Söntés Inside Out Series: Sommelier Barbara Pitcher

Tags

A place at the table, Bar Manager, Beer, cocktails, Darrell Langdon, Deck Entertaining, flights, Jody Brown, Julia Child, kick the can, Pairing to Perfection, Sommelier Barbara Pitcher, Sontes, Sontes Inside Out Series, Wine Class

Barbara “Babs” Pitcher has been with Söntés since January 2012 and has worked as our wine steward and sommelier, helping guests to navigate Tessa’s award-winning wine list. Barbara can help guests find the perfect wine to complement their food, or vice versa: she can help guests choose the food that will complement the wine.

In Barbara’s own words: “Julia Child once put her arm around my shoulders and said, ‘Barb babe, there are no failures in cooking; there are only conversation pieces.’ I loved her for that and have tried to cook with all my heart–and have lived through serving many conversation pieces!”

In addition to being the sommelier at Söntés, Barbara operates Pairing to Perfection, offering her tremendous food, wine, beer, and cocktail knowledge and she conducts monthly classes at Söntés on these mouth-watering subjects. For this Thursday’s class on Deck Entertaining, Barbara has teamed up with our Bar Manager, Darrell, to showcase a trio of wines, a trio of cocktails, and even a trio of beers—all “flight size.”

Class starts at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, and costs $35/person. Reserve your place at the table through Barbara’s Facebook page: Pairing to Perfection, or call 952-358-1285, or email Barbara.

~Interview with Sommelier Barbara “Babs” Pitcher~ 

Where were you born? Decatur, Georgia

Childhood memories? Being the oldest of six children, the best memories all centered around food and family because we had a ton of cousins, plus friends and neighbors, so we were always cooking, laughing, and sharing fun times together. Most summer nights also included a game of Kick the Can.

Awards? Most recently, I was certified as a sommelier by the International Sommelier Guild and have moved on into their diploma program.

Accomplishments? I played 1^st chair cello for the Atlanta Youth Symphony for several years. I also had the opportunity to cook for Dr. Hughes Kennedy and Wendell Riggins in Mountain Brook, Alabama (they did some amazing catering in addition to their “day jobs” as a pediatrician and a CPA) and I got to meet Julia Child, Van Cliburn, Beverly Sills, James Levine, and Arthur Fiedler at events in their home.

How did you get to Rochester? My husband, Kurt Pitcher, was named GM/COO of Somerby Golf Club in April 2011, and I joined him a few weeks later after the wrap-up of Detroit’s A Night for Sight charity wine auction (for which I was the coordinator for many years).

Unusual Experiences? Probably the most unusual was blowing up a gas station in my father’s brand new convertible the night I turned 15. Fortunately, he was with me at the time and no one was hurt, although the filling station and his new car were “a little worse for wear.” And he made me back across a one-lane bridge across the Chattahoochee River the next day in order to get back in the saddle.

Eclecticism? I had a wonderful half wolf/half newfoundland named “La Reine Bear Dog” (“Bear” for short) for 14 years. When Kurt and I were resident managers of the Hotel Lenado in Aspen, Bear was such an adept escape artist, she’d sneak out of the manager’s apartment and sit under the kitchen window howling for bacon scraps. She’d so “trained” (or conned) the staff that the first kitchen training manual even directed employees to give “Bear the resident dog” bacon scraps out the kitchen window but to not let her into the breakfast room.

What else do very few people know about you? Until our daughter was born, I’d only driven convertibles. That changed quickly!

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for Thursdays on 1^st Every Thursday on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

iPads Bring a New Dimension to Söntés Wine List

Tags

Angry Birds, Barbara Pitcher, Beer, cocktails, Craft Cocktails, iPads, iPads bring new dimension to Sontes, Jody Brown, launch, robots, Sommelier, Sontes, Tastevin, test drive, wi-fi, Wine

As some of you have heard and read, the Söntés iPads have arrived! We have 10 of them and they’re nearly ready to launch! Our entire list of 40 wines by the glass, over 100 bottle selections, and 50+ beers is right there in the iPads’ easy-to-scroll format. Söntés is the first and only restaurant in Minnesota to use iPads for a wine list.

For as hi-tech as the iPads are, they’re really easy to use (our staff will show you!) and they put a world of information right at your fingertips—seven years’ worth of Tessa’s wine finds and tasting notes, beer selections from around the world, and craft cocktails to be exact!

