Chef Douglas' Blog | Signatures Restaurant

Summer is hotter than…

Douglas — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:10:12 +0000

Holy smokes has it been hot in the kitchen! We have pushed on through. That was going to be the only thing I said in this post, but I didn’t want to come off as a whiner. So, lets talk a bit about the summer menu.

It has been very popular, well received, and fun to make. The corn dogs have been a hit, and the lefse keeps on selling. Much to my fiancee’s dismay. (She helps make the lefse most of the time.) Thanks honey!

It’s crazy to think that in a little over five weeks we’ll be presenting the Autumn menu. CRAZY! But, exciting. I’m really looking forward to creating this menu. With that said, you better get out here and eat before the summer menu falls into oblivion.

Last thought: We are offering Prix Fixe menus now. You can call me to arrange a time, and I will whip up a five course tasting menu with wine flights for you and your guests. The price would be around $75 per person. Eight people would be the biggest group we would do. So, when you are looking for something special, really, really special. You know who to call.

Talk to you all real soon!

KEEP IT LOCAL!

Chef Douglas

2010 summer menu is ready!

Douglas — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:11:25 +0000

It was brutal, but we managed to set aside our differences and come together to form what is to be known as “The Summer Menu!” You have to say that with an action movie preview voice to get the full effect.

Yes, we did it! It is done! The summer menu looks great, and I know it will taste even better. There are a few experiments we have to perform on some recipes to get the specific results we are looking for, but for the most part it is ready to rock. The staff will have a tasting to learn the menu themselves on the 15th. I bet you wished you worked here! Then on the first official day of summer, you, the dining mass at large, will have your crack at this wonderful new gastronomic experience. The summer menu that is.

I cannot wait to cook for you.

See you all sonner than later!

Chef Douglas

KEEP IT LOCAL!

The 2010 summer menu is imminent…

Douglas — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:45:34 +0000

That’s right, it’s here. A brand spanking new summer for us cooks to create a menu for. This is my favorite time of year because of all the wonderful local produce we will be getting. Our first CSA (community supported agriculture) was this past Saturday, the farmers have been calling, and our garden is looking great! It is really almost here, summer!

Tonight is our kitchen menu meeting. Everyone will bring in ideas. Some will make the cut, some will not. It’s a sort of Mad Max Thunderdome -five men enter, one man leaves kind of thing. Well, maybe a little; okay, a lot less violent! But passionate none the less. I have some great ideas, as do the rest of the crew. I’m excited to see what is created after all is said and done. I’m sure it will be great.

I look forward to presenting the summer menu to you all.

Have a wonderful day and,

KEEP IT LOCAL!

Chef Douglas

Graduation/Mother’s Day Weekend…

Douglas — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:49:59 +0000

Oh my gosh! What a weekend! The restaurant was, for the most part; full to capacity all weekend! What a sight to see! I would like to send out thanks to all of our friends and families that chose to spend their special moments with us here at Signatures. Whether it was lunch on Friday for graduation, dinner on Saturday for a special night out, or Mother’s Day brunch; it was great to see all of you. The staff here (both in the kitchen, and servers/bartenders alike) were truly put to the test, and I would say passed with flying colors, so a huge thanks goes out to them as well. I appreciate all of you!

It’s so crazy that the middle of May is quickly approaching. Six weeks until summer begins. I can hardly wait. The garden is slowly but surely coming to fruition. Manifesting itself in true inspirational bliss. Well, for me anyway! We’re going to have some cool things in the garden this year. You’ll have to wait and see.

Hey! Thanks again to all who came out this past weekend, and to all who made it happen! Rock on!

Talk to you all sooner than later.

Chef Douglas

KEEP IT LOCAL!

“The end of April already!”

