DEPOT HOTEL
SONOMA
TUSCAN RESTAURANT
VINOTECA
WEDDINGS and BANQUETS
COOKING SCHOOL
241 FIRST STREET WEST, SONOMA, CA 95476
TEL 707 938 2980 FAX 707 938 5103
www.depothotel.com gia@depothotel. com
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2008
In This Issue
New Private Cellar Dinner Coming in January--Get on the Mailing List...
"Blood and Guts" Dinner on October 28!
Thanksgiving Dinner 2008
New Year's Eve Dinner 2008
The Release of our New Fume Blanc!
Our New VINOTECA Antipasto Wine Bar
Pre-Holiday Cooking Class in Sonoma--Umbria
Booking Weddings and Special Events
Wine at the Depot Hotel
TIP! We have a new "Private Cellar Dinner" coming up on January 27... details to be announced soon! Get on our mailing list so you receive one of the announcements in time to sign up!
DEPOT HOTEL
BLOOD AND GUTS DINNER*
People who have travelled in Europe know that Italians, French, Spanish—in fact most Europeans are not at all squeamish about enjoying some of the less obvious cuts of meat that Americans often overlook. In fact, many experienced diners around the world often consider organ meats to be the greatest delicacies …
For those of you who have discovered in themselves a fondest for the “Fifth Quarter”—or those of you who would like to expand their culinary horizons and find some foods they didn’t know they loved—this is a wonderful place to start!
On Tuesday night, October 28, our Executive Chef Antonio Ghilarducci will put together another culinary taste treat for those of you not afraid to walk on the wild side. Here it is, accompanied by some absolutely excellent wines...
Blood and Guts
Duck Liver, Grilled Polenta, Onions, Currants
Trevisiol Prosecco
~
Honeycomb Tripe, Soffrito, Pecorino Toscano
Banfi Pinot Grigio, Montalcino 2005
~
Crisp Sweatbreads, Wilted Bitter Greens, Hazelnuts, Pears
Charles Creek Chardonnay, Las Patolitas 2006
~
Squid Cooked in it’s Own Ink, Arborio Rice, Prosciutto
Dolcetto d’Alba, Bera, Neviglie 2005
~
Braised Pork Cheeks, Crisp Pig’s Feet, Prunes, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon
Prima Voce, Tenuta Arcena 2004
~
Chocolate Blood Cake, Chianti Syrup, Spiced Mascarpone
Brunello di Montalcino C. C., Casciano Colombini 2001
The dinner is $70 per person for food, six wines, tax, and tip. As always, Michael, Gia, and Antonio will all be there to enjoy the food, wine, and fun with you.
Any questions? Call Gia at 707 938 2980 or email gia@depothotel.com
Send in the form below to reserve. . .
*If you are wondering about the delightfully poetic name we gave this dinner… we did think about all kinds of ways to describe the dinner, in English and Italian, but in the end decided to be absolutely straightforward about it—and so the “Blood and Guts Dinner” name was born.
2008 BLOOD AND GUTS DINNER
NAME(S)______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PHONE day __________________________________________ evening_____________________________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________CITY_________________________ZIP_________________________
TUESDAY OCTOBER 28 6:00 PM Number of guests _________________________
PLEASE ENCLOSE YOUR CHECK ( $70 per person) AND MAIL TO:
THE DEPOT HOTEL, 241 FIRST STREET WEST, SONOMA, CA. 95476 707 938 2980
DEPOT HOTEL
RESTAURANT and GARDEN
THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU 2008
Savory corn chowder
~~
Harvest salad with baby lettuce
~~
Our Chef’s own hand-boned turkey, roast slowly until moist and tender
and served with traditional sage stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes
and fresh cranberry-orange relish 34.
Fresh fillet of salmon grilled to order and served with a sauce
of shallots, lemon, butter, and white wine 40.
Round vegetarian pasta stuffed with Portobello mushrooms and herbs sautéed
in a white wine sauce with shallots, garlic, and fresh mushrooms 34.
Three tender scaloppini of free-range veal sautéed with a delicate
demi-glace sauce, lemon, and capers 39.
Green peppercorn steak of filet mignon sautéed with green peppercorns,
veal demi-glace sauce, cream, and white wine 47.
~~
Traditional pumpkin pie with whipped cream
or
Intense chocolate terrine with mango sorbetto
or
Cheese cake with Amarena cherries
Entree price includes all four courses
Children under 5 to 12 years $20
OPEN FROM 12 NOON THROUGH 7 PM
707 938 2980
GHILARDUCCI VINEYARDS
NEW WINE RELEASE!
