how cool is that!?

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a total nerd.  Im psyched to geek out about ANYTHING,   but I especially love to geek out on any & all things related to food- I love growing food,  I love cooking food, I love looking at pictures of food,  and I love talking and teaching people about food!  But, the thing I love the most- the thing I am absolutely CRAZY PASSIONATE about- is EATING REAL FOOD!  Don't get me wrong- I love fried chicken and pork rinds and potato chips too, but food that is fresh and whole has a flavor that cannot be compared to anything else, and honestly, my body just CRAVES IT!  Fresh WHOLE foods are simple and complex at the same time, and are an edible illustration of the earth and the place we live.  Growing food to serve at the restaurant fulfills me in so many ways- (because Hello- have you met me? I'm kind of obsessed...) -  and means that I am filled with the freshest, healthiest, and most flavorful food around- (hey, when I eat this food I feel AWESOME!)   AND that means, when you eat at kismet,  you eat real food too, grown just for you! How cool is that!?

Real food is medicine for our brains and for our bodies, and unfortunately there is not enough real food available to most people.  Food security is a serious and real world problem, and while there may be "food" available, there are very few places to eat real & whole foods.

This season, consider a neighbor, co-worker, friend or family member who may be less food secure than you & purchase them a gift certificate to Kismet-- we'll hook them up & enter their name into our CSA raffle!  This winter, we are the pick up location for the BEAR ROOTS FARM winter CSA & we will be donating 1 winter CSA to a family in need! 

If you are interested in helping others find food security,  make a donation TODAY to the Vermont Food Bank & remember that you are not just helping a family in need, you are helping build the healthy and whole community we all deserve to live in.

Good Food Starts Here

Finally summer has arrived!  And no one loves hot humid days more than me!  One of the best parts of summer is watching the garden grow! The humidity helps the plant leaves stay nice and plump, helps bacteria to generate rich lively soil, and makes for deliciously sweet and fragrantly ripe fruit (my favorite!). So next time the heat gets to your head a little bit, and you find yourself yearning for cooler temps, stop in and give us a visit & we'll give you a taste of our favorite summer flavors and help you find reason to celebrate our favorite season!

& Let's face it, summer is the Cocktail SEASON!  Here's a recipe for one of my favorites:  

Sweet Tea Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Earl Grey infused Vodka

1 oz Earl Grey Elder Syrup

2 oz Earl Grey Iced tea

wedge of lemon

spring of lemon verbena or mint

Use a tall Collins Glass // fill 3/4 with ice

Fill a bucket with ice cubes // add the Vodka, Earl Grey Elder Syrup // Shake till chilled

strain into collins glass // squeeze wedge of lemon // top with iced tea // 

garnish with lemon verbena

xoxo

TEEN TAKE-OVER!

THANK YOU so much for your support & encouragement for the High School Initiative Teen Take-Over & for the Community Lunch program! 

The students had an amazing week, traveling the region & meeting with farm to table professionals, as well as preparing for the Teen Take-Over event.  On the day of they event, every student arrived ready & eager! They bravely tended to each task, worked hard, had great enthusiasm & exceeded their own expectations!
The event went smoothly (& Quickly!),  we served 140 guests, nearly sold out of food & raised nearly $3000 in just 3 hours of being open!!

At the center of my program, I aim to inspire & empower teens to create and celebrate a whole and healthy community.  Thank you for helping to make this program successful!

If you are interested in contributing to the Community Lunch Program, or to the other programs at Central Vermont High School Initiative,  you can place a tax deductible donation here.

TEEN TAKE-OVER JUNE 3

TEEN TAKE-OVER 

As some of you may know, for the last 2 years, I have been working with Central Vermont High School Initiative, located at Goddard College,  to develop a high school farm-to-school curriculum.  This pilot program, referred to as Community Lunch, has been a source of serious inspiration for me and the students, and with the support of the school faculty, has become the cornerstone of the health and nutrition educational plan.  Despite serious funding obstacles (the program depends 100% on donations of equipment, labor, and ingredients),  the program has become very successful and students broke ground on their very first school vegetable garden (we are already harvesting and eating greens from the greenhouse)!

