VOLUME 16 
MAY 2009
The nights have been cold recently, but it's nothing a delicious meal and a great glass of wine can't cure. January is about foods like pot pies, braises and crostatas that warm the body and please the taste buds. With root vegetables and leafy greens flooding the market, there is no better time for this kind of food. This month brings beautiful Heirloom Spinach, Turnips, Romanesco, Tangerines and Meyer Lemons. It's also a great time for big, chewy red wines, like Syrah and California's native grape, Zinfandel, which pair so well with these hearty dishes. In January we are celebrating all of these ingredients, but we are also celebrating a very special construction project that has already added to the overall dining experience at Rustic Canyon. In late December we added 25 acoustical sound panels installed on the ceiling throughout the bar, main dining room, and the booth areas, which have had a wonderful quieting effect. The room remains vibrant and alive but much easier to chat over dinner. We look forward to your thoughts during your next visit.
A GREAT TIME OF YEAR FOR EATING, DRINKING AND CELEBRATING
As Spring leads into Summer, these next few months are a wonderful time for local produce. It seems that every week something we love will be popping up at the Farmer's Market, and only getting sweeter or more delicious as the weeks role on. This past week we got our first taste of cherries, and for the first crop of the season they are surprisingly wonderful. Corn is back and delicious but only a shade of what it will become in the upcoming months. These seasonal items have already worked their way onto the menus at Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry. Also in the spirit of the new season–Rustic introduces a refreshed list of wine by the glass featuring 12 new small production selections, two exciting upcoming special events, and soon an extension of Huckleberry's week to 6 days.
NEWS FROM RUSTIC'S KITCHEN
This month we've expanded the Rustic Canyon menu to feature more small plates and appetizers that pair perfectly with a glass of wine for a snack at the bar or a casual dinner. New this month is a beautiful plate of Assorted Crostini on crispy pieces of Huckleberry baked baguette, featuring combinations of Spring's best produce such as Fava Beans with Pecorino, Marinated Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese, and Baby Italian Chickpeas with Cavolo Nero. These crostini paired with a glass of Domaine De La Solitude Rose from the Rhone Valley in France makes for a truly blissful experience. Crispy Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese and Herbs are back and as wonderful as ever, and Roasted Prawns with Fresh Peas and Romesco are a taste of Spain mixed with local produce with a sauce that is so delicious you'll be asking for some extra bread to sop up every last drop.
For the pastas, Sweet Corn Agnolotti is back, with the most delicate hand pinched pastas filled with a slightly creamy Fresh Corn Puree and topped with Caramelized Corn. There are two new fish entrees on the menu this month as well. Wild King Salmon makes its annual entry onto the menu, served with its proper Northwest accompaniments of Morel Mushrooms, Wild Ramps and Asparagus. And Local Rock Cod is deliciously enveloped by Fregola Sarda (a wonderful Sardinian bread crumb pasta), Braised Artichokes, and Fava Beans in a light Saffron Broth.
Our kitchen is not the only part of Rustic Canyon experiencing a makeover in May, as this month we've done an almost complete overhaul of our by the glass wine list as well. New white wines are bright and crisp ready for warm weather and lighter foods. The 2007 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc from Mendocino is a clean and focused wine that sings wonderful citrus notes. Another new star on the white side of the list is a blend of Marsanne, Roussane, Viognier and Rolle from Chateau La Roque in the Languedoc, that is bright yet rounded and pairs perfectly with the Prawns and Romesco. Also, this month we've brought back an old favorite, Qupe's minerally, woody and slightly tropical Chardonnay/Viognier blend. New on the red side is a great Pinot Noir from local winery Pali Wines, made from grapes sourced from the wonderful Inman Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Also new is the Red Car 'Box Car' Syrah, a smoky and slightly spicy expression of exquisite fruit from Sonoma, plus Kathryn Kennedy’s ode to Right Bank Bordeaux 'Lateral', which speaks volumes to the kind of rich character driven wine that can come out of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Come in and let us guide you through some of these new dishes and wines.
NOTES FROM HUCKLEBERRY
The Huckleberry menu is also evolving with the seasonal changes at the market. Corn is popping up all over the Huckleberry menu including a new seasonal Spring Vegetable Salad featuring Zucchini, Asparagus, Red Peppers, Roasted Fresh Corn, Tomatoes and Feta. Corn also surfaces in the delicious Blueberry Cornmeal Cake and the irresistible Fresh Corn Muffins. Cherries are served in what we believe are their best form, uncooked and pure, on top of a delicious fresh tart with pastry cream and toasted almonds. As the weather heats up don’t forget to come by Huckleberry to pick up treats for outdoor gatherings and picnics. In addition to prepared Farmer's Market salads such as Fresh Snap Peas and Radishes, and Spicy Tomato Chickpeas, we feature artisan hand crafted cheeses from such wonderful cheese makers as Andante in Petaluma and Paula Lambert in Texas, as well as Creminelli Artisan Cured Salami from Utah all which go home perfectly with some Quince Paste and Olives from Huckleberry's retail section, and Fresh Baked Huckleberry Bread and Pastries.
And beginning June 9th, Huckleberry will be open on Tuesdays as well so you can enjoy Breakfast, Lunch or early dinner to eat in or take out 6 days a week (Tuesday through Sunday) Don't forget to visit www.huckleberrycafe.com to see our complete hours and menus.
UPCOMING EVENTS
On the heals of a very enjoyable Wine and Cheese Pairing dinner in April with Andrew's Cheese Shop we turn our attention to the hard stuff, (well sort of) beer and burgers. Beginning Monday May 25th, we will be featuring some very special beer and burger pairings each Monday Night. Each Monday night, in addition to our regular menu, we will be opening three different large format specialty beers to pour 'by the glass' and the kitchen will be cooking two nightly burger specials, (e.g.. Confit Bacon, Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Relish, or Wild Mushrooms with the deliciously creamy Crescenza cheese from Bellwether Farms in Petaluma).
Also, for those of you whose 4th of July is all about the food and drink, we are planning a very special Beer Bash to be hosted in conjunction with our Beer sommelier, Christina Perozzi. The restaurant will open early that day at 4:00PM, and we'll be serving a special menu featuring festive Barbeque food such as Slow Cooked BBQ Pork Ribs, Lobster Rolls, Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches, Chili with Corn Bread and Homemade Ice Cream. Christina will be bringing in kegs of small production, hard-to-find beer to pour by the glass. We look forward to celebrating with you as we love to do best, by eating. In the meantime, look forward to seeing you soon.
