UpStairs On The Square

Shepley Metcalf Sings Cabaret in the Monday Club Tonight

2009-08-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

Tonight is Shepley Metcalf in the Monday Club Bar. A little cabaret night never hurt anyone, right? Come by, have dinner, have a drink, or simply stand and sway. It's going to be a hoot!

New bartender

2009-08-20T11:16:00.002-05:00

There are so many wonderful reasons why I continue to love my job here at UOTS. One of my favorites is the fact that we're all constantly learning. Every day I walk out of here knowing at least one new factoid that I didn't when I arrived that morning for work.
Currently, I am fascinated at how much studying and gumption goes into becoming a bartender at a bar which specializes in both classic and new cocktails. Watching our newest addition behind the bar, Kellen, has been a constant source of both amazement and amusement. To that end, we've created a blog to catalog his growth as a bartender. Here is the link. Please continue to check it out to see his progress.
http://ohthethingskellensays.blogspot.com/

Dinner in Upstate New York

2009-05-19T12:24:00.002-05:00

If home is truly where the heart is, then let it be known that my heart resides in upstate New York while my stomach resides right here in Cambridge, MA. Taking advantage of my day off this past week, I quickly traveled home to Oneonta, NY to visit my parents and grandparents. Driving through the Berkshires, blasting Tom Waits and Otis Redding, I reminisced the past few Christmas' I've spent in western Massachusetts at my friend Emily's farm in Shelburne Falls. Every house has an herb garden on the lawn, and the roadsides are speckled with colorful natives selling local fare.
Then, I get to Oneonta, the unofficial home of all things U.S. Foods is willing to peddle onto unsuspecting bargin shoppers and pass off as "real food." My family and I had takeout from a new "Mexican" place that had recently opened in my hometown. My mother was raving about the portion size being so huge. When we opened our to-go containers at my grandparents' kitchen table, her portion size comment reminded me of a Woody Allen quote: "The food in this place is so terrible ... and what small portions!"
While there is a veritable bounty of locally grown produce available in upstate New York, it is disheartening to see how dismal a showing these farmers make when competing against the might of all-powerful Wal-Mart superstores and deluxe Hannaford's locations that can easily undercut their prices. For this is ultimately the only thing that consumers do back home: bargin hunt. They come in from the mountains to stock up on healthy supplies of canned vegetables, sugary cereals, and the lot.
This poised a challenge to me: how can I get my family to start buying locally and enjoying the cornicopia of great food they have right around them. Well, I started by doing a little research. One of the most notable crops where I'm from is apples. Both the Fly Creek and Pie in the Sky cider mills are but minutes away from my parent's house. Those were easy. A little known location that I was always partial to when I was growing up was McCoy's Pure Raw Honey farm on Franklin Mountain. I remember taking field trips there when we were kids and eating raw honeycomb in our grubby little paws.
While this diatribe lends itself to a larger discussion of why people in lower-income locations resort to such easy ways out regarding cheap food, I simply wanted to let my parents know that there are alternatives very close to them that will in turn help the economy of our hometown. While Cambridge is very advanced in this kind of thinking, it was really nice to bring my parents along on my journey of food exploration.

Great Time Tasting Herbs

2009-04-22T19:03:00.002-05:00

Most every day I walk into the restaurant, one of the first things I try to reconcile is what the day's "x-factor" may be. The truth of the matter is no restaurant/business/corporation/friendship/relationship is perfect. When the variables in the equation are people there is an expectation that issues will arise from time to time. In that same vein, when you deal with food sometimes the product just isn't satifactory. Since I am rarely behind the line, it is my job to identify this "x-factor" as quickly as I enter the restaurant. That involves asking many questions: "Did the hostess get out late from her other job," "Who's grandfather died," "How could your dog eat your anti-depressants for the third time this week?" Thankfully, I don't get the last one all too often, but as the expression goes it's always something.
Then, there are the days where service elevates to a skilled dance. Sunday evening was one of those evening. I often call them my "renew your faith in humanity" evenings. The restaurant was host to an event that I had brainstormed with a friend over dinner several weeks ago and I actualized it this past Sunday night. I invited an online group of junior food critics in for what I feel might have been one of my better conceived events.
Our UpStairs Herb Tasting started with myself and Mary-Catherine greeting guests at the front door of the Soiree Room with either a cocktail or a glass of wine. Generally a good way to start, well ... anything! After registering, guests were invited to mingle with their drinks while Steve's beautiful array of herb-infused appetizers floated around the room, beautifully trayed and excitedly explained by servers. Lino's herbaceous cocktails were definite crowd pleasers (our Aprile - an mixture of Aperol, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and garnished with rosemary - as well as a Lavender Kir Royale with a lavender-infused simple, creme de cassis and Champagne).
The main event, as it were, for the evening was a blind tasting of herb picked from both our local purveyors as well as from Deborah's own garden. Impressively enough, some of the contestants were able to pick out such obscurities as Thai basil and nesterium.
That night there was no "x-factor," simply a good feeling. I like that.

Kitchen Educational

2009-02-24T12:41:00.003-05:00

When I was a junior in high school, I moved to Valencia, Spain, as an exchange student through the Rotary Youth International Exchange Program. It was singularly the most beneficial experience of my life thus far as it taught me so much more than any traditional classroom was ever able to. I distinctly remember going with my host grandfather to his orange orchard and almond grove to harvest. Never have I tasted an orange so perfect or enjoyed a Marcona so salty and pure as when I was 16 and in those fields. Learning how the oranges closest to the bottom of the tree generally over ripen and by rolling them around in your hands you can simply rip a piece of the skin off and drink right from the fruit a ruddy, almost syrupy juice was an ethereal experience. Cracking my first almond open against two rocks was enlightening.
Education beyond the classroom was essentially what brought me to this restaurant. I believe wholeheartedly that people should be judged by the number of dishes they have washed, not just proverbially but literally as well. To that end, my recent involvement with the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School's Culinary Arts program resulted in a great meeting this morning at the restaurant. I invited 10 students into the restaurant for an impromptu session where we discussed everything from resume writing to playlist creation. These kids are so smart! It was so mind-blowing to me to see a group so diverse connect so fully through the medium of food. They all cook together, serve their faculty in their restaurant located above the cafeteria, and several of them even work in restaurants right here in Cambridge as stages (apprentices). Typically these students would probably never even have spoken to one another let alone become teammates as it were. The comraderie is palpable when they are together. On the other hand, however, there is a distinct rivalry looming that I felt as soon as I showed them the kitchen. They were all vying for an imaginary position in my kitchen that didn't even exist. Very much indictative of kitchen life and they barely have any experience outside of their own school kitchen. But that's precisely the point: regardless of the kitchen being located within their school it is still a world to which they can escape. Sure they attend regular classes like all the other kids, but they have the haven of their kitchen to resort to. It is there that they gain their strength. And their conviction to the art of food gives me strength and confidence that this industry will continue to grow as the tastes of young people continue to grow as well.

More Hot Buttered Rum

2009-01-25T16:25:00.003-05:00

Another video from How2Heroes. Nothing better than a hot cocktail to endure the winter.