I meet with the students weekly to prepare meals completely from scratch (without recipes) using whole foods ingredients, to eat together with guests from the community.   While cooking, we talk about food science, culinary arts, food trends, math, budgeting, nutrient density, calorie conversion, and special diets.  We experiment with culinary alchemy and cooking techniques while exploring geographical and historical facts.  We investigate cultures, discuss politics of agriculture & health care, and discuss wide worlds of topics including sexual health, mental health, and relationships.  Then we set the table, taking care to consider our guests, and sit to eat together as we explore what it means to feed ourselves and to nurture each other.   

The students participate in this program willingly and with enthusiasm.  They are energetic and have lots of ideas of how the “Community Lunch” program can grow, and how we can share this program with others.  This year, I proposed a food trailer concept, which will provide a certified kitchen space for the students to refine their culinary skills through hands-on holistic nutritional education.   I am excited to announce that the school has approved my proposal, and has plans to purchase a licensed food trailer which will serve as the school kitchen classroom, as well as a vehicle for future student projects centered around food, including community service, job readiness, and fundraising for their non-profit school.  We believe that this pilot program empowers students to feed themselves and their communities toward the prevention of hunger, mental illness, crime and loneliness, through real-life, real-food experiences.

SO! 

On June 3, students of the Central Vermont High School Initiative 

will transform KISMET into their own TEEN TAKE-OVER!  

The food will be delicious, and all proceeds from food sales will go towards the Community Lunch program at CVHSI.  

Guests will have the opportunity to make additional pledges in terms of capital or ingredients to grow our pantry. 

Learn more about the Community Lunch here: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/food/2014/10/30/forget-twinkies-teens-make-butter/18188993/

 and here: http://digital.vpr.net/post/vpr-cafe-young-cooks-making.

Learn about the Initiative, or make a tax deductible donation today here:  http://vtwhs.org/wish-list/

xoxo

crystal

inspired by you

When I began kismet in 2006,  I had very humble expectations.  I wanted to feed people the type of food that I loved to eat.  Good Food, from local organic farms, inspired by my family and travels, and made from scratch with simplicity.  No fillers, no corn syrup, no frozen foods; no crap!

I am so thankful for my staff and community for these years; together we have overcome floods and bad fortune, shared stories and recipes, and have grown our families together.  2015 will be the beginning of kismet's 9th year! NEARLY A DECADE! And my resolve stays the same; serve the food I like to eat, from our own garden and local farms, inspired by YOU: my family.

Come celebrate a new year (and our anniversary)! 

DINNER December 31, 2014 

BRUNCH January 1, 2015. 

 

xoxo

BUTTER

We make our own butter here at the restaurant.  It's one of those things I just won't stop doing.
Making butter is one of my favorite tasks.  There are few things in life that are as easy, as dependable, or as delicious as fresh handmade butter from local pastured healthy cows.
Over the years, I've had a lot of jobs at the restaurant; chef, plumber, farmer, phone technician, dishwasher, graphic designer! But, making butter is still my favorite.




BUTTER

Cream
Always start with cream from pastured animals.  Pastured animals are exposed to sunlight & eat
grass, resulting in a product that is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Culture
Add a couple of table spoons of yogurt or cultured raw milk to your fresh cream, and let it sit on the counter overnight.  In the morning, your cream will be thick & slightly sour.  This step is not essential for making butter, but is essential for making butter milk, which is useful to have in the kitchen.  You could skip this step and still have delicious sweet cream butter.

Churn
Heavy cream is made of fat and sugar with some proteins. If you've cultured the cream, you've transformed the sugar and thickened, or padded, the protein particles.  Churning the cream, agitates the fat molecules, forcing them to rub against each other.  Fat is sticky, so eventually the tiny fat molecules become particles, and the particles eventually grow into visible tangible masses.

Using a hand mixer, a whisk, robot coup, food processor, or an old fashioned churn; beat the cream.  The cream will thicken to whipped cream after about 3 minutes, then it will become VERY thick cream- or what appears to be whipped butter. If you stop the beating now, you have an edible sweet
 or slightly tangy (if using cultured cream) creamy colored dairy topping that is delicious on cobblers.  But it is not very stable, and will begin to loose its body after a few hours.  Keep beating the cream, until the fat and the sugars separate, and the buttermilk begins sloshing around.  THIS is my favorite
part!


