Mennie runs a tight ship, or
canoe,
as it were. With the
assistance of his Chef de Cuisine, Carvel Grant Gould, whom Mennie refers
to as “the sergeant of my kitchen,” they oversee a restaurant and
banquet production line that makes nearly everything from scratch.
The cooks working at each station of the open kitchen move deftly
with a minimum of chit-chat and no raised voices. The wait staff is well
versed in Mennie’s culinary preparations. They are able to give thorough
explanations of each dish and are passionate about his food.
The
latest addition to Canoe’s crew is Pastry Chef Joseph DiPaolo, Jr., who
came aboard in March after a career that has taken him from whipping up
pastries at The Dining Room at the Hilton Short Hills, New Jersey’s only
AAA Five-Diamond hotel and restaurant, to working as an R&D chef in
the M&M’s/Mars corporate kitchens.
Mennie says, “DiPaolo is a modest, humble person who is
passionate about desserts. With him at the helm of the pastry shop,
Canoe’s desserts will be taken to new heights.”
Look for dynamite sorbets, granitàs and ice creams on the summer
menu along with fruit-inspired panna cottas and crème brûlées.
Chocoholics will be easily seduced by DiPaolo’s signature
dessert: chocolate stout mousse with hazelnut praline center and seasonal
fruit garnish.
Canoe’s new pastry chef,
Joseph DiPaolo, Jr., seduces guests with his signature dessert of
chocolate stout mousse with a hazelnut praline center.
What would a seduction be without
a glass of wine to swirl? Sommelier
Kevin Good sees to it that the well-stocked, heavily West Coast-influenced
wine cellar has plenty of offerings in all price ranges.
In fact, some of the least expensive bottles can be satisfying
accompaniments to Mennie’s dishes. A pairing of Sokol Blosser Evolution
from Oregon’s Willamette Valley ($8.50/glass, $34/bottle) with a
selection of fresh seafood appetizers is a great economical way to whet
your appetite. Then, slip on
into a seductive little red number such as a Laetitia Pinot Noir from
California’s Arroyo Grande Valley ($13.75/glass, $55/bottle) to marry
with a grilled Black Angus New York strip steak or roasted beef tenderloin
with a mushroom crust and Mascarpone polenta.
If you’re in the mood for something more luxurious, there are a
handful of other reds with 1990’s vintages that will set you back a
couple hundred dollars. It
seems odd to me, though, that with all of Canoe’s panache, they carry
only one utility-size wine glass that makes it hard to get those big reds
aerated. Oh well, I’m
still seduced.
Pastry Chef Joseph DiPaolo, Jr. creates a summery strawberry/rhubarb tart
topped with homemade sorbet and spun sugar.
Canoe brings new meaning to the
catchy phrase, “Have it your way.”
Tell your server that you have special dietary considerations and
the response will be, “No problem, the kitchen will oblige.”
Tell your server you want to be surprised, and you’ll probably
get a tableside visit from the chef to plan a tasting extravaganza.
Mennie says, “It’s music to our ears when guests say, ‘Just
cook for me.’ My staff can
easily resize regular portions into tasting portions if the guests want 5
or 6 courses. With advance
notice, we’ll even set up an intimate chef’s table down by the river
or in our private dining room, the wine cellar.”
It’s no wonder that Canoe was selected by the James Beard
Foundation as one of the "Best New Restaurants" in the country
and is a recipient of the prestigious Mobil 4-Star Award.
People who regard Canoe as merely
an expense account or special event destination are sorely missing the
boat. While dinner entrees
($18 to $27) might be beyond some people’s means, brunches and lunches
can be enjoyed for significantly less money and benefit year-round from
day lit views of the grounds. And,
many of the appetizer menu items, soups and salads ($6 to $12) can easily
pass for a full meal for diners with lighter appetites.
The key to enjoying the Canoe experience is to let yourself be
seduced by the sights, scents, sounds and tastes along with the relaxed
pace of the place. Grab a glass of wine and find a perch with a view of
the river lazing by, and you’ll be hard-pressed to think of a better
summertime dining spot.
Canoe’s
executive chef, Gary Mennie, seduces guests with his steamed Prince Edward
Island mussels enhanced with coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger, and sweet
soy broth.
STEAMED
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND MUSSLES WITH SPICY COCONUT LEMON GRASS BROTH
Executive Chef Gary L. Mennie,
Canoe
Although this recipe calls for a
few exotic ingredients that may not be in your kitchen’s larder, if you
take the time to track them down you will be rewarded with a fragrant and
delicious meal. Serve plenty
of crusty bread with this dish so you’ll have something with which to
mop up all the delicious sauce.
Yield: 2 servings
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound Prince Edward Island
mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
1 tablespoon lemon grass, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon shallot, minced
1 tablespoon ground red chili
paste*
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup plum wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
4 tablespoons butter
cilantro, as needed for garnish
Heat pan on medium high heat. Add
one tablespoon canola oil and the cleaned mussels. Sauté for one minute
and then add the lemon grass, garlic, shallot and chili paste. Sauté for
another minute and then add soy sauce, plum wine and stock.
Cover and cook until mussels open. Remove mussels from broth and
place in serving bowls. Reduce liquid by 1/4. Add the coconut milk and finish the sauce by swirling in the
butter. Pour sauce over mussels and garnish with fresh cilantro.
*Chef Mennie uses a product called
Tuong Ot Toi Viet-Nam, a sriracha sauce made by Huy Fong Foods