Douglas — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:05:38 +0000

Famous last words, “It’s the end of April already?”
Well yes, it is. February and March have come and gone. Oh, how the time flies when you are having fun! The spring menu has gone over very well with regulars and newcomers alike. I try to get out into the dining room the nights I am working, to chat with all of you. About the food, the wine, the next “Queens of the Stone Age” album, just about whatever, but mostly the food. I’ve been hearing great things about the walleye, the pork and the ribeye. I mean how can you go wrong with a 24 oz “bone-in” piece of meat, am I right!? But the sauce for the pork has to be my favorite. Demi-glace, rum, brown sugar, pineapple and kiwi. Every time I plate that dish the aroma from the sauce puts me into a ravenous trance that only the finest seared local pork will remedy. It’s so good. The oyster fettuccine looks like a work of art, and tastes even better. It’s all really, really good. You need to get out here and try some of it. Heck, try it all, I dare you!
I have to say Spring came on pretty fast, almost too fast. That coming from a snowboard junkie. I guess I’ll have to find solace off the hill and out of the kitchen on the Triumph. Bummer. I’m actually really excited for it to start being nice enough to cook outside. I just roasted two whole rather large suckling pigs on my father’s ingeniously self-manufactured spit roaster. It’s really a thing of beauty. My brother calls it his, but Dad made it abundantly clear who it’s soul owner is. Sorry, Duane! Anyways, the pigs turned out amazing, much to the joy of the Winona Community Foundation Dinner last Friday night. I can’t wait to roast some more pigs on that thing in the following spring and summer. I’ll let you all know when that goes down.

I have to run, meetings, cooking tonight, prepping for tomorrow. Ah, the life of a busy Chef! Got to love it!

Talk to you all soon, KEEP IT LOCAL!

Chef Douglas

Spring Menu Tasting

Douglas — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:26:09 +0000

Well we (the amazing crew I have in the kitchen) put out the new Spring Menu for the waitstaff last night to taste and witness first hand. Let me tell you, it was a happy bunch!

I think we all get a little excited for our new menus. The kitchen is happy to move on from the past menu. We tend to get a little edgy cooking the same menu items night after night. Creatively speaking, it’s like a writer damned to keep writing the same novel, over and over. It was fun creating it, maybe even reading it ten or so times. There just comes a time to naturally want to move on. I digress.

I think the waitstaff gets excited to serve, taste, observe, and learn about the new foods and the multitude of techniques and preparations we apply to prepare them. Needless to say, the menu was well received by all who were present. I personally look forward to Saturday when it will be presented to you, the dining public. I know you will enjoy it! My absolute favorite it the 24oz Cowboy Ribeye from Grass Run Farms. Holy smokes! Foie Gras Demi-glace and a Humbolt Fog Mornay sauce? Are you kidding me?!? My Sous Chef Jeremy said it best, “I’d order that.” Well, frankly, so would I! And so should you!

So get in here and enjoy the last days of our Winter Menu (I know it’s hard to even think Winter with these 50 degree days) and prepare for the unveiling of our Spring Menu Saturday night. I look forward to seeing you all.

Keep It Local!

Chef Douglas Dahlgren

Saint Valentine’s Day Weekend

Douglas — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:51:27 +0000

Valentine’s Day weekend. Wow! That’s all I have to say about that. Well, that’s a lie. I do have more to say. I need to say thank you to everyone that came out this past weekend. The fact that you picked us as the destination to spend time with your loved ones is truly an honor.

It was a crazy weekend here at Signatures. With a wedding, a rehearsal dinner, a couple of larger tables, and normal dining (If you can call Valentine’s Day weekend normal!), we had ourselves quite the assiduous couple of days. Did I mention the wonderful Valentine’s Day brunch crowd we had? You all had Rico and Detroit on their toes cooking the best brunch Winona has to offer, as far as I’m concerned. It was an all out test of our abilities here at Signatures. From the front of the house to the back of the house, we all did quite an amazing job. The service was awesome, and the food was superb. The special prix fixe menu was also well received by all who partook. I really liked the Avocado Gelato, as well as the Fried Oyster Fettucini. I’m thinking about using those on the Spring Menu.

Did I just say Spring Menu!? Sounds like another blog entry coming soon!

Thanks again to all who came out and spent time with us,

Chef Douglas

KEEP IT LOCAL!

Only 42 Days Left for the Winter Menu…

Douglas — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:16:03 +0000

First off, let me apologize for not writing a blog for sometime. I’ve been meaning to write, but you know how time can get away from us. With that said, I am here now and will be writing blogs on a regular basis. Whenever some new ideas come up, we are doing an amazing dinner special, or I just need to rant about food.

