Pond House Cafe

 

OWNERS OF POND HOUSE CAFÉ ANNOUCE GRAND OPENING OCTOBER 4th OF POND HOUSE GRILLE AND POND HOUSE BANQUETS IN GLASTONBURY

Previous Location of Tango Now Welcomes Chef Jordan Stein and His Creative Style of Cooking

 

Glastonbury CT – Owners of the popular Pond House Café located in West Hartford’s Elizabeth Park announced today the Grand Opening of the new Pond House Grille and Pond House Banquets in Glastonbury.  Principals Kim Yarum, Louis Lista and Russ Weldon expressed excitement over their purchase of Tango, the many improvements they have made in recent months to the property and the new team they’ve assembled to bring their distinctive style of creative cooking and banquet catering east of the river.

 

“Since we bought the restaurant in December, we’ve been very busy remodeling and making kitchen improvements,” said Louis Lista, operating partner.  “We’ve been working with our staff and have revised the menus.  We are very excited to welcome the public for our Grand Opening on October 4th.”

 

Those who know the Pond House Café in West Hartford know that the restaurant, and its catering facility, thrives on bringing fresh, creative dining experiences to the table for their customers.  Because of the friendly wait staff and remarkable chefs in the kitchen, the clientele is loyal and well-fed.  Chef Jordan Stein will rejoin as Executive Chef at both the Pond House Café and the Pond House Grille.  Chef Jordan will be sharing his vision and experience to oversee the multiple restaurants to ensure that the food experience will be what the customers have come to expect and enjoy. 

 

“We’re so excited to have Chef Jordan rejoining our team as Executive Chef,” said Kim Yarum, Operations Manager. “His leadership in the kitchen will bring all that our West Hartford customers know and love to our new home in Glastonbury.  The Pond House Grille and Pond House Banquets will provide a great wedding and event facility, an exciting restaurant and bar environment and our famous brunch to new clientele.”

 

In addition to the Pond House famous Sunday brunch, the restaurant will also bring its popular BYOB policy to Glastonbury.   The restaurant will offer dinner guests the choice of bringing their own bottle of wine for a $5.00 corkage fee or to ability to select from a complete wine list – the right thing to do in this economy.  The Pond House’s competitive prices also make them a great choice.  Their Tasty Tuesday menu, a three course meal offered every Tuesday for just $15.55, and Thirsty Thursday, a 6 course menu offered for just $29.35, are perfect examples.  These menus change every month and are very popular since first introduced in 2007 at the Pond House. 

 

As a special introductory offer to welcome new customers east of the river, the Pond House Grille is having available for sale Pond House Cash for double the value when used for dinner or brunch during the months of October, November and December 2011.  [Pond House Cafe & Pond House Grille "CASH" are the double amounts - Pond House Gift Certificates are face value.  The Pond House Cafe (in West Hartford) does not allow usage on Sunday or Tuesday and the Pond House Grille (in Glastonbury) does not have any restrictions.]

Chef Jordan and the rest of the Pond House team look forward to seeing everyone there!

 

For more information about all of the Pond House restaurants, please visit:

www.pondhousecafe.com

www.pondhousegrille.com

 

The Pond House Grille is open:

-        Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday 5:00 – 9:00 pm

-        Brunch: Sundays from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm

-        Bar opens at 4:00 pm

-        Mondays are available for private parties and events

Once again the Pond House is proud to participate in Connecticut’s Farm-to-Chef event this fall.  Seventy restaurants, caterers, institutions, schools, farms, wineries, and other dining venues throughout the state have signed up to create their own special Farm-to-Chef menu showcasing Connecticut Grown ingredients and Connecticut wines during the week of September 18-24, 2011.   We are dedicated to the idea that eating locally grown foods is good for our economy, the environment and our taste buds.  We hope you will join us!  To learn more, visit the website below.  Here’s a look at what we’ll be serving, courtesy of some of the terrific farms from our area.

http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?a=2778&q=330830

 

Heirloom Tomato Slider: Urban Oaks Farms heirloom tomatoes, Beltane Farm Chevre, Pond House Garden Basil

 Smoked Chicken: Flamig Farm Chicken, smoked with Cherry-Wood. Served with garden squash and organic fingerling hash.

 Toffee Apple Flatbread: Honey crisp Apples, cheddar pecan crumble and caramel sauce.