We’re using the Tastevin app, which allows guests to search our extensive wine list by price, grape, and region, with just a touch of a finger. We’ll list food pairings from our Lunch and Dinner menus that will go great with the wines. Those of you who like to choose wine by its label, you’re in luck: you can see the labels on the iPads for your choosing pleasure. Cocktailers, you can see pictures of the selections before you order them! Information lovers: you can email yourself the specs on a particular bottle of wine or beer that you find interesting. Decision Makers of the world, you can click “Consider This” for every beverage you want to remember as you scroll. “Consider This” puts all of your chosen wines/beers/cocktails onto one screen for easy comparison. For those of us with glasses, we can adjust the type size for our convenience. Finally, no more squinting or asking the person beside us to hold the menu up!

We will continue to have the hard copies of our wine list, so those of you out there who like to print this blog and read it on paper are still able to flip pages in the wine books. We were thinking of you! Those of you who like to play Angry Birds, we thought of you, too. You cannot play Angry Birds on the iPads, but Söntés has free Wi-Fi, so continue to bring your own device and play away!

The iPads are a fantastic tool to organize Söntés’ extensive beverage offerings. Of course, our Sommelier Barbara Pitcher is still on hand, live and in person, to help you choose a wine pairing. The iPads are launching us into the future here, a future with dazzling possibilities, not a cold environment devoid of human contact. Our amazing staff has not been replaced by robots. That idea just does not compute, does not compute…

Here’s what does compute: Stop in to Söntés for a test drive and a little food for thought. The iPads should be ready to roll in about a week!

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for Thursdays on 1^st Every Thursday on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

Lunch B-Roll

Tags

Caesar, Chef Adam, Chicken Club, Curried Carrot Burger, Eat like Kings, Jody Brown, Lunch, Lunch B-Roll, Mahi Mahi, Risotto, Sommelier Barbara Pitcher, Sontes, Truffle Fries, Wedge Salad

Market Vegetable Risotto $13

Blue Cheese Wedge Salad $9

Featured Entree: Mahi Mahi Tacos

New Sparklings $5 & $3

Cuban Sandwich $14   & Tomato Soup $5   & French Hot Ham back-left $11

Chicken Saffron Soup $7

Chicken Club $12

Chef Adam, priceless

Curried Carrot Burger with Truffle Fries $11.50

Curried Carrot Burger (again), this time with veggie chips $9

Calamari $6

Caesar Salad $6

Why eat junk food for lunch when we can eat like kings?? (Kings on a budget, that is.) Special thanks to Chef Adam for making all of this deliciousness, and for stopping his dancing long enough to pose for the picture.
Lunch is served Monday through Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for Thursdays on 1^st Every Thursday on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

S/SGE Presents: Sculptor Karl Friedrich

Tags

apprentice, Barbara Pitcher, Cooper Union, Jody Brown, Karl Friedrich, Mark di Suvero, National Foundation for Advancement in the Art, Our house is your house, painted pig, S/SGE, sculptor, Sommelier, Sontes, visual arts

Sculptor Karl Friedrich was chosen for his use of light and shadows as color for his sculptures. His art is influenced by landscapes, animals, and human observation.

Friedrich has won first place for Visual Arts from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Art and his sculptures have been represented at the General Mills Corporate Gallery and the Spot Art Gallery in St. Paul. He created a 12-foot painted steel pig for Bob’s Smoke Stack Ribs as a commissioned piece. He also has six sculptures on display in downtown Wabasha, Minnesota. 

At the age of sixteen, Friedrich was accepted into Franconia Sculpture Park Intern Program, where he learned how to construct large-scale sculptures. The connections he made there with fellow artists led to his move to New York City where he was invited by Mark di Suvero to apprentice. He later received a full scholarship to Cooper Union, also in New York City, where he rounded out his artistic knowledge.

Friedrich says, “My heart and soul always longed to return to Minnesota. The fresh air and food needed to come back into my life, to feed my brain so I could make the most out of what I had learned. There just needs to be time and materials to accomplish the forms trying to emerge from my hands.”

Karl Friedrich lives and works here in Rochester.

The Söntés Spring/Summer Gallery Exhibition (S/SGE) includes twelve artists whose work is on display at Söntés through September. All pieces are for sale and tend to move around. Every time you dine with us, feel free to move about the restaurant and take in the art. Wander. Absorb. Our house is your house.

