Eat This: New Summer Menu Items
Last week two Hutchinson restaurants rolled out new menu items. Summer's coming, vegetables are fresh, and people are looking for lighter fare. Both Jillian's and The W have added new, seasonal items to their menu that will satisfy your craving for something fresh and different.
Change has been underfoot at Jillian's for a while. After months of planning, their outdoor patio will open tonight. I've heard the owners and staff talking about upcoming menu and wine list changes, which I've been greatly anticipating. Last Thursday, I stopped in for dinner, and to my delight, they happened to be rolling out their new menu items!
As far as I can remember, Jillian's has added 1 appetizer and 3 entrees to their menu. During the first Taste of Hutchinson event last fall, Jillian's concocted a 4-cheese stuffed toasted ravioli. The dish went over so well it earned a spot on the appetizer list.
The new entrees are very diverse. Eggplant Parmesan is the newest in the pasta lineup. The other two items are the chicken picatta and the ahi tuna. Both of these are priced at $16. I didn't get the opportunity to try the picatta, but from what I saw on other diners' plates, it looked pretty good. This dish is traditionally lightly battered and dressed with a lemon-butter-white wine sauce, capers and parsley. I'm not sure if Jillian's has a special twist, but it's worth looking into.
After weeks of craving good seafood, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the ahi tuna. The flavors in this dish is spot-on and the presentation is very nice. The tuna is crusted in poppy seeds, brown mustard seeds and sesame seeds, seared and served sliced over a wasabi cream with extra wasabi on the side. My tuna was beautifully rare, and the nutty crunch of the sesame and mustard was a great contrast to the sinus burn of the wasabi. The wasabi cream had that great horseradish kick, but wasn't overwhelming. It was served with a side of grilled vegetables that included slices of carrots, yellow squash and zucchini. The portion was small-ish - great for a light summer dinner.
The new wine list is supposed to debut today. I asked the bartender, Rob, for some clues about what it will contain. He indicated that the new wines were all reds - not exactly my idea of summer beverages, but appropriate for Jillian's menu. I got the opportunity to try a glass of a new Argentine Malbec that will be on the list. For those of you not familiar with Malbec, it's a French varietal that has done incredibly well in South America, especially in the Mendoza region of Argentina. In France it is often blended, but in South America it is increasingly bottled alone. Malbecs are heavy on tannins and tend to be more earthy than most Cabernet Sauvignons. It makes for a decent pairing with the tuna - a robust wine that can hold its own against sesame, mustard and wasabi.
The W's menu has been in motion since they opened Last November. They may finally have hit on their niche. The W has contracted with a seafood distributor and has added tons of fresh fish to the menu. Their fried chicken dinner now comes with the option of fried catfish. They offer shrimp and fish ceviche, catch of the day, king crab legs, raw oysters on the half shell, fish tacos and shrimp scampi.
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to try the fish tacos. The tacos were full of fish - no skimping here! The fish was fried and dressed with slaw and a spicy mayo-based sauce on yellow corn tortillas. They were very tasty and a bargain at $11. The tortillas were a little on the stale side, but packaged corn tortillas tend to be stale or they disintegrate the minute they see sauce. I'd rather have a stale corn tortilla than flour tortilla on my fish tacos.
In addition to the new seafood selections, The W has also added a cannelini dip (like Hummus made from white beans), a smoked chicken pasta and Philly cheese sandiwiches four ways - steak, chicken, shrimp or vegetarian. While there on Friday, Brian, the owner, brought me a sample (which turned out to be an appetizer-sized portion) of the smoked chicken pasta. Smoked chicken provides a rich flavor that is complemented by the brightness of rosted red peppers, the bite of arugula and the tang of capers. It's all lightly dressed with a butter sauce. This is a great dish that will satisfy your hunger for something new that shows off the flavors of summer.
The W has also started some ventures to help the home cook. The W At Home is a service where the restaurant provides fully prepared gourmet meals that you warm up at home. The "W"harf is their new wholesale fish service. I've been told that they can order you almost anything that swims and all the critters that live at the bottom of the sea too. If you're interested in either one of these services, they have a full list of the at home dishes and fishes and are ready to take orders. You can give them a call at 620-665-TheW.
