The Supper Club:
Dundee Progressive Dinner
story by Bailey Price, photography by Pat Ratigan
Chocolate sorbet with chocolate mousse,
shortbread crumble and caramel at Dario’s Brasserie
Publisher’s Note: Omega Omega Omega (Tri Omega), the culinary
fraternity at the Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan
Community College, strives to provide students with opportunities to
apply and develop their skills through unique experiences. One of these
experiences is the Supper Club. The Supper Club selects a restaurant
once a quarter and works with the chef of the restaurant to provide
a unique dining experience to challenge the palate and minds of the
students with the unique ingredients and techniques found in that
chef ’s kitchen. The article and photography for this article are also done
by students.
T
his trip for the Supper Club took the students to historic
Dundee to sample three well-established restaurants.
36 students were divided into three groups to take part in a
progressive dinner. The participating restaurants were Pitch
Pizzeria, Avoli Osteria and Dario’s Brasserie.
The group met at Dundee Dell to form smaller groups and head
out to the first experience. Each restaurant was asked to make a four
course dinner. One group would have an appetizer, a different group
would experience the second course, and the last group would enjoy
an entrée course and dessert. Then they would rotate.
The first location was Pitch Pizzeria at 5021 Underwood Ave.,
a louder, lively place that was inviting and had warm smells of
crusty bread and cheese wafting over the tables. The décor and set
up reminded a few members of a Manhattan loft.
The first course was a paper-thin raw beet salad with arugula,
capers and grapefruit supremes. The salad was dressed with a creamy
aioli and red wine vinaigrette and topped with a shaved egg.
The capers provide the perfect counterbalance to the earthy beets,
and the citrus from the grapefruit melded well with the vinaigrette.
On the side was a thick cut crostini, with mozzarella browned on
top; it was used to clean up the remaining dressing and it was a
lovely, savory ending that made you look forward to the
next course.
The second course was the pizza of the week: tomato, shrimp,
chili oil and artichoke heart. Once the pizza landed people were
14
nothing but amazed. The pizza was paired with clean peppery
sangria that was very refreshing.
The third course was braised pork belly with butternut squash
gnocchi, fennel and molasses sauce. The meat melted in your
mouth, and had the perfect amount of smoke. The gnocchi and
fennel added interest to the dish and helped to elevate the pork
belly even more.
The final course was a tiramisu presented in a martini glass.
The subtle flavor was well received.
The second stop was Avoli Osteria, at 5013 Underwood Ave.,
which offered the best combination of locally grown ingredients and
internationally renowned favorites. The establishment is like eating
at a fancy Italian grandmother’s house with mismatched china,
paintings and furniture. The grand chandelier lighting fixtures set
a very intimate mood for the meal. Each course was started with
information about how northern Italian meals are served and what
to expect from the meal that evening.
The first course was an antipasti platter that consisted of a
Carpaccio of cold smoked beef tenderloin, salumi, buffalo milk
cheese, gorgonzola picante, soft ripened goat cheese, grilled ciabatta,
strawberry jam, cherry tomatoes, mustard, and celery seed aioli.
The members enjoyed all the various combinations made from the
platter but the most loved was the strawberry jam with the salumi.
“The overall experience was an eye
opener to the wonderful offerings
that are all within a few blocks. ”
The second course was locally grown squash ravioli, in sage brown
butter, pumpkin seeds and 24 month aged Parmissiano Reggiano
cheese grated on top. The wine paired with the meal was Inama
Soave Classico. It was drier, with a crisp grapefruit flavor, and the
acid cut the sage butter wonderfully, and provided an earthiness
to the pumpkin seeds. The ravioli were savory, sweet, smooth, and
buttery, with hints of sea salt. The delicate pasta, once bit into,
released gently spiced squash that reminded some of pumpkin pie.
The third course was slightly delayed so the members were given
a small plate of paper-thin prosciutto with pickled vegetables and
toasted bread. This simple dish changed the minds of a few people
who thought prosciutto was stringy, but were delightfully surprised
to realize that was not the case with this dish. The main dish was
braised short ribs, flank steak, potato puree with carrots and onions.
The short ribs were very soft and melt in your mouth amazing with
smells that got to the table before the plate did. To go alongside it
was a potato puree that was divine. Overall the seasoning
was impeccable.
The final course was a very thin deconstructed tiramisu. It had
the perfect gelato and a sustaining pannicotta that was a lovely note
to end on.
The final stop was Dario’s Brasserie at 4920 Underwood Ave.,
a smaller inviting space, with touches like mismatched chairs and