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for Thursdays on 1^st Every Thursday on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

Devil May Care

Tags

Barbara Pitcher, Beale Street, Bomba Rice, Chef Trevor, Chocolate, Devil May Care, empanada, Get ready, Get Set..., Jody Brown, Kennywood Day, Paella, Sommelier, Sontes, street, Tasting Menu, Thursdays on First

Growing up in Pittsburgh, at the end of every school year, each district would take their turn at the area amusement park, Kennywood. School was open long enough on Kennywood Day for teachers to take attendance, then we were put on busses to the Park where we spent the day on the rides, playing games, chatting with friends, and soaking up the freedom of being outside with the summer ahead of us. The park was filled with my friends and neighbors, and we all seemed to know everyone who walked by. And of course we had our favorite haunts for lunch, dinner, and snack foods. The best food was always the stuff we could carry with us as we ate it. When we got tired, we’d stop inside an arcade for the air conditioning, for some chairs to sit on, or for some chocolate.

In college, my university played in a Bowl game, so the entire U traveled to Memphis for the game, where we met up New Year’s Eve on Beale Street for some good old fashioned college partying. It was freezing, and we didn’t care. We had cold drinks and hot food in easy-carry containers, and all our friends around. What more did we need?

Here in Minnesota, the devil-may-care attitude prevails with Thursdays on First, starting this week. We are people of a cold climate who have snow most of the year, (rain for possibly the rest of it), and yet, on Thursdays, we’re on the street eating and drinking like kids again. What more could we need? Ah yes: paella.

Söntés will have our signature paella (chicken, bomba rice, white wine, red peppers, made on the street in that giant pan we had shipped from Spain).  We’ll also have empanadas. In the restaurant they come 2-3 “dumplings” per order, but on the street we serve one large empanada that looks a lot like a tasty turnover. There will be a meat-filled empanada, and a veggie-filled option each week. There’s also beer, sangria, bottled water, and sodas as well.

There’s something very liberating about eating and drinking on the street and finding familiar faces everywhere you look. Our red tent and wooden bar will be in their usual spot: near the 3^rd Street parking ramp by the South stage. While our traditional Thursdays on First menu will kick us off, Chef Trevor says with a smile, “We may change it up on occasion. We’ve got some ideas in the works.”

If street food doesn’t appeal to you, we serve lunch at Söntés Monday through Friday from 11-2. Sit inside in the air conditioning (if summer ever arrives), or sit at our outdoor tables and watch the comings and goings of the street while our talented lunch staff bring the food and drinks to you (we’re blogging more on lunch next week!). From 2-6 we do happy hour at the restaurant, which is $1 off tap beers and $2 off all wines by the glass (all 40 of them!), and there’s a snack menu available. Dinner starts at 5, and Chef’s doing a locally inspired Tasting Menu this week (five courses for $40) in addition to our dinner menu. There’s also chocolate, so saunter in.

Rochester’s Thursdays on First fair is about to begin, with friends, family, food, drinks, music, and Söntés on the street. Get ready, get set…

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for these Upcoming Söntés Events:
June 6: Thursdays on 1^st Season begins! Paella on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

Söntés Inside Out Series: Bar Manager Darrell Langdon

Tags

Bar Manager, Barbara Pitcher, beer promotion, Beverage Testing Institute, Bremerton, Darrell Langdon, Inside Out Series, interview, Jody Brown, metallurgy, Post Bulletin, PranQster, Seattle, sheet metal, shipyard, Sommelier, Sontes

The Söntés Inside Out Series reveals what you may or may not know about the person behind the bar… Heeeeere’s Darrell!

Darrell Langdon has been with Söntés for just over a year and has worked as a bartender, server, and host. Darrell’s patient demeanor and quiet but firm authority make him a natural leader. His ability to chat with guests while mixing a mean martini and simultaneously organizing the waitstaff have earned him the title of Bar Manager.

As Bar Manager, Darrell chooses the beers and bar drinks offered at Söntés. The Post Bulletin recently included comments from Darrell on his choice Belgian-style PranQster ale in the May 24 article, These Are Winning Pairs. PranQster was rated “Exceptional” by the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and is currently on tap at Söntés.

Darrell’s Beer Promotion: Stop in today or tomorrow (May 31 or June 1) and get $1 off all beer when you mention the blog!

In Darrell’s own words: “Yeah, that just happened.”

 ~Interview with Darrell~

Where were you born?        
San Francisco.

Childhood memories?
I’m the oldest of a large, blended family. I learned at an early age how to share and how to be a peacemaker.

Awards?
I won awards playing football and throwing the hammer in high school.