Washing
Dump the contents of your churning device into a bowl lined with a colander. If you cultured your cream, you now have butter in the colander, and buttermilk in the bowl. If you did not culture your cream, you have butter and un-cultured whey, which you can feed to your pigs or pups, or use in baking.  Regardless, separate the butter from the non-butter liquid.
On it's own, butter fat is a very stable food, but it will go rancid rather quickly if it is not handled properly. Washing the fat solids removes residual milk sugars and the butter will have a cleaner, sweeter flavor.
Keep the butter solids in the colander, and place in a new clean bowl.  Stream in cold water and gently knead the butter under the running water.  Occasionally, empty the bowl below, and con tune until the water In the bowl is clear.

Drying
Place a clean dish towel on your work surface. A wood surface is best.  Place your butter on the clean towel, place another clean towel on top, and press the butter between the two layer- expressing any water or moisture.  Remove the top towel, fold the butter as you would pastry dough, and place a new clean dish towel on top.  Press the butter between the two layers.  Now that the butter has been pressed twice, remove the top towel & sprinkle the butter generously with sea salt or powdered sea vegetables. Fold the butter again and incorporate the seasoning by if kneading the butter with the towel as your tool. Taste the butter & add more salt if needed.

Storing
I like to roll my butter into a log shape.  It is easy to slice & looks nice as a gift.  The majority of our butter at the restaurant gets packed into clean plastic quart containers.
It's ok to leave butter at room temperature for long periods if you're room is below 80.
In lots of placing in the world, butter is used to make ghee. Ghee is a shelf stable fat that has no protein or sugar.  The proteins and sugars are removed from the butter by gently heating it and skimming the sugars (which foam) and the protein (which turns white and cooks into a loose solid).  The resulting product is light yellow, clear, doesn't burn when you fry with it, and will stay good forever (even in rooms over 80 degrees).

Eating
Butter is a nutrient dense food. Eating butter, along with a whole food's diet, protects your body from stress, keeps your cells strong yet supple, and delivers important fat soluble vitamins.

If you want to geek out on butter:

• Vitamins ...
  Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape.
  Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.
• Minerals ...
  Butter is rich in important trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. Butter is also an excellent source of iodine.
• Fatty Acids ...
  Butter provides appreciable amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract.
  Butter also provides the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Arachidonic acid in butter is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance.
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) ...
  When butter comes from cows eating green grass, it contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat.
• Glycospingolipids ...
  These are a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Children given reduced-fat milks have higher rates of diarrhea than those who drink whole milk.
• Cholesterol ...
  Despite all of the misinformation you may have heard, cholesterol is needed to maintain intestinal health and for brain and nervous system development in the young.
• Wulzen Factor ...
  A hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.

Butter and Your Health

Is butter really healthy? Let us count the ways …

1. Heart Disease
   Butter contains many nutrients that protect against heart disease including vitamins A, D, K2, and E, lecithin, iodine and selenium. A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine (Nutrition Week 3/22/91, 21:12).
2. Cancer
   The short- and medium-chain fatty acids in butter have strong anti-tumor effects. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in butter from grass-fed cows also gives excellent protection against cancer.
3. Arthritis
   The Wulzen or "anti-stiffness" factor in raw butter and also Vitamin K2 in grasss-fed butter, protect against calcification of the joints as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. Calves fed pasteurized milk or skim milk develop joint stiffness and do not thrive.
4. Osteoporosis
   Vitamins A, D and K2 in butter are essential for the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus and hence necessary for strong bones and teeth.
5. Thyroid Health
   Butter is a good source of iodine, in a highly absorbable form. Butter consumption prevents goiter in mountainous areas where seafood is not available. In addition, vitamin A in butter is essential for proper functioning of the thyroid gland.
6. Digestion
   Glycospingolipids in butterfat protect against gastrointestinal infection, especially in the very young and the elderly.
7. Growth & Development
   Many factors in the butter ensure optimal growth of children, especially iodine and vitamins A, D and K2. Low-fat diets have been linked to failure to thrive in children -- yet low-fat diets are often recommended for youngsters!
8. Asthma
   Saturated fats in butter are critical to lung function and protect against asthma.
9. Overweight
   CLA and short- and medium-chain fatty acids in butter help control weight gain.
10. Fertility
    Many nutrients contained in butter are needed for fertility and normal reproduction

From the kitchen with love xoxo

Thank you to everyone who joined us in our new year celebration!

