The Beetroot Blog

Textures of Strawberry at La Stella- bavarois, lemonade, powder,...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:52:13 +0100

Textures of Strawberry at La Stella- bavarois, lemonade, powder, syrup, muffin, meringue & clotted cream ice cream.

Lots of fish

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:24:39 +0100

Oysters, mussels, langoustines, scallops, monkfish, seabass, tuna, halibut, cockles & clams….on on La Stella fish specials today & tomorrow.

Afternoon all! And my, what a beautiful afternoon it was! You’d...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:42:54 +0000

Afternoon all! And my, what a beautiful afternoon it was! You’d be forgiven for thinking it was the beginning of Spring today, definitely put a smile on this Aberdonian’s face.

With Spring in mind the new lunch and Creations menu’s for La Stella and The Courtyard are in the process of finalisation. These menus will go live very soon and I am drooling with anticipation. Keep an eye open for the updated Spring menus around the 5^th March using the following links. So excited!

http://www.thecourtyardaberdeen.co.uk/menu.html

http://lastella.co.uk/menu.html

Something else quite exciting is just around the corner for all you lucky Aberdeen diners with the announcement of Aberdeen’s first pop up restaurant at The Athenaeum Bar & Kitchen. Le Petit Paris will be featured from 14^th, 15^th and 16^th April with an authentic French theme running over the 3 days, think laid-back, vibrant and impromptu - a snap shot of the Parisian scene made famous by writers, poets, patrons and lovers alike. The venue will evoke a chic Parisian bistro bringing a taste of gourmet French cuisine to Aberdeen. This event is by tickets only (evenings 7pm-10pm) which are £45 per person including a 4 course extravaganza and half bottle of wine each. There will also be a lunch menu available (12-3pm) and will feature typical French favourites. Representing the very best of Beetroot Restaurants and bringing something a wee bit different to Aberdeen this is an affair definitely not to be missed! Tickets will be available from the venue as of 3^rd March.

A great talking point over the past couple of weeks here at Beetroot HQ has been the new wine list which has been going down a storm at The Courtyard. Phil Scott our newly appointed Assistant Manager and Sommelier, formerly of Wine Importers, has written a list to match all our Creations and mirror the a la carte menu. This is great news for all wine connoisseurs and also helps out those of us with limited wine knowledge! This is something I believe to be quite special in Aberdeen and has been received with rave reviews. Again check out the website for a peek at the wine list.

Why not enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts and book a table at The Courtyard for lunch this Saturday with a few tables still available. Go on treat yourself to a fab meal, and here are a few of the fish specials available to temp you, yummy!

SHETLAND BLUE SHELL MUSSELS

A Big Pot of Creamy Garlic Mussels cooked with, Cream, Smoked Bacon & Cider

PAN FRIED KING SCALLOPS

Sweet Potato Fondant, Smoked Bisque, Potato Lace

THE COURTYARD POSH SCAMPI:

Panko Breadcrumbed Monkfish Tail with Handcut Chunky Chips & Tangy Tartare Sauce

CRISPY SKIN SEA TROUT

Beetroot Mash, Smoked Mussel Cream Sauce & Cucumber Spaghetti

PAN FRIED SEABASS

Spiced Cumin & Pumpkin Risotto, Sweet & Sour Shallots & Chestnut Puree

POACHED HALIBUT

Purple Potatoes, Red Wine BurreRouge , Crispy Salsify

Also listen out on Original 106 this Friday and grab yourself an amazing bargain for La Stella, vouchers for £50 worth of food are available to purchase for just £25! Last week’s deal for The Courtyard sold out super fast so be sure to get up early and don’t miss out. Vouchers go on sale tomorrow morning at 8am. Get yours here,

http://www.fabfoodfriday.co.uk/

And as always folks you can call to book a table at

The Courtyard 01224 589109

La Stella 01224 211414

The Athenaeum 01224 595585

Remember you can always contact me via email with any queries or ideas for this blog mrsbeetroot@hotmail.co.uk

Speak soon!

