A Blueprint for Dinner
Steak Two Ways, Fries One Way
By Jan Walsh
Tonight, we arrive at Blueprint on 3rd thirty minutes before our 5:00 reservation. We take our favorite seats at the end of the Bar. This planned, extra time allows for a drink, extending our evening on the front end. Looking over the bar menu, Kev forgoes the specialty drinks and takes the bartender up on his offer of a Margarita. I study the drinks looking for rum and bourbon. Intrigued by Ambrosia’s Mist, but I settle on Banana Bread Old Fashioned. Kev’s cocktail is vibrant and refreshing. Mine is complex and relaxing. Perfect start to dinner…
After cashing out at the bar, restauranteur Dean Robb shows us to our table where we are welcomed by our server, Ian. Ian is one of 28 Blueprint staff who have been here since the restaurant opened. What a testament!
I begin with the Deviled Farm Egg… Anytime I can find a boiled egg that I don’t have to peel, it is mine. The two egg halves are adorned with smoked trout caviar that glistens in the late afternoon shadows and pops with sweet brininess on my palate. The Kev starts with the Pork Belly. And I order Farmers Market Salad, which is an annual must for me. Braised in dark rum and molasses, the tender pork is rich and deep in flavor. Marcona almonds atop add crunchy texture as does the acidic apple slaw, accompanying it. Highly recommended! Think succotash as a salad. Diced tomato, fresh corn, cucumber, lady peas, farmer’s cheese, herbs, and fried onions make up this magic.
Tonight, partner and executive “Chef Huck,” James Huckaby, offers two steaks, Beef Coulotte and Beef Tenderloin. Many of my readers might be surprised by my recent pivot toward beef. In past years I never ordered steak.
But several months ago, a book changed my diet: Dark Calories: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health And How We Can Get It Back, by Dr. Catherine Shanahan. I already questioned canola oil, derived from rape seed originally a motor oil, after being hospitalized by it twice years ago. But until reading the book I learned it is only one of eight common seed oils that cause cellular damage, which underlies virtually all chronic disease. Also, from this book I learned that I was not getting enough protein in my diet. So, I changed all of that! Seed oils are banned from my plate and protein is my new go to. And I surprisingly dropped 30+ pounds as a result, without changing anything else about my lifestyle. Thus, when we go out for a restaurant review, instead of hoping that Kev will order the steak, I now hope he does not so that I can.
Tonight, we get to have our two steaks and eat them too. Kev selects the Beef Coulotte and I opt for the Beef Tenderloin. We both select the Rockefeller style as toppings. Both steaks come with tallow cooked steak fries. No seed oil fries at Blueprint! Both steaks arrive cooked to order. Kev’s Beef Coulotte, also known as top sirloin cap, is a flavorful, lean, and tender cut of beef from the top sirloin butt known for its distinctive fat cap. My mild and buttery, melt in the mouth filet is a beautiful cut of beef. The Rockefeller garnish is creamy, rich, and bursting with flavors of fresh spinach and herbs. Thick cut, comforting steak fries are tender and fluffy inside, crispy and golden on the outside. Grounding the steaks with the savory richness of the rendered beef fat, they are simply outstanding! From top to bottom the steaks at Blueprint are not to be missed.
For dessert I am tempted by the 30 Year Kopke Tawny Port. Kopke is the oldest port wine house since 16238. But I fear if I order it, I will never go back to 20 Year ports. However, Ian previously offered a taste of anything so why not? And with one sip I order a glass. I find the pale amber tawny sweeter than my favorite 20-year-old, which is age appropriate. It boasts integrated notes of orange, cherry, apricot, and fig and pairs well with Blueprint’s in season Blackberry and Peach Cobbler. As we share this divine, deep blue, comforting cobbler topped with house made, vanilla ice cream. Dean treats us to a scoop and another scoop, as he shares the back story of their Peanut Butter Oreo Fudge Ice Cream along with a bowl of it. While tweaking the recipe for their Uncle Needmo’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Oreo Crust, the refinement did not go as planned. So, the pie ingredients were tossed into ice cream, resulting in this new favorite! Already a big fan of Blueprint’s peanut butter pie, next time we will order both pie and the ice cream… Just another reason to return to Blueprint.
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