Every day is different at Chic le Chef.
One day, for instance, the kitchen serves up jerk chicken or a grilled teriyaki beef salad. The next might feature Bolognese, or perhaps a cheesy potato soup. Lunch on Wednesday included a pork loin wrap with spinach, feta, hummus and a sundried tomato aioli.
“It’s very eclectic,” said manager Julie Hoskins. “The menu is designed to be off the beaten path.”
A few months ago the catering company quietly expanded the menu and hours at the dining room alongside their kitchen. That’s right — Chic le Chef doubles as a restaurant, a remarkable one.
Before they serve onion rings, kitchen staff first prepares a batch of beer batter from scratch. It crisps into a crust at once rich and brittle, with a swell of salt and pepper that teases you — first rushing forward with a show of brutish force before yielding to the nutty, malty flavor of a really impressive batter.
Jamaican corn and chicken soup puts on a similar show. Each time earthy spice rises from the broth, the bright acidic slash of lime catches your attention. This duel continues, for a time obscuring the intriguing bittersweet note of roasted corn. When your palate finally catches hold of the embers it’s an epiphany. The kitchen has presented you with something comfortably familiar yet quite distinct.
A desert slice of cappuccino cheese cake represents another level of achievement. Just enough tartness to counter the rustic coffee, just enough sweetness to rein in the fresh cheese, just enough earthy, bitter grounds to stifle the sugars. It is perfect … and dangerous, in the sense that a bite could cause even the most timid person to rampage through grocery stores and bakeries around the county, knocking their inferior versions to the floor shouting “you should be ashamed.”
And there’s more.
In addition to the daily specials honed by head chef Ian Anderson and owner Mario Monroy, the little restaurant offers a standing menu of familiar favorites. Yet even these are different.
Take for example Chic le Chef’s chips and salsa. Instead of purchasing bagged stuff, they slice and fry their own tortilla wedges. They take a commonplace appetizer like chicken strips to another level, as well, by baking bread and allowing it to dry out before crumbling it into a crust. The kitchen staff bakes brioche buns for the burgers. They even brew coffee to order.
“When we started we said ‘if we’re going to do this menu, it has to be from scratch,’” Hoskins said. “There are easier ways. We choose the more difficult way.”
Catering is still the heart of the operation, of course. They spent little on decoration for the dining room, preferring to let the food stand out and word to slowly get around.
“The catering is exciting,” Hoskins admitted. “But I like the repeat customers in the dining room. It’s the best of both worlds.”
And it gets better. Next month Chic le Chef will unveil an expanded restaurant menu. Of course, there’s no need to wait until then for a visit.
Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@record-bee.com