Lynsey

Fab Food Friday

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:24:45 +0000

http://www.fabfoodfriday.co.uk/ABERDEEN_Vouchers/cat286947_209189.aspx

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man,...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:28:04 +0000

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

- ERNEST HEMINGWAY, to a friend, 1950

Welcome to Le Petite Paris, French Pop up restaurant taking over The Athenaeum Aberdeen.

London has enjoyed a burgeoning pop-up restaurant scene of late, and now we’re bringing the formula to Aberdeen, to launch the first of it’s kind to the city.

Headed up by Beetroot Restaurants’ multi Award winning Head Chef Chris Tonner, this event will faithfully recreate the ‘joie de vivre’ of Paris in the roaring 1920s.

Join us for three short days and nights, where you will be thrust into a scene from the wickedly sophisticated and morally bankrupt Paris of the era.

The mood will be laid-back, vibrant and impromptu - a snap shot of the Parisian scene made famous by writers, poets, patrons and lovers alike. The venue will evoke a chic Parisian bistro witha flavour of the Post-war excess, self-indulgence and sophisticated social scene-making of ‘l’Années Folles’.

Bringing a taste of gourmet French cuisine to Aberdeen, the imaginative set menu will represent the very best of the Beetroot Restaurants. The drinks lists are being completely rewritten to further immerse the senses into the artistically rough-around-the-edges Paris, with absinthe and chartreuse cocktails the feature.

Le Petite Paris at The Athenaeum will open for service on Saturday April 14th to Monday April 17th 2012. 12 noon.

The lunch menu (12-3pm) will feature a menu of typical French favourites.

Table bookings can be made either in person at The Athenaeum, or over the phone on 01224 595585.

Dinner (7-10pm) will be a gastronomic four course dinner with canapés and petite fours. Dinner service is a tickets only affair, and is priced at £45 per person, including wine.

Tickets will go on sale on Saturday 3rd March in The Athenaeum 11am, and can be bought either in person, or over the phone on 01224 595585.

Parisian sophistication and attire is fully encouraged!

The Athenaeum, 5-9 Union Street Aberdeen.

T. 01224 595585

e. bar@theathenaeumabedreen.com

www.theathenaeumaberdeen.com

Im off to have me some of this later, the full shabang Sunday...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:31:01 +0000

Im off to have me some of this later, the full shabang Sunday carvery at the Athenaeum! served 12-9 folks get on down and i’ll see you all there!! yum yum!!

Lynsey

Looking good....

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:44:24 +0000

http://www.theathenaeumaberdeen.co.uk/

Chartreuse Tasting evening

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:49:52 +0000

Matthew Dakers, Brand Ambassador of French cult liqueur Chartreuse, is hosting a five course fine-dining experience at The Courtyard Restaurant. This age-old herbal elixir was first produced back in the 1700’s, and has inspired executive chef Chris Tonner of Beetroot Restaurants to co-curate this evening, alongside 10 Dollar Shake’s Adrian Gomes.

The set menu is £50 per head with places are extremely limited. All reservations require a 50% deposit. To book your place, please phone: (01224) 589109.

https://www.facebook.com/events/213528822077304/

Good evening to you all! I can’t quite believe its February...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:04:15 +0000

Good evening to you all! I can’t quite believe its February already, soon it will be springtime and these bitter cold days and frosty evenings will be but a distant memory. In the meantime to warm your cockles on these chilly nights I’m going to share a recipe for a spicy chilli con carne which can be served simply with boiled rice or why not try layering with the salsa, nachos, and sour cream to make an amazing finger licking sharing dish for all the family. This recipe comes to you from our head chef at the Athenaeum Bar & Kitchen David Pringle.

