A Change of Eatery

This weekend,  within a span of 24 hours, and without intending to consume such a diverse spread of animal flesh, my carnivorous nature reached a meaty new height.

Recap: Venison meatloaf, elk hamburgers, wild boar pate, chicken liver mousse, lamb sausage, pig cheek bacon, and kobe beef hot dogs. Not to mention my weight in cheese.

Sorry bro

Immature thought it may seem, my first instinct is to be annoyingly smug towards vegetarians.

For all but the elk and boar, Caseus Fromagerie & Bistro in New Haven is to blame. I have yet to ransack their cheese shop, but the bistro provided one of the best New Haven meals I’ve had in a while.

Charcuterie spread at Caseus- Photo by Nick Caito

Venison meatloaf- Photo by Nick Caito

Burger with fried duck egg, pork cheek bacon, sharp cheddar

In a sense, this makes up for never being able to attend one of Foster’s wild game menu nights before the New Haven eatery entered the lonely land of closed restaurants. Turns out, there are other worthy sources for my gamey fix.

Disgusted or inspired by my meatventures?

If you’re inspired, more power to ya! If you’re a little bit queasy, I’m too content to care. :) I’ll try to post about salads soon to balance it all out.

Caseus Fromagerie & Bistro

93 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT

203.644.3373

Located in South Windsor’s Evergreen Walk, Burtons Grill is renowned for serving up contemporary American-style fare with season-inspired recipes. As one of the area’s popular destinations for fine dining, Burtons regularly hosts upscale dinner events complete with wine or beer pairings. And I have to admit– I mentally drool every time I scope out the menus.

Back in the fall, Burtons held an Oktoberfest beer tasting dinner, which included pumpkin ale soup (with nutmeg whipped cream) and bacon/maple gelato on gingerbread– to give you just a taste of what they’re capable of. Even though I couldn’t make it to the dinner, that unforgettable menu serenaded me in the worst way.

That said, I’m looking forward to attending tomorrow’s California Dreaming event, a four course dinner with exquisite California wine pairings and brilliantly imaginative dishes to celebrate the state’s seasonal produce, wine, and style.

Here’s what’s coming my way:

{FIRST COURSE: Spring Soup Trio}

• California Spicy Gazpacho w/Lump Crab Meat
• Asparagus, Avocado & Truffle Soup
• Roasted Beet Soup w/Purple Peruvian Potatoes & Creme Fraiche

{SECOND COURSE: Olive Oil Poached Pacific Halibut}

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Poached Halibut with Blood Orange Glaze & Fennel Citrus Salad

{THIRD COURSE: Pan-Seared Duck Breast}

• 5-Spice Rubbed Pan-seared Duck Breast with Port Reduction Sauce over Apricot-Cherry-Wild Mushroom Farro

{FOURTH COURSE: California Sundae}

• Olive Oil Gelato, Hawaiian Black Lava Salt, Polenta Shortbread, Fresh Strawberries, Balsamic Sauce

If you’re interested in attending, I encourage you to RSVP immediately– Burtons might have a few spots left and reservations are required.  (860) 432-4575

April 11, 2011 ~ 6:30 PM ~ Burtons Grill
$75/person + Tax & Gratuity

100 Evergreen Way, South Windsor CT