Inauguration Day 2009

2009-01-24T11:51:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 will forever be remembered, indelibly, by every American and the world. Working in the restaurant, I am constantly exposed to unique social behavior. For some reason, when people break bread with one another a filter is often turned off as well. From morning to night on Tuesday, UpStairs opened up its doors to host a bevy of events that welcomed the whole city of Cambridge to participate in the hopefulness of Inauguration Day 2009. Starting with a free breakfast with an open invitation to the city, nearly 250 people showed to start their day off with us at UpStairs. Emotions were running high and it wasn't even 8:00 a.m. The culture of the room was astounding as guests mingled wantonly with complete strangers, clearly anticipating the momentous occasion to come later that afternoon. Little children with their parent's encouragement were attempting to say "Obama" for the first time.
By the time lunch service began, there were no words for how jubliant the dining room felt. Once the seats were filled, the champagne flowed and flowed! "Melting Pot" Chili was dispensed, and soon silence took over the room as President Obama began to speak. I watched several members of my kitchen staff emerge to listen intently alongside the customers in the room. Looking out over the sea of people filling the Monday Club I had never felt so hopeful in my entire life. There will be change because there must be change. Tears welled up in my eyes, possibly because I was working on several hours of sleep, but mostly because of the fondness I felt for every person in that room who chose to share in this historic moment with us. The day could not have been any better if we had tried. Here is a link to some pictures of the joyous day we all shared. http://picasaweb.google.com/evelyman/InaugurationHarvardSquare#
So here's to hoping! May this new administration, despite the heavy burden it already faces, be embraced as wholy as we embrace our friends and family.

Our Heroes

2009-01-13T15:00:00.005-05:00

Lynne Viera is a local foodie who has recently launched a web-site full of great how-to videos, including some videos of our own Chef Steven Brand and this one of our house mixologist Augusto Lino.

Listen Locally

2009-01-12T15:18:00.002-05:00

The culinary scene in Cambridge has evolved so fully that it is really difficult to find a bad meal. It is as though chefs and restauranteurs have made an unwritten pact to utilize as much of the bountiful New England harvest as they can get their hands on, keeping both the local economy at ease and the patrons feeling as though they are aiding in this effort by consuming their neighbors' wares. It may be questioned if ingredients and their denominations really make that much of a difference, but once you've sampled a perfect summer tomato from Lil' Compton or Grateful Farms, you'll ask no more questions.
As far as sensory experiences go, however, taste is not the only sense that makes a culinary experience. I believe that the appropriate background noise does so much for a meal. Sometimes the mere din of the dining room can be enough if there are some great laughers, poignant stories being told, or the simple scraping of that last bite from the bottom of the bowl. Music, however, does so much to convert my time in any space. To that end, I wanted to feature three local musicians that have made their way onto my iPod, and on occasion into our restaurant. Supporting local artists is something in which we at UpStairs have always shown interest.

1. Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves
www.elipaperboyreed.com
Albums - "Walkin' and Talkin'" and "Roll With You"

I don't actually know Eli, but I first heard him on WERS, Emerson College's student radio station. Born and breed in Brookline, MA, Eli apparently got his start musically as so many others did by playing the streets of Harvard Square. His voice has been compared to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and his band the True Loves are particularly adept at showcasing his powerful voice. But what I love most about this band is the passion and playful nature present in each song. It's refreshing to know that R&B can be produced in such a raw fashion from an area that might be more readily recognized for its Klezmer music. Consequently, I think that is why his sound fits our design so well: food and music are not dissimilar. The same scales will always exist as will the same onions ... it's how we choose to prepare them that warrants how smart an artist truly is. Eli Reed is a smart guy.

2. Miss Tess and the BonTon Parade
www.misstessmusic.com
Albums - "Modern Vintage," "When Tomorrow Comes," and "Home"

This is my girl! My life is infinitely improved after having met this group. They have graced my dining room, befriended my staff, and intriqued an entire community with their ingenious approach to jazz standards and their destandardization. Tess' music is readily recognized by my whole staff and immediately sparks little sing-a-long sessions and smiles abound when she's played. If there's one thing that music can do more than most mediums is evoke something in you. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by creative people at UpStairs who get excited at the prospect of a new flavor profile or preparation. But nothing makes me happier than when I see that passion on the faces of both my staff and my guests in the form of a smile. I live on a steady diet of smiles, and "Pokey McMumbles" will never cease to keep me satiated.

3. Rachael Price
www.rachaelprice.net
Albums - "The Good Hours," "Dedicated to You," "Refreshingly Cool - with the Tennessee Terraplanes"

Tess and Rachael used to be roommates. When I went to see Tess play on her birthday at the CanTab in Central Square this year (and bring her the bottle of whiskey I had gotten her from the restaurant), I asked what she was doing after the show. She turned to me and said, "You've got to come see this girl. Her voice is way better than mine!" She set a high bar, but Rachael did not disappoint. It's been a long time (if ever) since I felt an uncontrollable urge to grab a complete stranger from a bar I've never been to and ask them to dance with me, but it happened at Rachael's show at Atwoods. Her versions of "Tupelo Honey" and "Comes Love" scared me. Not that I'm much older, but I couldn't believe the intelligence in her voice as she tackled such powerful songs. The girl knows what she's doing. And as it often is with young chefs, when you aim high you often exceed expections, even your own. Rachael exceeded all of my expectations, and continues to whenever I have the opportunity to see her perform.

That's my locally-grown playlist currently. It's always expanding, as is our menu. I'm always on the look-out to add more to my repetoire, both culinarily and musically.

mmm, butter...

2009-01-11T23:21:00.001-05:00

The conservative drinker will probably never try a Hot-Buttered-Rum. Well, that's too bad, my unadventurous friend.

For the rest of us, this cocktail is a combination of ingredients that speaks directly to the heart (or heart attack). It has the warmth and fuzziness of grandma's house, with an apple pie in the oven and a fluffy cat on the window.

It has rum, traditionally a New England specialty, now mostly imported from the Caribbean. Here at UpStairs we make it with a combination of Blackstrap and Spiced rums that balance each other in a way that only rum can (try mixing Scotch and Bourbon and you'll see what I mean).

It has sugar. We use our demerara syrup, with tons of raw cane flavor as opposed to, you know, plain sugar. Life is just too short for plain sugar in our Hot-Buttered-Rums. If you're using apple cider, you can skip the sugar altogether but I recommend leaving the cider in a quiet corner (for another time) and letting the sugar/spice/butter do the talking. So a little hot water will help bring everything together and a little Sezchuan pepper adds another layer to every sip (think of it as bitters in a Manhattan). A less exotic spice can be used: cloves and cinnamon are just fine, but I find that the complex and delicate heat of the Sezchuan peppercorns sprinkled on top of the drink seasons the cocktails' familiar flavors with a hint of something a little less trivial. It lifts Grandma's house out of the suburbs and lands it in Vineyard Haven.

