April 29th Opera Night - 6 Course Dinner - Live Opera Performances

OPERA NIGHT

Sunday, April 29, 2012 ~ 6:00 p.m.

Reservations Required – call 410 625-0534

Enjoy a lovely spring evening at Sotto Sopra restaurant for an Opera Night where performers present their renditions of opera’s most memorable moments from loves won and lost.There is something about opera that seems so rich and to hear these resounding voices in our 19th century building, it warms the soul.

Along with the fabulous performances enjoy a gourmet six course dinner.

 PERFORMERS

Karen Myers, Soprano

Paul McIlvaine, Tenor

Tom Hetrick, Piano

MENU

Halibut Ceviche

homemade potato chips / cilantro / onions / jalapeno / lime

Smoked Tomato Soup

goat cheese sandwich

Day-Boat Scallops

pesto risotto / lemon-caper sauce

Opal Basil Sorbet

Black Olive Maryland Rockfish

corn / sunchokes / bean salad / fennel / porcini vinaigrette

Torta della Nonno

with vanilla ice cream

58 per person

includes six course dinner and entertainment

(not included-beverages, tax and gratuity)

Reservations:  410 625 0534

Future Opera Nights ~ Save the Dates

Sundays:   May 20th, June 10^th, July 22nd

Sotto Sopra's two course lunch - $15

Sotto Sopra

Two Course Lunch - $15 per person

(served Monday through Saturday – 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

reservations suggested - 410 625 0534 
 

First Course  

 (choice of one)

Soup of the Day

La Nostra Insalata

Bitter greens/dill/shaved fennel/Parmigiano/Champagne vinegar-Dijon dressing

Insalata alla Cesare

Caesar salad

Arugula Fennel Salad

Parmesan shavings, lemon oil vinaigrette

Polenta Soffice/ Ragu di Lumache/ Burro Aromatizzato

Soft polenta/ snails ragout/ garlic butter

Polenta Fritta Bergamot

Fried polenta/ truffle sea salt/ caper aioli

Second Course 

(choice of one)

Spaghetti All’Amatriciana

Spaghetti/ onion/pancetta/tomato sauce

Rigatoni alle Melanzane e Mozzarella

Rigatoni pasta/ roasted eggplants/ fresh mozzarella

Pappardelle Sotto Sopra

Fresh pappardelle / smoked mozzarella/fresh tomato sauce

Cozze Saltate alla Marinara

Sautéed mussels/ garlic white wine - tomato broth

Risotto of the day

Panino di Vegetali alla Griglia

Grilled vegetable panino/ goat cheese/ watercress pesto

Panino con Salmone alla Griglia

Grilled salmon panino/ horseradish aioli/tomato

Panino con Pollo alla Griglia

Grilled chicken panino/ roasted sweet corn/ tomato

Salmone alla Lavanda e Miele

Grilled salmon/ lavender honey/ broccoli/mashed potatoes

Our homemade focaccia and breadsticks with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary and garlic  $3 for service for two

Beverages are not inclusive

Reservations suggested - 410 625 0534

Passport to Italian Wines - Emilia-Romagno

Passport to Italian Wines

Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 6 p.m.

Emilia-Romagno

$25 per person

terroir: climate and environment that distinguishes a wine from a particular area

Welcome to 2012 and the next series of wine explorations at Sotto Sopra. You will taste wines from a specific areas to discover how distinctly local conditions shape the flavor and structure of the wines.

This month is Emilia-Romagno is featured.  The strongly individual characteristics of Emilia-Romagna wines make them northern Italy's most eccentric. They are different, on the whole, from the wines of their neighbors.

Brought to you by Sotto Sopra and wine director Christopher Clune. Reserve early, as these tastings fill up quickly! We hope to see you here. Reservations 410 625 0534

The tasting will begin at six pm. The cost is twenty five dollars. Bring a friend! We offer a 20 percent discount on dinner for any of our wine tasting guests wishing to extend their evening at Sotto Sopra.

 

OPERA NIGHT - Sunday, March 25, 2012

OPERA NIGHT

6 course Italian dinner & live opera performances

Sunday, March 25th  - 6:00 PM

      Reservations - 410.625.0534

 

  

Don't let the cold keep you away from a great evening of live opera performances and a delicious 6 course Italian meal perfectly executed. We make opera fun and interactive - join the party.

Our performers will regale you with your favorite arias that tell the stories of lives and loves both won and lost. Hear their amazing voices as they envelop Sotto Sopra's 19th century dining room. 

The acoustics are amazing, the singers engaging and the food---aah, the food reflects the deft hand that is Italian.

