What is Brookstone Grille?

We've been talking alot about marketing and advertising the Brookstone Grille & Event Center lately and there is a burning question that must be answered, What is Brookstone Grille?
For those of us that are here everyday we know about the quality and variety of the food & service that we serve. But for those of you that are just finding out about us you may be asking this question.
I think the confusion comes from the physical appearance of our building. For those of you that have seen us you know it is a beautiful facility on a beautiful piece of property in East Derry NH.
It is that beauty that may lead you to believe we must be a very high end restaurant reserved for special occasions. I think however that you might be surprised by the variety of our menu and the fact that we can be an everyday restaurant that exceeds your every expectation. We offer many comfort food items like burgers, flatbreads, wings and terrific appetizers that really satisfy and don't break the bank and we do it in a very comfortable setting with a very friendly style of service. Of course we also offer some higher end food items and beverages that you would only find in a big city setting or upscale restaurant. We really do try to offer you alot of choices. So if your wondering what we are just stop by and check us out for yourself.
Once you give us a try I think you'll love us and be back for more.

Have a great day and we'll see you soon.

Eating Tapas

Eating Tapas or small plates, has become one of the new trends recently. At the Brookstone Grille we added a Tapas section to our menu and it has been very popular. What is great about it is you can try many different appetizers or small portions of entrees without having to commit to one item for the night. Also if you are trying to watch your portions but still want to eat out without the guilt then try eating Tapas.

Enjoy
Chef David

Review Link

I put the wrong link into my last blog for the review from the T.V. Diner.
To see the review go to www.necn.com then go to the T.V. Diner tab and search brookstone or get the link from www.Brookstonegrille.com as well.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words regarding this award.

New Menus & The Platinum Plate

Last week was full of interesting things going on at Brookstone Grille.
We finally finished the new dinner menu and put it into service on Friday night.
I want to start by thanking my two Sous Chef's Justin & Billy for all the work that they put in getting this menu up and running. Also the kitchen crew had to make some quick adjustments but they executed the menu on Saturday flawlessly while we had a very solid night. Everyone was very excited about the Platinum Plate award we had just be given by the TV Diner and congratulations go out to everyone at Brookstone Grille for making it happen.
The food served on Saturday represented the best of the menu at Brookstone Grille. Thanks to the T.V. Diner spot & review on Saturday, www.tvdiner.com/brookstonegrille. , alot of guests went for the recommended items. I think we sold 30 Appetizer samplers!
We saw people really dining and enjoying wine with dinner. Some times you get alot of burgers and wings from the bar but guests were branching out and trying some of the more creative items on the menu.

Last week we also had a photo shoot day for the upcoming Phantom Gourmet segment that will be airing soon, stay tuned for the actual date. This was alot of fun to create 15 separate items to be shot. Steve the producer & camera man did an awesome job of capturing the food and got some great shots. I'll try to put some up if I can figure it out.

Thanks to everyone who congratulated us on the Platinum Plate award, but as I told the staff the winning it is the easy part. Now the work of maintaining that level begins and that is the fun part.

Thanks
Chef David

Brining the Bird

Katja was asking about brining the turkey, which will help to keep it moist and impart some flavors.
What I've learned about brining is that it is very much a personal preference of flavors. You'll start with your basic "salted water" and add your own twist.
When I was thinking about brining the bird this year I thought of brown sugar, molasses, honey, clove, salt and maybe some thyme sprigs. What flavors do you like in Thanksgiving meals?
When creating this brine I would mix those ingredients in with some warm/hot water to dissolve the salt & sugar. After those are dissolved you can turn off the heat or simmer lightly to incorporate the flavors even better. Have just enough water to cover the bird once you finish the brine, you can always add more water but you don't want to have all these great ingredients sitting in alot of water that you can't use. Remember that a big turkey will displace alot of water so it won't take much to cover with the right size bucket.
Tasting the brine and getting the flavors you want is the "culinary art" part of cooking. Mix your ingredients, add water and taste. Not sweet enough then add a combination of sugar & honey or brown sugar. Remember that salt is a flavor enhancer so if your not getting the max. flavor then try some salt.
There are a million recipes on line for brine but I think that understanding the concept is better.
Experiment with this concept of brining and use with pork tenderloins or loins. Try to match the brine with what ever sauce you are thinking about for your bird as well.

