Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Congratulations!
A huge congratulations goes out to our Executive Chef Justin Schoville for making the list of 22 semi-finalists for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Award. This is a great honor and accomplishment and we couldn't be more proud!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Kong Hey Fah Choy
Kong Hey Fah Choy....Happy New Year in the Year of the Ox. Our first movie night has come and gone without blowing out any speakers or scarring anyone with our movie choice. Thank you to all that attended and for all of your helpful comments....many which we will be implementing. Our next feature will be Feb. 21 from 7-9pm and will have a Spanish flair.
A special thank you to Barb Keller and her group for allowing us to create a special dinner and pairings to our hearts content. I am not sure who had more fun, the chef or myself. We really love to entertain and use our imaginations.
May your New Year be prosperous and rewarding!
A special thank you to Barb Keller and her group for allowing us to create a special dinner and pairings to our hearts content. I am not sure who had more fun, the chef or myself. We really love to entertain and use our imaginations.
May your New Year be prosperous and rewarding!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Happy New Year!
To blog or not to blog is the question....or so my friend Winston would say. My apologies to any avid bloggers, I will do my best to keep up.
What’s new? Dinner and a movie start this Saturday. What is this you ask? Let us treat you to a three-course meal and movie for $25.
Next week is Chinese New Years. We will be celebrating all week with Asian inspired drinks and menu items as well as decorations and outfits. Also, thank you to Brian for the great Chinese horoscope book. Come in and find out what your sign is and who your preferred love match is!
Lastly, we are FINALLY starting our official catering program. We are so excited to have a new adventure within our restaurant.
Thank you for your patience in waiting for this blog. See you next week!
What’s new? Dinner and a movie start this Saturday. What is this you ask? Let us treat you to a three-course meal and movie for $25.
Next week is Chinese New Years. We will be celebrating all week with Asian inspired drinks and menu items as well as decorations and outfits. Also, thank you to Brian for the great Chinese horoscope book. Come in and find out what your sign is and who your preferred love match is!
Lastly, we are FINALLY starting our official catering program. We are so excited to have a new adventure within our restaurant.
Thank you for your patience in waiting for this blog. See you next week!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Wine 101
Last night was the beginning of our Wine 101 series. I am always so nervous before class, but the time just flies by! Thank you to everyone for attending and making me feel so comfortable. How can it go wrong when you are surrounded by people that are as inquisitive and passionate about learning as one's self? I am so excited for next week's class...Old World versus New World Reds. Perhaps we will finally get a good example of pooling and bottle aged aromas!
Sunday, September 21st will be Habitat For Humanity's Women's Build fundraiser at Sontes - so many great wines to try and only 3 hours to do it! It's a great opportunity to try great limited/reserve bottles before you buy. I will have more to come once I know the list. Hopefully, I will find some great new additions to our cellar.
Once again, another menu change! With the Farmer's Market in full swing, we're providing a few more vegetarian offerings. Baby rocket, heirloom and utopia tomatoes, and brussel sprouts to name a few. We also just received a great new cheese...St. Semmelion, addictively creamy and delicious! I can't wait to see what we do next week.
I also have more staff good-byes in the next few weeks. Thu is off to Africa, Solveig to Canada, Max and Rachel go back to college, and Tanya is preparing for her move to Washington D.C. I will truly miss all of them, but can't wait to hear about their exciting new adventures. We will be welcoming 3 new members to the Sontes staff: Anne, Jenny, and Camille. August is shaping up to be quite a month!
Until next time...Salut!
Sunday, September 21st will be Habitat For Humanity's Women's Build fundraiser at Sontes - so many great wines to try and only 3 hours to do it! It's a great opportunity to try great limited/reserve bottles before you buy. I will have more to come once I know the list. Hopefully, I will find some great new additions to our cellar.
Once again, another menu change! With the Farmer's Market in full swing, we're providing a few more vegetarian offerings. Baby rocket, heirloom and utopia tomatoes, and brussel sprouts to name a few. We also just received a great new cheese...St. Semmelion, addictively creamy and delicious! I can't wait to see what we do next week.
I also have more staff good-byes in the next few weeks. Thu is off to Africa, Solveig to Canada, Max and Rachel go back to college, and Tanya is preparing for her move to Washington D.C. I will truly miss all of them, but can't wait to hear about their exciting new adventures. We will be welcoming 3 new members to the Sontes staff: Anne, Jenny, and Camille. August is shaping up to be quite a month!
Until next time...Salut!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mmmmm...Beer!
So, I finally got to attend our Sontes beer dinner. It was extra-special for me since the first beer dinner I ever attended 3 years ago also featured Unibroue products and that is when my taste buds discovered that beer is truly delicious! After 2 days of fasting, or just eating vegetables in my case, I felt I was prepared for the feast. Once again, Chef Justin did not disappoint: Sweetbreads, lamb burgers, and a charcuterie plate the size of my head! Alas, my stomach was full after the 4th course and I ended up being one of the faint-of-heart. Barb, Paul, Kevin, Pat, Alex, Nelson, Danielle, Ari, and Marcia were a few who completely met the challenge. Way to go!!! The best part of these dinners is meeting so many new people and feeling like long lost friends by the end. I can't wait to see who and what next year's beer dinner brings!
Please allow me a moment to brag a bit...we were awarded Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence! This has been one of my dreams since opening the restaurant. Unbelievably, we managed to do it on our first time around. Thank you to everyone who comes into Sontes and encourages us and suggests new wines and vendors - we could not have won without you & it means so much more because of your support! Now the fun of creating our cellar list begins - I hope to find some real gems!