Tonight's Third Thursday. I know you're hungry. Both Jillian's and The W are in the heart of downtown Hutchinson and a stop at either location (or both!) tonight will round out your Third Thursday experience.
Change has been underfoot at Jillian's for a while. After months of planning, their outdoor patio will open tonight. I've heard the owners and staff talking about upcoming menu and wine list changes, which I've been greatly anticipating. Last Thursday, I stopped in for dinner, and to my delight, they happened to be rolling out their new menu items!
As far as I can remember, Jillian's has added 1 appetizer and 3 entrees to their menu. During the first Taste of Hutchinson event last fall, Jillian's concocted a 4-cheese stuffed toasted ravioli. The dish went over so well it earned a spot on the appetizer list.
The new entrees are very diverse. Eggplant Parmesan is the newest in the pasta lineup. The other two items are the chicken picatta and the ahi tuna. Both of these are priced at $16. I didn't get the opportunity to try the picatta, but from what I saw on other diners' plates, it looked pretty good. This dish is traditionally lightly battered and dressed with a lemon-butter-white wine sauce, capers and parsley. I'm not sure if Jillian's has a special twist, but it's worth looking into.
After weeks of craving good seafood, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the ahi tuna. The flavors in this dish is spot-on and the presentation is very nice. The tuna is crusted in poppy seeds, brown mustard seeds and sesame seeds, seared and served sliced over a wasabi cream with extra wasabi on the side. My tuna was beautifully rare, and the nutty crunch of the sesame and mustard was a great contrast to the sinus burn of the wasabi. The wasabi cream had that great horseradish kick, but wasn't overwhelming. It was served with a side of grilled vegetables that included slices of carrots, yellow squash and zucchini. The portion was small-ish - great for a light summer dinner.
The new wine list is supposed to debut today. I asked the bartender, Rob, for some clues about what it will contain. He indicated that the new wines were all reds - not exactly my idea of summer beverages, but appropriate for Jillian's menu. I got the opportunity to try a glass of a new Argentine Malbec that will be on the list. For those of you not familiar with Malbec, it's a French varietal that has done incredibly well in South America, especially in the Mendoza region of Argentina. In France it is often blended, but in South America it is increasingly bottled alone. Malbecs are heavy on tannins and tend to be more earthy than most Cabernet Sauvignons. It makes for a decent pairing with the tuna - a robust wine that can hold its own against sesame, mustard and wasabi.
The W's menu has been in motion since they opened Last November. They may finally have hit on their niche. The W has contracted with a seafood distributor and has added tons of fresh fish to the menu. Their fried chicken dinner now comes with the option of fried catfish. They offer shrimp and fish ceviche, catch of the day, king crab legs, raw oysters on the half shell, fish tacos and shrimp scampi.
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to try the fish tacos. The tacos were full of fish - no skimping here! The fish was fried and dressed with slaw and a spicy mayo-based sauce on yellow corn tortillas. They were very tasty and a bargain at $11. The tortillas were a little on the stale side, but packaged corn tortillas tend to be stale or they disintegrate the minute they see sauce. I'd rather have a stale corn tortilla than flour tortilla on my fish tacos.
In addition to the new seafood selections, The W has also added a cannelini dip (like Hummus made from white beans), a smoked chicken pasta and Philly cheese sandiwiches four ways - steak, chicken, shrimp or vegetarian. While there on Friday, Brian, the owner, brought me a sample (which turned out to be an appetizer-sized portion) of the smoked chicken pasta. Smoked chicken provides a rich flavor that is complemented by the brightness of rosted red peppers, the bite of arugula and the tang of capers. It's all lightly dressed with a butter sauce. This is a great dish that will satisfy your hunger for something new that shows off the flavors of summer.
The W has also started some ventures to help the home cook. The W At Home is a service where the restaurant provides fully prepared gourmet meals that you warm up at home. The "W"harf is their new wholesale fish service. I've been told that they can order you almost anything that swims and all the critters that live at the bottom of the sea too. If you're interested in either one of these services, they have a full list of the at home dishes and fishes and are ready to take orders. You can give them a call at 620-665-TheW.
Tonight's Third Thursday. I know you're hungry. Both Jillian's and The W are in the heart of downtown Hutchinson and a stop at either location (or both!) tonight will round out your Third Thursday experience.
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