CHIILI RECIPE feeds approx 6 people

500g good quality steak mince 1 large onion finely diced

3 chopped garlic cloves 25g smoked paprika

25g chilli powder 25g ground coriander

25g cumin powder 2 tins chopped tomatoes

2 pints beef stock I raw grated beetroot

Fresh oregano/basil Salt & pepper

I tin kidney beans (optional) 1 fresh chilli

Fry the chopped onion and fresh chilli (seeds on for super spiciness) in a pan with a little oil until soft. Add the mince and cook until the mince is well browned. Add the chopped garlic, smoked paprika, chilli powder, coriander and cumin. Cook slowly on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock and cook further still on a low heat for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally until the sauce has reduced to a suitable consistency. After this time add the kidney beans, grated beetroot and fresh oregano/basil and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

I have been very lucky this past week in that I have dined out at The Athenaeum Bar & Kitchen twice. Both times, may I add, with younger diners in tow age range from 2 to teen. The youngsters were very well accommodated for and half portions of any dish on the menu were available with a choice of board games and foosball table to keep them amused. This was great news for my friend who’s 2 year old wanted to be like the grown up’s and eat and drink everything we had including coffee! The staff very happily obliged putting warm milk into an espresso cup and voila one happy child! So child friendly is definitely a way to describe The Athenaeum. On my second visit was for the launch of the new carvery Sunday Roast available every Sunday 12-9pm serving delicious chicken, lamb or beef with all the usual trimmings! Just divine!! And perfect for those who can’t be bothered with the hassle of cooking and washing dishes on the day of the week meant for rest. Get down to the Athenaeum this Sunday with the Sunday papers, I highly recommend it!

Following up from the last blog where we were off to cook in a lady’s home (Glenda) I am very happy to update what a huge success the whole evening was! We cooked for 12 lovely ladies which turned out to be their works night out. They even had a buff waiter serving drinks for an hour before dinner! Cheeky!! A great evening was had by all and this is Glenda’s lovely email to us after the event.

Hi Chris

Been meaning to email you to thank you for an absolutely fantastic evening!
Everyone loved it, and they all said it was the best food they had ever
tasted!!! I guess that was obvious based on the very clean plates after
every course!

It was a fantastic evening, the food was amazing, the presentation was
brilliant, and my kitchen has never been cleaner!!!

The girls said it was the best Xmas party they had ever been to, and it was
all down to you all, so thanks again. It was quite something to manage to
please every single guest, and to have every one of them singing your praises (and they still are!!) so thanks again, and we have all been recommending you to friends and members!

We are currently in the process of packaging up a similar deal available to purchase, so you too can experience Beetroot at home. This will involve Chris and his chefs coming to cook for you and your guests in the comfort of your own home to produce the ultimate dining experience! I will keep you all posted when this will be available.

Other exciting news this week is that one of our young chefs Gregg Williamson, Chef-De-Partie from The Courtyard is off to work staiges at Tom Kitchin Restaurant, 21212 Restaurant and Martin Wishart Honours Brasserie. Gregg is off to work a week in each Edinburgh kitchen to gain valuable knowledge, skills and understanding of the workings and magic that happens in Michelin starred restaurants. We are all very proud of him, Chris especially, and wish him all the very best. This will hopefully lead on to further employment for the talented young chef in the busy kitchens of some of the world’s top chefs when he leaves the company later this year.

Don’t forget everyone there is still plenty time to book tables for this week at either venue! Please call in advance to avoid disappointment. Why not get on down to The Athenaeum tonight for Jerk Tuesday!! available this evening (and every Tuesday) from7pm. Serving up a variety of soul food including cajun chicken wings, jambalaya, cornbread and ribs to name a few dishes. All with the soothing beats of reggae and dub music playing in the background to transport you out of Aberdeen just for one night!!

Call to book a table at

The Courtyard 01224 589109

La Stella 01224 211414

The Athenaeum 01224 595585

Remember you can always contact me via email with any queries or ideas for this blog mrsbeetroot@hotmail.co.uk

Speak soon!

