A letter from our chef to our guests:
Today we celebrate the launch of our Fall / Winter menu. For me, Fall is a time of transition, tradition, and opportunity to pause and celebrate where we came from. As we celebrate our 15 year anniversary (WOW!), we stay committed to sharing new seasonal offerings perfect for any foodie or family gathering. If this year has taught us anything, it’s the power of simple things to bring us together, like the comfort of a delicious meal. This season we’re all about sharing menu items that are inspired by autumnal ingredients and perfect for cozying up.
We’re bringing back the Napa Vineyard Salad from last year, but this time with a fresh name… Introducing the AUTUMN HARVEST SALAD! Back in 2018 (seems like an eternity ago!), when I created this salad, I was inspired to create a salad to feature a lesser-known type of feta, called Manouri cheese. Compared to common feta, it’s milder, creamier, significantly less salty, and has subtle citrus and buttery notes, with a gentle tang at the end.
The flavor becomes even more delightful when we toast it up on the griddle to become the star of this salad. The supporting cast to this rich, toasted cheese is comprised of an intense balance of tart grapes, the deep honey taste of dried figs, the nuttiness of whole-grain farro, refreshing shaved fennel, and our crunchy honey roasted almonds, all tossed with delicate mixed greens, hearty kale, crunchy romaine, and our addictive maple-sherry vinaigrette. What I love most about this salad, is its numerous overlapping layers of flavors and textures. Never a dull bite!
Our sandwich of the season is the festive BLACK TIE TURKEY CLUB. While 2020 may have put a damper on dinner parties and group gatherings, we’re not going to let that stop us from celebrating a major milestone. So for our 15th Anniversary, we’re getting all dressed up and sharing with you a humble Turkey Club worthy of a champagne toast! Our house shaved turkey and crunchy Applewood smoked bacon gets stacked onto a soft, gently toasted brioche bun, and topped with pickled red onions, peppery arugula, and a slathering of white truffle aioli. Not the cheap stuff made with extracts or flavoring, but the real deal authentic white truffle oil that we sourced straight from Italy!
To complement our seasonal sandwich and salad, we’re also bringing you a special deli side and two soups for the season. The WILD RICE SALAD WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLES, one of my all-time favorite sides, is a dynamic taste of fall packed into a side. We roast butternut squash and apples daily, and toss them with nutty wild rice, caramelized onion jam, dried cranberries, toasted almonds, freshly grated Grana Padano cheese, and our maple sherry vinaigrette. It’s so deeply satisfying, there are days that I double down and fill up on this salad alone.
Then, back by popular demand is the GREEK LEMON CHICKEN & FARRO SOUP, a hearty chicken soup that’s a touch creamy with a velvety texture, dotted with veggies, toothsome whole-grain farro, and an uplifting lemony finish. Lastly, the THAI CURRY SQUASH SOUP is a heartwarming soup for the soul, to keep you in good comfort as the weather winds down to the chilliest months of the year.
I hope you’re able to join us this season to try one or all of these new menu items!
Thank you for having us at your table, and for being a part of the Mendo family. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Sincerely,
Chef Jeremy Bringardner