PERFORMERS

Karen Myers, Soprano

Paul McIlvaine, Tenor

Tom Hetrick, Piano

MENU

Vitello Tonnato

roasted veal/ tuna-anchovy sauce

Wild Mushroom Soup

with aged fontina bruschetta

Foie Gras Stuffed Gnocchi

with white truffle Parmesan cream sauce

Lemon-Basil Sorbet

Parmesan Encrusted Catfish

Lobster Risotto

with blue crab-roasted corn chowder

Apple Strudel and Cinnamon Ice Cream

58 per person

includes six course dinner and entertainment

(not included-beverages, tax and gratuity)

Reservations:  410 625 0534    

Future Opera Nights ~ Save the Dates

Sundays:   April 29th, May 20th, June 24th  

 

no other promotions or discount are applicable to this event 

  

Sotto Sopra's Goat Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Sotto Sopra’s Goat Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Serves 2 to 3 as entree

INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi

1 lb goat ricotta

10 oz ‘00’ flour

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 egg yolk from a large egg

Fine sea salt and fresh pepper

Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary

4 leaves of fresh sage

Brown Butter

4 tablespoons of butter

2 fresh sage leaves

Tomato Sauce – yields about 50 ounces

1 small yellow onion, diced

Extra virgin olive oil

2 – 28 oz cans of peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

1 tablespoon of sugar

Fine sea salt

Bunch of basil, stemmed and rough chop

For finishing

Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

Gnocchi directions

In a large mixing bowl add ricotta, 00 flour, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, egg yolk, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  Chop the thyme leaves, rosemary leaves and sage leaves together and add to the bowl.Mix ingredients until they come together (mixer or by hand).  You don’t want to overwork the dough but you want it mixed well.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Roll a test piece of the gnocchi about ½ inch wide by inch long and add to the pot. If it sits on the bottom of the pot or falls apart you need to add more flour. It should float to the top of the pot in about 2 minutes.  It should have a soft mouth feel.  If it feels too dense than you have too much flour.  Once the gnocchi test properly you want to cut the dough in four sections and roll out on a floured surface to ½ inch round thickness (like a rope) and then cut each gnocchi 1 inch long.  As you are cutting the gnocchi you would want to put on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with saran wrap and chill until you are ready to prepare. 

Tomato sauce directions

In a large pot, sauté the chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil until they become translucent.  Crush the whole tomatoes by hand breaking them up in small pieces and add them and the liquid from the can to the pot. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer for 45 minutes and take off the heat.  Add fresh basil and let steep for 20 minutes. You can at this time pulse the sauce with an immersion blender or put in your food processor and pulse.

ASSEMBLY

           

1.    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2.    Create you brown butter by heating all the butter with sage leaves.  Let the butter foam and it is done.

3.    When water is at a boil drop in your gnocchi a handful at a time.  They will rise to the top of the pot in about 2 minutes when they are done. Use a spider spatula to drain and transfer to warm plates.

4.    Drizzle brown butter over the gnocchi. Top with ½ cup to 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, extra virgin olive oil and serve.

About that Stracotto: Slow cooked stew

Here is a delicious recipe created by Julia della Croce, an Italian food expert and prolific cookbook author.  We thought the slow cooked stew apropos for this time of year.  Here is an excerpt from her blog Forktales with a link to the whole story and her recipe.

After I finished off producer Piero Catalano’s bottle of Suavis, the aged vinegar from Sicily’s desert island (“The Other Face of Balsamic” [December 15 post]), a small flask of Modena aged balsamic vinegar took its place in my cupboard. Unlike the Suavis, a souvenir from my September in Trapani (I drank it as a cordial, an “amen” to the day, blissful thimbleful by thimbleful and it was gone by January), aged Modena balsamico can be more easily replaced. These days, it’s sold in most self-respecting food specialty shops that carry Italian imports. So a generous trickle could be spared for the stew.

Check out the full story and recipe HERE at Julia della Croce's Forktales.

Tasting Passport to Italian Wines

Passport to Italian Wines

Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 6 p.m.

Alto Adige

Bordering Switzerland and Austria, the wines from Alto Adige will be featured in this romantic month of February.  Let Sotto Sopra's wine expert Chris Clune be your guide in his first stop touring Italy’s wine.

Thursday, February 16^th, 2012:  Get your wine tasting passport stamped. The tasting will start at 6:00 p.m. sharp, and all who attend will receive 20% off dinner that evening. There will be lite bites to accompany the tasting.

