Fusing Kitchen and Bar: The Next Step

So...

We have been running a theme night on Wednesdays at Z's Fusion called 'Culinary Cocktails,' for about 5 or 6 weeks now. Essentially, we have been pairing cuisine with cocktails. The format calls for 3 options that follow a formula: one for the crowd, one for the cocktail geek and the last, a dessert drink. It's been going well but- you know me- I just can't leave well enough alone, hehe!

In the back of my mind, I have this idea that emerges, from time-to-time when I am brainstorming the next weeks offerings. Tonight, I decided to 'chase the windmill' and now I can't leave it alone. I'll be up 'till sunrise unless I share this with someone, so I guess I'll share it with everyone!

The idea is this: instead of placing the tapas to the side, why not make it an integral part of the drink? The main challenge, as I see it, is one of execution. A simple example would be, say, Margarita Shrimp- the shrimp would be cooked, marinated, and served hanging off the cocktail glass, like shrimp cocktail. Would the kitchen garnish the glass and then send it to the bar for the drink? Or vice-versa? How would that be routed in the POS and how do you prepare staff for this kind of thing, week-in and week-out?

I have casually discussed this idea with my management team, but I tend to have a bunch of incredulous ideas that I let bounce around in my head until I am inspired or learn or figure out how to make them work. Then we figure out if it's right for the restaurant. I'm writing this before I have shared it with them, so don't hold me to these ideas, lol!

I have penned a whole page of dishes and techniques that I think might work. I have expounded on these basic techniques and have come up with 7 v1.0's. I'd love to hear your opinions! More importantly, I'd love to hear why something wouldn't work, in your opinion. It's always the one fatal flaw overlooked that jacks a recipe, yet everybody else sees it but you!

Lemon-Ginger Sorbet with Creamsicle Cocktail, Mint Vapor

The sorbet would be pressed into a ring mold, lightly, inside a cocktail glass. Finlandia Tangerine, Tuaca and some ingredient that tastes lactic, without being cream-based would be poured around this tower- which would rise above the liquid line a bit. The vapor, just water and food-grade essential oil, would be applied with a spritz bottle. Snafu: getting glassware that is large enough...

BBC Nut Brown Ale with Beef and Cheddar Skewer

A cheeky little play on on Beer-Cheese Soup, the skewer would be placed in the glass and the beer would then be poured. A hard cheese, the cheddar should keep integrity well. The beef poses the problem, I think. Fatty cuts will produce a film, I think. I was thinking jerky, yet I remember dehydrated fruits and vegetables turn to mush when re-hydrated. Yet, meat could suck up all that flavor and retain texture for some time. Sous-Vide tenderloin? Sausage? Better yet, Venison Sausage. Hmm.

Charred Avocado Margarita with Shrimp Salsa Aspic

The Hagans stopped by recently with some limes they miraculously grew here, in our zone. We made my standard Margarita with one important innovation inspired by Ethan's BLT Throwdown Recipe. The limes were charred with a torch. The little specks bonded with the lime pulp and accented the smoked characteristics of the vintage tequila (Ocho) we used.

Agar-Agar is my favorite industrial additive for cocktail applications. Unlike 95% of what I've tried to use , it stands up to alcohol. Long story short, with minimal practice, you can pretty much turn any liquid into a gel. If you don't like your results, you can return it to the stove, melt it, adjust your proportions and reset it. Very forgiving and very stable. We would create a liquid salsa by pureeing salsa ingredients and adding shrimp stock to taste. This would become the gel which we would apply, in some fashion, to the drink.

Bruleed Fois Gras Quenelle with Bourbon/Tuaca/Fernet Branca Libation

This one excites me the most. I think it has the greatest potential, yet poses the most challenges. Like the Unami Sangria, I fully expect to spend months beating my head against the wall. Both the Fois and the Fernet are challenging ingredients. I have only heard of one technique involving fat-washing Fois (70-80% fat, a no-brainer) and have seen just a few work with Fernet (Social, get down, my brothers!) Yet, if I were to be asked what flavors I considered to be the ultra-luxurious, both would make the short-list.

Following my brethren's example, the frenet should be used as one would black pepper- in small quantities. The fois will take special treatment. I think that if we were to apply the direct heat of a torch, it would wither quickly. Hmm.. why don't we try to buttress the quenelle against heat? Could we roll it in Mexican chocolate before the sugar? If we then froze it before applying the direct heat of a torch, we may be able to buy enough time to encapsulate the quenelle in a perfect shell of candy!

I think I have typed- and thought- myself tired finally. There are 3 more, yet my eyes and fingers grow sloppy. Before I end my diatribe, I will give propers to kith and kin...