Archive for April, 2012
Beer Breakfast 2.0 (Sunday, May 6, 2012)
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When Secco hosted its first Beer Breakfast in January, we were pleasantly shocked to discover how many of you embraced our crazy-pants notion of serving high-octane brews at 10AM as a good (or, at least, a fun) idea. Doing another beer breakfast seemed like no-brainer.
Of course, that didn’t stop us, and our hysterical fear of repeating ourselves, from brainstorming a slew of other, similar yet different Sunday morning events. Sadly, the results where less “similar yet different” than they were…well,”terrible and weird” — a Communion-themed, wine and wafer pairing class; an (Adam’s) Apple Cider Drag Brunch; a NFL Tailgate Party with dry sherry and no TVs. Bad. Idea. Jeans.
But once we got word that the boys at Hardywood Park were willing to create a version of their Mocha Belgique with our signature coffee blend, we stopped beating our heads against the wall and fully embraced the idea of Beer Breakfast 2.0!
BEER BREAKFAST 2.0 @ SECCO WINE BAR
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Breakfast Menu (available 10AM – 2PM)
house-made corned beef and potato hash with a soft egg
brioche with house-made butter and raspberry preserves
strata with asparagus, mushrooms, ramps and gruyere
Scotch eggs with red onion confit and whole grain mustard mayonnaise
rice pudding parfait with fresh strawberries, honey and citrus
smoked pork belly, stewed beans, roasted tomatillo & poblano pepper salsa, poached egg & grilled Billy Bread
Featured Beers
Hardywood Mocha Beglique (Secco Beer Breakfast version)
chocolate porter brewed with locally-roasted coffee, aged in Virginia whiskey barrels and poured from a 5 gallon pin spiked with a pound of SECCO blend Lamplighter coffee. 7.2% ABV
Evil Twin Biscotti Break
porter made with espresso, vanilla and toasted almonds. 7.5% ABV
This is not a ticketed event, all items are served a la carte. As is the norm, seating will be done on a first come/first served basis, with reservations being taken only for parties of five to eight (info@seccowinebar.com or 804.353.0670). Please keep in mind the size of our establishment –the smaller your party, the more quickly we can accommodate you.
Italian Cheese & Wine Class: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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“Cheese is controlled rot.”
That was how Julia kicked off the staff cheese training for the soon-to-be opened Secco Wine Bar roughly two years ago. The opening statement alone had me beaming until long after the last smears of Taleggio were scraped from my paper plate. Having, until then, only a passing familiarity with artisanal cheese, and a palate groomed on reduced-fat Kraft Singles and Polly-O, it was amazing to consider cheese-making as the continuation of a craft that predates recorded history, and cheese itself as the end product of a choreographed exchange between mammals and microbes, science and intuition, creation and, well, controlled rot. But what made this class every bit as entertaining as it was enlightening, was the hilarious interplay between our two hostesses, Julia and Sara. The latter all smiles, good vibes and cuddly goat stories; the former all snark and sass–mercilessly mocking our country’s fear of raw milk and likening the aroma of a recent shipment of Munster d’Alsace to a “diaper on fire.” My only regret about the whole experience was that it was for employees only and not open to a larger audience. Until…
On Tuesday, April 17th, 6-8pm, Richmond’s two favorite curd nerds will host an all Italian Cheese & Wine Class at Secco Wine Bar. Finally you, dear people of the general populace, can experience the tales of Italian terrior, the alchemy of affinage, and the all-too-accurate descriptions of fermentation and funk that will ruin you for bland, plastic-y, industrial “cheese” for all time. Tickets are $55 per person ALL-INCLUSIVE. Six Cheeses. Six Wines. Two Wild-n-Crazy Italian-American gals! Seating is limited and going fast so don’t dally…
To reserve your ticket, email us at info@seccowinebar.com with your name & phone number. We’ll call back to get a credit card to guarantee. Or stop in during business hours (noon to midnight daily) and purchase your ticket in person at Secco.
-Matt
Spring Restaurant Week (April 23 – 29, 2012)
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Once again, Richmond Restaurant Week is upon us. For a mere $25.12, you can enjoy a three-course feast, while simultaneously assisting Feed More charities in their quest to fight hunger throughout Central Virginia. WIN. WIN.
This year Chef Tim has come up with what looks like his best Restaurant Week menu to date (no offense, Past-Chef Tim)! Course one lets you pick from an array of cheeses and cured meats, hand-selected by resident Cheese Queen Sara; course two offers an extensive menu of super Spring-y small plates; and course three presents a trio of delicious desserts to choose from. And, as if this deal needed any additional sweetening, all Restaurant Week diners will enjoy $5 off any bottle on our wine list. WIN. WIN. WIN. WIN. WIN. WIN…
The small print: During Richmond Restaurant Week, Secco will operate exclusively on a first-come, first-served basis, which actually increases your chance of scoring a table for two in less than 15 minutes; plus we have our new big communal table. (Insider tip: Come early in the week and avoid the crowds!) More info on Spring Restaurant Week, including a full list of participating restaurants, can be found HERE.
SPRING RESTAURANT WEEK @ SECCO WINE BAR
April 23 – 29, 2012, 5pm – 10pm daily
$25.12 per person, exclusive of tax and tip; $5 off all wine by-the-bottle for RW diners
(v=vegetarian; g=gluten-free)
First Course — Build-Your-Own Cheese and/or Charcuterie Plate (Pick Two)
Cypress Grove “Psychedillic” (CA) fresh, zippy goat chevre with dill pollen
tomme de Savoie (FR) semi-soft, raw cows milk with hints of cured meats & herbs
pecorino crotonese (IT) firm, citrus-y, & nutty sheeps milk cheese
Olli Salumeria hot lomo (VA) lean & spicy salt cured pork loin
Olli Salumeria bresaola (VA) delicate, air dried, salted & cured beef
Olli Salumeria prosciutto (VA) traditionally cured 100% Berkeshire pork
Second Course — Small Plates (Pick Two)
pork belly porchetta, artichokes barigoule (g)
farro cavatelli, rapini, aleppo pepper, anchovy butter
asparagus sformato, fava shoots, preserved lemon (v)
medjool dates, pork liver mousse, walnut granola, fried capers (g)
pickled mushrooms, garlic confit & taleggio cheese crostini (v)
roasted beets, shaved radish, whipped fromage blanc, saba emulsion (v,g)
bay scallop crudi, pink grapefruit, vanilla brown butter, fresh tarragon (g)
mixed green salad, roasted pistachio, fresh chevre (v,g)
potato & nettle soup, lemon crème fraiche (v,g)
Third Course — Desserts (Pick One)
cardamom gelato, espresso crumble (v,g)
cream-puffs with vanilla bean crème patissiere, salted caramel, hazelnut praline (v)
olive oil-dark chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries, sweet basil (v,g)
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artichokes barigoule – stewed artichoke hearts
sformato – an Italian egg dish similar to souffle, but not as airy
saba – a syrup made from the reduction of grape must
crudi – plural for crudo, which is a preparation of raw seafood in Italy
stinging nettles – an herbaceous flowering plant with a taste similar to spinach
creme patissiere – pastry cream