, that's enough for now. All this talk of food, now I'm hungry. See you soon!

The Pineapple "Almost" Upsidedown Cake

If you're reading this, then you must be well aware of the buzz around BIN 36 right now. One would think after ten years operations become mundane and things loose their pizazz, but that's just so not the case with us! We've got loads of pizzaz!

In the days to come we'll begin sharing pictures of the new food at BIN, as well as changes made to the interior during our closure, and really begin to hit our stride with this blog. There's certainly no shortage of content, that's for sure.

Which brings me to our pastry chef Tom, who brilliantly assembled this new dessert for BIN:

It's our Pineapple "Almost" Upsidedown Cake. It's on the menu now, and certainly waiting for you to claim it!

Smokey Blue Cheese Souffle

Tonight's the night we've been waiting for... the new BIN 36 is upon us! Their is such a great energy flowing through the restaurant tonight, flowing over from news that today Brian Duncan was nominated as a semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional (a brand new category) by the James Beard Foundation, to the brand spanking new approach we're taking to cheese--it's contagious! And that's why I had to share this right off the bat: the very first Smokey Blue Cheese Souffle to leave our kitchen. It's warm, crumbly, gooey goodness...

Southern Illinois Wine Tour

I had the privilege of presenting the BIN 36 wines in Carbondale, Edwardsville and Fairview Heights over the weekend. Those folks really know how to party! On Saturday, I poured the BIN 36 2001 Sparkling, 2007 Chardonnay, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Merlot, 2006 Syrah and 2006 D & S Proprietary Red Wine at The Cheesemaker in Fairview Heights, Il. This wine, cheese and gourmet food emporium has an amazing following, and with good reason. They offer carefully selected boutique wines, artisanal cheese and everything your gourmet heart desires. I met and tasted wines with nearly 100 new friends. On several occasions I was armed with a bottle in each hand to keep up with the crowd's enthusiastic reception of the wines. I was only too happy to oblige.

(the line for the wine...)

(...and pouring wine for the line!)

On my trip home, I made a pit stop in Bloomington-Normal where I attended ISU. My memories of the most delicious thin crust pizza at local favorite Lucca Grill were more than accurate. Pictures don't lie, but the truth is in the eating. This old school establishment opened in the late 20's or early 30's. They've told me exactly when several times, but I am always chewing too loudly to hear. You won't believe it until you taste it—ask my buddies Kevin Boehm (Boka, Perrenial & Landmark) or chef Paul Virant (Vie). I convinced them to swing by Lucca last summer on our way to a charity event for the Hope Institute in Springfield, Il. Seriously, check it out. A one of a kind original.

Damn it. I should have left a few bottles of wine for them. Well, I'll just have to go back. Road trip anyone?

Dare to Induldge...

With big change sometimes comes more change, and given what's about to happen with BIN 36, as Dan put so well, Tom Laurell (the pasty chef at BIN) and I decided to overhaul the restaurant's desserts. Even if you don't have a sweet tooth, I'd be shocked if there wasn't something from this new menu that wouldn't blow your socks off. Sure, there's a lot of sweet going on here... but there's a little bit of savory, too... Take a look, and don't silence those temptations! Your body's trying to tell you something!

Butterscotch Panna Cotta

Macadamia Nut "Cracker Jacks", Pedro Jimenez Sherry Granita

"Coffee" and Donuts
Maple Glazed and Coffee Dusted Donuts, Espresso Zabaglione

Lemon Souffle Glace
Blood orange cotton candy, grapefruit leather, citrus coulis
Trio of Rice Puddings
Tropical, Malted, and Chocolate, Caramelized Rice Crispies, Spiced Pineapple Sauce

Caramelized Bananas and Chocolate Caramel Ganache
Peanut Tuille, Caramel Ice Cream

After Ten Years, a Facelift!

(The soon to be gone BIN 36 Hummus,
via jmak's photostream)

I realize everybody out there is busy planning for a romantic weekend with visions of roses, chocolate and lots of champagne (or, BIN 36 wine...). And, we're busy making plans for the big weekend, too! It's always an exciting time of year - Did you know that over 9 million pet owners are expected to buy a special something for their special friend. Pet owners! It's true - and 8 billion NECCO candy "conversation hearts" are sold between January 1st and February 14th. I'm not even going to tell you about the statistic on the increase in condom sales...

In any event, BIN 36 has more exciting news other than the fact that 64% of men don't make plans for Valentine's Day until the last 48 hours (you know who you are...). But we've had some post-Valentine's Day plans in the works for some time now, and it's almost here. Beginning Monday, February 15th, the restaurant will close and receive a well deserved face lift--both inside and out. Floors will be refinished, paint will be applied, furniture will be cleaned, equipment will be serviced. And, we'll be closed for 60 hours. 22 tradesmen (and women) will be hard at work throughout the day and night. There's doggy years for dogs, what do you think restaurants years would be? I guess you might call this something like restaurant Botox--only cutting through the vanity? When we re-open Wednesday night for dinner, you will find a shiny new space and a brand new menu--with more of the cheese you love and a new selection of apps and entrees. Gone is hummus (I know, but it was time), but enter Fondue, Mac & Cheese, and Specialty Grilled Cheese Sandwiches--catching a theme here--and much more.

