Wild Game Dinner at Cedars of Dexter

Below is the menu from our 3rd Chef's reserve dinner at the Cedars. It was a great way to enjoy the holidays. Chef Caleb and his team put together a wild game dinner. Guests that have been to all three dinners said that this was the best, and started asking if there would be another for Valentine's Day. 

mise-en-bouche

Mini Alligator Cakes

Tender alligator cakes with roast poblano aïoli and winter slaw

hors d'œuvre

Seared Venison Back Strap

with blackberry port sauce and roast garlic bulbs

salade

Duck and Pear Salad

Seared duck breast atop a frisée and radicchio salad with Bartlett pear,

crouton, and cranberry-pear balsamic vinaigrette

entrée

Wild Boar Ragout

with leeks, mushrooms and brandy

palate cleanser

Lemon & Rosemary Sorbet

plat-principal

Roast Pheasant

with Grand Mariner soused cherries, essence sauce

and candied orange zest

fromage

Shropshire and Cotswold Cheeses

with Drambuie fig jam and flatbread

dessert

Mousse Trio

dark chocolate, white chocolate blueberry and lingonberry

coffee / tea & chocolate

Germack Roasters Eastern Market Blend Coffee

Blood Orange or Creamy Earl Grey Tea

Chocolate Truffles

  Caleb L Cook | Chef Director | Morrison Community Living  | The Cedars of Dexter

Reserved Dinner James King Home and Ten Twenty Grove

We had Chef Brian Kempf's first reserve dinner at James King Home and Ten Twenty Grove on Friday, November 18th. Chef Brian and his head cook, Gabriel presented a 5 course meal with wine pairings in our Huss Gallery for a record high 17 people!

The night started out with a luxurious Lobster Bisque Made Fresh in House, which we paired with our House Chardonnay.

Second course was a Tomato & Hand-Made Mozzarella Salad

Tomatoes were marinated in a balsamic reduction while cucumbers were marinated in a basil oil!

Paired with a 2014 Pinot Noir from Lynfred Winery in Roselle, IL

Third course was Scallops 5 Ways

The different scallops were; Seared with Fruit Salsa, Poached on top of Gazpacho, Scallop Wellington, Bacon Wrapped, and Lemon Butter Poached.

Paired with a 2012 Riesling from Lynfred Winery in Roselle, IL

Fourth Course was Seared Duck Breast with Lavender Honey

Duck was expertly prepared with a lavender honey glaze, balsamic reduction and served with purple potato & roasted golden beet.

Paired with a 2013 Cabernet Franc from Lynfred Winery in Roselle, IL

Fifth course was Trio of Dessert

Prepared by our in-house pastry cook; Chocolate Cake, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Crème Brule.

Paired with our house Champagne

All the residents left feeling full with big smiles on their faces and have already started asking when the next dinner will be. I have to thank my amazing team for all their hard work and dedication to James King Home and Ten Twenty Grove!

Brian Kempf | Chef Manager | James King Home & Ten Twenty Grove

NorthPointe Woods Reserve Dinner

We had a fabulous Reserve Dinner last night at NorthPointe Woods. The residents and guests who attended loved how unique some of the menu items were. Most of those who attended have never tried items like Quail and Elk Tenderloin, but they LOVED it.

Katie VanderStraaten

Dining Services Director I NorthPointe Woods

Fall Reserve Dinner at Villa St Benedict

Villa St. Benedict Fall Reserve Dinner

As residents walked in they were welcomed by a beautifully decorated fall table and fall aromas.

Chef Jeremy prepared a 5 course meal accompanied with wine pairings.

Residents left with a full stomach and smiles on their faces!

