New menu staff tasting at Cafe Presse

Braised pork cheeks: Pan roasted Idaho trout with a red wine-chicken jus, pearl onions, fennel, mushrooms and tarragon

The winter menu at Cafe Presse is up and running as of 9a.m. this morning. The entire staff of Cafe Presse gathered this morning before service started (by the way, that’s pretty early for residents of Capitol Hill) to see, ask questions about and taste all the new winter dishes.  I sent the final text of our web guy this morning so don’t be surprised if it takes a day or so to get the menus on the Cafe Presse website up to date.  In the mean time, you can always drop by to check out all the new items in person.

Just a reminder as well that the first ever Cafe Presse Corner Table Dinner will take place next Tuesday, January 31, 2012.  This fixed price dinner, which celebrates the simple pleasure of gathering around the table with friends, will feature 3 courses from the new menu.  The Corner Table will meet every season  on the first Tuesday after the release of a new menu at Cafe Presse.  We hope you can join us there.

Here are a few photos to get you in the mood:

House made fresh cheese served with white anchovies, orange marmalade and grilled country bread

Grilled Spanish sardines served on a celery root and celery remoulade with candied butternut squash

Salad of curley endive, beets, pickled shallots, pecans and a molasses vinaigrette

The new salad served with our cold roasted half chicken; Israeli cous-cous, parsley, oranges, olives and roasted peppers

Creamy cauliflower-apple soup with dried fruit tapenade

Carlton pork cheeks braised with white vermouth, escarole and golden raisons, on creamy chestnut polenta

Caramelized rice cake served with apple-dried cherry compote and fresh cream

Chocolate caramel tart served with whipped cream

Warm pinapple-rum cake served with vanilla ice cream

All the new menu dishes ready for staff questions and tasting