 Summer Peach: Grilled Urban Oaks Peaches, Kale, currants and local chevre vinaigrette

 Summer Composition: Grilled corn, Heirloom tomatoes, garden fresh herbs, tomato vinaigrette, mixed greens.

 Hungry?

Here’s an excellent summer salad to enjoy with friends and family now that the hot weather is finally here.  It’s terrific served over fresh greens with a glass of your favorite white wine.  Cheers!

 

Crab & Avocado Salad

 

Ingredient                                               Amount

Lump Crab                                             1 lb

Red Onion                                            ½  ea

Yellow Bell Pepper                               ½  ea

Red Bell Pepper                                    ½  ea

Green Bell Pepper                                ½  ea

Sracha                                                   2 TB

Lime Juice (fresh)                                  2 oz

Avocado                                                1 ea

Salt & Pepper                                           TT

 

Method

1. Peel peppers with vegetable peeler.
2. Mince red, yellow, green Peppers
3. Peel, clean and mince red onion and avocado
4. Open, and pick through crab, removing any shell.
5. Combine crab with vegetables.
6. Fold crab/vegetable mix with avocado.
7. add in Sracha and Lime juice.
8. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.

 

Created by Michael D. Webster, Chef De Cuisine, Pond House Café.

By popular demand – the Pond House’s amazing Almond Frangipane Cake Recipe – Enjoy!

 

Makes 12 servings:

 

Half pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar

8 oz. almond paste

4 eggs

half cup cake flour, sifted

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and almond paste until smooth and light.  Add the eggs. Scrape down the bowl.  Add the flour.  Pour the batter into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed and lined with parchment.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.  Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.  Flip the cake out of the pan and cut the cake into 12 pieces.  Top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Oh yeah!

Do you have a favorite charity that you’d like to help out?  Are you involved with a non-profit that you want to support through fundraising but need a new idea on how to generate dollars?  The Pond House now provides fundraisers with the perfect solution!  Organizations can use the “Dog House” on Monday evenings, rain or shine, to raise funds for their cause and have some great family fun at the same time.  Here’s how it works:

 

1       You sign up the dates and name of the group you want to support and it is posted on Pond House website and Facebook page.

2       You provide three volunteers to run food, keep the area clean on the night of the event,

3        And you promote the event.

4        Finally, the non-profit/charity is responsible for complying with the statutes of the State of Connecticut as it applies to charitable organizations.

5        The non-profit or charity will receive all “tips” and 10% of net sales for the evening.

6        It’s that simple!

 

 

So what’s the Dog House?  We’re located at the Pond House Café in gorgeous Elizabeth Park in West Hartford.  Our picnic area is surrounded by gardens and the pond and we have a spot inside at the Café to eat on rainy days.  We serve eight different types of hot dogs along with house made dill pickles, soft serve ice cream, health drinks, frozen milkshakes and assorted beverages.  It’s the perfect spot for outdoor casual eating!

 

The Pond House is known for using fresh, locally grown food in its cuisine.  Both in the restaurant and the banquet hall, we enjoy integrating seasonal, organic ingredients in our cooking.  But many people don’t realize that we do vegan really well too.  Here’s an example of a wedding menu we put together for a couple who wanted to treat their guests to vegan dishes that demonstrate our flair for the dramatic.  We hope this inspires you to try some of these dishes when planning your next event!

 

Vegan Wedding Menu – Buffet

5 Hors ‘d
2 salads
1 pasta
3 entrees

Wedding cake

 

Stuffed mushrooms –

Fried Green Tomatos
Baked Stuffed New Potatoes – with truffle oil mashed potatoes
Wild Mushroom duxelle on Crostini
Mini veggie black bean buritto
Falafel balls
Potato pancakes with apple sauce and cranberry relish
Vegetable fritters with chili lime dipping sauce
Asparagus Tempura
Vietmanese ravioli
avocado gazpacho shooters
California roll
Flatbread pizza
remeso crostini
Olive tapande Crostini
eggplant capanode crostini

 

Salads
Roasted Beet Salad with arugula, toasted pecans and raspberry vinaigrette

Mixed baby greens with tomato, red onion, cucumber, carrots, dried cranberries, sliced almonds tossed with a red wine vinaigrette

Asian salad – Nappa cabbage tossed with assorted peppers, red onion, carrots, cashews sesame seed and sesame vinaigrette then topped with cold sesame noodles

