Restaurant Roundup: New pastry chef, pickle beer, Fish Fryday, Harry Potter cocktails
Oct. 19, 2023
Parker’s Bistro has a new executive pastry chef and a new dessert menu to show for it. Mia Temple joined the team last month after working in Las Vegas, serving most recently as assistant pastry chef at Giada De Laurentiis’ restaurant in The Cromwell, a boutique hotel that’s part of Caesars Entertainment Inc. She developed recipes for several award-winning desserts there. Before that, she worked as sous chef under Robyn Lucas at Chef Daniel Boulud’s db Brasserie in the Venetian. Her seasonal desserts will be featured at Parker’s and sister restaurant DaDa Gastropub.
Here’s an interesting new beer worth mentioning. Look’s Beer Co. has crafted a pickle beer. According to the brewery at Look’s Marketplace, Shingding is “just the right amount of pickle is balanced by the backbone of Light American Flager.” The Orion Pub, one of the places you can find it, says it makes a great red beer.
Kenards Grille in The Gaslight Lounge is adding Fish Fryday. Every week will feature a different style of a fish fry — from the East Coast to the West Coast, Southern, Southwest and the Baja peninsula of Mexico. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Kicking it off this week is beer-battered cod, housemade coleslaw and fries for $12.
Head out to The Willows at Willow Run Golf Course for some fun Harry Potter-themed cocktails. They’re on the menu throughout the month.
To mark the opening of the regular pheasant season Saturday, Urban Chislic is serving its traditional farm-raised pheasant chislic. Limited quantities are available daily through the weekend. The dish is served with seasoned steamed rice, sauteed garlic, Snappy Slaw and your choice of 12 sauces.
The Phillips Avenue Diner has a new autumn feature menu with an Oktoberfest theme. Think apple pie filling on French toast or waffles; a burger with mushrooms, onion, beef gravy, Swiss cheese and black pepper mayo, and a fried chicken sandwich with beer cheese and smoked Gouda on a pretzel bun.
New seasonal menu items are available at Kaladi’s Bistro. Offerings include Hot Honey Cheese Bites, a meat and cheese board, cod Caesar salad, brisket salad, brisket sandwich, chicken and waffles sandwich, chicken-fried salmon and Cajun gnocchi.
Check out the new fall dinner menu for M.B. Haskett Delicatessen. Dinner is served Thursday through Saturday.
Oh My Cupcakes has several new offerings this month.
Cupcake Parfaits that made their debut on the bakery’s “mobile experience” are available every day now in the two brick-and-mortar locations. The treat is layers of cake, buttercream frosting and “little extra surprises.” Find six flavors each day, with flavors changing daily. And note: They can’t be purchased online.
The “cupcake ninjas” also added pastry-making to their skills. Sweet and savory options that will rotate can be found only at The Bridges location. Some of the offerings include a strawberry cream cheese pastry, spinach feta pastry, almondine butter Danish and scones in a variety of flavors. Each item is $4. And worth noting, Oh My Cupcakes also sells coffee.
And in the line of giving back, the bakery is donating $5 of each Ms. Kim Three Layer Cake sold this month to the Avera Cancer Institute. The pink velvet cake is topped with rosettes of pink vanilla bean buttercream, and it’s dusted with edible glitter. Also available this month: the salted caramel pumpkin three-layer cake and the fall-themed cake in chocolate or vanilla.
Daylily Coffee, which is getting ready to open a roastery and coffee shop, is having a pop-up Saturday with drinks and pastries at Songbird Kombucha. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Barks, Boos and Brunch is Sunday at Granite City Food & Brewery. Bring your costumed dog for dog arts and crafts and a photo booth. Humans will enjoy free craft beer samples, brunch, bottomless mimosas and live music with Link West. Vendors will be there, along with Almost Home Canine Rescue with dogs available for adoption. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check Granite City’s Facebook page for a chance to win two passes for a Sunday brunch. Correction: The day for the event was incorrect when the article was originally posted.
Here’s an interesting service you wouldn’t expect. The Wine Bar at Allure offers free notary services with a purchase. It’s open from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. While you’re there, try one of the autumn drink features. This is the Maple New York Sour with Makers Mark, sweet and sour, a maple simple syrup and a red blend wine float.
Donate blood and get a free meal at Slim Chickens and a 40-ounce mug. The Community Blood Bank’s bloodmobile will be at the Louise Avenue location on Oct. 27. Sign up for a slot in advance by clicking here.
Fazoli’s took its Pepperoni Pizza Baked Pasta and created two dishes with even more favorite pizza toppings. The Meaty Pizza Baked Pasta has pepperoni, Italian sausage and bacon. The Supreme Pizza Baked Pasta has pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, red and green peppers, onions and mushrooms.
On the Hook Fish & Chips will be in Harrisburg on Saturday. Find the traveling food truck in the parking lot of Ace Hardware from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Take note, fans of the spicy sauce that comes on the side: “Due to a few bad growing seasons, we are unable to produce our Sriracha Mayo Sauce. This leads us to an exciting opportunity to introduce our new dipping sauce: Sweet Chili! The heat is back!”
Changes in hours, service
- Weekday lunch hours are returning to the east-side Keg. Starting next week, hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- With the season end to the Lake Lorraine Farmers Market, Baking up a Storm in The Blu at Lake Lorraine apartment building is open until 7 p.m. Thursdays. That’s also the day of the week that the bakery features additional gluten-free items.
- Cookie Co. is closing an hour earlier. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
- Remedy Brewing Co. has switched to winter hours: noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, 3 to 9 pm. Monday through Thursday and noon to midnight Friday and Saturday.
- Responding to requests, Central Dakota Perk Coffee & Catering in Tea is adding afternoon hours. New hours are 6:30 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. There’s also a new happy hour every weekday. Buy a drink and get the second one at half-price from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Both drinks count for loyalty perks.
Here are other food and drink headlines from the past week.
