Monarch Beach Resort Moments Magazine Issue 8 | Page 24

“Instant” Bacon at Bourbon Steak The new-school Bee’s Knees cocktail 24 MONARCHBEACHRESORT.COM SMOKY SPECTACLES AT AVEO TABLE + BAR Meditteranean cuisine is known for its spicy and smoky flavor profile, and a special menu item at AVEO Table + Bar presents a simple yet impact- ful amalgamation of these elements. Currently available as a secret offering for those who are in the know, and coming to the regular menu this winter, is a smoked oysters dish created by Chef de Cuisine Donald Lockhart. “When these oys- ters come out to the table and they’re smoldering and the smoke is coming off [them], it just kind of speaks to that multiple dimensions of eating where it’s not just taste; it’s bite, smell and there’s hearing involved, too, with the crackling of the wood,” Lockhart explains, noting that the kitchen FLAMING FLAVORS AT 33°NORTH The living room hub of the resort, 33°North is known for its fine Champagnes, cognacs and whis- keys, but you’ll miss out if you ignore its extensive cocktail list. It’s filled with the classics as well as a number of smoky sips. Tyler Lane, a mixologist at 33°North, likes to experiment by swapping out commonly used spirits in traditional cocktails with options like mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin, or Laphroaig, the single malt Scotch whisky from Islay, with it’s strong smoky flavor developed in the The restaurant is renowned for its impressive selection of steaks, from Snake River Farms’ American wagyu tomahawk to prime Delmonico rib-eye. All of the steaks, except the Kagoshima A5, are cooked on a wood-enhanced grill using hickory chips that are known for their robust and sweet, bacon-esque flavor. For an especially smoky entrée, try the Hay- Smoked Snake River Farms Rib-Eye Tasting, which is also covered in a cloche, filled with hick- ory smoke and presented tableside, plus garnished with sauce au poivre. The steak comes accompa- nied with maitake mushrooms, which add smoky and earthy components to the dish, while white rose marble potatoes glazed in a wagyu reduction give a tangy contrast to the rich meat. has maple, chestnut and cedar, but the type of hardwood presented to each guest is random. To prepare this mollusk masterpiece, six oysters are shucked and drained of their liquor to allow space for a Calabrian chile-infused garlic butter. They are then set on a bed of salt atop the hard- wood, all of which is then placed on the grill; the board is ignited and then everything is covered to allow for smoke to fill the chamber. Through this cooking process, the oysters are poached in the butter while absorbing the exquisitely smoky flavors. “It is a very simplistic presentation of a simplistic dish that just kind of speaks for itself. There are three flavors, you have the oyster, the smoke and the butter with chile and that’s it,” Lockhart says. For dessert, nothing says summer evenings like a wood fire and s’mores. Luckily, AVEO Table + Bar has literally bottled it up as a dessert to be shared year-round. The S’mores Aroma Experience is a sensory dessert that is plated under a cloche filled with smoke, sending a plume into the air as it is unveiled tableside. Under the cloche is a raspberry-marshmallow moon pie topped with a peaked meringue that is lightly toasted. To complete the campfire-like experience, a chile-infused hot chocolate is served alongside for a slightly spicy component. The restaurant encourages sharing and is happy to bring extra spoons.