2014 is only three days old, but so far so good!

Despite the frigid temperatures outside, Kismet is warm and cozy and I'm the lucky girl who gets to tend the ovens! Between rotating large trays of caramelized roots and winter vegetables,  I may occasionally be found cuddling huge bubbling pots of nourishing broths, or gleefully rejoicing in the wafts of smoked apples.  It's possible, that come April I may be pale and found staring blankly at the parsnips and celeriac, wishing for a magic spell to turn them into garden fresh haricotverts;  but at the moment I am happily snuggled in with my myriad of roots and pumpkins, and happily seasoning with  honey preserved herbs.

It's true that cooking in Vermont in the winter is drastically different than in July or August.  For one thing, FINDING fresh local food is more difficult when it's -15 degrees.  If you've managed to put away some storage crops or did a little canning or preserving the previous season, chances are you've got a whole lot of root vegetables, pickles, jams, and a bunch of random cuts of frozen meat.  Going to the coop or grocery store can offer some relief, and though a salad for dinner sounds great in late June, it's definitely not what our bodies deserve while enduring sub arctic conditions.  

It's not a surprise to me that seasonal depression disorder effects so many folks.  For me, I spend the majority of winter fantasizing about being half clothed and surrounded by green leaves and warm breezes, but for many others, seasonal depression can be a much deeper and serious illness that may present all sorts of health issues.  

I know how hard it is to stay warm and well fed during this season- but it is truly the most important thing we can do for ourselves.  At kismet, we take this sort of thing very seriously.  Each day, I meet with my kitchen team, who happen to be my best friends, and we plan the week's menus and lists of prep work based on what to feed ourselves and each other. We talk about you, our regulars, and the folks we have yet to meet, and we talk about the season.  The menus we plan are as much for my own children as they are for the rest of the world, and inspired by my honest belief that food is medicine, and that it should taste good! 

This is kismet's 8th winter, and I truly do feel that we have settled into this season with joy and readiness.  We want to feed you! And most importantly, want for you to be fed good, whole, nurturing, foods that strengthen and support you and all of the good work you do! 

From the kitchen with love,

xoxo

NEW YEARS BRUNCH!!

we're spending the last day of the year preparing for the first meals of the new year!!

please join us for the 

NEW YEARS BRUNCH!!

january 1, 2014

10-2

(& it's our birthday too!! we're going into our 8th year!)

mimosas & bloody mary specials

rejuvenating fresh juices

xoxo

BENEDICTS (our favorite)

(vegan versions available!)

portuguese fishcake 16

Potato & poached cod, topped with eggs & hollandaise.  

Served with salad.

florentine 14

Spinach, chèvre & dill on seeded baguette. 

Topped with eggs & hollandaise & served with roots.

crepe 14

Buckwheat crepe filled with ham & sharp cheddar. 

Topped with eggs & hollandaise, served with roots.

crab 16

Toasted brioche, seared tomato, seared tomato.

Topped with eggs & hollandaise, served with roots.

steak & egg frites 19

Seared New York strip, poached eggs, hollandaise, served with fries.

……& our other favorites….

biscuits & gravy 10

Choice of tempeh, our own lamb chorizo, or house pork sausage.

huevos rancheros 14

Polenta cake topped with eggs, enchilada sauce and sour cream.  

Plated with black beans, spiced cheddar potatoes, salsa and hot sauce.

portuguese baked eggs 14

Sofrito, baked with 2 soft eggs, ricotta, romano and cheddar. Served with toast.  

With lamb chorizo … 16

grain and vegetable platter 12

Add eggs, tofu, chicken, or tempeh, cheddar, chèvre or feta… 3 

pork & cheddar hash 13

Potatoes topped with cider & rum braised pork, cheddar & 2 eggs

french toast 12

Portuguese sweet bread, cranberry compote, fresh ricotta, maple syrup.

