October 2nd and 3rd

First Course

Mushroom Tapas with Goat Cheese on Crostini

Main Course

Glazed Cornish Game Hen under Garlic and Leek sauce

Manicotti Formaggio

Dessert Course

Homemade Bread Pudding with fresh Vanilla Ice Cream

Wine Pairings: Fall brings me back to intensely warm flavors, which is why I wanted to accent some earthy notes throughout the menu. Chardonnay will play across the menu nicely, but bring a pinot grigio with you to lighten some of the flavors and bring out the sweetness in the sherried mushrooms, caramelized onions and tomatoes in the manicotti, and the cinnamon and caramel in the bread pudding.

Beer Pairings: Stella Artois or a similar Belgian offering would be a wonderful pairing with this menu, but something with a hoppy kick to it will pair especially well with the sherry and lemon zest used in the first course. Check out Boddington's Pub Ale for a lovely beer that will go will with everything here. Don't bring anything overly-roasted as the garlic-leek sauce will clash with it for the main course, but something with plenty of maltiness (i.e. Smithwick's or a caramel bock in most any incarnation) is a sure bet for this meal.

September 25th and 26th

First Course

Garden Minestrone

Main Course

Baked Pork Loin under Candied Walnuts on Orzo

Steamed Vegetable Medley

Dessert Course

Homemade Bread Pudding with fresh Vanilla Ice Cream

Wine Pairings: The candied walnuts in this dish will be forward enough to demand some taming, and a chardonnay with malic (apple) and vanilla qualities in accent to the smokey dryness will do very nicely. I might suggest Markham or Fat Bastard for good starting points, but go crazy. If you're a red drinker, go chianti (Ruffino) or give that zinfandel on the shelf some attention - both will do very well, especially in compliment to the cinnamon in the bread pudding.

Beer Pairings: Stout, porter - which one to choose? Darker roasted beers tend to intensify sweetness, and with the candied walnuts and natural sugars in the vegetables, they will be great companions to this menu. Save some for dessert, too. . . that ice cream is killer with a great stout like Guiness or Young's.

September 18th and 19th

First Course
Mixed greens with Cider Vinaigrette, fresh Gala Apples, Crumbled Feta, and toasted Pine Nuts

Main Course
Smoked Pork Roast with a Mango-Ginger Barbecue Sauce on Herb Focaccia

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Pan-fried Brussel Sprouts with a Garlic-Leek Sauce

Dessert Course
Homemade Bread Pudding

Wine Pairings: Wine will be primarily white, and, unlike last week, you might stay away from intense smokey flavors - stick to something like a pinot noir or a merlot to really bounce the flavor about on the pallate. The mango-ginger barbecue sauce might be a bit sweet to enjoy with a riesling, but movement toward a sauvignon blanc or a sparkling prosecco could make for a delightful experience!

Beer Pairings: I hate to sound redundant, but the "Marzen" (Octoberfest) style is here to stay for a couple of weeks! It's just so good. . . if you didn't try some last weekend, put yourself to the test and get some QUICK! Many brewers make it in March (thus the "Marzen" designation in German) and let it sit until this time of year, so they are usually brewed in limited quantities.

If you can't find any around here, opt for something with some nice caramel notes like the Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale (http://www.tommyknocker.com/ourBeer.html) - you won't regret it, and you can get it right here in the area. Prost!

Saturday, September 12th

First Course
Mixed greens with Cider Vinaigrette, crumbled Dimoc Cheddar, and toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Main Course
Baked Sirloin under Champagne Caramelized Onions

Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Broiled Stuffed Tomato

Dessert Course
Homemade Bread Pudding

Wine Pairings: The flavors of autumn are upon us, and so, in the spirit of the season, I have included my favorite fall flavors, making this week's menu very easy to pair!

I am increasingly a fan of the malbec, and it's slight tartness will pair very well with the cider vinaigrette in the salad, and be offset quite nicely by the cheddar. If you're not sure, go smokey (i.e. cabernet) or peppery (shiraz), though I might still stay with a nice light white (gewurtztraminer or pinot grigio) for this one. A chardonnay will do very well with this menu, too, especially one with pronounced vanilla notes to compliment the caramelized onions.

Beer Pairings: Oh, man, it's my favorite beer season! So many beers were produced for celebrations at this time of year, and "mein lieblings" (my favorite) is the Oktoberfest style. Toasty, nutty, passing hints of hoppiness. . . it's magical sometimes. Try any Oktoberfest offering at this time of year and you can be assured of a decent experience, but make special note of the August Schell Brewing Company' offering; it's a sure-fire hit http://www.schellsbrewery.com/home.php. Anyway you find it, grab some and enjoy around a nice campfire or a table with some fresh-baked bread.

August 21st and 22nd

Ladies and gentlemen,

We apologize for not getting notification to you sooner, but we will not be hosting dinners this weekend as Shane is in a production of Arsenic and Old Lace at the Grand Operahouse here in Dell Rapids. We will return next weekend, though, so thank you for your patience, and we look forward to serving you again soon!

August 14th and 15th

First Course
Carrot and Ginger Vichyssoise Soup

Main Course
Herb-baked Pork Loin under a Sweet Vermouth and Portabello Demi Glace
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Steamed Asparagus

Dessert Course
Apfeltorte

Wine Pairings: Go for the gusto this weekend - there are a myriad of choices out there because of the broad scope of this menu. Malbecs are hot right now, but a nice bottle of your standard merlot will perform well with the entire menu. Don't go overly sweet with the main course, though - there are many herb notes that will clash harshly with the sweetness of a reisling, though it would be a perfect choice for the dessert course. Simply put, bring your favorite. . . there's something here for pretty much everybody!

Beer Pairings: Porters and stouts, though frowned upon last week, will be strong companions to this weekend's selection. Guiness, the entire Young's line, and Sammy Smith's darker selections should give you plenty of choices, but look also to the New Belgium Brewing Company (www.newbelgium.com) offerings - they've got a diverse line of great beers that will serve this menu well. Prost!

August 7th and 8th

First Course
House Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Main Course
Chicken Marsala
Linguini under a Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Sauce
Antipasti Skewers

Dessert Course
Homemade Espresso Ice Cream

Wine Pairings: Chianti is almost a must, in my humble opinion. The fruitiness and exuberance that it brings to the table will pair very well with smokiness brought out of the mushrooms and Marsala wine on the chicken, and it's subtle finish will be enlivened by the antipasti. If you're leaning toward a white, go with Pinot Grigio - it's such a superb summer wine, and it pairs nicely with the sweet poppyseed dressing and fresh fruits incorporated into the salad course.

Beer Pairings: Don't get anything heavy-handed (i.e. a porter or stout) unless you'll be sipping - these tend to overpower the bright flavors involved with the cream sauce and the chicken, though it would be perfect to go with the dessert course! If you're into mingling your beer experience, try this - start with a wheat beer with the salad course, follow it with a nice nutty brown ale (Newcastle is my choice here) for the main course, and end with a lovely oatmeal stout (Young's will do very well in this capacity) with dessert. . . great for those group experiences, and you'll only need a bottle or two of each to give a memorable time to up to six people. Whatever you do, have fun with it!