On the dinner menu we have new recipes for our duck breast, pork steak and oxtail that make use of all the tasty produce the winter season has to offer. We also have two entirely new small plates up for dinner: Stuffed Squid and Slow-Roasted Pork Belly.

Our squid is stuffed with delicious bits of Chaurice—a French style chorizo cooked with Riesling and our housemade bacon. It’s served with choucroute, which is a type of sauerkraut made from cabbage that has been naturally fermented with salt and brown mustard seeds instead of the more traditional process of soaking it in vinegar. The plate is finished off with pan-fried squid tentacles, potatoes, and housemade tarragon mustard. This dish is really well rounded in texture and flavor—the heartiness of the Chaurice and the potato are complimented by the crispy lightness of the tentacles and the zesty flavor from the mustard. Our own creative spin on Alsatian cuisine will wow your tastebuds and leave you well satisfied.

The slow-roasted pork belly is another new small dish on our dinner menu that combines rich, wintery flavors with herbal compliments to provide you with a completely unique taste. We smoke this pork belly for four hours here at Dante’s so it is super tender and delectable. The Cannellini beans served with this dish have been partially pureed and cooked down with celery, carrots and onions to give them a warm, stew-like flavor. To cut the richness provided by the pork belly and the beans, we top the dish off with a vibrant, tasty parsley sauce. A pork cracklin’ salad with arugula and red onion is added on for some crunchy mouth entertainment.

News from the bar!! Our bartenders are always mixing various liquors and fresh ingredients up to make unique cocktails but right now they are trying something entirely new: barrel-aging one of the New Orleans classic cocktails, the Vieux Carre. This is their first attempt at barrel-aging and we are already thrilled with the results! The Vieux Carre is made with Rye Whiskey, Brandy, Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine, Peychauds and Angostura Bitters and a lemon twist. One of our bartenders considers it the bastard cousin of another New Orleans favorite, the Sazerac. They have made a large batch of this cocktail and stored it in a charred American Oak barrel for 6 weeks. It came out having all of the positive aspects of the traditional drink and so much more. It has a wonderfully spiced aroma and the blend of rye and brandy comes off even smoother on your tongue combined with the oak notes from the barrel. Come over and taste the final product for yourself!

Save room for a traditional British dessert that you won’t find anywhere else in town. Our buttermilk waffle with mincemeat and goat milk black pepper gelato is a dish that your taste buds won’t soon forget. The waffle is made with rice flour that adds a unique crisp to every bite. The mincemeat is warm and savory, with hints of cinnamon and clove. The dessert is topped with a very different (and very delicious) goat milk black pepper gelato. The black pepper acts as a spice in the dish the same way nutmeg or anise might compliment a dessert. The dish is finished off with syrup cured kumquats. Be sure to get every component of this dish in each bite and your mouth will thank you.

We hope to see all of you here soon so you can enjoy all of our delicious additions! Cheers!

Interesting morsel for today: Strawberries are in season! We have several sweet dishes that incorporate the local late season delights. New to the dessert menu is our strawberry Meyer lemon tartlette – sweet and tangy, crunchy and creamy, it is a ray of summer sunshine in the middle of winter.

Here’s some stuff tony came by with todate