Chef Barry S. Dakake: Nine of N9NE’s new dishes at The Palms
Editor’s Note: After a glorious nearly month-long family vacation in the Italian and Sicilian countryside, Robin Leach is back and resuming his new daily columns today with an exclusive from Celine Dion’s emotional and triumphant return home to Montreal.
We’ll continue guest columnists through August while Robin works from the cooler climes of La Jolla near San Diego in advance of our newly designed website launching mid-month.
Today, we start a weeklong salute to the culinary kings and queens of our restaurant and culinary industry. Those kitchen warriors who work long hours serving up taste treats our 41 million annual visitors have come to expect here. We welcome Bratalian owner and chef Carla Pellegrino and N9NE Steakhouse chef Barry S. Dakake of The Palms.
Here’s Barry, who just finished shooting the pilot of his new TV series CELEBRITY FOOD ADVENTURES with Grammy-winning singer Ashanti:
By Barry S. Dakake
Summer is here and with the change of the season comes changes to the N9NE Steakhouse menu. The warm summer months provide us with fresh peak-of-season fruits and vegetables that create exceptionally bold flavors.
I’m excited to give you an inside look at nine of N9NE’s brand new dishes, some being popular signatures with an exciting new twist, while others are freshly added menu items.
1. Prime Rib Ravioli: Making ravioli at the restaurant brings back childhood memories of the days when I would make fresh pasta with my grandmother at her home for the weekend feast.
Featuring fresh summer corn, pearl onions, parmesan butter and fresh truffles: $24.
2. Filet Mignon Sliders: One of my favorite appetizers (fun summer food) on the menu. Pairs great with a glass of Darioush cabernet sauvignon.
Served with crispy shoe string potatoes, baby gherkin pickles and fresh house-baked slider rolls: $28.
3. Organic Truffle Chicken: A dish that we are bringing back from N9NE’s original grand opening due to popular request.
Slow-roasted and served with fresh summer truffles, roasted fennel and Bermuda onion: $34.
4. Dover Sole: My all-time favorite fish to eat. It’s wicked tasty, firm in texture and simply delicious.
Served with creme fraiche whipped potatoes and lobster beurre blanc: $49.
5. Kobe Beef Burger: We spiced up this well-known signature dish with new toppings.
Made with Nueske’s bacon, jalapeno jack cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, summer heirloom tomatoes, served with house-made French fries and toasted mustard-seed ketchup: $29.
6. Indian Spiced Scottish Salmon: Organic salmon from the Shetland Island, perfectly seasoned with my own Indian spice blend, which complements the summer season.
Served with grilled summer squash, zucchini and crispy potato cake: $39.
7. Black Cod Miso: Flown in from Alaska, marinating the fish in miso overnight gives it the perfect caramelization when broiled. Another one of my Top Five favorite fishes (sable fish.)
Served with blue lake green beans and shiitake mushrooms and finished with a miso glaze: $44.
8. Sea Scallops: A New England hometown favorite. These ocean gems from New Bedford, Mass., are a must-try menu item. We serve sea scallops throughout the year, but I always change them with the seasons.
Sauteed and served with potato risotto, asparagus, baby leeks and white chowder sauce: $52.
9. Rock Shrimp & Calamari: For the first time in 15 years, we are combining two of our most popular appetizers into one dish and adding dipping sauces to spice it up. P.S. This dish is still served in our traditional rock shrimp popcorn boxes.
Served with spicy sriracha sauce, lemon aioli and cherry pepper remoulade: $19.
Another thing new in the restaurant is our happy hour, which we launched a few months ago. With a vibrant and upbeat atmosphere, N9NE has always been a premier destination to grab a bite and meet-and-mingle.
Now Mondays through Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., you can enjoy a bunch of our popular appetizers and cocktails at reduced pricing in our bar and lounge areas.
N9NE’s happy hour menu features dishes such as our buffalo chicken wontons ($8), lobster potstickers ($9), rock shrimp ($9), shrimp piccata ($14) and $9 mouthwatering libations such as the Ciroctail made with Ciroc Apple, cranberry and ginger beer and $6 craft beers including Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA.
I hope to serve you soon!
Be sure to check out our other guest chef column today from Carla Pellegrino of Bratalian and Robin’s stories on Celine Dion’s emotional Montreal homecoming, THE SOUND OF MUSIC at The Smith Center and his daily Red Carpet Report.