Lynsey

Aberdeen's First Up Restaurant

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:18:56 +0000

Some very exciting news being released tomorrow about Aberdeen’s FIRST pop up restaurant at the Athenaeum !!!

Our new “Sunday at Home” Dining concept starts at...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:45:04 +0000

Our new “Sunday at Home” Dining concept starts at 12pm tomorrow folks. I’ll personally be carving a delicious rib roast of beef, Rolled leg of lamb & crispy skin chicken along with Roast potatoes, Beetrrot mash, Roast potatoes, Skirlie, Tarragon & sweet onion sausage meat stuffing, yorksire puddings & of course rich gravy. Head on down to the bar & let us look after the cooking this Sunday.

News From the Athenaeum

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:27:19 +0000

THE ATHENAEUM ‘KEEP-YOU-UP-TO-DATE’ FEBRUARY 2012

As you probably already know, it’s exciting times at The Athenaeum!

Beetroot have well and truly stamped their mark on the menu, bringing back all of The Athenaeum favourites, and adding some of their own too!

Well, the January sales are all but over, and it’s time to tighten those purse strings -again. So, we thought we’d come up with something to bring some cheer your way…

The Athenaeum SALE has just begun! We have some cracking deals on the go for you guys this month, which will have you munching all the way through February.

See you soon!

The Athenaeum Team

THE ATHENAEUM SALE..NOW ON!

If this isn’t a great excuse to get you out of the house for a little socialising with friends in February, then nothing will!

We are offering 2 for 1 with the voucher at the bottom of this email, on all main courses for the duration of February! You can print and use this voucher as many times as you like, right up until 29th February - how amazing is that! We recommend booking your table to avoid dissapointment - This is an opportunity to eat the best pub grub in town, for peanuts - so it’s going to get busy!

Give us a call to book your table - 01224 595585

FOOD AND FUNNY!

What better way to kick off February than with something to put a big cheesy grin on your face -every Tuesday, not only are we’re offering
2 for 1 main courses, we’re even throwing in a
FREE TICKET TO BREAKNECK COMEDY AT SNAFU
for afters.

Just print the voucher and bring it along with you,

or call 01224 595585 to book your table, quoting ’Food + Funny’

The comedy show starts at 8.30pm, so book your table in plenty time to see the support acts warm up the crowd for the headline comedian later on.

THE ATHENAEUM SUNDAY ROAST

The Athenaeum Sunday Dinner …

…Not your typical Sunday Dinner

We’re setting the table, cooking the food, fixing the drinks - heck, we’re even doing the dishes!

Some might say we’re the perfect hosts for the laziest of Sunday afternoons.
This isn’t your typical ‘go out for Sunday lunch’ lunch, and we think we’ve got the best in town, maybe even the world - except mum’s of course - but hey, she needs a Sunday off too ya know!

We’ve taken all the best bits from the good old Sunday lunch and distilled it down to create a unique dining out experience. See, Sunday dinner at The Athenaeum is just like Sunday dinner at home (without the washing up of course). We carve your roast at the table, and all the trimmings are dished up in the middle so you can dip in and out of to your hearts content - just like the dinner table at home.

Sit for as long as you like, and munch your way through lunch at your leisure. Then afterwards, you can relax on one of the sofas with the Sunday papers and a tasty beverage or two.

To enjoy the full Athenaeum Sunday Roast experience, pre-booking is essential (so you can order your roast of choice from Chicken, Beef or Lamb, for carving at your table).

OR, you can just turn up on Sundays after 12pm and order a ready made plate of the Roast Of The Day straight off the specials board.

Either way, every Sunday, The Athenaeum really is a home from home.

JERK TUESDAY

Every Tuesday at The Athenaeum we delivery huge slabs of reggae, gallons of rum, dub and lashings of jerk sauce.

