A letter from our chef:
Summer is almost here, so let’s prepare to bask in the glory of juicy watermelon and grilled corn. Tons and tons of sweet summer corn 😉 Yup, get ready for those taste buds to smile.
We’re bringing back the all-time season favorite…Summer Street Corn with Chicken Sandwich! It’s a riff on a Mexican torta sandwich, but richly inspired by the flavors of traditional street corn. We marinate chicken thigh in freshly ground achiote paste, then roast and carve it up, and layer it on a toasted sesame hoagie roll slathered with the oh so special street corn spread (the star of the show). Rounding out the rest of the sandwich are layers of roasted poblano rajas, pickled red onions, sliced tomatoes, shredded romaine, cilantro, and a modest drizzle of our spicy jalapeno salsa verde. This sandwich has flavor bombs going off in every bite.
We’re happy to share that we’re also bringing back our Backyard BBQ Chicken Salad from a few years back. This salad is inspired by the flavors of sun-drenched backyard gatherings with friends and family. We toss shaved, roasted chicken, crispy chopped romaine, kale, cabbage, black bean & corn succotash, grape tomatoes, red onion, and fresh cilantro, with fresh herb buttermilk ranch. We top it off with a drizzle of our own tangy mustard BBQ sauce and crunchy bits of BBQ corn nuts. I love how the tart, tangy, & sweet BBQ sauce interacts with the herbaceous, cool, creamy ranch and makes a flavor party, but it’s the deep salty crunch of the corn nuts on top that take each bite to new heights!
When the heirloom tomatoes hit full stride this summer, we will be adding another summer cult classic to the menu, the Summer Heirloom BLT. This one, though, will be a bit more fleeting. We keep it around only while heirloom tomatoes are at their best. Per the usual, we keep this one classic with thick, “steak-y” heirloom tomato slices, nicely seasoned with salt & black pepper just before serving, crispy Applewood smoked bacon, and dressed with thick Sir Kensington’s mayo, a handful of arugula, and a light drizzle of habanero honey to keep things spritely.
The Asian influenced flavors we experimented with this past year have been well received. So much so that two of our recent seasonal items, the Sweet Heat Crispy Thai Chicken sandwich and the Thai Mango salad, earned a spot on the permanent core menu! So we decided to continue to feed the trend and bring back a unique Southeast Asian influenced deli side that debuted last spring/summer. It doesn’t get much more refreshing and adventurous than the Thai Watermelon & Cucumber Side Salad. We dress chunks of sweet watermelon, sliced cucumber, and grape tomatoes with fresh mint, scallion, fresh grated ginger, a dash of fish sauce, fresh squeezed lime juice, and extra-virgin olive oil. True to Southeast Asian flavors, it’s bold, complex, and delightful, as it hits you with salty, sweet, sour, and (a little) spicy all at once.
I’m also very excited to tell you about a new potato salad recipe, which was inspired by a trip to Oaxaca, where I had the best street corn I’ve ever had. Similar to the flavors I mentioned in the street corn spread for the seasonal sandwich, we found that the intensely crave-able combination of grilled corn, spicy chipotle, minced jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, salty cotija cheese, lime juice, and creamy mayo also does something wonderful when whipped into boiled diced potatoes, to make our iconic style of mashed potato salad, but with a big “south of the border” flavor twist. We’re calling it our Oaxacan Potato Salad and it will be featured in our deli case as a side!
As if that wasn’t enough corn to satisfy your warmer weather needs, we will feature our annual creamy corn chowder in the peak summer months.
I wish you an abundance of corn, watermelon, sunshine, and happiness throughout these next few months. Bon Appetit!
EAT HAPPY,
Chef Jeremy Bringardner