Then, there's the butter. Sinners will think of using anything other than real, unsweetened butter. But I am not easily tempted into such evildoing, so if you order one from me, expect a nice inch thick cube of butter to be floated into the cocktail at the very moment of serving. It will be left to melt as you drink, not stirred into the cocktail.
I don't expect hot-buttered-rums to become the next big think in the posh lounges of the urban World. It sure would be fun to watch the gorgeous waitresses holding trays full of these hot-buttery little angels above the heads of well-heeled patrons. But in truth, I don't think that's going to happen. Besides, this is not the cocktail equivalent of a black Jil Sander suite. This is like that comfy old sweater. No other, from any store in SoHo or from the cold, cold Copley Mall can replace it but maybe Grandma could make you one.

Hot-Buttered-Rum

3/4 oz black strap rum
3/4 oz spiced rum
1/2 oz simple syrup
3 oz hot water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of ground Sichuan pepper

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

My friend told me the other day that our friend impressed him with his New Year's Resolution for 2009: he's resolved not to change anything. This comment stayed with me as I set out for my early January escapade to New York City last week. My intention with this trip was to eat my way through the city with great friends, laugh wholeheartedly and often, and remind myself why I choose to live in Cambridge and not there.

I'm happy to report that I was successful on all three fronts. The trip started off with a bit of a shaky start as I had neglected to remember that my car was covered in a sheet of ice from the bitter storm we'd received last week in New England. Once free of the shackles of arctic debris, I popped into my local Brazilian bakery and picked up some coxinhas for myself and my riding companions. They are so wonderfully anti-Atkins, and for the trip we had planned, we were going to need to lubricate our livers with as much grease and caffeine as our stomachs could handle.

I proceeded to pick up two of my favorite people: Danny Giddings and Rogerio Rocha, my buddy/bartender extraordinaire and my Brazilian buttercup/star server/hair dresser/DJ/confidant respectively. Our home base in New York was the recently converted Williamsburg warehouse apartment of our friend, Lindsay, a former star server at our restaurant who is now dead to me because she is no longer my employee. Kidding aside, the combustible nature of this foursome was palpable.

After a Zoolander-esque car ride filled with giggles, Rick Astley, WHAM!, harassing cell phone calls to Lindsay of impending doom, and a memorable pitstop at a closed gas station in Connecticut where two toothless truck drivers in Carhardts were met with Roger's frosted tips and propensity for belting Mariah Carey tunes, we arrived in Brooklyn. This is where New York started to intrique me. Our first stop was a lovely little bistro called Cornichon where the owners clearly have not been made aware of the recent economic crisis. Their wine list was short and sweet and nearly at cost. Their portioning for food was extreme. A chartuterie and cheese plate with three meat mountains, five hunks of cheese, a vat of duck liver pate, and all the cornichons you can eat for $18 was enough to keep up there well longer than we'd anticipated. I felt like we were cheating them, but then when the bartender started asking us to explain to her what she had served us I felt validated in our gluttony. We were given too much food and to compensate for the overage we educated the bartender.

Following our appetizer spree, we moved directly across the street to an aptly named dive called Trash Bar. On a rare chance that I am able to indulge in what they call a vacation, I have a tendancy to be very interested in the moment but my concept of time is completely lost. That said, it hadn't stuck me that it was a Sunday until promptly upon entering Trash Bar we were met with a feisty bartender who told us not to waste our money at the jukebox because "church is going on inside." Apparently, the owners of Trash Bar have figured out, rather ingeniously, a "marriage" as it were with a local sect of beer-swilling Christians who pay good money to rent out the stage space in the back of the bar every Sunday to hold their church service. There is a full service bar with a bartender devoted [sic] to the congregation who keeps them with a steady supply of heavenly tator tots (the signature freebie "tapa" of Trash Bar).

At this point, we had been in New York for about three hours and hadn't even touched foot in Manhattan. Already, however, I was starting to see the genious that is New York. It hasn't changed anything but it's changed everything at the same time. New York is its own product. Its marketing strategy is stunningly simple: let the consumer decide. Then, show up and collect. New York for me is a Tom Waits song. One that jumps to mind is "Step Right Up."

"We need your business, we're going out of business
We'll give you the business
Get on the business end of our going-out-of-business sale
Receive our free brochure, free brochure
Read the easy-to-follow assembly instructions, batteries not included
Send before midnight tomorrow, terms available,
Step right up, step right up, step right up
You got it buddy: the large print giveth, and the small print taketh away
Step right up, you can step right up, you can step right up
C'mon step right up"

And we are thrilled to step right up. I know I am. But only from time to time. Cambridge is a different kind of Tom Waits song. It's more of a blanket. This city, in terms of its hospitality at least, has everything on offer in a very transparent way, dissimilar to New York where an earned hospitality exists I feel. There's a great little snippet from Waits' "Nighthawks at the Diner" album where he talks about calling himself up and taking himself out, mostly because he knows he's always around and available. That is exactly the way I feel in Cambridge. I can call myself any night of the week and find myself happy against any backdrop. There is a welcome mat at the stoop of every restaurant, bar, museum, and home that I wander into.

Maybe I should lay off the Tom Waits for a little bit, but if there's one thing I learned on my trip to New York it is to be unabashedlysentimental about the place you call home.

Ginger Spice

2009-01-05T21:50:00.001-05:00

Ginger is a good thing, as Martha would say. Halfway through the 20Th Century, a drink that was in fashion, especially in England, was gin and ginger beer. How such a drink fell out of popularity, I don't understand. Actually, I do - all it takes is a sip of some of the ginger beers available out there. No spice, no ginger, no love.

I've tried-believe me- I've spent time searching for something with a little more punch, only to find that most quality ginger-beers are made in such small batch that it is either too expensive or simply to difficult to always have it in stock.

Another problem I faced with existing ginger-beers is that they fell in the same category as sodas, therefore limiting it's usage, mostly because it'd loose the bubbles if I shook it to mix with other ingredients.

So my ginger beer not only needed spice to give you something to drink for, it also needed to be shaker-friendly, so I set out to make my own. It was the first of many ingredients I attempted to create from scratch and after a few tries, I became satisfied with the results.

When I made the trial versions at my house, back in my early days in Boston, my roommates would go crazy waiting for it to get done so we could finally drink some dark-and-stormies. The smell of ginger travelled through the house and lingered the whole afternoon, we'd sit on the porch , cocktails in hand, and could still smell it at dusk.

Steven Brand was the man with the secret ingredient. Part of a recipe for ginger syrup he used in New York was adapted into the ginger beer base I had concocted and the rest is history. Stop by the bar anytime and I'll give you the recipe.

Speaking of history, an early 21st Century revivalist (Audrey Saunders, if we're going to name names) created the Gin Gin Mule. Looking at the recipe, you can't help but think of the popular British thirst quencher the Mid-Century drinkers downed on their porches.