THIS IS KISMET

When we walk in this door, we leave everything but the most important parts of ourselves behind; our dented cars, dirty dishes, idle projects and disappointments- 

 We enter to sounds of crashing pans and a mad jangle of silverware, breaking glassware, and layers of background rumbling. ..

& we set our mise to the sounds of unanswered cell phone alarms, text signals, ringing, and beeps from all directions- door chimes, machine parts busting, 

and all sorts of semi vocal signals from co-staff and the computer system & guests alike. 

 While the delivery drivers, producers and wine reps stand silent on the stairs holding the myriad assortment of the day's perishables,

 roasted bacon, fried eggs, toasted seeds and yeasted bread further fill the space that has become our dreamtime...

here-  in the midst of orchestrated transformational chaos, we collectively aim to synchronize, create and unify;  to have time for reflection, even just a moment of self witness, and the opportunity to honestly surrender.

THIS 

IS KISMET

in the midst; rhode island calamari arrives and is lovingly handled and gracefully transformed over fire- three, four, five sets of hands gently work this process forward-

flames. olive brine. cured lemon. braised garlic. and then a finesse- as the dish is passed on.

in the corner confectionary; egg whites whipped for 15 minutes to form the lightness that becomes meringue- while discussing quince syrup and crumb topping.  lemon zest piled on the counter, fresh thyme soaking in sparkling rose, macerated black berries.

on the counter: grilled peaches, atlantic octopus, kitchen renovation floor plans

& in the back ground;  miguel perfecting cast iron fried eggs. 

in just a few moments we will open, 

and over the course of four days we will serve over 700 meals.

check out our current menus here

xoxo

Really delicious & really happy

Even though the wind still smells of woodsmoke and has an uncomfortable arctic feel to it, spring is here and blossoming abundantly. Each day, I've woken to birds and blue skies and to-do lists that involve summer menu planning, setting seeds, and visits to the woods to hunt and gather.
There are only so many hours in the day, and as those of you who know kismet well, know that I have had my hands full and my schedule over booked with the many tasks if running the restaurant and garden on my own.  Over the last 6 months, however, evolution has brought a certain number of changes that have greatly nourished our kismet, and I'm pretty excited about this new season and new energy kismet is experiencing! For the first time since the floods, I feel like kismet has a better and surer sense of itself, and is really and truly recovering from the disasters of 2011.  We have new faces collaborating in the kitchen, and new leadership in the dining room.  New menus are focusing more than ever on the Mediterranean influences of my own palate, with all of the healing and nourishing qualities we have strived for years to deliver.  Jules, Charles, Genevieve, &Miguel have been incredible, and even after only 2 weeks of working together, I feel that I have a team that inspires & directs each other through the kind of manifestation and excellence we all desire.  It feels easy all of a sudden, and delicious- REALLY DELICIOUS!
Things are taking shape in the dining room as well; Damian recently installed the new mirrors & glass rack, lighting is being put in place, and Art has graciously amended and updated our window & menu graphics!
In the front of the house, my friend & completely competent business buddy, Melissa, has chosen to take on a front of the house & bar overhaul.  I can't tell you how incredible it is to have her here working with us! It's like after years of single parenting being given a super nanny!! She's amazing, has a phenomenal palate, has wine and beer expertise,  AND shares a love and devotion to kismet that is felt through the entire staff.
Each day, we all do our best to stay focused, meet our goals, find & appreciate inspiration, and stay connected to what is important to us.  Doubt creeps in from time to time, there are the unsavory surprises, and there are lists that get longer no matter how hard you try.  But, tonight at staff meeting (pre dinner, as we call it), I had tears in my eyes as we tasted the new menu items & talked about tonight's service- not the kind of tears that come from total exhaustion and relentless fear- happy tears. REALLY HAPPY tears..
XOXO
Crystal

spring news xoxo

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

This year's Vermont Restaurant Week is April 26- May 6.  During Restaurant week, Kismet will be offering daily $10 lunch specials,  a $35 three course dinner tasting menu,

 and a one night only five course tasting menu with wine pairings on April 27th, 2013!

