Highlight Cheese: Abbaye De Belloc

Abbaye de Belloc is a traditional cheese made by the benedictine monks of Notre Dame de Belloc. It is made from the raw sheep's milk of the local red-nosed manech ewes. Because of the climactically frequent rains in this part of France, the ewes have exemplary pasturing. Although they have a healthy diet, the milking season for manech ewes is relatively short. Thus, the cheese making season in the Pyrenees is only from December to July.

image from Yvan Lemeur's photostream

The milk of the red-nosed manech ewe is gathered from local farms. Because Abbaye de Belloc is an AOC cheese (Appellation d'Origine Controlee), the pasturing and breed are tightly controlled by the government. It is then made in the same way it has been made by the benedictine monks since the 1960s. The recipe was originally developed off of the regional recipe for Ossau-Iraty cheese. It is made into about 10 pound rounds and aged 4-10 months.

The cheese has a dense paste surrounded by a firm, red, yellow, and brown rind that has been marked by cheese cloth. The paste has a firm texture but is mild and smooth. It has a nutty, caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with zinfandel or a good Bordeaux.

image from artisanalcheese.com

Valentine's Day Movie in the Loft

Everyone down here at BIN 36 is excited to bring back movies in the loft. It has always been one of our favorites events and though we have taken a little hiatus, Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect time to start them back up again!

This year we are creating a great setting to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetheart. We will be playing Moonstruck with Nicolas Cage and Cher. Both funny and endearing, this love story set in Brooklyn tells the story of the widow Loretta Castorini. Deciding she is ready to get married again, she chooses a safe and reliable man only to fall in love with his wild and passionate brother.



This great story has also inspired our chefs. Being Italian-American himself, Executive Chef John Caputo is planning a fabulous 3 course, Italian menu. While he hasn't given us a peek at the menu yet, we are sure it will help create the perfect setting for you and your sweetheart. In addition, our beverage director, Jan Henrichsen, will be pairing some fantastic wines with all three courses (as well picking the wines for the pre-movie wine reception!).

We can't wait to help you celebrate your Valentine's Day here at BIN 36!!

Bin School Winter Semester

Many years ago, as a novice wine lover, I remember the uncertainty and apprehension that I felt towards wine. I also remember being subjected to a lot of lectures about how an untrained palate like mine couldn't possible recognize a quality wine. I also remember paying way too much for wine because I felt pressured into it. I wanted to drink "good" wine. Because of this, wine education is really important to me. I consider it the main part of my job at BIN 36. The difference between the education of our staff and our guests is a blurry line because I truly believe that knowledge is power.

That said, I am super excited about our BIN School winter line up and am looking forward to the first "real" semester of wine school I have planned since returning to BIN 36. We have two formats for wine classes; mini bin and full length classes.



Mini bin schools are planned to be about 20 minutes long and we will taste two or three wines with a brief ten or fifteen minute question and answer period. Mini bin school is a little like speed dating. Our goal is to introduce you to the basic concepts, let you taste a couple wines in a more formal tasting environment, and then send you out into the world.

Our more traditional classes are an opportunity to really dig into a subject. We pour six to eight wines and spend about an hour and a half on the subject at hand. This semester we will dig into some of my favorite regions and take a long, hard look at pairing wine and cheese.

I can't wait to see you there!!

(Jan Henrichsen is the Beverage Director for BIN 36 and bin wine cafe and our BIN School professor)

bin wine cafe winter menu

It's a new year and time for a new menu at bin wine cafe. This year we are changing things up from our small bites and cheese flights to our weekly specials. And while the old specials are phasing out (we know you are going to miss the $5 burger), keep your eyes open for the great deals we will be offering this year!!

After the weekly Farm to Plate and Meatless Mondays, Phil and I have really been inspired to bring healthy, farm fresh items to the daily menu. So while we have our seasonal mixed greens and shaved winter veggies, you will also find that even our meatiest menu items are made with products from local farms and producers. We did keep some of your favorites (yes the crispy tempura green beans are still available!), we think the new menu will help fill you up in these cold winter months. We had a lot of fun putting this menu together and we hope you will have just as much fun eating it!!

image from health.slides.kaboose.com

bin wine cafe winter menu:


Crispy Garbanzo Beans
with cumin, chili scented

Mixed Olives
with fennel, orange, extra virgin olive oil

Hand Cut Fries
with sea salt, garlic aoli

Seasonal mixed Greens
with grapefruit, goat cheese, pistachios

Shaved Winter Veggies
with carrot, turnips, golden beets, parsnip, radish, watercress, red wine vinaigrette, shaved parmesan

Arugala & Dried Figs
with blue paradise, lemon vinaigrette

Grilled Bruschetti
with onion, almond, raisin agrodolce

Chicken Liver Mousse "Torchon"
with blackberry jam, sourdough toast

Veal Meatballs
with shaved parmesan, san marzano tomatoes
Burata
with extra virgin olive oil, toast