Gin Gin Mule

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

6 mint sprigs

3/4 oz non-sparkling ginger beer

1 1/2 London Dry Gin

Splash of soda water

In a cocktail shaker combine the juice, syrup, mint, gin and ginger beer. Shake well with ice, strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Doors Closing and Opening

2008-11-04T14:01:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday, the B-Side Lounge served its final "Last Word," a cocktail that has gained infamy here in Cambridge and with my liver. Huddling close to an island off the bar with several friends, I couldn't help but marvel as the ever ready and well stocked bar at which I had spent so many nights began to dwindle; bottles being polished off never to be restocked again. The faces of the patrons fluctuated between grief and joy, but settled predominantly on melancholy. Understandably the closing of a local institution will breed a sense of sorrow, but looking around the bar and seeing the faces of children presumably conceived in or around the bar, old flames staring each other down from opposing corners of the room, and a bevy of bartenders in whom I have confided throughout the years, I couldn't help but think how fortunate we are to have at the very least the nostalgia associated with this space. If there be no Perfect Manhattan, at least there be memories aplenty to drink.
This is essentially what I hope for our own Monday Club Bar: a comparable number of stories and anecdotes to match the number of meals we produce. Every day I come into the restaurant, I walk into an open slate, a groundhog day as it were. People come and go, there are familiar faces and new, dishes adapt to the seasons, and generally nothing is ever exactly the same. It's tweaked. It's nuanced. I love that about my job.
Consequently, I love the fact that in my relatively short time at UpStairs I have been able to acquire so many great stories from this place. My hope is to chronicle several of them here throughout the course of this coming year. No matter how my relationship with the restaurant unfurls, I will always have the great moments I've had here to look back upon.
So as the door of one of my favorite after work hangouts closes, my appreciation for the place in which I work opens up and continues to grow.

Hits Of Sunshine

2008-06-10T01:35:00.004-05:00

This cocktail is called "Hits Of Sunshine". Fresh!

3/4 oz raspberry puree
1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
Champagne

garnish with a yellow rose

The Long Awaited Harvard Graduation 2008 Dinner Menu

2008-06-02T14:54:00.001-05:00

Commencement 2008
Congratulations Graduates!
Thursday, June 5, 2008

……….

First Courses

Sweet Spring-Dug Parsnip Vichyssoise
Chilled Parsnip & Leek Soup, Fingerling Potato Crisps

Tempura-Fried Snap Peas
Bagna Cauda

Salad of Eva’s Spring Greens & Herbs
Crispy Onions

Creamy White Bean Tortelli
Spring Bean Salad, Goat Cheese & Chives

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp
Lemon, Summer Herbs & Crispy Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Entrées

Hand-Rolled Cavatelli
Spring Sweet Peas, Favas, Pecorino & Mint Pesto

Pan-Roasted Giannone Chicken
Asparagus, Oyster Mushrooms & Aromatic Jus

Seared Rib Eye Steak
Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes, Herbs Florentine & Truffle Vinaigrette

Grilled Leg of Lamb
Parmesan Custard, Tiny Spring-Dug Beets & Minted Jus

Desserts

Mint-Ganache Warm Chocolate Soufflé Cake
Mascarpone Cream

Profiteroles with House-Made Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce &Toasted Almonds

Alomond Biscotti
Fresh Cherries & Limoncello

Housemade Cantaloupe Sorbet
Blueberries & Sugar Cookie

$85 Prix Fixe Menu

………

To find out about all of our events and activities, visit:
www.upstairsonthesquare.com

……….

Steven Brand, Chef
Mary-Catherine Deibel & Deborah Hughes, Proprietors

*Consuming raw or undercooked foods
may increase your risk of food-borne illness.
An 18% gratuity is added for parties of six or more.
6.2.2008

Let Them Eat Brioche

2008-05-21T09:44:00.001-05:00

Spring Ahead

2008-04-27T16:23:00.009-05:00

Continuing with my "seasonal drinking" rampage, may I just say that I dig spring? Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

Anyway, I was in New York last week and found myself with some time to kill before dinner with friends from the old Library, so I stopped by to say hi to yet another friend. Ryan Smith, with whom I worked behind the bar years ago is now at Puck Fair where I tasted some great seasonal beers and the one I liked the best was Dogfish Head's Aprihop. As the name suggests it taste of apricots and hops. It is a little tart (my favourite flavor profile) and very refreshing. Another sign of spring is the Weihenstephaner Hefe Weiss that I added to our beer list recently. Weihenstephaner claims to be the oldest brewery still around and I believe them. Their Hefe Weiss is a little sweet, a little yeasty, just right for the season (this is it's third consecutive Spring on our beer list).

We are just about to open the sidewalk tables on Winthrop Street, which, despite being hundreds of years old, I think was really intended for outdoor dinning and beer drinking (with moderation of course). It may just be that our wise ancestors knew that the marketplace where farmers traded (Winthrop Park) would be outgrown by the city it created and that the little side street would have not other use except for sitting in the sun and enjoying cold beer. I may even suggest that we serve the coldest beer in Cambridge, I just can't prove it.

'Tis the season to drink...

2008-02-19T18:12:00.005-05:00

Strawberries are not in season right now. Blood oranges are. Blood oranges, kumquats and pomegranates. Running a bar that reflects our chef's local and seasonal inclinations is not the easiest task I've undertaken. Most people who come to the bar in February and order Mojitos never thought of the idea of drinking seasonally, but if you ever did stop to think about how much better and fresher blood oranges are right now in new England than any bunch of mint or strawberry you could pick up at the supermarket, you know what I mean. I drank seasonally even before I knew chef Steve's seasonal menus. I used to indulge in Gin in the spring, specially when I lived on Martha's Vineyard, and saved my Whiskey for the cold winter months, specially when I lived in New York. Above 30º C, there is nothing quite like rum.
Beer drinkers are aware of the difference that it makes to have the right drink in the right season, mostly because beer does not have the shelf life of spirits and it has to be consumed shortly after it's bottled. Wine lovers and their object d'amour are almost always connected by the general environment in which wine is consumed. Opening a bottle of still rosé in the winter is like wearing a fur coat to the beach...or like Mojitos in the snow. To that end we have replaced the beloved (but summery) Lolita with a cocktail created by our bartender Chris O'Neil called "Siren". It has our house-made meyer-lemon Limoncello, combined with Spanish Licor 43 and fresh squeezed blood orange juice. It hits the same tart-sweet notes in the palate that the strawberry liqueur and Champagne hit with the Lolita but the aromatics are more winter citrus/vanilla-caramel.
Meanwhile, my lemon-basil plant has dried (and probably died), and my thyme is just hibernating (I hope). The concord grapevine outside my window was covered in snow this morning but somehow, someone is going to walk into to the bar today and have the audacity to order a Mojito.

for those who wait, Armagnac

2008-01-03T19:53:00.000-05:00

Check out this awesome article on the New York Times. Then come by the bar and get up close and personal with a snifter of the real deal. We currently have a Cerbois X.O., and two Darrozes, a 1985 and a 1986, from different distillers.