We are celebrating the release of our Chef Michael Ghilarducci’s
WILDHURST VINEYARDS
2007 RESERVE FUMÉ BLANC
LAKE COUNTY GHILARDUCCI VINEYARD
Grown on three year old vines on American and French clones
in the Big Valley Region of Lake County
barrel fermented and barrel aged 7 months in new French oak
We’re pretty excited about this wine —the release of the first Fumé Blanc from our vineyards. Chef Michael did the tractor work. His daughter Gianna Kelly (previously the enologist at Stag’s Leap Cellars in Napa) and Mark Birch (winemaker at Wildhurst Vineyards) put a lot of lab hours and TLC into this wine and we think it shows!
The Fumé is grown on four different French and American clones. We noticed, when walking the vineyards and tasting the fruit when it was ripe, that we had very different fruit flavor profiles in each area of the vineyard. The Fumé, now that it is finally in the bottle, is unusually complex, with mineral notes and lots of peach, kiwi, tangerine, and melon fruit flavors. We are prejudiced, of course, but we find it very drinkable.
2006 Fumé Blanc ON SALE $72/ CASE --ONLY 23 CASES LEFT!
2007 Fume Blanc $72/CASE
WILDHURST
RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
LAKE COUNTY 2006 GHILARDUCCI VINEYARD
Grown on 50 year old vines on natural rootstock, dry-farmed in our Chef’s
own vineyards in the Big Valley Region
of Lake County
There is Cabernet Sauvignon at the heart and soul of this wine with its burst of ripe berry and dry herb edge. It gives way to layers of maturity and oak ageing. A wine of balance—the mouth feel reflects brightness without bitterness or astringency, with well-structured tannins. Very forward fruit character in a lean Italian style that still reflects its California terroir.
We are selling these wines only at the Restaurant.
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon $140/CASE
VINOTECA AT THE DEPOT HOTEL
ANTIPASTO WINE BAR
This is the first of our new Executive Chef Antonio Ghilarducci’s projects: The new VINOTECA antipasto bar for the Restaurant. On our trips back to Italy we have often admired the antipasto bars there and have long wanted to be able to offer that experience to our guests here. VINOTECA will be open in the afternoons during that time of day the Italians call the “passeggiatto” when they wander from bar to shop, strolling and nibbling, enjoying la dolce vita. The idea is just to have a little snack and a glass of wine on the way home from work (or maybe just to reward oneself for the virtue of taking an afternoon stroll.) The VINOTECA meal can also be more substantial if you like, similar to a Spanish meal of “tapas” on small plates.
The antipasti consists of salads, cheeses, and other vegetable dishes as well as both imported and house-made cured meats, sliced to order on our bright red high-performance Italian (slicing) machine. Chef Antonio Ghilarducci will be personally preparing all antipasti and serving them himself to you whenever possible. Some of our specialty salumi (Italian style cured meats)are now prepared in-house. The mortadella and the bresaola are receiving rave reviews from our guests. We have culatello aging in our drying cellar that will be due out this Spring...
We encourage you to come join us for a little snack and a glass of wine and sit either at the bar, at fireside tables, or at tables outside to enjoy the beautiful summer weather . Buon Appetito!