On April 27,  at 6:00 p.m, join us for an evening with Artisanal Cellars and winemaker Matteo Giustiniani.   Kismet Chef-Owner Crystal Maderia will present a menu that both incorporates and is paired with a selection of Villa Sardi wines in a casual and creative dinner.

This 5-course dinner is prix-fixe ($70 per person, tax not included) and by reservation only. Limited to 10 guests.

Call 802-233-8646 for details and to place a reservation.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there! 

dear winter..

snow gently settles at my front door each night when i arrive home; i am happy, because i know that the sap will flow longer this way-- but i am so eager for spring at the same time...

Dear  Winter:

    thank you

    you mean so much to me

    but

    it's time for us to say goodbye.

    Take your time,

    do what needs to be done

    so the sap may run long and fast

    and be plenty.

    I promise to embrace you 9 months from now

    when you arrive again.

xoxo

kismet

roche-mere wine event

March 4, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montpelier, Vermont

This coming Tuesday March 12th, Vermont Wine Merchants, in collaboration with Kismet restaurant, are hosting a unique event, showcasing the organic and/or biodynamic wines of Roche-meré.  

The two part event begins with a free and open-to-the-public tasting from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., to be followed by a reservation only wine dinner at 6:30 pm.  

That evening, Chef-Owner Crystal Maderia will present a five-course prix-fixe menu that both incorporates and is paired with choice wines, hand-selected by Roche-meré.  Maderia's unique approach is inspired by the intention to highlight the absolute enjoyment of each individual wine through both a culinary perspective and a casual dining experience. 

Both the daytime tasting and the pairing dinner will specifically showcase the organic and/or biodynamic wines of Roche-meré Wine Selections.  Roche-meré is an importer/distributer based out of Bordeaux, France, owned and run by Theo Mellion and Michael Affato, collectively boasting over 20 years of experience.  Roche-meré hand-selects and imports deep, complex reds and whites that express specific typicity and origin, which stimulate the intellect of the experienced wine collector, but also give less experienced wine lovers wonderful discoveries, creating new-found passions.  

Vermont Wine Merchants is the sole Vermont distributer of Roche-meré Wine Selections, and will be co-hosting this event.  

Kismet is a unique ‘Farm-to-Table’ dining & flavor experience, founded in 2006, expanding to its current location in downtown Montpelier in 2010.

Details:
Wine tasting: Noon to 3pm, 52 State Street, Montpelier, freeFive-course wine dinner: 6:30pm, 52 State Street, Montpelier, Reservations required. $65 per person (cash only)  (tax not included)


Contact: Ted Pearcy; (802)223-8646; tedkismet@yahoo.com

Kismet is located at 52 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, and on the web at kismetkitchens.com
Phone: (802)223-8646
Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 8-2 & 5-9. Sunday, 9-2

 

early spring

you can laugh at me if you want to

tease me

and tell me that spring is still months away

but

i know that I'm right.

i can feel it

the snow is wetter, and underneath

the crusty soil, deep in the ground

the roots are drinking 

and behind the dark, hardened bark

the sap is flowing.

the roots are getting sweet

the limbs are getting supple

and the light is getting longer.

so maybe the tulips arent shooting out of the ground

that's ok with me-- 

i like to know that the bees are awake

revived and ready when that happens.

but soon

I can taste it,

I promise

early spring menu:

smallish plates:

regional oysters 

Raw  or  Rockefeller 

2.25

poached chicken liver compound butter 8

sparkling pinot noir jelly

mock calamari 8

fried oyster mushrooms & house remoulade.