Accomplishments?
I have a journeyman’s license in sheet metal, a degree in metallurgy, and one in technical drafting.

How did you get to Rochester?
I know [Head Chef] Trevor from school in Washington State. He asked me over a year ago if I would consider coming to Rochester to bartend at Söntés. I gave it some thought, interviewed by phone, and made the trip last May.

Unusual Experiences?
I used to work on a submarine where I had to go through security clearances and even a class on not giving up secrets under duress.

Eclecticism?
I read everything from Vonnegut to Bukowski to Palahniuk. I’m always reading something.

What else do very few people know about you?
I was a season ticket holder for the Seahawks for three years. From Bremerton you can take a ferry to Seattle, and then walk to the baseball stadium.

For more on Darrell, grab a seat at the bar!

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for these Upcoming Söntés Events:
Mon-Fri Daily Happy Hour 2-6 p.m.
June 6: Thursdays on 1^st Season begins! Paella on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

S/SGE Presents Woodblock Print Artist David Esslemont

Tags

Artist, Barbara Pitcher, bookbinder, David Esslemont, Felice Feliciano, Gregynog Press, Jody Brown, Our house is your house, Paella, S/SGE, Sommelier, Sontes, Thursdays on First, Wales, woodblock prints

The Söntés Spring/Summer Gallery Exhibition (S/SGE) includes twelve artists whose work is on display at Söntés through September. All pieces are for sale and tend to move around. The next time you dine with us, and every time, feel free to move about the restaurant and take in the art. Wander. Absorb. Our house is your house.

Artist David Esslemont was chosen for his woodblock prints that are from a book of 39 such woodblock prints. Esslemont not only made the prints, he made the book.

Esslemont works as an artist, designer, bookbinder, printer, and publisher. His books address readability and legibility, while his paintings, drawings, and prints “explore the relationship of elements in both the natural landscape and the abstract world.” He is a nationally and internationally recognized artist.

He says about Söntés, “I am passionate about good food. Söntés is an oasis.”

Esslemont was born in England, and studied Fine Art in London. From 1985-1997, he was Artistic Director of the University of Wales Gregynog Press. At Gregynog, he designed and printed several prize-winning books including Giraldus Cambrensis for which he won the Felice Feliciano International Award for Book Design in 1991.

Esslemont has lectured widely in the U.K. and the U.S., and his work can be found in both private and public collections worldwide. He has been artist-in-residence with the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere, England, and Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) in Minneapolis. His archive to 2005 is held at the University of Iowa.

He currently lives on a farm in northeast Iowa and continues his work as a multi-media and multi-disciplined artist, and as a farmer.

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

 

~

Join Us for these Upcoming Söntés Events:
June 6: Thursdays on 1^st Season begins! Paella on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

To Reserve or Not to Reserve (Part Two)

Tags

anniversary, Barbara Pitcher, Chef Trevor, Duck, garde manger, grill, Hamlet, Invite yourselves over, Jody Brown, kitchen, Open Table, our house, Paella, Reservations, saute, Shakespeare, Sommelier, Sontes, Steak, Thursdays on First, To Reserve or Not to Reserve, Uncle Bob, Wine

(Part One was posted earlier this week.)

…About a year ago, a couple came in for their anniversary in the middle of the week. Both were doctors, and neither knew when they’d be able to arrive for dinner, or if it would happen at all given their schedules. They made an 8 o’clock reservation, and they told us their situation, so it was noted in the computer. They did arrive–about two minutes before we closed. Now normally by this point, we’d have the dining room pretty well cleaned and buttoned up. But the dining room is not such a big deal: chairs that go up can certainly come back down. Tables can be reset. Easy. The difficulty is with the kitchen: once machinery is turned off for the night, it takes time to heat back up.

Some notes on the kitchen here: The Söntés kitchen is comprised of various stations, each with their own specialties and a chef to make them.  One station is for sautéed items, one for grilled, one called garde manger, which has cheeses, salads, and desserts. At home, your stove is typically within reach, or a few paces, of your fridge, making multitasking an acrobatic feat– but one that you do with pride. At Söntés, the fridge is about twenty feet from the grill, and even further from the stove. Multitasking, i.e., manning the different stations simultaneously, takes running. When there’s only one Chef left in the house, cue the running.