After 10 years, we decided to start over! Don't worry--the wine, the great bartenders and staff, and the cheese will still be there. But, we think all will be remarkably better after our baby receives some much needed attention. We hope you will stop by, check it out, and let us know what you think. Constructive feedback is great-- and really do let us know what you think. We'll even buy you a glass of wine to show our appreciation. In fact, post it on this blog. What better place to share your opinions? We'd love to hear from you!

Here's to 2010! There might be a foot of snow on the ground, but it's warm and delicious inside BIN 36!

Investor's Dinner (and Birthday Bash!)

A few Saturday nights ago, we hosted a ten year anniversary party for our investors and old friends up in the loft at BIN 36. Cooking for Chicagoans the past ten years has been, at times, extreme fun, hard work, frustrating, satisfying, exhausting, and challenging—all of the above at different times. But when preparing food for an event exclusively of friends, it reminds me of the core reasons I got into cooking. Cooking is an expression of love. It is an art and it is an expression of one’s self that you try to expose, and get to know others with.

So when we planned this event it became another labor of love. What to serve and how to serve it? Well, with friends and family we decided to serve almost like we would at home—family style, naturally. The food, not plated individually, is passed around the table, several servings worth of each dish passing from hand to hand and instead plated on massive platters. How do you like family style dining? It creates so much more interaction with the person next to you when you actually need to face them and make contact with them, doesn’t it? It’s the essence of dining.

The night reminded me of a few things about my childhood. When I was a kid, our dad wouldn’t let us leave the table until we finished our food, which was always a complete meal, and all the while each person in the family had to talk about how their day was. I hated this! I wanted to be outside with friends. Playing baseball! But no, there was no leaving early.

(Prime Rib, waiting to be butchered)

And the first time I saw everyone at the dinner the other night, the one large table in our loft and forty of our friends gathered around it, laughing and drinking and passing the food around as the night went on, the memories kept on coming. Specifically, I thought back on holidays at my grandparent’s home, our large family together—in the basement—the food seemingly flowing forever and ever. These were what people call the “teaching moments” for a chef. I didn’t know it then, but I do now, and I learned well.

(Cote de Boeuf, after butchering)

It’s thanks to these memories, lessons learned at the dinner table, that I have the love for food I now have—why I got into cooking and entered the restaurant business. And I’ll be honest, there are times when the operational side of working in this industry clouds these memories, but events like these are a nice reminder of my early motivations.

And wouldn’t you call that, in essence, the labor of love?

The night’s menu:

FIRST COURSE

An Assortment of American Artisan Cheeses
Crescenza, Bellwether Farms, Sonoma Calif.,
Grayson, Meadow Creek Dairy, Virginia,
Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Uplands Cheese Co., Wisconsin

Fonduta Val d’aosta
bresoala, apples and crostini

Mini Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

* * *

SECOND COURSE

Frisee, Fennel, and Watercress Salad
Lemon Vinaigrette

* * *

THIRD COURSE

Cote de Boeuf with Red Wine Poached Bone Marrow
Ricotta gnocchi, Brown Butter & Sage,
Spinach-Parmesan and Nutmeg Gratin

* * *

DESSERT

Chocolate-Raspberry Semifreddo Popsicles

The World of los Vinos Españoles

(Navarra, Spain via visablanda's photostream)

We're featuring some fantastic Spanish wines at BIN 36 right now and I thought it might be fun to share some of them here...

2007 Verdejo, Paso a Paso
La Mancha, Spain
- Medium bodied, round and juicy, with fresh nectarine, pear and chewy tannins.

2006 Tempranillo, Codice
Caltayud, Spain
- Sexy supple texture, medium-bodied, with a fleshy red plum leather and mineral profile.

2006 Garnacha, Tres Ojos
Caltayud, Spain
- Wanna know why Spain gets so much attention for its winemaking prowess? Try This!

2007 Monastrell, Castano
Yecla, Spain
- This full flavored, dark fruit and spice bomb will capture your tastebuds with black pepper scented plummy fruit and minerals.

2005 Prieto Picudo/Tempranillo/Merlot, “Alaia,”
Castilla y Leon, Spain
- A real winner with a mouthful of fleshy mineral soaked red and dark berries, roasted coffee and finely grained spice.

And for more on Spanish wines, the NY Times is always a great source.

Meet Me In St. Louie!

What do you do in St. Louis when the ballpark is closed, you've seen the Arch a gazillion times, and it's really cold outside? That's Right! Eat and drink your way through town.

I was in town recently, which takes me to one of my must stops for a fix. Annie Gunn's. This place makes my knees weak in so many ways. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, last week for lunch I had braised veal cheeks, accompanied by fried oysters, and a sunny side up organic farm egg. It really was as good as it sounds--so much so that I pinched myself repeatedly to be sure I wasn't dreaming. And then of course, the wine. Their program is killer, and features numerous Midwest wineries. Rock star sommelier Glenn Bardgett runs the wine show there--a living-and-breathing wine guide with the warmth of a teddy bear.

