Culinary Idea Lab: May 2008

Abacus

Over the last decade, Kent Rathbun has achieved national recognition as a chef who defines innovation in the world of fine dining. Kent has been invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York and was nominated as the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest in 2000 and 2002.

Kent's Dallas restaurant, Abacus, has been a hit from its inception in 1999. After being open only four months, Abacus was awarded the coveted Four Star rating by The Dallas Morning News. Abacus currently holds the Mobil Four Star and AAA Four Diamond awards and has been upgraded by the Morning News to Five Stars. Dallas' restaurant industry has honored Abacus as "Best Restaurant" and for "Best Design". Abacus has also been praised by Food & Wine magazine for offering "one of the 10 most original, food-friendly, value-conscious new wine lists in America." And in 2001 and 2002, Wine Spectator honored Abacus with an "Award of Excellence".
Chef2Chef®

Lobster - Scallion “Shooters” Red Chile - Coconut Sake

Lobster risotto

Wood Roasted Foie Gras and Toast Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Anson Mills Serrano Oaxaca cheese grits

Kobe beef carpaccio, shallots, black pepper vinaigrette, fresh Key Limes and micro mix greens

Grilled Hamachi “Sashimi”, Cilantro - Habanero Salad Avocado - Lime Crème Fraiche

Pan seared gulf snapper, artichokes, mozzarella cous cous, heirloom tomato water vinaigrette

Oven baked Mac and Cheese

Curry Seared Diver Scallops, Black Beluga Lentils Fennel - Cucumber Raita

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon, Stir Fried Scallions, Spicy Corn Cake “Short Stack”

Taste of Chocolate

* Sharffen Berger Chocolate Pudding

* Valrhona Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich
* “Tiramisushi Roll” Nutella
* “Kit Kat” Terrine

The Elvis Parfait Banana Custard, Fresh Raspberry Jam, Peanut Butter - Malted Ball Ice Cream and Peanut Brittle……..”Hunk O’ Burnin Love

Custards
* Valrhona Chocolate and Caramel Crème Brulee
* Coconut Panna Cotta - Passion Fruit Granita
* Malted Vanilla Cheese Cake - Caramelized Bananas
* Spiced Blueberry Brioche Bread Pudding

The Bento Box
* Coconut Panna Cotta-Passion Fruit Granita
* Crunchy Five Spice Truffle - Pineapple Caramel
* Green Tea Shake-Black Pearl Tapioca “Tiramisushi Roll”

Dean Fearing's

Dean Fearing is an American chef known as "The Father of Southwestern Cuisine." He was executive chef for 20 years at Dallas' The Mansion on Turtle Creek, leaving in 2007 to start his own restaurant, Fearing's, in partnership with Ritz-Carlton. He is the host of a national television show, Entertaining at Home with Dean Fearing,airing on Food Network, and author of two cookbooks, Mansion on Turtle Creek Cookbook and Dean Fearing's Southwest Cuisine: Blending Asia and the Americas.

Yellow tomato gazpacho shooter

Grade “A” Big Eye Tuna Ceviche with Mango, Sweet Peppers, Coconut and Lime

Dean’s Tortilla Soup with South of the Border Flavors

Barbecued Shrimp Taco with Mango-Pickled Red Onion Salad and Smoky Citrus Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted “BBQ Spiced” Filet and Chicken Fried Maine Lobster on Queso Fresco Corn Potatoes and Cynthia’s Spinach Enchilada

Cast Iron Alaskan Halibut on Gulf Lump Crab-Sweet Corn Succotash with Tabasco/Bacon Gastrique and Sweet Potato Ribbons

“Big Tex” Wild Bay Salmon with Pretzel/Mustard Crust on Roasted Cauliflower Mash with Stinging Nettles, Shiner Bock Broth and Lobster Corndog

Griddled Georges Bank Sea Scallops over Wilted Brussels Sprout Leaves and Trumpet Mushrooms with Pancetta/Onion Jam on Roasted Fennel Purée

Butterscotch Custard with Apple Fritters and Pecan Toffee Ice Cream

The Cookie Plate

Pineapple Sorbet, Green Apple Sorbet and Blood Orange Frozen Yogurt with Warm Banana Bread, Crunchy Cereal Clusters and Pineapple Vanilla Sauce

Coconut Chocolate Almond Bars with Warm Chocolate Soup, Caramelized Pineapple and Marcona Almonds

Celery Salad

Fall Celery Salad
Shaved celery, lady apples, walnuts, toasted garlic, bleu cheese, gorgonzola vinaigrette

North Beach

North Beach is a neighborhood in the northeast of San Francisco adjacent to Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. It has a primarily Italian flavor. North Beach is sheltered from ocean breezes by Russian Hill to the west and often enjoys sunny days when much of the city is shrouded in fog.

Hog Island Oyster Farm

Hog Island Oyster Farm is a working farm where visitors can experience sustainable aquaculture in action and purchase live, fresh oysters direct from the source.

"Tomales Bay has everything a young growing oyster could want: cool waters, steady tidal action and a healthy supply of phytoplankton on which to snack."

Linda Murphy, "Farming Tomales Bay Oysters", The Wine News, June/July 2002

Foreign Cinema - Brunch

Open since 1999, Foreign Cinema restaurant has garnered local, national and international acclaim as a quintessentially San Francisco dining experience. We offer a daily changing California/Mediterranean-inspired menu in an industrial chic setting located in the heart of the bustling Mission district. Dinner is served nightly as well as weekend brunch both Saturday and Sunday.

Gayle Pirie and John Clark are two highly original talents who have been deeply involved in the competitive and innovative ferment of the San Francisco restaurant scene for over two decades. Long standing tenures at Zuni Cafe and Chez Panisse earned them critical approval for the purity, quality and consistency of their cuisine. Pirie and Clark then developed a restaurant consulting practice to create restaurant concepts and designs for a diverse and adventurous set of clients in North America, Asia, and Canada. They spent nearly two years in Hong Kong developing two new restaurants, and have traveled widely in Europe and Asia researching locally produced and artisinal ingredients. In 2001 the duo took over the kitchen of Foreign Cinema and implemented an ever changing Mediterranean influenced menu and full oyster bar, earning the restaurant three stars from The San Francisco Chronicle and six consecutive "Top 100" rankings as well as rave reviews from the New York Times, Gourmet, Cosmopolitan, The Examiner, SF Weekly, and San Francisco Magazine. They have published two cookbooks, Country Egg, City Egg in 2000 and Bride and Groom, just published in 2006.