New Year's Resolution

2008-01-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

As each new year begins, a sea of poorly planned and half-hearted resolutions are made across the country. Gyms that have been nearly vacant for the last few months are instantly booming with lines for new and renewed memberships. Refrigerators are emptied of the soda, chocolate, and ice cream that reside there and are restocked with soy milk, grapes, and cottage cheese. All this in hopes that this year will be different from the last.
But we all know the perils of quick decision-making. Without a calculated and earnest commitment to bonafide change, an inevitable relapse results in the resolution-making process becoming as cyclical as the earth's rotation around the sun.
To that end, I have decided for myself that 2008 will be my year to educate myself more fully. It has been nearly two years since I've graduated from college and I can't seem to understand why I don't know everything in life yet (sic). Similarly, I can't get that catchy NBC jingle for "The More You Know" out of my head so I figure I'll just play along.
In order to more mightily utilize this blog as well as to stretch my literary muscle, I propose to examine a word a week that focuses upon the etymology, history, and common usages of food-related words. I think this will help me help other people appreciate the beauty with which I'm constantly surrounded working at UpStairs.

So, this week's entry is comes the book I'm currently reading (sweetly and thoughtfully given to me by Deborah Hughes this holiday season). The author is Phoebe Damrosch and the title of her book is Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. It affectionately and unabashedly details her experience as an opening waitperson at Thomas Keller's now landmark New York eatery, Per Se. Though her curriculum vitae prior to working at the restaurant would have made one wonder how she ever became involved with such a heralded culinary establishment, it is her passion for food and service that make it believable and ring true.
In one of opening chapters of the book, "Mosquitoes on Toast," Damrosch describes the etymology behind the word canapé:

"The word can be traced by an alternate route to the Greek konops, meaning 'mosquito.' Having yet discovered the joys of DDT, the Greeks hung netting called konopion around their beds and couches to protect themselves from the konops, a technique that wsa later adopted by the Romans. They called the curtains conopeum, which became the Latin canopeum, the Middle English canope, and eventually 'canopy.' How the French came to use canapé to refer to a couch instead of a curtain is beyond the limits of my steepability, but we have stolen the word for use in Modern English and retained its Middle English meaning.'

Oh, the French! How they do love to mess with our heads.

These little tidbits are, for me, another layer of the education on all things edible I resolve to improve upon this coming year. Here's to a great new year filled with fun conversation and delectable meals with friends. Cheers!

ImprovBoston and UpStairs team up!

2007-11-07T17:37:00.000-05:00

Put it on your calendar, folks! More information to come, but my old friends at ImprovBoston in Inman Square are making the big move to a beautiful new location in Central Square. To help them out, we're going to offer our Monday Club Bar for them to convert into a new stage for an evening of Improv and improvisational cuisine. The basics are as follows:

When: Sunday, November 18th, 2007
Time: Donors and Groaners show at 7:00 p.m. followed by the 8:15 p.m. showing of the IB Touring Company. Dinner will start being served all night long at 5:00 p.m.
What: A $50 Prix Fixe menu will be offered all evening ($15 of each Prix Fixe will be donated to IB towards their move; this, of course, excludes tax and gratuity). If you're looking to come just for the 8:00 p.m. show, that's great! Cost of admission for the show without dinner will be $15. There will be lots of great aptly named funny/funky cocktails to be had, and a great laugh all night long.

For more information, please write me at operations@upstairsonthesquare.com and I'll give you more details as things develop.

Trick or treat

2007-11-03T16:10:00.001-05:00

Lemon Verbena

2007-10-10T17:41:00.000-05:00

Steve infused some grain alcohol with lemon verbena and we've been playing around with it. I reduced it down to 38% alcohol with rock candy syrup, mixed with some iced tea and ran through the syphon. I loved the result but I think I might go even crazier and try to reduce it even more and maybe freeze it. Keep checking for updates.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Bad Girl Plaid Walls

2007-10-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love beer? I love beer. A lot.

If you love beer, too, you should come to our Out of Your Gourd Beer Dinner. It's a dinner. With beer. Thusly, the best dinner ever.

As a little back story to this event, Offshore Ale has been a staple beer behind our bar for ages now. That's why when I learned that my good friend, Joe Cleinman, recently became the Master Brewer at Offshore's Martha's Vineyard location I knew we had to do something. Joe and I grew up together in Oneonta, New York, where he, his sister, and I all worked at the illustrious culinary giant known as the Dairy Queen (it really is the crowning acheivement in "ice milk" when you think about it). Anyway, here are all the specs on what hopes to be the best springboard into OktoberFest ever! Come and enjoy it with us:

Out of Your Gourd Beer Dinner
Sunday, October 7th – 6:00 pm

We’re out of our collective gourds, so of course we love to share an autumn meal with Offshore Brewery Company from Martha’s Vineyard. Offshore is an artisanal beer company that produces some of the best seasonal beers in New England. We’ll be presenting a delicious four course dinner (see the website for details) paired with four great beers.

$49 (4 courses, 4 beers) Call 617-864-1933 for reservations.

...and all that Jazz!

2007-10-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the cheesy title, sometimes these canned lines get to the point better than good writing.
In any case, last night I took Emily and Lishansky to see Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade live. They are playing here on Wednesday and I just wanted to post a link to their site and their myspace page. I don't know how many of you readers have heard of them but my gut feeling is that if you haven't, you will. I imagine most of you will hear them on the radio someday, maybe when you're driving, or at work. A lucky few will hear them in the Monday Club Bar this Wednesday right around 10:00pm, with a cocktail in hand. Ella and Billie and Duke would be proud.

Watch us on YouTube

2007-09-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

Just an old video from YouTube filmed awhile back for the Harvard Square Business Association. Get some images of our chefs, owners, and even a tour of the cheese cart!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ldFP9PgV8w

Dinner Dances UpComing at UpStairs!

2007-09-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

Autumn is officially here, and to kick it off well we have another two dates with our friends Bill & Bo Winiker and their Orchestra. Here's all the info, as well as a few photos of the band with our fearless leaders, Mary-Catherine Deibel and Deborah Hughes. Hope to see you there!

The Classic Dinner Dance: Dance the Night Away
to the Music of Bo and Bill Winiker Orchestra
Thursday Nights this fall…
Thursday, September 27, AND Thursday, October 25
No cover to diners; $20 for non-diners
Dancing to begin around 9 pm

Probably our most popular event, we’ve been quick to book Bo and Bill for Thursday nights this fall. We’ll clear away the tables in the Monday Club Bar, strike up the band, and dance until we drop. The old-fashioned glamour of a dinner dance with all your favorite tunes—from swing to the fox trot. Come with friends, come single, or bring Prince or Princess Charming. Just come and twirl with us in this most romantic of evenings. Be prepared to cha-cha-cha until the coach turns back into a pumpkin.

Harvest Vegan Dinner On for Wednesday!

2007-09-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

Who's excited for veggies! Yeah! Here's the information on our Vegan tasting dinner coming up next week in the Soiree Room. Should be a rollicking good time for all our vegan friends. One reviewer sweetly described her own experience with our regular vegan tasting like this:

"When we got there, we were seated right away and the chef [Steven Brand] came out to confer with us. He had 7 courses all planned for us. The chef was happy to have us there and told us we were welcome to come back every week. We had about 3 servers and throughout the night they excitedly asked us whether we liked each dish ... and which dish we liked better. The [co-]owner also came over to chat with us. We felt more like movie stars than vegan nuisances." Review from BostonVegan.org

So if you want to come feel like a movie star diner, here is the information one more time on our splendid fall fete. Enoy!