Salad

Red & Gold Beet

Goat cheese mousse, red oak, black olive oil,

shallots, peeled sweet 100’s

Chloe 2015 Pinot Grigio

Intermezzo

Anjou & Vanilla Granita

Fish

Smoked Salmon

Potato cake, chive, roe, crème, watermelon radish

Canyon Road Pinot Grigio

Entrée

Duck

Crispy potato pasta, arugula, garlic, asparagus, black berry reduction

Provenance 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sweet

Roasted Apple Tarte Tatin

Vanilla bean, ginger bread, raspberries

Polka Dot Riesling 2013

Liz Blume

Hospitality Manager

Villa St. Benedict

Reserve Dinner at Villa St Benedict

The culinary department at Villa St. Benedict hosted a Reserve dinner for residents and their guests. The candle lit dinner was decorated by director, Katie Kunkel, and managers, Nikki Beckus and Liz Blume. The beautiful weather allowed us to host this event outside on the lounge patio. Chef, Jeremy Derango, put together the menu which every item was paired with a special wine tasting. The meal started with a Tomato Carpaccio salad, paired with Monties Pinot Grigio. A Honey Watermelon Shot for the intermezzo. The Foie Gras and Tomato Gazpacho soup was paired with a Monties Chardonnay. Next, Spaghetti Carbonara with a Monties Merlot for the main dish. This elegant meal ended with a Parmesan & White Chocolate Crème Brulee with a pairing of Polkadot Riesling. Residents and staff had a wonderful time attending and putting this event together.

Reserve Dinner at Villa St Benedict

For our monthly reserve dinner at Villa St. Benedict, Chef Jeremy Derango created a menu inspired by sea food.  All five courses featured fresh fish, crab, and lobster.  Local produce from Green Earth Institute and our very own green house on property.  The twelve residents were very pleased with the dinner and we are already receiving reservations for next month. 

A special thanks to Katie Kunkel, Liz Blume and Nicki Beckus for all of their hard work in making the dinner extra special.

 

Jeremy Derango | Executive Chef | Villa St. Benedict

August Reserve Dinner at Westminster Place

"Sittin on the dock of the bay," was the theme for the August reserve dinner at Westminster Place. Twenty-three residents were wondering if they were going to be listening to Otis Redding and dining in the garden room.  Well, to their surprise I had planned the menu around the song with some great seafood.   Many of our guests commented the creativity of the menu and love to see the variety in each dinner we do.   Special thank you to Darmo Polis for helping throughout the dinner.

Kyle Bulfer | Executive Chef | Westminster Place

Reserve Dinner at Westminster Place: Grilled

"Grilled" was the theme for  the this months reserve dinner here at Westminster place. We had 24 residents in attendance, which was the most we have ever had, and we started the night with a grilled summer smash.  The cocktail included , grilled mango , lemon-thyme simple syrup and splash of club soda.  The residents were very pleased with each course and look forward to what's in store for August.  Special thank you to Walter Iniguez and Victor Garcia for helping with the dinner.   

 

Kyle Bulfer|Executive Chef | Morrison Community Living | Westminster Place

July Chef's Reserve Dinner

This month we held our first Chef’s Reserve Dinner with Chef Potzinger as our Executive Chef. The resident could not say enough about this French Themed Reserve Dinner.

L’Entrée

Truffles on Toast Points

Le Potage

Classic Lobster Bisque

Le Poisson

Pan Seared Sea Scallops with a Saffron Beurre Blanc

Intermezzo

Lemon Sorbet

Le Plat Principal

Pan Seared Duck Breast with a Cherry Demi Glace

Le Dessert

Blueberry Crème Brulée

Le Fromage

Stuffed Brie with Toasted Baguette

 Katie VanderStraaten

Dining Services Director I NorthPointe Woods

From Twitter: The Moorings Chef Reserve

MCL The Moorings ‏@MCLTheMoorings

Our June Chef Reserve featured a Southern theme including a take on classic shrimp and grits along with a mojito

Westminster Place Reserve Dinner

On Thursday, May 26th we held our monthly reserve dinner at Westminster Place.
"Spring into Flavor" was the theme for the dinner and we started the evening with strawberry rhubarb sangria.  The rhubarb was grown in the community garden, and the guests were not only thrilled with the cocktail, but the crisp taste of our in-house grown rhubarb.  The dinner was well received by all and the residents look forward to June's pop-up restaurant reserve dinner.  A special thanks to Dustin McCarver. Dustin is currently in his culinary program at Robert Morris University.  Dustin will graduate in the fall, and will continue to help out at Westminster on his days off from school. 