Crispy Tempura Green Beans
with citrus aoli

Wood Oven Calamari
with brandade, chorizo, fingerlings, sauce romesco

Mascarpone & Prosecco Arancini
with wild boar sugo, shaved dante


Charcuterie

La Quercia Proscuitto
with roast pears, mint, extra virgin olive oil

Fra Mani Toscano Salami
with ricotta salata, fennel taralle

Fra Mani Sopressata
with shaved fennel salad

Grand Salumi Platter
all three salumi, choose three cheeses


Pizza
(from our wood burning oven)

Red
with oven dried tomotoes, basil, mozzarella

White
with wild mushrooms, thyme, fontina, mozzarella, garlic confit puree

"Pepperoni"
with house made giardiniera, red sauce, mozzarella

Farm to Plate January 5th & 6th

Another trip to Green City Market, another farm to plate menu for you to enjoy. This week we stopped in to see Nichols Farm, Genesis Farms, Iron Creek Farm, and the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Co-op. As usual they provided us with spectacular produce in the middle of winter including gorgeous shallots, vitamin c packed turnips, and aromatic tarragon.

This week's main course is braised veal agnolotti. This house made pasta originated in the Piedmont region of Italy and is named after Angelot, the creator of this technique. First we are going to braise the veal which will break down any connective tissue and make it as tender as can be. Braising also allows us to infuse flavor and seasoning into the meat. Next we pinch the meat into each agnolotto. The trick to this technique is leaving an extra little pocket in the pasta to catch the sauce. Then we are tossing it up with a roasted shallot and parsnip cream sauce.

As usual, we are having a blast down here at the cafe and can't wait for you to stop in and warm up with some great food and wine!!

agnolotti image from wikipedia commons


The Menu....

1st Course
Butter Braised Turnips
with tarragon & stone ground mustard

pairing: 2009 Lecole No. 41 "Walla Viola", Columbia Valley, Washington State

2nd Course
Braised Veal Agnolotti
with roasted shallots and parsnip cream

pairing: 2007 Primitivo/Lemburger/Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Syrah, Thursten Wolfe, Washington State

3rd Course
Roasted Heirloom Apple
with caramel, dark rum cream, puff pastry

pairing: 2007 Late Harvest Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Chateau Cousteau, Cadillac, France

Sneak Peek of the Winter Menu

We are now catching our breath after a bustling holiday season. Resting a bit but looking forward to what is going on our winter menu here at BIN 36. Our Pastry Chef, Tom Laurell, is taking a much needed vacation to replenish his creativity. He is planning some exciting new creations for the end of the meal.

This year, our goal in the kitchen is to tackle some new products and challenge the chefs with some new techniques. I have been speaking with farmers and suppliers to see what different products they can offer us for the 2011 winter menu. Coming the last week of January, a couple definates for the winter menu will be a cassoulet with house-made toulouse sausage, smoked pork shoulder and duck confit. We also have an Italian Cotechino Sausage (creamy, mild pork sausage) appetizer coming out. Keep your eyes out for a great red fish being farmed out of the gulf!

toulouse sausage is usually made with pork, smoked bacon, wine and garlic

image from bangersandsausages.blogspot.com

Most of all, we plan to bring you some really great food, challenge your taste buds, and have fun. Looking forward to seeing you down at BIN 36!!

2011 - A Look Forward

As we head into the new year, I have been thinking about what to expect in 2011. At BIN 36, we are busy planning a wine by the glass change, a food menu change and getting geared up for BIN School which starts in a couple weeks. But, in the end, I am always reminded about what makes any restaurant tick - consistency in the process of innovation, quality in every new idea, and, above all, a genuine empathy for our guests. If you ever thought running a successful restaurant simply required opening the doors and waiting for customers to fill the tables, think again. Each year, the management team at BIN 36 decides an ever-evolving path. Of course, we stick to our core values - great, value-driven wines, surprisingly delicious food and cheese, informed and attentive customer service, but we never want to rest on past success.

In 2010, we began the year with a significant renovation and menu redesign to celebrate our 10th year in business. The changes, both in the restaurant and the plate, really seemed to hit the nail on the head. We had a great year and offered an experience we were all proud of - with plenty of fine accolades in the process. BIN 36 was even featured in the first Chicago Michelin Guide.

2011 promises to be another exciting year, and we have a lot in store for you - revamped BIN School classes, the aforementioned menu changes, a new wine by the glass feature which will rotate throughout the year, outdoor seating - something we have been working on for years! (yes, it will get warm at some point). We will be expanding our retail inventory with more books, wine accessories, and wine features, evolving our artisan beer menu, and, did I mention a new breakfast menu???

We are going to very busy in 2011. Stop by when you have time, have a glass of wine, and see what's happening!!