Harvest Vegan Dinner
Wednesday, September 19 6:30
Four course dinner with wine in the Soiree Room
$55
Judging from the popularity of our vegetarian and tomato dinners earlier this fall, our clientele adores vegetables. Come try Steven Brand’s all vegan tasting menu tonight (we feature one every night in the Soiree Room!) matched with Matt’s inspired pairing of organic wines.

Rum tasting update

2007-09-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

Scott Steeves, a fellow rum lover and fellow blogger made it to the rum tasting, here is what he thought.

Making Magic Happen

2007-09-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

The time has come: wedding season has officially kicked off at UpStairs. Beginning this past Saturday, UpStairs was host to a beautiful fall wedding. These occasions are especially near and dear to our hearts as they offer us as a restaurant united the opportunity to shine at what we do best: provide hospitality and sumptuous food.

Prior to joining the UpStairs team, I was personally involved in a fantastic catering crew back in my hometown of Oneonta, New York. The company is called Sunrise Specialty Catering, and its proprietors are Janet and Mark Quackenbush. From age 16 until the very recent past, I can barely remember a weekend were I wasn't involved in a wedding. To date, I estimate that I have been part of just over 400 weddings. Some are more memorable than others, but resoundingly each and every one has left an impression upon me that I will carry forever.

This past weekend was an incredible event to behold. As this was the first wedding of the season and for many of our new servers their first wedding at UpStairs, there was a palpable hum in the room as we sat down to our extensive pre-meal. It is, for me, delightful to see the servers exude a nervous energy that equals that of the bride and groom. Everyone wants so badly for the day to be a success at all costs.

It is in this respect that UpStairs excels. The empathy for the wedding couple is there. Each and every employee, from the host to the dishwasher, is fully cognizant of the implications of their actions and how they directly influence the outcome this most special day. From a front-of-the-house standpoint, I revel in the fact that my servers are so quick to assess the read of the room. We tell them from the inception to survey the room, to seek out the rowdy college friends, to look for the shaky grandmother and make sure she has a cocktail, and above all else to make absolutely certain that the bride and groom eat at their own wedding. I cannot express how awful I feel when the wedding couple doesn't eat but a few bites of the food they have so generously selected and paid for simply because they were nervous or compelled to talk to everyone in the room.

There is also something to be said for the extremely cheesy, but completely accurate analogy to snowflakes (i.e. that every wedding is completely different). Granted, the general order of events is almost always the same, but never is one group exactly like another. Herein lies the beauty of what we do in hospitality. We facilitate a good time. We promote an environment that fosters good cheer and frivolity. And we smile ... a lot. Not those plastic "Ken and Barbie" smiles that leave the jaw sore and face numb, but genuine inner smiles that resonate from the heart and translate to the visage.

At another point, I plan to post some of my more light-hearted stories and anecdotes from catering/restaurant past. For now, however, I have proven exactly how long-winded I can be, and will summarize. For anyone who knows me, I have a profound respect and admiration for Walt Disney. His reliance upon magic, wishes, and dreams to make effective realities amazes me. With every event with which I am involved, I strive to propagate that magical energy within myself, my servers, and everyone else involved. It is through that belief in a dream event that magic is achieved.

Here's to more magical events at UpStairs!

Hand picked music (is better than canned music)

2007-09-06T07:20:00.000-05:00

In addition to being front of the house managers, we are also iDJs (it's like being a DJ, except the only thing you spin is that wheel on the iPod) for the Monday Club Bar, which we enjoy a lot. Before the age of iPods, we used to have a satellite radio system that played the same 20 songs over and over during all meal periods. Now we have playlists that progress from quiet piano music in the early hours to some good vocal and rat pack for the peak of lunch service, smooth jazz in the afternoon, Parisian jazz in the early evening and another peak of high voltage jazz for prime dinner hours, ending the night with a romantic soundrack. All of it sprinkled with a bit of Bossa-Nova and Samba, Flamenco, Motown, Afro-Cuban and Italian music, just for fun. We also like the Beatles a lot here, so you're likely to hear them on brunch. Ask Sheila about her Beatles stories, she's got a bunch of good ones, including the time she went to see them live at Suffolk Downs.
I love the feeling of walking into the Monday Club in the middle of dinner service and finding the dinning room and bar full, the lighting at the right level and the right music playing at the right volume. The right volume may be disputed by some, getting specially more difficult to find a common ground if different age groups are taken into consideration. The rule of thumb for me is to keep it at the same volume as the natural sounds of the dinning room ( guests conversations being the main guideline ). So on a Saturday night when I'm behind the bar I adjust the volume a few times to keep it at the perfect level.
And then there is always the case-by-case factor that is the golden rule of hospitality. The lunch crowd is more likely to request that we turn down the volume for a business meeting than our Jazz Wednesdays fans, while a family thanked us for playing only the good Beatles, as opposed to "the cheesy Beatles" one recent Sunday morning. A cartoonist put down on paper his rendition of our soundtrack, when he was celebrating a birthday with friends at the bar one night (the drawing can still be seen hanging from the Love-Letters chandelier), while a couple that comes in often on Saturday afternoons suggested we make our own compilations to sell, which we declined (move over Hotel Costes) but we appreciated the comment.
And just like that, a soundtrack of sensitive playlists contributes to the general culture of the restaurant and maybe even the life of the square. I don't think that satellite rotating the Earth in the cold, cold space would care if my jazz crowd were having drinks at the bar and a conversation about Coltrane.

Fruit Pies

2007-08-31T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today I had to bake a pie. I had to. I had no choice. The first thing I ever cooked for a group of others was a pie. I fed it to the staff. Thinking back I haven't heard any comments.
My grandfather loved pie, no cake, no cookies, pie. "Don't screw around now Emily, I want pie for my birthday and you know it" My mother bakes a pretty okay pie ( in all actuality I think her pie is the best, but I cannot admit this). Grandpa really enjoyed the fact that my mother liked to bake, and bring it over to his house for him, and my uncles ( grandma does not bake. Or cook anymore at all for that matter, she eats a lot of raw food, sort of like a raw-ist, but not really at all) He figured out the perfect way to make her bring more, get her to compete, with me ( she is one of the most competitive people you will ever meet, almost as competitive as yours truly!) So of course we had bake offs, never at the same time. On all occasions we were told that there was inconclusive evidence and we must try again. Grandpa was a sneak, but he sure got to eat a lot of pie.
Just a side bar, there was always an extra for my daddy, and sometimes the occasional for an uncle or two. :)

Working Sleepy

2007-08-31T16:41:00.000-05:00

In every restaurant you see a lot of tired eyes, heavy feet, and the occasional bed head. Every person has a reason why they subject their bodies to daily abuse, and in our case stairs. The average person wouldn't work over fifty hours in a week and would probably have something to say if they were expected to move tables after midnight on a Wednesday. I am not saying this to be a martyr I am saying this because I love my job, and I know many others, some sitting in this office with me that feel the same.
We cook and serve others because it's special to take care, of friends, of family, of strangers. There is a reward to making others feel good, satisfied and fulfilled. It is a sentiment found in all people in the hospitality industry. We are trusted with a persons evening, their memories, and most of all their bodies. Food should be magical, something you touch, you smell, not something that gets the job done. Of course we all spend nights eating microwave popcorn or Ramen noodles. I have heard KFC come out of some staff members mouths. But I hope the world will remember how good it feels to eat something good, really good. So we can always have some one to take care of.