Spring into Flavor
Chef Reserve Dinner

SPRING REFRESHER
Strawberry Rhubarb Sangria

FROM THE FARM
Beef Tenderloin Crostini
seared beef medallion | grilled focaccia bread |
applewood smoked bacon jam | stone-ground mustard
| horseradish crème fraîche cabernet sauvignon

FROM THE FOREST
Morel Mushroom Bisque
roasted morels | truffle cream | asparagus foam

FROM THE GARDEN
Frisee & Beet
frisee lettuce | grilled radicchio | shaved radish | golden
beets | teardrop tomatoes | dated goat cheese |
toasted almonds | honeycomb vinaigrette pinot grigio

FROM THE WATER
Casino Crusted Halibut
Alaskan halibut filet| garlic roasted fingerling potatoes |
grilled ramps | saffron oil | béarnaise pinot noir

FROM THE FIELDS
Bourbon Poached Pear
baby pear | butterscotch gelato | macadamia nut
blondie | praline sauce rose


Kyle Bulfer|Executive Chef | Morrison Community Living | Westminster Place

Chef Reserve Dinner at Moorings

Ever had a meal that left you feeling wonderfully refreshed? That's just what our residents had at our Refresh themed Chef Reserve Dinner, hosted by our very own Executive Sous Chef David Warner in partnership with Server Fernando Aponte. This exhibition utilized a new craze in the culinary world known as molecular gastronomy. The residents were Wowed with the "magic" that Chef David taught them as he presented his dishes.  The dishes featured were a Tea Soaked Halibut, SpinacH20, Blood Orange Jell-O Shots, Grass Feed Lamb Loin, and a Molecular Egg. By the end of the night everyone had learned something new and left for home feeling wonderfully refreshed.

Lisa Baumgartner in partnership with VP of IT Fernando Aponte
Dining Room Manager
Moorings of Arlington Heights

Villa St Benedict Reserve Dinner

Chef Jeremy DeRango at Villa St. Benedict hosted his monthly reserve dinner and the menu as followed.  The theme was parings.  For me each component in the dish complemented each other to help create a memorable experience.  

 

Roasted Chestnut Soup with crispy pancetta

 

House cured salmon with soft poached truffled egg

 

Lamb Shank /w saffron risotto & English peas

 

 Chocolate & Peanut butter brownie with spiced pecans & black berry ice cream

 

 The residents & guests enjoyed the meal immensely and already are looking forward to the next dinner.     

 

 Jeremy Derango | Executive Chef | Villa St. Benedict

March Reserve Dinner at Westminster Place

"The Art of Cooking" was the the theme for the Reserve Dinner at Westminster Place in March. We had 19  residents and guests in attendance, and had high expectations for the dinner since this was my first one as Executive Chef.  We paired  each course with a suitable wine and completed the dinner with a standing ovation.  We have been hosting the Reserve Dinner for almost two and half years and each time the bar is set higher.  The residents enjoy seeing our creativity and are able to try food they wouldn't normally see on our regular menu.  A special thank you to Kristine Baral for doing an exceptional job serving each course and explaining the wine selection.