$25 per person

(tax and gratuity no included)

Reservations only – Space is limited

410 625 0534

Save the Dates

Future Wine Tastings: Thursdays - March 15th - Emilia Romagno and April 19th - Tuscany

OPERA NIGHT - FEBRUARY 26TH

OPERA NIGHT

6 course Italian dinner & live opera performances

Sunday, February 26th  - 6:00 PM

Reservations - 410.625.0534

 

  

Don’t let the cold keep you away from a great evening of live opera performances and a delicious 6 course Italian meal perfectly executed. We make opera fun and interactive - join the party. Make this your Valentine's Day Gift for your loved one.

Our performers will regale you with your favorite arias that tell the stories of lives and loves both won and lost. Hear their amazing voices as they envelop Sotto Sopra's 19th century dining room. 

The acoustics are amazing, the singers engaging and the food---aah, the food reflects the deft hand that is Italian.

PERFORMERS

Karen Myers, Soprano

Paul McIlvaine, Tenor

Tom Hetrick, Piano

MENU

Chorizo-Stuffed Mejolito Dates

smoked pancetta / piquillo-tomato sauce

Leek and Potato Soup

truffled mushrooms / julienne apples

Risotto with Cauliflower

sotto cenere / chicken roulade saltimbocca

Pink Grapefruit Sorbetto

Pan-Roasted Cod

caramelized cauliflower / cured lemon and olives

Fig Tart

Meyer lemon panacotta / saba

58 per person

includes six course dinner and entertainment

(not included-beverages, tax and gratuity)

Reservations:  410 625 0534    

Future Opera Nights ~ Save the Dates

Sundays:  March 25th, April 29th   

no other promotions or discount are applicable to this event

OPERA NIGHT – Sunday, January 15, 2012

Six Course Italian Dinner & Live Opera Performances

Sunday, December 18th  – 6:00 PM

Reservations – 410.625.0534

Welcome in the New Year with an evening of fine food and fabulous voices at Sotto Sopra Restaurant. Relish the unamplified voices of these performers in our historic Mt. Vernon townhouse as they resonate throughout the room. Enjoy fine Italian fare with a 6 course dinner interspersed with your favorite arias.

 

PERFORMERS

Karen Myers, Soprano

Paul McIlvaine, Tenor

Tom Hetrick, Piano

MENU

Carrot Soup

wild mushrooms / balsamic

Winter Baby Beet Panzanella

Dates / pancetta / goat cheese / arugula / tangerine dressing

                                                                                                                     

Scallop and Roasted Squash Risotto

 fried broccoli rabe / crispy pancetta/ sage-cider-maple glaze

Rosemary/ Lemon Sorbet

Braised Stuffed Veal Shoulder

Apricot stuffing / braised lentils/ fava bean puree

Chocolate/ Pistachio Crème Brulee

58 per person

Includes six course dinner and entertainment

(not included-beverages,tax and gratuity)

Reservations:  410 625 0534

Save the Dates - Future Opera Night
Sundays:  February 26th, March 25th, April 29th

no other promotions or discount are applicable to this event

Winter Restaurant Week 2012

Wasn't it just Summer Restaurant Week!  Well here it is 2012 Winter Restaurant Week sneaking up on us.  It kicks off Friday, January 20th and ends Sunday, January 29th. BULLETIN:  We have extended Restaurant Week through to Sunday, February 5th.  We will be participating both in lunches Monday through Saturday and dinners every evening. 

You will find a selection of our higher end menu items on the Winter Restaurant Week menu with an additional charge for those who want a bit more.  

Reservations: 410 625 0534

2012 Winter Restaurant Week Dinner Menu*

Friday, January 20 to Sunday. February 5th

Three Course Dinner - $30.12

First Course 

(choice of one)

Soup of the Day

La Nostra Insalata

Bitter greens/dill/shaved fennel/ Parmigiano /Champagne vinegar-Dijon dressing

Winter Panzanella

Farm baby red-yellow beets/ arugula/ pancetta/ goat cheese/ croutons/ dates

Add $4

Persimmon and Buffalo Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Olive crostino/ fried sage/ 12 year old balsamic

Insalata alla Cesare con Carta di Musica

Caesar salad/ thin wafer basket

Polenta con Lumache al Burro Aromatizzato

Valtellina polenta/ escargot ragu/ garlic butter

Cozze Saltate al Curry e Latte di Cocco

Sautéed mussels/ Indian Curry/ coconut milk/ leeks

Tar Tar di Agnello con Uovo di Quaglia e Salsa al Limone e Aglio

Lamb tartar/ quail egg/ chilies/ chives/ red onions/ truffle essence

Add $5

Crostini ai funghi con aioli al limone

Wild mushroom crostini/ Tuscan bread/ lemon aioli

Flat Bread of the Day

Polenta Fritta Bergamot

Fried polenta/ truffle sea salt/ smoked paprika-caper aioli

Optional: Add speck – $5 additional

Finocchiona e Burrata in Insalata

Fennel salami/ burrata cheese

Add $5

Ragu di Fagioli Cannellini con Salsiccia di Agnello

Cannellini bean cassoulet/ lamb sausage/ cucumber slaw

Second Course  

(choice of one)

Pappardelle Sotto Sopra

Homemade pappardelle pasta/ fresh tomato sauce/ smoked mozzarella

Gnocchi di Ricotta al Burro e Salvia/ Pomodoro Fresco

Ricotta gnocchi/ butter and sage/ fresh tomato sauce

Fracobolli di Ricotta e Spinaci.