Street Kitchen / Soul Food served 7pm-10pm…

- Spicy Creole Wedges & Corn on The Cob

- Sticky Ribs with Jerk Sauce

- Too Good Shrimp Jamabalya & Corn Bread

- Southern Fried Jerk Chicken & BBQ Sauce

Plus…until midnight…

Reggae & Dub from Don Corallo…

Rum + Mix starts £1.60…

Bespoke Rum Cocktails!!

Get deep rooted in the third beat - Music starts at 8pm with
Don Corallo & The E.A.R.L Killa Krew

TWO
FOR
ONE

Print this voucher and bring along with you to get your two for one main course deal at
The Athenaeum.

This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Not valid for the Sunday Roast ‘Carve at the Table’ experience.

Valid for the Food and Funny Deal - Quote Food and Funny if booking in advance.

Voucher MUST be produced at the time of ordering.

Offer Expires: 29/02/12

The Courtyard Restaurant Manager James looking sharp all ready...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:14:46 +0000

The Courtyard Restaurant Manager James looking sharp all ready for our 72 customers booked tonight.

12kg halibut caught last night by Phil Buchan delivered today at...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:12:14 +0000

12kg halibut caught last night by Phil Buchan delivered today at The courtyard. Junior has the pleasure of filleting this beauty!!

8k halibut caught last night by Phil Buchan delivered today at...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:11:08 +0000

8k halibut caught last night by Phil Buchan delivered today at La Stella. Darek has the pleasure of filleting this beauty!!

Evening all! Thank you for your emails last week. I am currently...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:48:58 +0000

Evening all! Thank you for your emails last week. I am currently in the process of receiving the recipes requested and these will be available soon.

I hope you have all read today’s edition of the Evening Express, page 7 in the Night Life pull out section to be exact. This week’s restaurant featured is The Courtyard. And what a review! A highly desirable 5 stars none the less. We would like to say huge congratulations to all involved and a massive thank you to our wonderful hard working staff for continually producing food and service to an amazingly high standard.

This week I popped in to La Stella for a bite to eat at lunch time. I decided on some of their amazing meatballs, served with linguine pasta in a rich tangy cherry tomato ragu and garnished with shaved parmesan. I was in food heaven! The hearty sized portion left me needing a wee lie down afterwards too! As always the fresh hot complimentary bread and handmade shallot butter beforehand was delicious, so delicious in fact, I will share the recipe with you and you simply must try it at home. This recipe comes to you from Vasco Sfondrini our Italian Commis Chef at La Stella. A little bit of La Stella loveliness for everyone.

To make 1 loaf of bread or several bread rolls.

500 grams plain flour

250 grams warm water

12 grams table salt

25 grams fresh yeast

8 grams sugar

80 grams Ola rapeseed oil (available here www.olaoils.co.uk/ )

Mix the flour & salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl melt the yeast in the warm water, add sugar and oil and mix everything together. Add the liquid to the flour and work until you get smooth and uniform dough. Leave the dough in a warm area to double in size (this is called proving) then work the dough again making sure all the air is released. At this point you can add any particular flavour to the bread such as a spice/seed or herb if you so wish. Chose the shape of the bread/rolls or add to a loaf tin. Leave to prove further for another ½ hour and then bake in the oven at 190⁰C for half an hour or until it becomes crispy on the outside with a lovely golden colour to it.

Just as I was leaving La Stella these wonderful rabbit pies (photo above) were coming out the oven. How amazing do they look! Made using all meat from the rabbit and cooked in its own juices to produce a rich rabbit jus then encased in an all butter pastry. These pies are part of a starter dish served with rolled leg ballotine and a puy lentil & ratatouille dressing. YUMMY!

Some other news this week, Chris and myself are off to cook a private dinner in a very lucky lady’s house this Friday evening. This was part of a charity package we donated and was won by the highest bidder back in November. £460 was raised for the Stuart Andrew Lawtie Fund that raise money for the care of young people with uncommon cancers for their age. Both Chris and I are delighted with the amount. Chris will be cooking a 3 course meal for 8 guests while I serve, with all food supplied and prepared by us. A truly unique dining event indeed!