FROM THE GRILL
CHARRED ELK LOIN
roasted red pepper jam | toasted baguette | mint scented oil

EMULSIFIER
FRISEE SALAD
apple-wood bacon | soft boiled egg | red onion marmalade vinaigrette

RAPID FIRE
SEARED SEA SCALLOP
toasted red quinoa | celery root puree | lemon drop caviar | local micro greens

QUICK CHILL
INTERMEZZO
Watermelon Basil Sorbet

HIGH SURF AND SLOW TURF
MERLOT BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB
lobster risotto | wilted spinach | broiled shrimp | local Gruyere cheese

FRIZZLE

GRANNY SMITH APPLE FRITTER

vanilla brandy gelato | fresh caramel | pecan dust

Kyle Bulfer|Executive Chef | Morrison Community Living | Westminster Place

Chef Reserve Dinner at NorthPointe Woods

This month we held our last Chef’s Reserve Dinner with Chef Nicole here at NorthPointe Woods. To stay in line with National Nutrition Month, her theme for this dinner was Fresh Vegetables. Chef Nicole wanted to show our residents that it’s possible to have a hearty and flavorful meal without the use of meat. The residents were very impressed with the colors and flavors that Nicole presented with this dinner.

Chef’s Reserve Dinner

Amuse-Bouche

Petite Bloody Mary

Soup

Spring vegetable bouillabaisse

Salad

Pink grapefruit & watermelon radish salad

  

Entrée

Portabella millefeuille with butter nage

  

Dessert

Chilled lemon soufflé

  

Katie VanderStraaten

Dining Services Director I NorthPointe Woods

February Reserve Dinner at the Cedars of Dexter

Valentine Day Dinner

mise-en-bouche Shiitake and Olive Flatbread with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary, pecorino Romano, fig balsamic reduction and red Bella di Cerignola Olive hors d'œuvre Sun-dried Tomato Consommé with celeriac, scallop, toasted amaranth and organic basil quenelles salade Bibb Salad Tender Bibb lettuce with roasted beets, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and clementine dressing entrée Lobster Medallions Lobster tail medallions nestled atop a bed of angel hair pasta with crawfish butter, parmesan cheese and chives palate cleanser Poire Williams Sorbet plat-principal Roasted Tenderloin of Beef with beef essence, Gruyère potato gratin, rainbow carrots, spinach and arugula timbale fromage Michigan Brie with house made blue cheese & walnut crackers and pear preserves Dessert Vanilla Trio Bourbon soaked vanilla sponge cake with tri-vanilla crème, vanilla Chantilly cream and macadamia nut crunch Coffee / Tea & Chocolate Peru Tupac Amaru Coffee Earl Grey Tea / Strawberry Mint Lavender Raspberry Heart Chocolate Truffles Champagne Chocolates – Mount Clemens, Michigan

Reserve Dinner at King Home

This month's "Sparkle in Love" Reserve Dinner was a blast!

We had a delicious five course meal that turned out beautifully.

The first course was a warm onion tart with thyme crème paired with a slightly sweet Gewurztraminer.  Second course was a rich lobster bisque topped with fresh lobster and a garlic crostini paired with a tangy unoaked chardonnay.  We had a nice palate cleansing intermezzo of champagne sorbet. We then moved on to the main course, roasted rack of lamb with a red wine mint sauce, duchess potatoes and winter white asparagus.  We paired it with a bold Chianti.  We brought the dinner to a close with a decadent dessert of a chocolate trio combination.  This included lavender infused white hot chocolate, milk chocolate covered strawberry and a dark chocolate cake bite.  The guests were thrilled with the meal and even gave our staff a round of applause at the end.  Everyone had an excellent time.

Danielle Eckstrom

Executive Chef

King Home

Villa St Benedict's Reserve Dinner

For this month's reserve dinner here at Villa St. Benedict the theme was parings. Since Valentine's Day was right around the corner I wanted each dish to feel like it would be incomplete without the other component in the dish.  

First 

 Roasted Sunchoke and Brandy Soaked Pear Soup  

 Second 

Blue fin tuna tartare with avocado, plantain chips and sofrito

Third 

Basil & Meyer lemon granita

Fourth 

Seared scallops with truffled crisps, and carrot puree  

Fifth 

Apple tart, with cinnamon short bread cookie and roasted apple ice cream  

The residents as always had a great time and already looking forward to next months dinner. 

Jeremy Derango | Executive Chef | Villa St. Benedict