Round Room: The Reclaimed Silo Bar at L’Etoile

Ruben Mendez, L'Etoile Bartender

It's almost a stage, with it the ability to demonstrate the typical approach to the cocktail.  Ingredients are always real and always carefully chosen. The approach is taken from everyday interactions and whims and research.  As a stage, the black granite bar is supported by a reclaimed silo from a farm near Reedsburg, or so I was told by a nice couple who claimed to be, and most likely are, the parents of such an individual to take apart such things and put them back together in new and unique places.  On a stage, proficiently and efficiently supplying cocktails classic and artisanal.  Behind the stage, surrounded by competent, creative, professional contemporaries: a passion for stellar food and fine wine, a common bond that holds us together.

As a kid I'd often dreamt of becoming a chef; mostly because of the "Chef's Salad". Really, ham, cheese, egg, on a salad, sign me up!  Then I wanted to be a baseball player; astronaut was next after watching the Disney movie Space Camp. Finally, ten years ago, when I was almost a grown up and living in New York, I caught the wine bug from a sommelier co-worker at a Bastianich restaurant. Year after year I learned more and more, always taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge I was surrounded by at various establishments.

That still continues daily with the resources afforded L'Etoile, what with Michael's expertise, Frank's charm, Nic's candor, Stephen's wine appreciation and of course Tory's reputation for outstanding cuisine.  The staff at L'Etoile is proud to be a part of such a commended team and I am blessed to work my Dream Job.

I only know a few people who really look forward to going to work.  And Aaron Rodgers asked me to stop calling him.  So that leaves about five.  The four others also work at L’Etoile.  Yes, I look forward to going to work.  There's always something to learn.  Restaurant gossip is straight nerdy; where we ate last week, the great new tacos around the corner, underpriced wine at the place across the square, former co-workers new families. Or we talk about what to read; The NY Times Wednesday Dining Section and Isthmus' Dining Scene are almost mandatory weekly readings for the front of house staff.  All sorts of food, wine, booze and beer articles get emailed around.  Books on all topics food and beverage are brought in, shared, loaned, spilt on, returned.  Individual research on cheese, our farmers, local beer, wine, and everything else L’Etoile goes on daily.  

I never had a dream job before. As the saying goes, location, location, location and the Round Room that I found, might just be that place.  

Months ago I received a forwarded email from a customer inquiring about a cocktail "The T. M. (Flip)". Am very sorry for the delay and hope you are reading this.

The T. M. (Flip)

I created this drink after Talish (Graze’s GM) refused to amuse Chef's folly to put maple syrup, Door County Montmorency Cherry juice, Maker's Mark and an egg together in a cocktail. Or so Tory told me. That's exactly what I did.

1 1/2 oz Makers Mark

3/4 oz maple syrup (the syrup I use at L'Etoile is cut by 50% with 160•f water to change its viscosity and make it a little less sweet)

3/4 oz Door County Montmorency Cherry juice (can be purchased at the Willy St. Co-op)

1/2 egg white (large egg [this is an approximation. I never use all of the egg white behind the bar, just the first few gloops {yes, gloop is a technical term in the field of mixology (which I don’t believe in)}]).

Measure all ingredients into a shaker.  Shake vigorously, longer than normal to "whip" the egg white. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

Fountain Prairie Farm

Mikey Kolodzej, L'Etoile cook

Last summer, I came to Madison for the first time as an intern from Culinary School to start working at L’Etoile.  I moved in on a Friday, in June, and decided to hit up the market the next day with my Dad. We walked around, and eventually made our way past the Fountain Prairie Farm stand. At that point in time, I was familiar with the menu at L’Etoile , and knew that the relationship between Fountain Prairie Farm and the restaurant was pretty important, and that we solely featured their beef.  I stopped, introduced myself to John and Dorothy Priske, the owners and operators of the farm, and told them I’d be spending the next 5 months at L’Etoile. They both personally welcomed me to Wisconsin, and were the first people in Madison that I had really even spoken to. I hadn’t even met Chef Tory yet.  They both wished me luck and assured me that I would see them around quite often.  From that moment on I felt a connection to them, and to their products.

            Later that summer, the whole restaurant staff went on a field trip to Fountain Prairie Farm. It was a beautiful Sunday. I was in a terrible mood from the start, because my beloved Indianapolis Colts had lost earlier that day, but the second I set foot on that farm all thoughts of prior misfortune on the gridiron were completely wiped and were replaced with feelings of wonder and awe at the things I was seeing on this farm. Growing up in Indiana, I had become all too familiar with the world of factory farms. Farms like Fountain Prairie are one of a kind. The cows (gorgeous furry highland cattle) are free to roam about a large natural pasture with wetlands, tall grass, and rolling hills. We all rode out to one corner of the property, stood on top of a hill, and looked out over the farm. At that point in time I was actually jealous of these animals. They got to live in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. They got to roam freely over the property, grazing and relaxing in the sun. This was CERTAINLY nothing like the farms I had seen driving though rural Indiana, and these cows looked nothing like the ones I had seen all too regularly, tied to posts on show at the Indiana State Fair.

            The whole staff spent the entire day at the farm. There was a barbecue, a keg, and good times to be shared by all, but I spent the majority of my time on the farm in solitude, admiring the animals. I stood next to the finishing pen, where the cattle that are closest to slaughter are kept, and they all looked me in the eye. The cows would back away, in fear. Not one of them would set foot within 20 feet of me. They were scared of me, and I wanted to be able to comfort them. Each one was eyeing me. I felt guilt: guilt that these wonderful animals would be giving their lives to feed people like me.  At that moment, something in my head clicked. I realized why I was here, why I was in Madison, why I was working at L’Etoile, and why I had spent a beautiful Sunday at Fountain Prairie Farm.  My goal as a cook instantly became to make sure that these animals didn’t die in vain. I promised to make sure that whether I was roasting beef bones for stock like I did as an intern, or cooking and plating the crispy orange beef tongue dish currently on the menu, (My favorite dish on the current menu!) that I would do everything in my power to not let the integrity of that beef be diminished in any way. It honestly became extremely personal.  If I make a mistake, not only am I letting myself, the rest of the kitchen, and the guests down because that beef has to go into the garbage, I am also letting that steer down.