 

Heirloom tomato salad – Locally grown tomatoes, assorted peppers, garlic, cucumber, red onion and focciccia croutons tossed in a red wine vinaigrette

 

Vegan Chef salad – romaine lettuce, with diced marinated tofu, smoked almonds, calamata olives, pickled grapes, cherry tomatoes with a creamy garlic dressing

Roasted Pear salad – romaine and spinach topped with roasted pears baked with a dried cranberry and toasted walnut stuffing drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette and balsamic syrup

 

Roasted vegetable (turnip, parsnips, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, peppers) salad served over baby arugula then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic syrup

 

Pasta
Penne pasta tossed with chick peas, crispy tempeh, carmelized squash, broccoli rabe in an apple broth olive oil sauce

 

Rigatoni Salsa Rosa – rigatoni tossed with house made marinara sauce then topped with roasted garlic cloves and balsamic syrup

Orecchiette Maremana – little ear pasta tossed with roasted peppers, roasted garlic cloves, toasted fennel seed, sundried tomato and escarole in a sauce of extra virgin olive oil and white wine

Indian rice – basmati rice with dried apricots, cranberries, golden raisins, currants, cashews, carrots, scallions, bell peppers, sweet curry, paprika and olive oil

Mushroom Bolognese – penne pasta with a rich and thick mushroom ragu topped with balsamic garlic cloves

 

 

Entrees

Lentil & Brown Rice Stew with carrots, onions & celery

 

Summer Ratatouille – zucchini, squash, eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic and tomatos

 

Nut Encrusted Tempeh served with ginger beet compote, roasted parsnips and sautéed seasonal vegetables

 

Grilled Portabello Mushrooms with roasted red pepper and caramelized onions served over vegan dirty rice

 

Grilled corn and summer squash stew

On a cold winter day, what could be better than making a nice pot of soup?  Here are some excellent recipes for somes of our favorites.  Share them with friends and family or just curl up on the couch with a bowl and be glad you’re not outside in the cold rain and snow!

Vegetarian Chili

3.25 cups         Kidney Beans

                        Chick Peas

                        Corn

                        Crushed Tomato

 

2 cups              Diced Carrots

                        Diced Onion

 

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon White Pepper
1 Tablespoon Salt

3 Tablespoon Chili powder

Cooking oil

  

Sauté carrots and onion until translucent

Add kidney beans, chick peas, corn and crushed tomato then mix together

Add cumin, white pepper, salt and chili powder

 Garnish with mixed cheese, salsa, sour cream and nacho chips

 

Chili bowls – formed baked tortilla shells

  

Cream of Tomato Soup

3.25 cups crushed tomato

½ cup diced onion

½ cup diced celery

Cooking oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups heavy cream (can be substituted with milk or mixture of milk and heavy cream)

1 Tablespoon dry tarragon

Salt & pepper to taste

 

1)      sautéed onions until tender then add garlic and celery – cook for another 2 minutes

2)      add crushed tomato and heavy cream then lower to simmer and mix well

3)      when soup is hot add tarragon and S&P to taste

4)      garnish with garlic crouton & sour cream

 

 Winter Lentil Soup

 

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery
cooking oil

 

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 cups dried lentils

7 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

 

1.5 cups diced tomato

2 Tablespoons red wine

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1.5 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

 

 

1)      sauté in cooking oil onions, carrots and celery until tender

2)      add garlic and sauté for another minute

3)      add lentils, water and salt and simmer until lentils are tender

4)      after lentils are cooked add – diced tomatoes, red wine, lemon juice, brown sugar and red wine vinegar

5)      Mix well & serve in warm bowls with crusty French bread

 

 

 

White Bean & Sweet Potato

 

¾ cup uncooked white beans

2 quarts water

2 large sweet potato peeled & diced

¾ cup diced onion

¾ cup diced celery

1.5 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

.5 minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

 

1)      cook white beans in water

2)      boil sweet potatoes until tender then puree in food processor

3)      Sauté onions and celery until tender

4)      Add garlic and ginger then sauté for another minute

5)      Add sweet potato puree to sauté mixture – simmer for 2 minutes

6)      Add everything to cooked white beans and simmer for 30 minutes (add more water if necessary)

 

 

 

Spicy African Peanut Soup

 