They also have an amazing market next door. It's the kind of place I'd dare a person to enter without walking out empty-handed. It's an immaculate food emporium, seriously reminscent of the meticulous detail you see in shops in Italy and France. This is where beauty and quality march hand in hand.

Homemade pies that make you want to hit your own face with. And did I mention they smoke their own meat? Smoke they're own shellfish. Seafood. And on and on...

Chef Lou Rook isn't messing around when it comes to food. This guy knows what he is doing. I've never had the same thing twice, and everything I've had--well, it rocks my world. Enticing enough?

As for other spots...

On Saturday at the Casa Loma Ballroom I had the privilege of attending a Mardi Gras celebration organized by Tim Lorson, Executive Director of Mardi Gras Inc. I also met sponsor David Clifford (Mr. Hot Sauce) for The Crystal Cajun Cook-Off. Local chefs and amateur cooks competed on the main floor of the ballroom live including beads galore, and colorful decorations. The food was awesome! I downed two bowls of shrimp etoufee from a legendary favorite, Johnny's Restaurant & Bar. Again, these folks don't play with food.

I had the pleasure of meeting and watching Chef Rich Lo Russo of Lo Russo's Cucina prepare an amazing crayfish risotto--I also got to sample the first taste. I hope the pictures serve its due justice. This gentleman has a magic spoon.

And while sampling Food & Wine magazine's top 10 chefs' offerings for 2008 in Aspen Colorado 2 years ago, I was blown away by St. Louis Chef Gerard Ford Craft of Niche. Well I finally got the chance to experience Niche, and what an experience. Our tasting menu included: Potatoes, mushrooms, soil Winter Salad-root vegetables, goat cheese, Farrar Out Farm Berkshire Pork Duo-sweet potato Chef Gerard has opened a venue next door called Taste, a small plate spot, and Brasserie by Niche in the Central West End. The guy's all over.

So yeah, brave the cold, and see what this great city's cookin'. My knees have yet to stop their wobbling.

La Bourride

A few years back I spent the better part of a wonderful year working and living in the south of France... I had met Jean claude Fabre while I was working in a small French restaurant in San Francisco—he owned a one star Michelin restaurant in the small town of Florensac and he allowed me to come work in his restaurant kitchen. Eventually, I moved on to a second restaurant, one owned by his friend, another chef, Claude Giraud. His restaurant had two Michelin stars and it was there, in the coastal town of Narbonne, that I was taught La Bourride.

(Narbonne Plage, via Sandra A.'s photostream)

I am sure you know of Bouillabaisse and I can almost guarantee you have tasted Cioppino—both are regional fish stews. But have you tasted La Bourride? Phonetically pronounced La-Bor-riid-A, it is a rich and lusty monkfish stew from the Languedoc region in the south of France. It relies heavily on pancetta, orange rind and potatoes when making it’s broth and is finished by enriching the broth with an assertive garlic aioli.

(La Bourride, via James T. Kirk's photostream)

We are currently making my 2010 interpretation of La Bourride at Bin. I have changed it up a little by using Sturgeon rather than Monkfish and accent it with steamed Little Neck Clams. I replace the potatoes with a spinach-parmesan potato gnocchi but still make a beautiful and rich garlic aioli to thicken the broth with. The broth is the secret to the whole dish, so rather than list a recipe for you to make at home, I would rather entice you so that you will come in the restaurant to try. Pair this with a well-balanced chardonnay and you can pretend you are seaside in the south of France in July rather than here-and-now, this tropical 14-degree Chicago winter night.

(spinach-parmesan potato gnocchi for La Bourride at BIN 36)

Bon Appétit!

Ten Years Later...

This is it – the inaugural post for the blog. In the coming weeks and months Brian Duncan, John Caputo and I will bring you all the best that BIN 36 has to offer – and plenty of surprises, too. Right now, Brian is in St. Louis working with some of our friends who sell the BIN 36 wines in restaurants and retail stores there. And just now, literally as I walked to my computer to sit down and tackle this first post, I passed John with a gorgeous red snapper beneath his knife, the fish straight from the boat. So what am I up to? How about finalizing the restaurant’s newest and greatest “renovation.” Believe it or not, 10 years into it, we are taking a fresh look at everything we do at the restaurant. There will be a new menu, a new focus on cheese, and, yes, a lot of cleaning, refinishing, refurbishing, and painting. This isn’t just a touch-up. This is big.

(photo via monsieur paradis' photostream)

And it only made sense to begin a blog to share in not only the changes coming to BIN 36, but in everything that we do. We’re excited to share our inspirations, our adventures and our dreams through this blog. Please join us on the journey, let us know what you think, and help us make BIN 36 the best resource for wine, cheese and good clean fun.

DRINK WINE. LIVE WELL. HAVE FUN.