Agricole Rum

2007-08-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

This summer's rum tasting was way better than last year's. Last year about 15 people came, this year we sold out the Jewel-box bar with more than thirty people, a couple of them last minute walk-ins. The line up of rums was better too. Last year we sampled rums from all over the world but this year we decided to concentrate on Martinique rums. These rums are classified A.O.C. Martinique and controlled by the same organ of the French Government that assures the quality of wines from Champagne to Provence. We had on board Ben Jones, distiller at Clement and J.M., both equally recognized houses in Martinique. Ben knows how to work the crowd and by the end of the night we had a group of happy people, which is why we do what we do.
The tasting started with a shooter of orange sorbet and Clement Shrubb Orange Liqueur as an amuse-bouche. Emily, once again saved my life and made the sorbet with almost no notice.
The format after that was the same as last year, four small plates paired with 2 rum cocktails and two rums neat. The first cocktail was made with Clement Premiere Canne, their silver rum. I mixed it with honey, cucumber and lemon juice, which made for a fresh and light cocktail with the great aromatics of the rum and the cucumber inviting a taste of the peppery rum, and the zesty swing of lemon juice and dark wildflower honey. We paired it with Steve's house-cured salmon with cucumber, cherries braised in honey and creme fraiche.
Next, was time for the Clement V.S.O.P. to shine on its own, we served some ice on the side, just in case. This rum, though very light, is a serious sipping spirit. The ageing process calms down the rum's original spice and start to give way to earthier aromas, still very complex. Just like the rum, Steve trusted excellent asparagus to very little tweaking, just enough to transcend it from excellent to perfect: some sesame seeds over Yuzu emulsion.
The next rum to be featured was J.M. Blanc, J.M's equivalent of Clement's Premmiere Canne. The main difference is that J.M.Blanc is not watered down to 80 proof as most other rums and it has a real kick to it. I decided not to neutralize it's kick but to play off of it, so I simply mixed it with my house-made ginger beer that most people have already tasted. If you haven't, here's still time to get your dark-and-stormy with dignity (dark-and-stormies are like white pants: the hip factor expires at the end of Labor Day weekend). Anyway, that cocktail was really sharp, a high summer cocktail and we paired with some raw Ahi, caramelized bananas and a clove spread that played nicely with the clove tones of the ginger beer.
It seemed like it couldn't get any better, but lo and behold, it did. J.M. 1997. That's right, a single vintage rum. Even cognacs don't usually come in single vintages (with a few great exceptions, of course) so you can imagine how exciting it was to be able to close the tasting with a spirit that may redeem rums for ever from the curse of Cuba-Libres. Emily's nutmeg flan with pineapple caramel was excellent, light and creamy.
We had our friends from Receita-de-Samba playing bossa-nova in the Monday Club after the tasting and most people stayed around the bar for another round or two. I couldn't decide between a dark-and-stormy and a caipirinha so I ended up having both. Ben Jones lingered with friends over some J.M. 1997 while the band played Gilberto and Jobim tunes. That night, for a few of us, Cambridge was somewhere between Fort-de-France and Rio de Janeiro.

Name that drink

2007-08-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

People love polyjuice and butterbeer. I don't know if that's how polyjuice is spelled but at this point, it doesn't matter. Harry Potter happened in Harvard Square and now it's over. What I mean is we had a huge festival in the square with three Harry Potter themed bands playing in Harvard Yard, which made a usually steady summer night in the square turn into complete madness. Marci can tell you more about the event than I could since she was the organizer, besides I only read one of the books and she is a real enthusiast.
What I did notice was that at least one person from every table in the restaurant ordered polyjuice or butterbeer. At the bar too, people were taking pictures of their polyjuice. Some of the people who couldn't get at table or a seat at the bar came in just to buy butterbeer to go, which I sold by the quart!
That made me think that one could spend more time thinking what to name a cocktail than actually experimenting with ingredients and it wouldn't affect the overall satisfaction of the person who ordered it. It's a scary thought. We're at the peak of the new golden age of cocktails and in the early 90's the names of new drinks slowly started to turn back into grown-up's stuff. During the three previous decades, the names of cocktails revealed the overall relaxed attitude about mixology, which at times can be refreshing but in the 70's it turned into, you know, disco. And the names of the cocktails were relaxed too, Sex On The Beach is from that era and it's a relatively mild one. I couldn't publish most of those names in this blog.
This leads me to our program at the restaurant. The list I inherited from Lolly Mason had a few pre-disco classics, like the Side-Car and El Presidente, and a few original creations. Lolly's most famous drink, the "Jackie O" is still on our list and is one of the prettiest cocktails I've ever made. When the effervescense of the freshly shaken drink meets champagne, I want to take pictures.
The current list is made-up of original drinks only. That means a lot of naming happens when we change the list, most of it good. Brooklyn Haze is a variation of the Brooklyn cocktail, with the addition of hazelnut liqueur. I think it's a pretty good name; Reiser (our wine director) named it. The Aprile, a Meditarranean concoction of Aperol, Grapefruit and Rosemary was named after my friend April Watchel (Aprile means April in Italian).
Another less fortunate cocktail named after a living person was the Momma Sonia, named after Frank Queris' (the drink's co-creator) mom. The drink was good and we had a good story behind the name but it didn't take off so I pulled it from the list. If you like the classic Bronx cocktail, order a Momma Sonia next time you come in.
I just started working on the drinks for the Fall '07 list and that means some of the more summery drinks will have to come off the list. The Aprile will come off as will the Paulista, named after the natives of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Misty Kalkofen of Green Street has a drink called Carioca on her list, named after the natives of Rio de Janeiro, which I like a lot, by the way. The Lolita will stay as it has become the Monday Club Bar's signature cocktail. The house-made strawberry liqueur and champagne combination is all that the name implies...
By the way, a local newspaper awarded the "Venus In Furs" the best named cocktail in Boston, if you don't know what it's named after, you can ask me next time you're at the bar.

Summer Fruits

2007-07-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

As summer approaches we are loathing the fact that the ramps are yellowing, that we are saying goodbye to green garlic, and leaving every heavy dish behind. I would have to say spring is our favorite season because it is the first ramp, the first fiddle head, and succulent morel. Secretly I am just getting excited for the next season, the warm raspberries on the market table, the first tomatoes drenched in olive oil sprinkled with salt. When technical ablity goes by the way side because food is so extrodinary on its own, with no manipulation.

I think the most magical moments in my life are spent in the sun with my toes in the dirt picking peas from the garden ( it helps that it is my mothers garden, and she does all the weeding). I was raised in a place where the quote "Food is love" is replaced with "Food is love, and life". On the farm there is a respect for the land, for the plants, for the animals, that can never be paralled.