As it was with the anniversary couple last year, we knew they were coming. We were ready. At that hour, they were the only ones in the dining room, but we kept the staff late, had the lights down low and the candles burning. Chef Trevor himself came out with the menu and told them they could order anything they wanted; he’d make it personally. The server opened their champagne, and they proceeded to have a wonderful and romantic dinner fit for an anniversary. In their case, the reservation made all the difference.

So, to reserve or not to reserve? (Hamlet would conclude that the fear of arriving with no reservation prompts us to make the reservation in the first place. But you know your Shakespeare.) Some of us will still fly by the seat of our pants, and we’re happy wherever we end up. Life is our adventure, and the key really is being happy wherever we end up. Others want the guesswork gone so they can enjoy lunch or dinner and still get back to work, family, or the movies.

A reservation simply means that we know you’re coming. You are guaranteed a table regardless of how busy the restaurant gets. You’ll receive priority service, and even a snack from Chef if you reserve by 4 p.m. that day. If you make a note that you want the duck, and we’re selling out of them like crazy, we’ll hold one for you. Read that last line again and feel its weight: Chef will choose a portion especially for you and kept it from being sold to anyone else. You can even note the wine you want, and our sommelier, Barbara Pitcher, will set it aside for you. Imagine a family gathering where everyone’s eating chicken, but Uncle Bob doesn’t like chicken, so when he arrives, Grandma makes him a steak. It’s like that. (See our Once Upon a Time blog for more ideas on making computer notes, such as for allergies or food preferences.)

Reserve your experience with us today. Or leave it to chance. We’ll take care of you either way. You’re all family to us.

You can always feel free to invite yourselves over to our house.

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for these Upcoming Söntés Events:
June 6: Thursdays on 1^st Season begins! Paella on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

To Reserve or Not to Reserve (Part One)

Tags

A place at the table, Barbara Pitcher, cheese tart, Chef Trevor, Farm-to-table, honed black granite, Invite yourselves over, Jody Brown, leftovers, Open Table, Paella on the street, R word, Reservations, RSVP, Sontes, Thursdays on First, To Reserve or Not to Reserve, Troll

There are different schools of thought on the “R” word. Some think reservations are only for special occasions. Others think it’s similar to a bouncer at a night club, letting some in while keeping others out. (I picture a troll at a bridge saying, “None shall pass,” but that’s me.) Still others think it’s the hallmark of snootiness.

Really, it’s none of those things. It’s a heads-up, simple as that. “Hey, George and Martha, I’ll be stopping by for dinner at your place on Friday. I’m bringing the kids. Oh, and you know I can’t eat fish, right?” Yep, just like that. Of course, most of you don’t have the audacity to really say this to your friends or family. But at Söntés, feel free to invite yourselves over!

Söntés takes reservations via phone (507-292-1628) and also online via Open Table, a computer program that not only books the reservation, but it knows the layout of our restaurant, so it ensures that a table is available.  Open Table asks you to set up a user name and password, and in exchange, it offers you discounts the more you go out to eat (some of our guests use it every time they come to Söntés, even for just a quick bite, to rack up the discounts). It’s used by restaurants around the country, so if you do any traveling, you can log in and see what’s nearby and book yourself a table.

Do you need reservations? Not necessarily, but they certainly don’t hurt. (Hint: Chef makes you a special snack if you reserve a table with us before 4 p.m.!) We understand that some of you are on tight schedules, and you have no idea when you’ll free up, so reserving a specific time is out of the question. We hear you! We also know there are some of you who fly by the seat of your pants and like to leave things to chance. If the tables are booked, you’re happy to sit in the lounge for lunch or dinner. You know we love you! (But if you have your heart set on table-dining and not eating at our honed black granite bar or plush couches in a pinch, simply reserve a table with us. We’ll keep it ready for you!)

For specialty dinners (where we ask for advance reservations), if we get more “RSVPs” than expected, we plan for extra staff to take care of everyone. For these dinners, Chef only orders in enough steak or lobster, or only prepares enough cheese tarts (hint, hint, Chef, cheese tart!) for each person on the reservation list. That’s why we ask for a reservation, so that we save a place at the table for you and Chef counts you in the food he’s preparing.