HOURS: Wednesday through Sunday 5 pm on
Menu
Per Selection- $3
“The Works” -a little of everything on a large platter $25
**********
Marinated Italian Olives, Calabrian Chiles, Orange
Casaba Melon, La Quercia Prosciutto, Pink Peppercorns
Cannellini Beans, Imported Italian Tuna, Fresh Parsley
Marinated Heirloom Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes
“Panzanella”- Ciabatta, Heirloom Tomatoes, Capers, Anchovies
Summer Squash, Potatoes, Moroccan Olives, Red Wine Vinegar
Salami “Fellino”- Coarse “Country” style Salami flavored with garlic
Zoe’s Salami- Finer Salami with Peppercorns and Red Wine
Housemade Bresaola- Air Dried Beef similar to Prosciutto, with Juniper and Black Pepper
Mild Coppa- Spiced with Coriander and Nutmeg
Housemade Mortadella- Large pork sausage studded with Pistachios
“LA DOLCE VITA” SPECIAL
5 TO 6 PM ONLY
Two Selections of Antipasto
with a glass of
Ghilarducci Vineyards
Reserve Fume Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon
$9
Chef-Proprietor Michael Ghilarducci Chef de Cuisine Enrique Rojas
Executive Chef Antonio Ghilarducci General Manager Gia Ghilarducci
241 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476
707 938 2980
DEPOT HOTEL RESTAURANT
NEW YEAR’S EVE MENU
Gougére cheese puffs
~~~
Dungeness crab and corn bisque soup
~~~
Baby Winter greens with Inoki mushrooms and hearts of palm
~~~
Boneless house-aged prime rib eye of beef slow-roast
and sliced thick, with a savory balsamic glaze
Fresh fillet of salmon grilled and served on a bed
of sweet red bell pepper coulis with a Tuscan-style green herb sauce
Scaloppine of free-range veal sautéed with lemon, white wine, and capers,
Large fresh Eastern scallops and Rock shrimp sautéed
with mushrooms, sherry, and cream, baked in a scallop shell
Agnolotti pasta stuffed with Portobello mushrooms,
shallots, and herbs in a white wine sauce with fresh mushrooms
~~~
Tiramisú
White cheesecake with Amarena cherries
Chocolate Valentino with Mango sorbetto
Almond tart with Seville orange sauce
$55 for adults, $25 for children 5 to 12 years
Wine , tax, and gratuity are additional
Open from 5 pm on with the last seating at 9:30 pm
707 938 2980
DEPOT HOTEL COOKING SCHOOL
2008 PRE-HOLIDAY COOKING CLASS
A Holiday Dinner In Umbria
This year we are once again offering our pre-holiday cooking class. Many of our students last year enjoyed this pre-holiday class as a great new source of ideas for holiday meals and parties. For our new class this year we will be visiting one of our favorite Italian provinces just south of Tuscany—Umbria.
We have developed a menu that allows much of the dinner preparation in advance, so you can enjoy the evening with your family and friends. For our first course we are doing a classic Umbrian salad INSALATA DI CAMPO CON CACCIOTA. This colorful salad combines field greens, bright cherries, and delicate sheep’s milk cheese and is traditionally served as a first course. It is an easy dish to serve a crowd at holiday time, and can almost all be done ahead.
Following the appetizer, our second course is a flavorful savory ZUPPA DI ZUCCA. This fragrant pumpkin soup is scented with nutmeg and topped with crispy pancetta. The presentation is lovely—served in the squash itself.
The next course is the dramatic, delicious, but surprisingly easy. OCA ARROSTO CON BALSAMICO is a succulent and aromatic crispy roast goose, glazed with aged balsamic. It is served with a Balsamic pan sauce and pan-roasted herbed potatoes. Nearly all of this elegant dish may be started early, only to be finished before the dinner.
To accompany the goose we have CIPOLLINI E FUNGHI ALLA PANNA—delicate baby creamed onions and field mushrooms. This dish also can be prepared well in advance.
Finally, for dessert, we have an unusual hazelnut tart—CROSTATA DI NOCCIOLE. This tender, flaky tart is somewhat similar to a Southern pecan tart, but made more unusual by the use of agresto or verjus in the filling that gives it the very delicate, unusual flavor of the vineyard.
So, come join us for our holiday feast from Umbria!
? To accommodate as many students as possible, the same class will be repeated on four different nights— Monday November 10 and Tuesday November 11 and Monday December 8 and Tuesday December 9. The seating is limited, but we will try to get your reservation in on the night you prefer. Class will begin promptly at 6:30 P.M. in the kitchen of THE DEPOT HOTEL. (The doors open at 6:15.) Dress comfortably, bring a pen or pencil, and be prepared to relax and have fun! Between 6:30 and 9:00 P.M., the Chef will demonstrate and serve the class a complete four course dinner—accompanied by the vintage wines the Chef has selected to match each dish. While demonstrating, the Chef will give an explanation of the history and techniques used for each dish. Questions are welcomed at any time. A complete recipe book will also be provided. Tuition is $85 per person.
Any questions? Call Gia at 707 938 2980 or email gia@depothotel.com
Send in the form below to reserve. . .
2008 PRE-HOLIDAY COOKING CLASS RESERVATION FORM
NAME(S)______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PHONE day __________________________________________ evening_____________________________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________CITY_________________________ZIP_________________________
MONDAY NOVEMBER 10______ TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11_________________________
MONDAY DECEMBER 8______ TUESDAY DECEMBER 9_________________________
PLEASE ENCLOSE YOUR CHECK ( $85 per person) AND MAIL TO:
DEPOT HOTEL 241 1ST ST W, SONOMA, CA 95476
Gift Certificates for Restaurant Dining
and Cooking Classes
We always have beautiful ivory engraved lunch
and dinner gift certificates. These may be picked up in person,
or we can mail them to you or the person to be gifted. (They can
be purchased by cash, check or credit card in person, or over the phone.)
