Izakaya (Japanese Pub) Night - July's Flavor of the Month

(photo via Wikipedia Creative Commons)

Tomorrow night, the July installment of our Flavor of the Month series hops a plane for Japan, where pubs called "izakaya" serve from a menu of small plates shared by everyone at the table while sipping after-work drinks (think happy-hour appetizers).

Our version recalls the simplicity and fresh tastes common to izakaya menus through five prix fixe courses with two choices for each course. Bring a few friends and give them all a taste. $40/person. Seating is limited, so please make reservations by calling 701.478.1000. The menu is available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; click here to see it.

(Every third Wednesday of the month, the HoDo Restaurant creates a special menu united around a different cuisine. In the past, we've done French night, Danish night and BBQ night, to name a few. Watch our website at www.hoteldonaldson.com or our Facebook page for updates.)

June's Flavor of the Month - Sokol Blosser Winemaker's Dinner

We're honored to announce that June's Flavor of the Month will be a winemaker's dinner featuring Sokol Blosser wines on Wednesday, June 17th. We'll have seven courses paired with seven wines, three of which are vineyard exclusives, and hear comments from Alex Sokol Blosser, co-president of the Sokol Blosser Winery. Social hour at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m.

In 1977, Sokol Blosser wines were some of the first to come out of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Oregon now boasts some 300 wines and the confidence in those vintages arose from the success of Sokol Blosser wines. In recent years, the winery has championed sustainability by becoming certified organic and by shifting 1/3 of its power demands to an onsite solar array.

There is limited seating for this event. Call 701.478.1000 for reservations or details. Cost is $85/person with tax, tip and all food and wine included. This will be a tremendous opportunity to sample wines, learn about the craft of winemaking, and enjoy a beautiful meal.

.menu.

Spicy Prawn and Scallop
grilled and served with peas, white beans, bacon & an avocado puree,
finished with coriander cardamom oil and citrus zest
Evolution

Rose Wine Strawberry Flan
rose wine roasted strawberry flan with a
watermelon yogurt sauce, candied grapefruit,
kirsch tuille and a walleye pike quenelle
Rose of Pinot Noir

Mixed Greens
with apple vanilla vinaigrette, grapefruit segments, green apple, Delice cheese,
pink peppercorn dust, apple blossom honey roasted chestnuts and prosciutto
Dundee Hills Pinot Gris

Lamb Chop
grilled and served with saffron and turmeric scalloped root pave
with cilantro pea puree and a red curry berry compote
Meditrina

Venison Tenderloin
grilled mocha crusted venison, smoked pork belly,
black berry and cherry chutney, roasted mushrooms, and a balsamic cola sauce
Dundee Hills Pinot Noir

Cocoa Duck Breast
cocoa crusted duck breast served
over a mixed berry gelatin with roasted mushrooms
Estate Pinot Noir

Riesling Poached Pears
riesling poached pears served with salted taffy,
Montagnolo bleu cheese, apple chips with rose water and hazlenuts
Dessert White Riesling

Backyard BBQ - May's Flavor of the Month

We'll get the warm months off to a sizzling start by continuing the time-honored tradition of the backyard BBQ. We're going to throw open the big restaurant doors to let the air in and set the mood with music by the Inside Out String Trio. Call 478-1000 for details or reservations.

Menu:

.from the grill.
(served with choice of 2 sides:)

Walleye $23 - grilled in foil with lemon, onions and thyme
Chicken $22 - your choice of molee, Jamaican jerk or Chinese 5 spice
Smoked Brisket $22
Braised Beef Short Ribs $22
Pork Ribs $23 - with Ancho chili BBQ sauce
16 oz. T-Bone $35

.sides
($4 each)

Coleslaw
Grilled Corn & Scallion Hash
Potato Salad
Baked Bean with Bacon
Corn on the Cob
Dill Carrots
Roasted Potatoes

April's Flavor of the Month - Family Favorites

It's been a rough couple of weeks for us in the F-M area. Certainly, we'd all like the opportunity to take a deep breath and sit down for a comfortable meal.

Tonight's Flavor of the Month will provide that comfort. We're offering our interpretations of some family classics to share around our tables - true comfort food. Have a plate or two to share and remember that our dining room is casual, so come as you are. Plus, Tom Mooridian will be in the house to provide dinner music. Call 701-478-1000 for reservations.