Well folks it’s getting close to the weekend again and all restaurants are gearing up for another busy one. Remember it’s not quite too late (if your quick) to book a table for lunch this weekend with the restaurants still having a few tables left for Saturday. Why not get together with some friends or treat your other half?

Call to book a table at

The Courtyard 01224 589109

La Stella 01224 211414

The Athenaeum 01224 595585

Remember you can always contact me via email with any queries or ideas for this blog mrsbeetroot@hotmail.co.uk

Speak next week!

Lynsey

EVENING EXPRESS

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:04:23 +0000

Brilliant review for the Courtyard in the Evening Express today!!

Good evening Beetroot followers, Lynsey here, Chris’s wife. Just...

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Good evening Beetroot followers, Lynsey here, Chris’s wife. Just thought I’d update you all with what’s happening in the land of Beetroot. I will from now on be updating this blog every week with news, recipes, ideas and general info.

So after a very busy couple of weeks in January, as busy as any in December we are well underway with our exciting plans for the rest of the year!

But first we would like to share with you a personal (secret!) recipe from our Sous from The Courtyard. This will be a regular part of the blog every week so you can try a little bit of Beetroot expertise in your own home! I will try to keep the recipes simple but tasty!

This one flew out the door last week & a real winter warmer (Also suitable for vegetarians)

Caribbean Pepperpot Soup by Hugh King

2 LARGE CARROTS

3 RED PEPPERS

2 RED CHILLIS

3 CLOVES CHOPEED GARLIC

½ TSP CAYENNE PEPPER

1 LARGE ONION

2 TINS CHOPPED TOMATOES

2 TINS COCONUT MILK

VEG STOCK

FRESH CORIANDER & TOASTED COCONUT TO GARNISH

Chop all vegetables, chillies (seeds included for the extra heat!) and garlic and sweat off together in a pan for 10 minutes on medium/high heat. Add the cayenne pepper, tinned tomatoes, coconut milk and 1 tin of water (chopped tomato tin) and cook for 1 hour on a medium heat. Add ½ pint veg stock and blend in processor until smooth. Add seasoning as required and garnish with finely chopped coriander and toasted coconut. Enjoy!

Following on the vegetarian thing here I found myself dining at the Courtyard last night and opting for the vegetarian main dish, winter vegetable mille feuille (vegetables layered between puff pastry sheets). This was a surprising choice for me being the carnivore that I am! Well what a surprise I have to say, wow! Those vegetables & rich butter sauce really blew my taste buds away, the portion size was perfect and I was still raving about it the next day! I was so impressed I have to share this pic with you. So for something a wee bit different and superbly divine why not get some of your 5 a day with the vegetarian options at either restaurant. Yum.

So Chris and his dad are just back from another business trip to Barcelona, lucky boys! where they bashed their heads together writing the business plan for Beetroot for the coming few years. Some amazing and unique thoughts from the Tonner brains! They also enjoyed a meal at Albert Andrea’s much acclaimed Tickets Restaurant and Chris came home inspired by the international quirky cuisine. Watch this space!

The big thing circulating Beetroot HQ this week is a very top secret project currently in the planning stages! This is a first for Aberdeen’s diners, and a truly thrilling concept to work on. Keep up to date with all the news on this here and all the details will be released in due course! Get very excited fellow Beetroots!

If you have anything you would like to see on this blog or any recipes we can provide please contact me via email mrsbeetroot@hotmail.co.uk.

Call to book a table at The Courtyard 01224 589109

La Stella 01224 211414

The Athenaeum 01224 595585

Speak next week

Lynsey

Sous chef

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:48:20 +0000

My friend Bill Bird of Fennel restaurant is currently looking for a sous chef to join his highly successful operation. Get in touch if interested.

Please follow our blog

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:11:15 +0000

http://www.thebeetrootblog.com/