Dining out gift certificates make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries,
the holidays, social thank-you's, and office gifts. These are great
treats for that busy person who seems to have everything and they come
in any denomination from $10 on up. Gift certificates are also
available for any of our cooking classes.
Top
Booking Private Events
and Wedding Receptions
The DEPOT HOTEL has had the honor of hosting many holiday parties,
weddings, anniversary parties, rehearsal dinners, business events, retirement
parties, reunions, and birthdays in our Restaurant and in the private
Garden. We are able to accommodate groups of 10 to 150. Private and semi-private
areas and times are easy to arrange. Buffet menus, seated luncheon and
dinner menus, and hors d’oeuvre packages are all available. This
upcoming year looks like it will be a very special year for people planning
weddings and every other kind of special event. We have been amazed at
how fast the new year is starting to book in.
All of our special event packages can be custom-designed to your own personal
taste and budget. (Nearly everything you need is already included in the food prices which generally range between $22 and $42 per
person for food—so planning a special event is not only affordable,
but easy for the host and hostess as well.) Our prices for food and wine
are extremely reasonable and we do not charge any facility rental fees or other “extras“. . . If you have one of these events coming
up in your family or with your business associates, give us a call. Ask
Gia for a special banquet information package! (Check out the weddings
page on this website!)
Top
Gia Ghilarducci, Banquet Manager
• Telephone 707 938 2980
• Fax 707 938 5103
Email: gia@depothotel.com
Website: www.depothotel.com
Wine at the Depot Hotel
WHAT IS THE WINE LIST LIKE AT THE DEPOT HOTEL?
Well, it’s big. If you haven’t been in for a while, we have over 114 wines on the list. Besides our own, from Lake County, most of the list very proudly features local Sonoma Valley wines. Over two-thirds of the list is reserved for Sonoma wines. One third is wines from Italy—mostly Tuscan where Chef Ghilarducci’s family lives. Still, the largest part of the list is from all our local vintners. Why? Two reasons: The first reason is the superb quality and value of Sonoma wines. Compared to Napa, French, and even many Italian wines—Sonoma wines are still great value. We can offer our guests local premium quality wines at an affordable level. The second reason is—we live here. We want to see Sonoma stay green—surrounded by thriving vineyards. The way to achieve that is to support the local economy—whether it is grape growers and winemakers, or farmers.
What about pricing? We like to pass the value of Sonoma Valley wine pricing on to our guests! Likewise, when we do buy Italian wines, we look for excellent wines that are also good values. When we cellar them, we find it is not necessary to mark up wine three times the cost, as is customary in San Francisco. Our goal is to see a bottle of local wine, or Italian wine, (or even our wine,) on every table. So we keep prices down. Our list has 30% of the wines priced at $26 a bottle or less. Wine should be a normal part of the dining experience, used in moderation, to enhance the enjoyment of the food.
WHAT ABOUT CORKAGE?
That is one of the most frequently asked questions—and one of the most misunderstood issues in restaurants. Do we charge corkage? Yes. $12. Why? Do restaurants do this to be “mean” or “greedy?” No. Here it comes down to a matter of economics. Restaurants pay their bills by selling food and wine to (almost) every table. If they don’t sell both, they generally don’t make ends meet. While food and wine costs generally have remained fairly predictable over the years—fixed costs (all the other hidden costs of doing business) have risen. As you all know, utilities in California have gone up dramatically for homeowners, but even higher for businesses. Workers Compensation and liability insurance have skyrocketed. Taxes have increased sharply. Linen, china, glassware, and silverware all has to be supplied. These bills have to paid every month.
Most important of all is the staff. The quality of our staff is just as important as the quality of our food and wine. That is why we believe in paying our staff a good wage. Unlike most independent restaurants, we also have a medical plan and a retirement savings plan. We take very good care of our staff—because they take very good care of our guests. That is why our most recent hire was 8 years ago. Nobody wants to leave!
But it is a challenge to pay all these bills every month. The mortality rate is very high for restaurants. 97% of the independent restaurants that open fold in first six months. Of those that survive, another 90% of those fold in the following six months. We have been here at the Depot Hotel for 22 years. Why? Stubborn, we suppose, but determined to do a good job. Is $12 corkage worth it to the customer? We hope so. Try a great local or Italian wine off our list! We have wines to enjoy with your lunch or dinner starting at $16 per bottle . . .
©2003 Depot Hotel - Cucina Rustica
Site design by Ghilarducci Technologies