8 Tablespoons Olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

4 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger

3 cups diced onions

3 cups milk

14 cups vegetable or chicken stock

4 cups smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper

2 Tablespoons Salt

6 Tablespoons Rosa line juice

 

1)      sauté onions in olive oil until tender then add garlic and ginger cook for another 2 minutes

2)      heat peanut butter and milk in large soup pan until well mixed

3)      add all ingredients to peanut butter mixture bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour

 

 

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

 

3.75 cups diced mushrooms

2.5 cups diced onions

5 cups milk

5 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika

7.5 Tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup dill

 

1 ¼ lbs. butter
1 ¼ cups flour

20 cups vegetable stock

2.5 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup sour cream

 

1)      sauté onions until tender then add mushrooms cook until tender

2)      add milk, paprika, soy sauce and dill and bring to a boil

3)      lower heat to simmer

4)      make rue out of flour and butter

5)      add 2 cups of soup to rue and mix thoroughly

6)      add ¼  of rue mix to soup and mix thoroughly

7)      continue steps 5 & 6 until all rue is mix into soup

8)      add vegetable stock and lemon juice and simmer for 30 minutes

9)      When soup is taken off the heat add sour cream and mix well.

 

New England Clam Chowder

 

7 lb medium hard shell clams, cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean

8 slices bacon cut into cubes (small dice)

1 lg Spanish onion chopped medium

3 stalks of celery chopped medium

3 tbsp all purpose flour

3 tbsp reserved bacon fat

2 potatoes scrubbed and diced small

1 large bay leaf

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the clams and cover with a tight lid. Cook for 5-6 min then uncover and stir. Quickly cover the pot and steam until the clams just open (2-4 min).
2. Transfer clams to a baking sheet and allow to cool slightly. Open clams and reserve any liquid they have retained. Once they are all shelled, transfer to a cutting board and mince clams. Reserve clam broth for soup.
3. In stock pot render bacon until deep golden brown and crispy and all fat is rendered out of it. Add onions and celery and sweat with no color until they are soft.
4. Add flour and stir until lightly cooked and incorporated and cook about 5 min to get rid of raw flour taste.
5. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam broth and then add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and simmer until potatoes are tender. (10 minutes).
6. Add the minced clams and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and season if necessary.
7. Serve

 

Get your taste buds tingling!  New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the year gone by and to get excited about the future.  At the Pond House, we’re excited to share some new flavors with you and to toast the coming of 2011.  Please join us as we celebrate Ten Singular Sensations.  Something tasty in each category will make your taste buds happy as can be.  Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect…

Mushrooms

Winter Roots

Scallop

Fish

Pasta

Fowl

Game

Lamb

Fruit

Chocolate 

 

Here’s an example of the treats you can expect:

 Winter Roots – Parsnip sage soup with fried sage, celeriac bisque with pickled celery, smoked bacon and rutabaga with lemon-verbena oil

 Lamb – Grilled lamb porterhouse, shallot rosti, sweet potatoes brûlée, blackberry glass

 

We hope you can join us!  Please call ahead for reservations to this special evening – 8:30 pm seating.  Happy New Year!

The holiday season is a lovely time to visit the Pond House.   We adore decorating the café and banquet rooms with festive lights and trimmings.  Snow in the park provides the perfect backdrop for your holiday party or dinner out with friends and family.  For those with children, there is brunch with Santa on November 27^th and 28^th.  Children can make their own holiday ornaments or gingerbread house and family photos can be taken with Santa.  Mrs. Claus will be there too!

In December, the Pond House hosts the characters from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for a brunch on December 19^th.  Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future from the Hartford Stage’s production of this beloved play will share brunch and holiday cheer with you.  Guests may then choose to attend the matinee afterwards or enjoy another performance of Hartford Stage’s heartwarming classic!

If you have a party to host, consider having us cater.  Perhaps you’d like to hold your company holiday party someplace special this year.  The Pond House is the ideal setting. 

The holidays at the Pond House – a perfect way to spend the season!

Enjoy your holiday party even more than ever this year by letting us take care of all the food.  Imagine how much more you will enjoy the holiday season if you let us cater your party with food and staff.  No cooking, no clearing dishes, no clean up afterwards.  You just enjoy the company of family and friends, and let them enjoy your company.  Call Lisa today for a catering menu at 860.231.8823.