4-course Chef-for-the-Day Dinner -October 15, 2009

Chef-for-the-Day
Clifford MitchellThursday, October 15, 2009
open reservations: 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sotto Sopra's Chef-for-the-Day program has become a tremendous hit over the past year with guest chefs from all walks of life who have a passion for food and a curiosity as to what life is like in a restaurant kitchen. A number of our Chef-for-the-Day are recipients of a gift certificate giving food fanatic loved ones an opportunity to be behind the scenes. Clifford Mitchell is just one of those lucky foodies who received such a gift.

With each Chef-for-the-Day dinner, our executive chef Bill Crouse determines the chef-for-the-day skill levels and they decide on a four course dinner. Chef will oversee and guide our guest chef through the meal preparation.

We are pleased to introduce our latest Chef-for-the-Day, Clifford Mitchell. Clifford Mitchell lives and works in Baltimore. Originally from Massachusetts, he arrived in Baltimore in 1987 to do residency training at what is now the Bayview Medical Center. It was clear to him early on that he did not have the hands of a surgeon, and he is a bit worried about repeating Dan Aykroyd's impression of Julia Child. His Chef-for-the-Day was a birthday gift from his family.

MENU
$40 per person
(excludes beverages, tax and gratuity)

1st Course
Conch Gazpacho
with sour cream and caviar


2nd Course
Spinach Ravioli stuffed with Eggplant & Ricotta Cheese
with potato puree and shaved Parmesan cheese


3rd Course
Parmesan Crusted Branzino
with caponata, fried leeks and lemon oil


4th Course
Tropical Fruit and Gianduja Chocolate Trifle
with granola and blackberry sorbetto

Reservations are highly suggested, please call 410 625-0534. Want to learn more about getting a gift certificate for Chef-for-the-Day, ask for Monika at 410-625-0534

Cooking Class - Sunday, October 11th

TASTE OF TUSCANY COOKING CLASS

Executive Chef Bill Crouse is feeling inspired by his recent trip to Siena, Italy and will focus his cooking class on Sunday, October 11th on the foods of Tuscany. The class is an optional hands-on and held in the restaurant kitchen. If you have attended the classes you know they are informative, fun, fulfilling and filling. Not only do you learn authentic Tuscan dishes you get to enjoy them with a bit of vino. Class size is limited, sign up now.

Taste of Tuscany Cooking Class

When: Sunday, October 11th - 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Sotto Sopra Restaurant Kitchen
405 N. Charles Street

Cost: $65.00 per person - inclusive


Reservations are required: Call Monika at 410 625 0534

Check out Chef Crouse at the Sunday's Downtown Farmers Market on October 4th around 8:15 a.m as he does a cooking demo along with other prominent chefs from the city for the Toyota Farm-to-Table Tour. Each chef is paired with a local farmer - come see the demo and taste the samples.

Robert Kacher Food and Wine Dinner

Robert Kacher
Food and Wine Dinner
Thursday, September 24th – 7:00 p.m.
$75 per person*

Wine collector and connoisseur, Robert (Bobby) Kacher joins us for an evening of fine food prepared and matched to wines from his hand-picked selection of boutique French wines. For the true wine aficionado, this represents an opportunity of great discussions and tasting of limited production wines from the boutique vineyards of France. The menu and paired wines are listed below for your edification. There is limited seating for this event, so please make your reservations early.

More about Robert Kacher:

What started as Bobby’s college backpacking trip through France became a lifelong passion about wine. From his earliest days in working in a wine store to his founding 22 years ago of Robert Kacher Selections, he is now a renowned wine connoisseur and educator on French wines.

During the first two decades of Robert Kacher Selections, Bobby spent almost half of each year in France, criss-crossing from region to region in an effort to select and help develop the finest portfolio of French boutique estate wines of any importer in the US.

Bobby still works as a partner with the growers and winemakers in all aspects of viticulture and vinification, constantly pushing them to produce an even higher quality product. Some of the innovations he introduced to his growers and wine makers include lowering yields, using state-of-the-art trellising, green harvesting of fruit at ‘veraison’ (the point at which grapes start to change color), hand harvesting of fruit at the point of physiological ripeness (not analytical ripeness) and doing a triage (a sorting of the grapes to rid them of damaged fruit) as the fruit is harvested.

Bobby’s dedication and passion for the wine business has resulted in numerous awards and accolades:

 Recently Robert Parker named him “one of the 20 most influential wine personalities of the past 20 years."
 In 2004 Bobby became Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, one of only a handful of U. S. importers to ever receive the prestigious honor.

