Chefs Prepare for Spring

The calendar says spring is several days away, but it’s still an in-between time for menus. What are you doing/thinking of during this off time?

“I am taking a trip to New Orleans and Acadiana to seek inspiration, take a little break and refresh. Daily, we are looking at things to do with lamb, artichokes, asparagus, ramps, spinach, etc. We also take time to look at our beverage program, and what we can do to increase its appeal as the weather warms. We write the spring menus, test things, rewrite them, circulate them among key staff for feedback and go back to the drawing board. This is a very busy time for us, as there is a lot of work to do. There’s also food photos, setting up the supply chains for spring seasonal items, checking in with farmers, etc. Still working every day.”
—Paul Fehribach, Executive Chef/Owner of Big Jones

“Right now I am trying new dishes and recipes, researching combinations of tastes to prepare the Spring menu.”
—Jerome Bacle, Executive Chef of Courtright’s

“Our son has been requesting an outdoor picnic for days. We have been talking about how close summer is and promising the picnic. Please, God, soon.”
—Steve McDonagh, Owner/Operator of Hearty

“I’ve scheduled my time to plant in the middle of April. What is exciting between now and then? On my menu I have been working with lots of grains and making warm salads with diced root vegetables. I really like the hot-house greens from Three Sisters Garden. We have a special pizza that is La Quercia proscuitto with a Capriole Farm goat cheese, and pea shoot tendril and apple salad on top of it! Fun food to keep life interesting before “the season” hits!
—Sarah Stegner, Co-chef/Owner of Prairie Fire and Prairie Grass Cafe