So it’s February 5th, The Winter Menu has been our best yet, and there are only 42 days left until we roll out our Spring Menu. You need to get out here, get comfortable, order some wine (Pssst, we have the best wine list in town), and let our staff pamper you.

Here are some things to get you in the mood, Braised Local Lamb Shank with Buttermilk Mash and Garlic Confit. Diver Caught Jumbo Sea Scallops with Grilled Apple, Poached Rainbow Trout with Chipotle Candied Carrot Cream Sauce. Local Bacon Wrapped Seared Pork Loin with Cassoulet.

Holy Smokes! I fell in love with Cassoulet (A classic French dish of white beans, duck confit, and lots of pork!) back in Culinary School at The Art Institute International in Mpls. My great friend and fellow Chef, Ben Strickland made the most amazing Cassoulet. The best I have ever tasted, sooo good! Anyways, we make it just as good, if not better here at Signatures. Sorry, Ben!

Let’s talk dessert. But first let me set the scene for you. I’m about 10, it’s around Christmas time and the Dahlgren household has transformed into a full fledged “lefse” making facility. My Mom and Dad would make tons of the stuff. I never got into the mix, G.I.Joe and Transformers seemed a more logical outlet then standing over hot grills. So I didn’t have the “lefse” making skills. I had recently asked Dad if they would make “lefse” with me, and he kind of chuckled. To this day my Mom only lets me make the gravy during Thanksgiving. So I let the idea go. Fast forward to this Christmas, the first Christmas spent with my amazing fiance Rachael. Well, come to find out that “lefse” runs in her family. She has all the gear and knows how to make it. Me being a “lefse” novice, and Rachael, being the kind hearted soul she is, set up a “lefse” making rendezvous/tutorial with Grandma Ryan. They both went easy on me and were very patient. In the end, Rachael and I left with a nice stash of some pretty impressive “lefse.” My Ma and Pa would have been impressed. So, with that experience under my belt, I set out to create a dessert showcasing this Norwegian potato flatbread/crepe/pancake goodness. I couldn’t just serve it with butter, or butter and sugar. It had to be far from traditional, but not too off the wall. Then it just came to me. I would brulee a layer of sugar on the inside, then spread whipped dark chocolate ganache on half and fold. Then spread sweetened mascarpone on that half and fold twice. Brulee a final layer of sugar on top and pour brandied cherries over it. Sounds great right? Well it tasted even better! I have to thank Rachael and Grandma Ryan for inspiring the dessert. I can’t believe what a HUGE hit it has become. Now I’m making “lefse” every couple of days!

Well, hope you enjoyed the new “Lefse” dessert story, now you have to come out and enjoy this truly unusual new “Lefse” dessert!

I better see your name in the reservation book!

Talk to you all soon! KEEP IT LOCAL!

Chef Douglas

October 5th! The new fall menu will be out!

Douglas — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:36:40 +0000

Hey everyone!

After a few minor delays, the kitchen staff and I have finished the Fall menu! It’s really going to be delicious! Shellfish Linguini with Heirloom Tomato Confit (Yeah, we make our pasta from scratch!), Seared Local Rainbow Trout with Apple and Dill Minnesota Wild Rice, Bacon Wrappped Seared Local Pork loin with a Whole Grain Dijon Maple Cream Sauce! Come on! You have to get out here and check this out! One of our best menus yet, we all think.

So we will see you soon, can’t wait to feed you!

Chef Douglas Dahlgren

KEEP IT LOCAL!

Fall is in the air………….New menu time!

Douglas — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:07:22 +0000

It’s already Labor Day, the leaves are starting to change color. The smell of Autumn is all around, and the kitchen crew and I are starting to plan for our Fall menu. I always love this time of year. The farmers have tons of great produce for us to use, green beans, squash, beets, tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes, swiss chard, the list goes on. We will definitely be utilizing as much as possible on the upcoming menu. Staying true to our mission, using the best of local and organic ingredients. The menu should roll out after September 22. Items like Bourbon Braised Short Ribs from 1000 Hills Cattle Company, or our House made Smokey Mozzarella and Prosciutto de Parma Pizza are some ideas we have been tossing around the kitchen.

Hope to feed you all soon!

KEEP IT LOCAL!

Chef Douglas Dahlgren