Tonight's menu:

(all items serve 2-3)

.salads.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wedge
Caesar
Mixed greens
$12 each

.appetizers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Antipasto plate roasted and marinated cold vegetables with assorted meat and cheeses $15

Cheese curds $12

.entrees.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mac and cheese with truffle oil $18

Meatloaf with a sweet tarragon glaze, mashed potatoes and vegetable $29

Shrimp scampi over basmati rice with vegetable $32

Smoked chicken served whole with a sage cherry gravy, stuffing and vegetable $28

Roasted ND beef sirloin with a pan jus sauce, roasted potatoes and vegetable $33

.sides.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mashed potatoes
Rice
Roasted potatoes
Stuffing
$8 each

.desserts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oreo & white chocolate cookie à la mode
Banana split
$10 each

March's Flavor of the Month - Beer ... Is There Anything It Can't Do?

March will have its Ides. It might come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, or vice versa. It should also be the month when our snow shows signs of retreating (fingers crossed). This is a cause to celebrate.

What better way to celebrate than with a delicious meal paired with equally delicious beer? The seven courses paired with six beers of March's Flavor of the Month will take you on a true taste odyssey and local beer experts will be on hand to decipher it all. Sound delish?

Celebrate March. Celebrate spring. Celebrate beer this Wednesday, March 18th starting at 5 p.m. Beer experts will speak at 6:30 but the menu will be offered all evening - $65/person, tax and tip included. Call 701.478.1000 for reservations.

February's Flavor of the Month - Tapas Night

Our Third Wednesday explorations continue tomorrow (Feb. 18) with Tapas Night. Tapas dining - a Spanish tradition - is perfect for those looking for a satisfying meal built along a variety of tastes. Our menu has a little of everything ... and begs to have a couple friends along to share. Call 701.478.1000 or click here for reservations.

.Menu.

Empanada - Braised Doubting Thomas pork with chili sauce - $8

Fritata - Doubting Thomas ham and gruyere - $8

Olives and almonds - Marinated olives and roasted spiced almonds - $7

Mussels - Steamed in white wine with herbs and butter - $8

Croquettes - Tuna filled with saffron aioli - $8

Mac & cheese - With bacon and peas - $8

Squid - Fried with red and green peppers and green mayonnaise - $9

Third Wednesday Flavor - Cajun Night

Heyyyyy-eeeeeee!

This Wednesday, January 21st, we'll continue our monthly explorations into the world of flavor with Cajun Night. Cajun cuisine represents a truly American experience, one that combines native ingredients with methods and sensibilities carried in from other cultures (via Wikipedia):

Cajun cuisine developed out of necessity. The Acadian refugees, farmers rendered destitute by the British expulsion, had to learn to live off the land and adapted their French rustic cuisine to local (i.e. Louisiana) ingredients such as rice, crawfish, and sugar cane. Many households were large, consisting of eight to twelve people; thus, regardless what other vocations may have been followed by the head of household, most families also farmed. Feeding a large family, all of whose members did hard physical work every day, required a lot of food. Cajun cuisine grew out of supplementing rice with white meat, game or other proteins were available such as crawfish or any other type of river creature.

The result is plates full of lush, brawny flavors that engage the entire palate and are perfect for a satisfying mid-January meal. Here's our interpretation and the menu for the evening. Call 701.478.1000 for additional details or to make reservations. To reserve a table online, click here:

. soup.
Shrimp & chicken gumbo with jalapeño & bacon cornbread
cup $4 bowl $6 entrée portion $11

. salads.
Fried oyster with mixed greens tossed in an herb dijon vinaigrette with pumpkin seeds & Brie $9

Spinach with warm andouille sausage vinaigrette, chipotle gouda, tomatoes & zucchini $8

.appetizers.
Spicy crayfish fricassee served in a puff pastry $13

Hush puppies with a creamy oyster sauce $9

.entrées.
Grilled Highland beef NY strip with crayfish étouffée and
candy mashed sweet potatoes $31

Andouille sausage stuffed Spring Prairie pork loin with red beans & rice and
a creole mustard sauce $24