We’re a Farm to Table restaurant, meaning that we specialize in fresh, local ingredients. You know the upside of this: quality, nutrients, and flavor, flavor, flavor. The downside is that “leftovers” are not in the vernacular…

(Part Two of To Reserve or Not to Reserve will be posted this Saturday…)

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for these Upcoming Söntés Events:
June 6: Thursdays on 1^st Season begins! Paella on the Street!
June 20: Wine Class with Sommelier Barbara Pitcher 6:30 p.m.
(reserve through Barbara ph. 952.358.1285)

See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628

Once Upon a Time…

Tags

anniversary dinner, Barbara Pitcher, Bella and Edward, breaking bread, Chef, Jody Brown, Once Upon a Time, out of this world, Pairing to Perfection, short list, Sommelier, Sontes, Steak, Super Woman, Wine

A couple came in this week to celebrate their anniversary. Let’s call them Edward and Bella, just for fun. Edward and Bella drove a considerable distance (not from Forks) to come to Söntés, based on the recommendation of a friend.

When they first sat down, they spent a little time with the amazing Barbara Pitcher, our Sommelier, who helped Bella choose a glass of wine to sip while they enjoyed appetizers.

Enter the server, let’s call her Super Woman, who pointed out a few items on the menu and answered the couple’s questions.  Together, they ruled out some appetizers because of a tomato allergy and steered toward others they thought they’d like. Edward and Bella decided to come up with a plan for their dinner course right from the start, to make sure there was plenty of time for “adjustments.”[Cue dramatic music.]

Yes, adjustments.  A few years ago, Bella suddenly developed quite a few allergies to “basic” ingredients. (Edward and Bella laugh that they have a “short list” of what Bella can have, and a “long list” of what she can’t.) Armed with the Short List, Super Woman heads to the kitchen. Chef Alex, played by the real-life Chef Alex, clears their appetizer choices, making a few small changes. Dinner, however, poses quite a challenge. The steak has already been marinated in ingredients that Bella can’t have.

We join our players as discussion ensues between Chef Alex, Super Woman, and Chef Joel who enters from Stage Left:

“Do we have any other cuts of meat?”

“There must be flavor for her somewhere!”

“Did you pepper the celeriac purée?”

“I have a flat iron that would be perfect!”

“Captain, we have that stock sauce.” (Okay, no one said Captain.)

Appetizers come out, and Edward and Bella love them. Super Woman assures Bella that the Chefs are creating her dinner and that it will be Meat & Potatoes like she wants, but not the same meat or potatoes Super Woman described in the beginning. Sommelier Barbara Pitcher checks the flavor pairing of the wine with the appetizers, which is perfection. Yes, a Pairing to Perfection. Barbara and Bella plan a new glass of wine for Bella’s dinner—based on the sample wines Barbara brings out.

Dinner arrives, with a breath-holding moment by Bella, who sees sauce on her dish. She can’t eat sauce. She hasn’t eaten sauce at a restaurant since the onset of the allergies. Politely, apologetically, she says she will wait for the dish to be remade. But wait! This sauce is our own Söntés stock sauce (Chef had a better name for it but Silly Blogger can’t remember), made from scratch using four ingredients on Bella’s Short List. All is well! Dinner is saved!

Bella is overwhelmed. She loves the dish. Edward is so happy that they’ve found proper care and attention to detail in a restaurant. His lovely wife is overjoyed and he’s thrilled. (And his risotto is out-of-this-world, too.)

With Edward and Bella’s permission, Super Woman puts their names and contact number in the host’s reservation computer along with the Short List. “Next time you come to town,” Super Woman says, “Call us and tell us it’s you. The notes will pop up on your reservation. Chef checks that every day to see who’s coming in, and he’ll already have a plan that can work for you when you get here. We do this for all of our guests with allergies or doctor’s orders, and even for guests who just prefer one thing over another.”

When that’s done, Super Woman dashes to the kitchen and prompts Chef Alex to come out. He walks across the dining room to Edward and Bella, and Bella jumps up and hugs him. Edward gets up to shake Chef Alex’s hand.

“I haven’t eaten sauce in a restaurant in years!” Bella exclaims. “This is fantastic, thank you!”

“My pleasure,” Chef Alex says, because really, this is what he lives for, making people happy through food.

This amazing saga has been brought to you by Söntés Restaurant, where every member of the team does their very best to get it right. It’s never “just lunch” or “just dinner.” It’s the details that mean so much.

Life’s moments happen when we break bread.

Here it comes: And they all lived happily ever after. (I know, because I was there.)

For more information about blogger Jody Brown, see our Who We Are page.

~

Join Us for Dinner and a Movie May 25.
We’re showing A Royal Affair at 6 p.m.
Reserve your spot: phone 507.292.1628

 See the Söntés Happenings page for more information
& watch for future Söntés blog posts
Söntés phone 507.292.1628