Bentley's on 27

Located on the 27^th floor of the Charlotte Plaza Building, Bentley’s on 27 is one of the best dining experiences the Queen City has to offer. With a good mix of American and French inspired fare, you are sure to find a number of dishes that will delight your taste buds and gastric system alike. From the Veal Chop prepared perfectly in a Marsala Sauce to the Chateaubriand Bouquetiere for two finished tableside with a simple yet tasteful red wine reduction, Bentley’s has become a must visit location for local and traveling foodies alike. Every table offers an impeccable and otherwise unseen view of our Queen City skyline through floor to ceiling windows; giving you the illusion of the restaurant floating high above the city and making the experience that much better. If you are looking for an intimate dinner, family outing, business meeting, wedding reception, or just want to stop in for a cocktail and hour devours, Bentley’s is the place for you. Prices are comparable with some of the steak and seafood restaurants in the area but the atmosphere is unparalleled. With complementary Valet service, parking is never a problem and if you want to indulge in a couple of the signature cocktail “The Bentley”, the Lynx train line is available as well.

Ingredient of the Week

Veal Bones

At first glance these useless looking bones stripped of it delicate highly prized meat look ready for the trash bin or as a snack the family dog would feast on; stop! Roast these bones off and add mirepoix. You now have in your possession the starting point of liquid love; Veal stock. Add some espagnole sauce, reduce it by half and you have liquid lust; Demi-glace. Maintain a good relationship with your local butcher and they will give these bones to you for practically nothing.

I know what you ate (or didn’t eat) last summer!

As spring and summer quickly approach, many of our families are planning backyard cookouts and other events where the central point of interest is food. Whether it is a smoky rack of ribs, a juicy burger, or a nice slice of watermelon; do we ever ask ourselves “where did this come from”? The next time you stop into your friendly neighborhood super food center; look at the country of origin of all the items you purchase. It might surprise you to learn that very few of these items come from the US and even fewer are produced locally. With so many local farmers needing and wanting our business, maybe we should look to more local sources for our food items. A quick internet search will reveal a great amount of local choices with prices that are comparable or in most cases better than larger chain stores. What will never compare is the taste a fresh local product has. With less travel time and less processing, you are giving your taste buds the flavors that were once common and that we now long for. Let’s all do ourselves a flavor and give local food a chance; you just might not ever return to your old way of eating.

Ingredient of the Week

Brussels Sprouts

They are in season and available at your local famers market. Just remember to not treat these beauties like cabbage; overcooking will ruin the flavor.