Food and Wine Pairing
Menu

1st Course
Miticrema with Macerated Currant “Caviar”
Toasted Sesame Tuile
Roasted Pear and Mache Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette

Wine *Domaine Herve Pouilly Fume 2005


2nd Course
Mussel Bisque with Tarragon and Crab
Black Pepper Crouton

Wine * Inacayal Pinot Grigio 2006

3rd Course
Rabbit Tortellini “en Brodo” in Broth

Wine * Chateau Grande Cassagne Costieres de Nimes Cassanus Rouge

4th Course
Slow Braised Bison Short Rib
over white corn polenta

Wine * Mas Carlot Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2004

5th Course
Aged Comte with Hazelnut Dust,
Mas de Guiot Reduction and Champagne Grapes

Wine* Mas De Guiot Alex 2004

Dinner and Wine Pairing
$75
(Excludes tax and gratuity)

In consideration of the limited seating we are requiring guaranteed reservations with a 36 hour cancellation policy. Should you cancel the reservation in less that 36 hoursfrom the event start time or don’t show, your credit card will be billed for the event. Please ask for Monica to place your reservation – call 410-625-0534. This will be an excellent food and wine pairing with a fascinating guest host.

no other promotions or discounts are applicable to this event

Surgeon Turns in Scalpel for Chef’s Knife

Food * Fun * Fundraiser

benefits

Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

For one night only, Thursday, October 8, Dr. Dean Kane, the well-renowned plastic surgeon, will be putting down his scalpel and picking up a chefs knife. Under the guidance of Sotto Sopra’s executive chef, Bill Crouse, Dr. Kane will be preparing a five course gourmet Italian dinner (menu below) which a portion of the proceeds will go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Along with sharing his culinary talent, Dr. Kane will be selling a selection of his original pop photo art and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to this worthy cause.

It is an evening of seasonal dishes, wine selections from The Wine Merchant and camaraderie as guests dine at communal tables in Sotto Sopra’s beautiful 19th century building located at 405 N. Charles Street. The evening’s festivities kick off at 6:30 p.m. with entertainment by Tony Sciuto throughout the evening. Cost per person is $70, which includes the five course dinner, wine and entertainment.* Advanced reservations are required; call Sotto Sopra Restaurant at 410 625 0534.

Chef-for-the-Day

Dean P. Kane, MD

Thursday, October 8, 2009 ~ 6:30 p.m.~ $70 per person*

MENU

1st Course
Forest Mushroom Soup with Pine Nut Gratin
&
Arugula Salad
with goat cheese, dried cherries and Dijon mustard vinaigrette

2nd Course
Lobster Ravioli with Americana Sauce
topped with caviar

3rd Course
Lemon Basil Sorbetto

4th Course
Duetto
Grilled Lamb Chop
with minted eggplant caponata
&
Seared Halibut
on parsnip puree with lemon butter sauce

5th Course
Pumpkin Soufflé
with balsamic soaked fig

Cost $70.00 per person includes food, wine and entertainment
*Tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages are not included in the cost. No other discounts or promotions are applicable to this special event.

(Sotto Sopra will be donating 10% of the evening’s proceeds to
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation/Maryland Affiliate)

Event Sponsor

10741 Falls Rd.
Lutherville, MD 21093
Ph: 410-321-6500
http://www.yourwinemerchant.com/

Dean P. Kane, MD, FACS: Dr. Dean and Lauri Kane have a husband and wife cosmetic surgical practice which allows them to provide a warm and caring approach. What makes their practice so unique is that you get Lauri’s female perspective on beauty, but Dr. Kane’s talented surgical skill. While Dr. Kane tends to be a serious surgeon, he is also is a very creative out of the box thinker. He always puts the patient first does not sway away from performing the correct procedure for the right patient. Dr. Kane always puts the safety of the patient first and foremost. ( http://www.drdeankane.com/ )

Susan B Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: More than 100,000 volunteers and activists work through 125 Komen Affiliates to mobilize more than one million friends and neighbors every year through events like the Komen Race for the Cure - the world's largest and most successful awareness and fundraising event for breast cancer.( http://ww5.komen.org/ )

Sotto Sopra Restaurant: Sotto Sopra Restaurant (http://www.sottosopra.us/ ) is located at 405 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 at the gateway to the Mt. Vernon cultural district of Baltimore City. The restaurant is recognized for their contemporary Italian cuisine, 19th century venue, excellent service and spirited personality.

Tony Sciuto: An international musician and song writer, Sciuto was with Banging Rush, Bonehead, The Little River Band, Never Never and enjoys his solo career as a performer and song writer.
( http://tonysciuto.net/ )