Homemade ricotta- spinach stamps/ fresh tomato sauce

Fettuccine al Ragu’ di Coda di Bue e Costolette

Fettuccine/ oxtail-short rib ragout/ lemon crème fresh

Stracceti di Funghi Selvatici

Straccetti pasta/ wild mushroom sauce

Spaghetti Neri alla Chitarra con Ragu di Pesce e Porri

Black ink chitarra spaghetti/ leeks/ fish medley

Ravioloni di Zucca e Salvia con Salsiccia, Salvia e Amaretti di Saronno

Homemade pumkin ravioloni/ amaretto cookies/ sausage/ Alfredo Parmesan sauce

Gorgonzola/ Spinach Risotto

Pollo Organico Ripieno di Sasiccia con Salsa di Funghi, e Spinaci Agliati

Airline chicken/ sausage stuffing/ crispy mushrooms/ celery root lasagna

Il Cioppino di Sotto Sopra

Lobster bisque /mussels/ clams/ salmon/other fish of the moment in season/ Tuscan bread

Salmone con Fregola alle Olive e Arancie Rosse

Chilean salmon - pan seared/ olive fregola sarda/melted red onion/ lobster tangerine essence

Filetto di Brazino con Salsa al Basilica e Finocchio e Burro all’Arancia Sanguigna

Branzino filet/ Fennel-basil sauce/ grilled vegetables ragu/ blood orange brown butter

Costoletta di Manzo Brasata con Polenta al Tartufo e Insalata di Erbe

Slow braised beef short- rib/ truffled polenta taragna/ celery root-grapefruit-parsley-mint herb salad.

Add $10

Delmonico di Manzo

Delmonico Ribeye – espresso rubbed/ pumpkin lasagna/ broccolini/ Barolo reduction

Add $15

Third Course  

(choice of one)

Pistachio-Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Semolina Cake

Mascarpone cream/ fig-limoncello sauce

Pear Tart Frangipane

Pear sorbet

Warm Chocolate Cake

Raspberry Sorbet

Gianduia Pot du Crème

Lemon Tart

Whipped cream

Ice Cream or Sorbet of the Day

*Menu items are subject to change due to availability or market changes.

No other promotions or discounts are applicable during Restaurant Week.

Valet parking available - $5

 

2012 Winter Restaurant Week Lunch Menu*

Friday, January 20^th to Saturday, February 4th

Two Courses - $15.12

First Course  

 (choice of one)

Soup of the Day

La Nostra Insalata

Bitter greens/dill/shaved fennel/Parmigiano/Champagne vinegar-Dijon dressing

Insalata alla Cesare

Caesar salad

Arugula Fennel Salad

Parmesan shavings, lemon oil vinaigrette

Polenta Soffice/ Ragu di Lumache/ Burro Aromatizzato

Soft polenta/ snails ragout/ garlic butter

Polenta Fritta Bergamot

Fried polenta/ truffle sea salt/ caper aioli

Second Course 

(choice of one)

Spaghetti All’Amatriciana

Spaghetti/ onion/pancetta/tomato sauce

Rigatoni alle Melanzane e Mozzarella

Rigatoni pasta/ roasted eggplants/ fresh mozzarella

Pappardelle Sotto Sopra

Fresh pappardelle / smoked mozzarella/fresh tomato sauce

Cozze Saltate alla Marinara

Sautéed mussels/ garlic white wine - tomato broth

Risotto of the day

Panino di Vegetali alla Griglia

Grilled vegetable panino/ goat cheese/ watercress pesto

Panino con Salmone alla Griglia

Grilled salmon panino/ horseradish aioli/tomato

Panino con Pollo alla Griglia

Grilled chicken panino/ roasted sweet corn/ tomato

Salmone alla Lavanda e Miele

Grilled salmon/ lavender honey/ broccoli/mashed potatoes

*menu items can be subject to change due to availability or market conditions

No other promotions or discounts are applicable during Restaurant Week
Valet parking available - $5 We will only be serving the Restaurant Week Menu during these dates.