baked caprese 9

red wine, basil,  mapplebrook mozzarella 

carpaccio 14

capers, pickled onion, horseradish, lemon, olive oil & herbs . choice of beef or vegetarian

 house charcuterie & cheese 9

duck speck, fresh ricotta, thyme honey & fig jam

mussels 7

jacob’s cattle beans, garlic, white wine, parsley

portuguese fish cake 8

potato & poached hake, drizzle hollandaise, micro greens 

fried goat cheese & roasted beats 8

french lentils, watercress, vinaigrette 

kale caesar 7

garlic croutons  

mixed organic greens 9

* chevre *feta *blue cheese  3

*bacon  3  *chicken  4  *smoked fish  4

moroccan carrot soup 6

 pistou garnish

larger plates

en cotte 

regional assortment of fresh & house smoked seafood 

(or vegetarian) baked in white wine & saffron cream, 

with tomato, capers, potato & scallions

 18

poached scallops

black lentils, pinot gris, watercress

 19

brined & roasted quail

riesling stuffing, glazed carrots & parsnips

20

dog river spinach malfatti

spinach dumplings,  alpine cheese 

16

poached egg $2.50

grain & vegetable platter 

choice of grilled chicken, tofu or tempeh.

 16 

roast lamb roulade

boiled potato salad, fresh mint, sea salt

  24

crusted pork chop

  honey polenta, maple drizzle. glazed peas.

20

brisket style smoked fillet

pot roasted cabbage & carrots, ripasso drippings & puff pastry

22

really important

it's almost nearly, and very much possibly, getting closer to spring.

standing in a room-
part dining room, part opera, part kitchen;
my heart broke open;
not unlike the shell of a seed.

thank you
for being here,
for sharing this
cave of darkness with me;
but it's time
we venture out

xxoo

valentine menu DINNER, THURSDAY-SATURDAY

because i love you, 

I want you to be strong  & to feel your strengths, while also hope for you to be humble enough to know how to play,  try new things, and unafraid to ask lots of questions.

because I love you, I want you to  taste, and indulge  in things that are fresh,  to crave what is sweet & savory,  and to be nourished by the simple things.

xoxo

kismet

to share: 

our own ricotta & duck speck

fig honey, fresh thyme, salt 

bread & butter

poached liver compound butter, 

rose jelly

oyster duo 

smoked & raw

carpaccio  

tigers milk  & scallop ceviche 

choose 1:

lobster stew 

scallops, mussels, hake, potatoes, cream

veg puffed pastry

seared duck

  pom molasses, bitter greens, candied nuts

smoked fillet

butter pastry, crisp kale

salted caramel truffles

$45 per person $25 per person wine pairing

a very special thanks

today we are a little sleep deprived, a little emotional, and a little bit in awe- 

as moses flies across oceans and foreign countries to the other side of the world, 

to land in western Australia by lunch time tomorrow.  

In honor of this incredible adventure, and the individual journeys we have made to get to this very point, moses and I have spent this last week together, outside of the restaurant with friends and family, and with each other in our home.  I feel honored to share this letter that moses left behind.

 xxoo

a slightly less than perfect photo of our new brunch menu..

not a great photo of a really great brunch menu.. you get the idea. xo

Here I am

Just a little note while I'm cleaning up & getting ready for the new menu tomorrow--
THANK YOU
for singing along tonight--
For real,
For those who heard, enjoyed & sang along
To the station (that Nicole picked) ;
you guys rocked &
Totally made my night


Staying late in the kitchen -
Scared of the freezing temperatures outside I guess...
Getting a few new recipes ready for the weekend-
Polpette,
Onion & bourbon jam,
Cranberry frappato -
You know...
And all the while,
Thinking of you -
The heat of the wood fire&
& the knowing that the days are getting longer.

I'll be in the kitchen tomorrow if you need me..
xoxo

Some things are worth waiting for

For the first time in 7 years, kismet will be silent & empty on New Year's Eve & New Year's Day. In the past, the girls and I have spent the New Year's Eve prepping for New Year's Day brunch until the wee hours of the morning- & for the last 7 years, that felt like exactly the right thing to do. 7 years ago tonight, I fell asleep on a concrete floor- so exhausted- and preparing for our GRAND OPENING & first New Year's Day brunch on barre street.  I dreamt of hot chocolate, and prayed- even in my dreams- that the next day would be a success.
Tonight, we have other people to cook for us- gliter & sparkles, our own glasses of champagne to drink, resolutions to make, & tomorrow we will (try to) sleep in.

& after tonight, it will be another 7 years until we have the night off again--
But some things are worth waiting for--


May yours be a seriously delicious end met with an equally delectable beginning..
Come celebrate with us later this week!!
Xo