So cooking in the summer is the reward for a winter filled with tropical fruits, and overpriced underripe berries. It becomes a treat, a break in the day, to "run over to the farmers market" and just inhale the summer. Summer savory, basil, and tyhme, extrodinary.

My Suggestion; order the special.

Vacation and Renovation

2007-07-05T07:34:00.001-05:00

We all had to take a break this week because of the Monday Club Bar renovations. Technically not all of us since Deborah is overseeing the design and she has to be there a lot and Dina and Eliza are there a lot too, and Marci...Ok, so I had to take a break, a whole week away from my restaurant friends.
The first few days of my break I spent on Martha's Vineyard, where I fished for fluke and bluefish. By the way, Fluke is a kind of flounder, the main difference is that it's right eye travels to the left side of the fish. See I learned something too! We only brought back one or two at a time and we ate it the same day, so it was really fresh. I went to see a jazz trio at one of my old haunts in Edgartown, my old guitar teacher was playing bass, it was kind of cool.
Then we went to Emily's farm and that was just amazing! To experience nature like we did in the farm, and to understand that Emily grew up there transcends her cooking to a new level.
After the farm we visited Mary Catherine and Reid at their Westport Cottage. That was another amazing experience. We can all agree that Mary-Catherine is the quintessential hostess at the restaurant, so to be a guest at her summer home was truly fantastic. I did attempt to make frozen margaritas but we had a bit of a blender situation. As in it leaked and I made a mess in her kitchen, but she didn't mind and went on preparing salami and cheeses for an extraordinary antipasto platter and then slicing rib eye and dressing salads, and making you feel comfortable all the way. Talk about hospitality!
I'm happy to be back and looking forward to seeing some of my regulars at the bar. Deborah's design is stellar and we are all in a really good mood, really confident with our kitchen and just amped and ready to re-open the doors!

UpStairs: The Blog Begins ...

2007-06-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

Over the hill, down the rabbit hole and onto the internet, welcome to the UpStairs On The Square blog.

There was an advertisement from years ago that stated, "you've come a long way, baby!" Who would have thought that after 25 years in business, UpStairs on the Square would be producing its very own web log?

The intention behind our blog is simple: UpStairs has always prided itself on its commitment to completely honest, no holds barred food (and drinks). Furthermore, our front-of-the-house knows no boundaries, as chefs are just as likely to be out and about the dining rooms as servers. To that end, we seek to use this blog as an opportunity to elongate the conversations that often get cut off in the restaurant industry. To elaborate upon an explanation that we just couldn't finish because we were pulled away by another engagement. In other words, the UpStairs blog is a dialogue between guest and restaurant. We hope that you take the time to explore the multiple facets of our blog, and participate either through your comments or simply telling us when you come in.

Stone Color Cocktails

2007-05-23T18:25:00.000-05:00

We had a cocktail party for Tiffany & Co. not too long ago to celebrate (and sell) some of their new line of jewelry, and as part of the contract we had to serve three "jewel colored" cocktails. When creating a cocktail I usually keep in mind that the appearance of the final product should be a reflection of its taste, and I prefer the honest looking cocktail to the deceiving one. For instance, we stir our gin martinis because they look silky and dangerously clear. A "Jackie O", on the other hand looks composed until you float some champagne on top, when it opens up in a smile. Nothing irritates me more than a cocktail that looks great and disappoints when sipped (anything made with generic green liqueurs and puckers will always taste like chemicals). I certainly didn't feel like irritating people shopping for seven-figure necklaces so I set to work on the perfect balance between jewel color and great flavor.

For pink, I brought back a spring favourite, the Fellini. It has fresh squeezed blood-orange juice, house-made pomegranate liqueur and good old dry Champagne. We served it on a champagne flute, garnished with a rose petal and called it the Pink Diamond.

One down, two to go. Next I went for blue. The reason I did that is because Blue Curacao is a legitimate substitute for triple sec and any orange liqueur based sour is good by me. I used lime juice to balance it and the twist came from apple-flavored vodka (no we didn't make this one here, but we used Citadelle which is a great brand). We served that with a sugared rim and called it the Sapphire Cocktail. So far so good.

The last one was the trickiest one. The bartenders and I had come up with a green drink (emerald ?) but the Tiffany's people wanted something purple. Purple is easy. We carry an excellent Creme de Cassis and I have a new-found respect for Chambord, I can do purple! So I thought. "It needs to be jewel-color" said Mary Catherine examining a cocktail that, I swear, was my best rendition of the color. To make matters worse, Tiffany's was promised a lavender flavored cocktail. That sounds great but I was kind of stuck at the last minute. Along comes Emily, and her genial syrups: from the pastry area on the 3rd floor, came down a syrup that tasted very much of lavender, with a good amount of sweetness and the color was perfect. I had about three minutes to create a drink with that syrup before the menus got printed. For a quick second my eyes rested on a bottle of Luxardo maraschino liqueur and I felt the Jerry Thomas in me, I was struck with inspiration. "Lino, we're printing the menus now". I snapped back. Mr. Thomas, we'll have to try that maraschino, gin and lavender later, for now I played safe: I used vodka for the base, lavender syrup for sweet, lemon juice for sour. Easy as lemonade. We named it the Amethyst cocktail and it was of course the best-seller of the night. When people asked me how I got the color to be so perfect, all I could tell them was that I used a magical syrup that came from upstairs.

More than a mixer

2007-05-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

Tara Feely, brand ambassador for Chambord was at the bar last night, having a nice salad and a glass of wine when our beloved bartender Daisy Crowder dropped what he was doing and started to write down a recipe Tara was giving him, a drink recipe he's been trying to get for a while. Daisy first tasted the cocktail at a discussion group he participated with other local bartenders to use Chambord as an ingredient in Cocktails.

Every bartender knows Chambord, the blackberry and raspberry liqueur made in France. We know the bottle, designed to look like it just rolled off the time-machine from Charlemagne's hands (or like a Christmas-tree ornament), always on the back-bar (because it doesn't fit most wells). And we sure know to reach for the purple and gold ball with a cross on top to make a French Martini. To most bartenders, Chambord is thought of as a mixer. The key word on the discussion Daisy joined is "ingredient". When the word "mixer" is used to describe bar ingredients, the overall respect for the craft goes down immediately, and the underlying idea is that you have some cheap booze that needs to be cut with anything you can find.

Chambord's sweet berry taste can cut many strong tasting booze but it is as a piece of a well-balanced act that the liqueur really shines. I admit when Daisy showed me the recipe I was skeptical. I never thought the delicate taste of green tea could live up to basil or a powerhouse like lime juice, and a vodka base doesn't attract many a respectable mixologist's attention, but in the right proportion, everything comes together very gracefully. "I couldn't think of something better to drink in the summer" Daisy said, and the drink surely is refreshing. I have a feeling he'll be making lots of these.

Recipe adapted from the original by bartender Chris Lamb from Proof on Main:

1 oz vodka

1 1/2 oz green tea

4 leaves of basil

1/2 oz lime juice

1 oz Chambord

Bruise the basil, mix all ingredients except for the Chambord in a cocktail shaker full of ice, shake it and strain into a highball full of ice. Pour the Chambord on top.