Shrimp & scallops with dirty rice and a white wine pan sauce $27

Shrimp stuffed blackened Spring Prairie chicken breast with boiled potatoes, zucchini noodles and a blue cheese sauce $20

.desserts.
Crȇpes with sweet potato and pecan filling $7

Raisin bread pudding with a Sailor Jerry’s rum sauce $7

November's Flavor of the Month - Purveyor's Dinner

The HoDo uses products from local growers whenever possible, a practice that ensures quality and provides a distinct sense of place. Join us on Wedneday, "Mo"vember 19th at 6 p.m. for an evening with a handful of these growers. You’ll enjoy a five course meal (menu below) prepared from their products and hear remarks from each. Featured growers: Brad Hersch of Whiskey Creek Bison, Renee Gopal of Echo Lake Farm, Noreen and Evan Thomas of Doubting Thomas Farms, and Dick, Dick and Linda of Bethany Farm. We appreciate their commitment to quality and we believe you will, too.

Call 701.478.1000 for reservations. The cost is $35/person.

***

Menu

Lyonnaise Salad
Frisee greens, bacon, croutons & a poached egg

Bison Carpaccio
Seared bison drizzled with olive oil &
served with red onions, hard cooked eggs & capers

Braised Beef & Pork Ravioli
Braised beef & pork in spinach pasta tossed with mushrooms,
finished with gremolata

Lamb Chop
Grilled lamb chop served with smoked chicken risotto & baby carrots,
finished with port wine demi glace

Squash & Cranberry Bread Pudding
Topped with crème anglaise

August's Flavor of the Month - Sushi Night

Contemporary sushi preparation is a Japanese style of cuisine dating back as far as the late 1700s. Its worldwide popularity can be attributed to complex flavors and versatility with ingredients, the latter allowing skilled chefs to make one-of-a-kind dishes in a style all their own.

Tonight, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., our own foray into sushi will offer a solid representation of this delicate art, good for a sushi eater of any stripe. Call 478.8888 for reservations.

.small plates.
Miso Soup - cup $2 bowl $4
Edamame $4
Octopus Salad $4
Radish Salad $3

.rolls.
$11 each

Eel & Avocado - Eel, avocado & cucumber

Tuna Roll - Asparagus, roasted red peppers & tuna

California Crab - Crab, carrots, cucumber & avocado

Spicy Tuna - Jalapenos, cream cheese & spicy tuna

Mixed Roll - Red snapper, tuna & salmon

Fried Tofu Roll - Cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, daikon radish & fried tofu

Salmon & Mango Roll - Mangoes & salmon

Fried Roll - Cream cheese, jalapenos & roasted red peppers

.dessert.
Green tea ice cream with fresh fruit

July's Flavor of the Month - France

Imagine the streets of Paris - lively cafes, elegant bistros and a fromagerie on every block. Whether it's a brie panini in the Luxembourg Gardens or a five-course sauce lesson on plates along the Left Bank, the French have a legendary passion for their food, and we're happy to be bringing a taste of that to July's Flavor of the Month.

Voulez-vous manger a la Francais? Please call ahead for reservations at 478.8888. The menu will be available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

June's Flavor of the Month - Danish Night

Be sure to join us for Danish Night, the latest in our monthly series of special dinners, on Friday, June 27th. Coinciding with the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival, we'll be celebrating Danish cuisine with a three course menu prepared by guest chef Stig Hansen and served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Musical guests Karisma Musik will also be on hand to play Scandinavian folk and jazz from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $40/person and includes music and the meal. Call 701.478.1000 for questions and reservations.

April's Flavor of the Month: Seghesio Winemaker's Dinner

Our Third Wednesday/Flavor of the Month feature for April is the Seghesio Winemaker's dinner. If you love wines and great food pairings, then you want to be here tomorrow night. Edd Lopez of Seghesio Wines will be on hand to offer insider tasting tips and a bird's eye view of the craft of winemaking. On top of that, we've put together a monster menu to compliment these great wines. You can see the menu here.

Don't miss this opportunity! The fun gets started at 5:30 p.m. Please call 701.478.8888 for reservations.

Italian night!

Mambo Italiano! For your Third Wednesday consideration this evening, we've prepared anItalian menu that will put the clams in your linguine. Call us at 701.478.1000 for reservations and to hear about the menu.

Ciao!