            I think that’s part of the magic of L’Etoile, and farmers like John and Dorothy, and Madison as a city for that matter. There are beautiful products here that people are and rightfully should be proud of.  I was in New York for culinary school and there, it’s less about the ingredients themselves and more about the cook’s ability to manipulate the ingredients to make them more desirable.  Here, the less we do, the better.  It’s products like Fountain Prairie Farm beef, and people like John and Dorothy, and the L’Etoile kitchen staff, who take pride in doing things the right way, that made me want to ask for a full time job back at L’Etoile after I graduated.

            Déjà vu. I moved back to Madison on a Friday, three weeks ago. I walked around the market with my Dad the following Saturday, stopped by the Fountain Prairie stand and before I could say anything, John reached out to shake my hand, and welcomed me back to Madison. It feels great to be back.

            People of Madison, listen to me. You don’t know how lucky you are. We don’t have beef anywhere near this great in Indiana, or even New York. Take advantage of it. Come to L’Etoile and order a steak or the beef tongue or the carpaccio. (Or all three!) Come to Graze and order a burger or a steak. Go to the market and buy short ribs or steaks (I currently have several pounds of oxtails in my freezer for a rainy day) from John and Dorothy, they’re wonderful people and will answer any questions you have.

             This beef is truly something that is meant to be savored. It tastes the way beef is meant to taste, because the cows are raised the way they are meant to be raised. The flavor can really only be described as “beefy” and has a slight mineral finish that it picks up from the rich land that the farm is located on. Terroir at its finest. It’s a beautiful system, and beautiful meat. And I, for one, am personally honored to be able to cook it for you.

Visit John, Dorothy and their Scottish Highland Cows at their farm in Fall River, Wi.

And stay at their beautiful inn!

http://www.fountainprairie.com/

Watermelon!

Brigitte Fouch, L'Etoile Cook

Watermelons are the quintessential summer fruit: 100% fun, refreshing and reminiscent. A summer isn’t complete until I’ve eaten almost an entire watermelon in one sitting, spitting the seeds into the lawn and letting the juice run down my hands. It’s one of those things I simply can’t resist.

Luckily, watermelon is a guilt free indulgence! In fact, we might do well to indulge a little more often! They are packed with vitamins, especially A and C, and contain the most lycopene, a cancer fighting antioxidant, than any other fresh fruit. They are their own delicious multivitamin!

Watermelons, like pumpkins and squash, grow on sprawling vines with broad leaves. They can be round or oblong with crisp flesh that can be pink, yellow or even white! They range in size from just a few pounds (like our personal-size melons) to upwards of 90 pounds! The watermelon that holds the Guinness World Record is 268 pounds, although some unofficial records show melons weighing in at up to 290! Though they look quite tough, watermelons have to be hand harvested. Store your uncut melon at room temperature for several days and keep any extra cut melon covered and in the fridge.

Tips for choosing a watermelon

1.    Check the shape of the melon. A good watermelon has a symmetrical shape. It doesn't matter if the fruit is round or oval in shape, as long as it is symmetrical.

2.    It is also a good idea to press the skin of the watermelon in many different spots to test for firmness. Good watermelons will not have soft spots.

3.    Dark green melons tend to be sweeter than those that are lighter in color.

4.    Choose a melon that feels heavy for its size.

5.    Look on the bottom of the melon. You will find a discolored spot where the melon was in contact with the ground while it was growing. If this spot is light green, the melon is not yet ripe. If the spot is a yellowish-white color, the melon is probably ripe.

6.     You can also tell if a watermelon is ripe by thumping it, if you know what you are listening for. When you thump the side of a ripe watermelon, it will sound as if the fruit is hollow. If you hear a thud or a tone that is high in pitch, look out! You're dealing with a fruit that isn't ripe!

Don't buy a watermelon that you know isn't ripe thinking it will be ripe by the time you eat it. It won't happen. Watermelons do not continue to ripen once they have been picked.

Watermelon is great simply sliced and eaten, but there are many ways to enjoy watermelon. Because they are 92% water, they are a natural for blending and incorporating in to margaritas, spritzers, or lemonades and frozen into popsicles, granites or sorbets. One of my favorite summer drinks is watermelon aqua fresco: blended watermelon, mint, sugar and citrus juice. Add a little vodka and you've got a party!

Watermelon flesh is easy to cut and can be presented in cubes, balls, triangles, batons, or large, thin slices. Cookie cutters can even be used to cut more elaborate shapes!

Not many people know that even the rind and seeds are edible. Once pickled, the rind is a great addition to salads, with pork chops or as a crunchy snack on its own. In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food, or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.

Growing up, my Grandpa (aka Papa) would always sprinkle salt on his watermelon; a practice I could never understand. I still haven't warmed up to the idea of salting my melon, but I do love to eat it with feta! The saltiness of the cheese brings out more of the melon's sweetness. If you are in need of a quick side dish to bring to a picnic, cut up watermelon and toss with crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion and mint. (Papa would probably still sprinkle some salt on it though).

If you are feeling extra creative, watermelons are popular for carving. Visit www.watermelon.org for instructions and design templates.

What interesting things have you been doing with watermelon this year??