Back by popular demand are Sontes' Wine Classes. August brings a 3 part series starting with basics and moving on to comparisons of Old and New World Styles. Apollo liquor will once again be sponsoring the wine at the store for any attendees who find something they just do not want to live without. Thank you Ari & Sam!
Lastly, I would like to say goodbye to one of our longtime employees, Ted Larson. Ted started with us right at the beginning and has remained a great addition to Sontes. He will be leaving mid-August to attend school in Austin, Texas. We wish him good luck and hope he visits often when he comes home!
Please allow me a moment to brag a bit...we were awarded Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence! This has been one of my dreams since opening the restaurant. Unbelievably, we managed to do it on our first time around. Thank you to everyone who comes into Sontes and encourages us and suggests new wines and vendors - we could not have won without you & it means so much more because of your support! Now the fun of creating our cellar list begins - I hope to find some real gems!
Back by popular demand are Sontes' Wine Classes. August brings a 3 part series starting with basics and moving on to comparisons of Old and New World Styles. Apollo liquor will once again be sponsoring the wine at the store for any attendees who find something they just do not want to live without. Thank you Ari & Sam!
Lastly, I would like to say goodbye to one of our longtime employees, Ted Larson. Ted started with us right at the beginning and has remained a great addition to Sontes. He will be leaving mid-August to attend school in Austin, Texas. We wish him good luck and hope he visits often when he comes home!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Midsummer Day's Updates...
I can hardly believe summer is already half over; it seems as though it just arrived. Sontes is finally getting more and more produce from the Farmers' Market, and Courtney & Colette, owners of From the Earth Foods, promise their heirloom tomatoes are getting close! We really are fortunate to have such great organic produce at our fingertips. This not only allow us to put the freshest available ingredients on our menu, but also to change our menu weekly, and keep our carbon footprint nice and small in the process.
Vegetables aside, July also finds me super excited about our newest cheese, Valencay Cendre. It is absolutely delicious AND Napoleon himself is behind the story...be sure to ask our staff for the details when you order!
Are you signed up for our 2nd Annual Beer Dinner on July 23rd, yet??? The dinner is quickly approaching and Nelson is probably the most excited out of everyone since it is his love of beer that brings this event to Sontes. Chef Justin has a mouth-watering menu planned, and I am hoping to get the chance to enjoy the food and drink alongside the other beer aficionados this year. (Call Tanya at 507.292.1628 to reserve a seat if you haven't already!)
Lastly, I couldn't be happier to announce that one of my favorite white wines was recently listed as a star pick in Food and Wine magazine. Vina Godeval Godello is refreshing, clean, and almost floral. The staff has been listening to me brag on this wine for almost 2 years, so it's great to read someone else loves it, too!
Until next week,
Bon Appetit!
Vegetables aside, July also finds me super excited about our newest cheese, Valencay Cendre. It is absolutely delicious AND Napoleon himself is behind the story...be sure to ask our staff for the details when you order!
Are you signed up for our 2nd Annual Beer Dinner on July 23rd, yet??? The dinner is quickly approaching and Nelson is probably the most excited out of everyone since it is his love of beer that brings this event to Sontes. Chef Justin has a mouth-watering menu planned, and I am hoping to get the chance to enjoy the food and drink alongside the other beer aficionados this year. (Call Tanya at 507.292.1628 to reserve a seat if you haven't already!)
Lastly, I couldn't be happier to announce that one of my favorite white wines was recently listed as a star pick in Food and Wine magazine. Vina Godeval Godello is refreshing, clean, and almost floral. The staff has been listening to me brag on this wine for almost 2 years, so it's great to read someone else loves it, too!
Until next week,
Bon Appetit!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A Tasty Little Blog is Born
Welcome to my first official foray into cyberspace! We have one woman to thank...my sister, Tanya. This is, of course, a work in progress and open to suggestions and input from everyone reading. From all of the new culinary and wine information out there, I hope to pick out the gems and condense them into a fun and informative blog for anyone who is interested.
Perhaps you want to know a little more about your blogger?
I was born in Rochester, MN, grew up in Stewartville, and finished my nursing degree at UW Eau Claire. I worked for 6 years as a hematology/oncology/BMT nurse. After much soul searching and plenty of encouragement from my amazing husband, Nelson, I left nursing to attend culinary school. I also catered during this time and really began studying wine. While training with Vincent Francoul at Vincent's - A Restaurant, the Wongs building became available, and as they say, "the rest is history."
I will use this forum to introduce wines and drink creations, cool cheeses, let you know about our upcoming events, and just keep you in the Sontes "loop." We have been truly honored by all of the support from our fantastic guests who encourage us to keep trying new things. We love your suggestions about food and wine as well as your experience and stories from your travels and different backgrounds. Keep that all coming and we'll evolve the tastes of Rochester together!
Perhaps you want to know a little more about your blogger?
I was born in Rochester, MN, grew up in Stewartville, and finished my nursing degree at UW Eau Claire. I worked for 6 years as a hematology/oncology/BMT nurse. After much soul searching and plenty of encouragement from my amazing husband, Nelson, I left nursing to attend culinary school. I also catered during this time and really began studying wine. While training with Vincent Francoul at Vincent's - A Restaurant, the Wongs building became available, and as they say, "the rest is history."
I will use this forum to introduce wines and drink creations, cool cheeses, let you know about our upcoming events, and just keep you in the Sontes "loop." We have been truly honored by all of the support from our fantastic guests who encourage us to keep trying new things. We love your suggestions about food and wine as well as your experience and stories from your travels and different backgrounds. Keep that all coming and we'll evolve the tastes of Rochester together!
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