Believe it or not, encapsulating French onion soup into a dumpling is not new: It has long been a signature item at ChoLon in Denver. However Adam Hodgson, chef of Church and Union in Nashville, gives it an Italian twist by inserting a reduced and gelatinized version of the soup into pasta and serving it in a gooey, cheesy sauce.
In Asheville, N.C., at a steakhouse called Asheville Proper, chef and co-owner Owen McGlynn also gives his ribs an Italian accent by serving it with gremolata, a seasonal twist by making that gremolata with pumpkin, and a local touch by using pork from a North Carolina farm.
Seasonality is also on the mind of Jordan Anderson of Sami & Susu in New York City, where he spruces up his tabbouleh with apples (to be replaced by English peas in the spring and corn in the summer).
In Lone Tree, Colo., chef Charles Mani, who cooked his way through restaurants in Chennai, India, but most recently was cooking in New York City, has opened Urban Village Grill, serving Indian food such as fried kale chaat.
And in San Francisco, at the recently rechristened Bluestem Restaurant & Market, Adam Jed is offering a cocktail made with local vodka and inspired both by California’s historic Gold Rush and San Francisco’s current adoration of amaro.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
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