Good luck.
Chef David

How much food to buy Part 2

Once people have gotten through the appetizers its time to think about the entrees. Nobody wants to run out of food when they have guests over but also unless you like alot of leftovers and have plans for those leftovers then proper planning is key.
Most people (normal eaters) will be very satisfied with 6-8 oz of the main item that you are serving, so consider 1/2 lb per person when figuring out the meats/main items. If you are serving more than 1 entree then consider that most people want to try some of each item so try and offer things that can be sliced or portioned into 3-4 oz portions to allow for this. This is a little trickier depending on what is being served. For instance if you are serving roasted prime rib & salmon fillet then common sense would tell you that most people will go for the beef and some will not even try the salmon so you have to bump up the beef and maybe go with a 2/3 approach. Then in addition you have to figure 5-6 oz of starch/potato or rice etc... and a vegetable that will compliment your meal. By the time you are done each person is getting close to 1 lb of food. So while it may seem scary to try and cut it so close remember that you aren't done. There is still the dessert, coffee and drinks that people will be having to help fill them up.
If by the time you finish with dessert and the rest and people are still hungry I will be surprised.
N0ne of these are hard and fast rules but with a little thinking about your guests I think you'll feel more comfortable buying the right amount of foods.

Good Luck
Chef David

How much food to buy?

People often ask how chef's know how much & which foods to buy for a busy restaurant. My answer is always experience. We know by watching the trends in the way people eat. Often times when you have a business dinner people go for the bigger $ items with wine or drinks because the boss or some company is paying the tab. At a baby shower Sunday at 10:00 am 25 women just aren't going to eat "baked cod".

So when you have guests over the house first think about the guest list, really think about it.
Call it "Culinary Profiling". If they are big eaters, a football party with alot of guys, or a book club meeting with cheese & cracker for the girls, they both eat differently.

Here are some basic rules to consider when planning. How many foods do you want to offer? Do you want guests to arrive and eat unlimited amounts of appetizers/picky foods? If you do then really consider the entree guidelines for heavy hors d'oeuvres on the lighter side.

What I like to do is plan a moderate amount of appetizers when guest arrive, just enough to take the edge off if they haven't eaten. Be sure to offer healthy options as well as heavier items for people that don't want to fill up.

Once everyone has had a drink or two and gotten their appetites piqued then you do the meal.

I'll be back with the rest later.

Dinner vs Dining?

As chefs we all to often want the guests to enjoy the labors of our creative and delicious menu items. The pride of being a chef comes from these creations and having people enjoy them.
However as chefs/restauranteurs we have to recognize the difference between people wanting dinner and a dining experience. I recognize that during the week when you just don't want to cook you want dinner. Our menu at The Brookstone Grille has such a wide variety of items from our terrific & affordable flatbreads, entree salads & comfort food items like burgers, mac & cheese & tapas you can just have dinner.
If you are out to dine you can choose some of our more creative items like Seared yellowfin tuna or Veal cutlets with porcini Sacchetti or Cowboy steaks paired with a great glass of wine or cocktail.
So whether you are eating dinner or dining. Bon Appetit.

Chef

Roasting Meats

I've noticed more and more recently that most people really don't understand the method of roasting meats. Even my cooks in the kitchen at Brookstone need to be reminded of the basics they learned in culinary school.
As we approach the holidays more people will be roasting prime ribs, turkeys, tenderloins and other large pieces of meat.
The basics of roasting are simple. What ever piece you want to roast needs to be at room temp prior to going into the oven. It should be seasoned per your recipe and this is the trick most people don't get. All meats must be seared!! The way to do that at home is to heat your oven or grille to the max temperature, 450-500. If your oven is dirty you'll get some smoke, that is another story, just open the windows and fan the smoke detector.
You want to put the roasting item into the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes to "sear the meat" and lock in the juices. After that first 20 minutes lower your temp to 325 or even 300 for slow roasting and then cook per instructions or to an internal temperature desired, depending on the item being cooked.
You'll find by allowing the meat to come to room temp and by searing it you'll get a much nicer roast that is juicy and evenly cooked. The last thing to remember with all roasts is to allow a 10 minute resting time after it comes out of the oven or the beast will bleed out leaving you with a less than desireable roast.

Good luck and let me know how you do.

Chef