ahlam1399
02-02-2019, 10:24 PM
Chef Christina Simonitsch has done it again! The talented principal of Simo’s Bread & Catering had the first iteration of her pop-up restaurant Simo’s last weekend. Over the course of two days (Friday and Saturday), 50 guests noshed on tapas “ la Simo style†and quaffed well-crafted cocktails on the retrofitted poolside lanai of her Montego Bay home. Simonitsch, whose catering company turns three this year, is no stranger to innovation. In addition to running a successful catering company, she has a line of condiments and flavoured salts, supplies a number of shops with baked goods and now, from the looks of the first weekend, a successful restaurant pop-up.
A lot of thought has gone into this seemingly casual bote; calling this a backyard restaurant is a gross understatement. The lighting, the music, the well-lit garden path that guests walk along, the amiable servers, the rustic-chic dcor — the elements work together to create an experience that is special. Upon entering Simo’s there’s a wall of photos of her hotelier father Heinz Simonitsch meeting famous guests that he’s hosted at Half Moon. This dedication to her father is more than just a conversation piece; it’s an indicia of the tradition of excellence that the Simonitsch name represents. And this tradition is Simo’s lodestar.
The menu is comprised of 24 seasonal items in four categories — vegetarian, fish, meat and desserts. Out of the eight vegetarian options, five are vegan and from the swooning expression on the face of diners the sweet pepper fig peperonata and raw butternut, kale and walnut salad are sure to please. Simonitsch goes to lengths to ensure that, where possible, only local ingredients are used. This commitment has resulted in the use of local oyster mushrooms to create a flawless risotto.
The first bite of the jerk porchetta is a Damascene experience. Was that the voice of an angel or just the crunch of perfectly crispy crackling? The plantain pure (yes, there is such a thing) adds just enough earthy sweetness to complement the jerk and citrus notes of the tender piece of meat. The charcuterie board is whimsical and shows the chef’s playful side. A clothesline of meat is secured by miniature clothespins and is served alongside house-marinated olives, cheeses, home-made focaccia and baguette crisps. If you’re lucky you may score a bit of foie gras.
Seafood options include oysters topped with apple-fennel sorbet, whole salt-baked snapper, charred octopus tacos and a seafood stew. Although intended to be shared, the portions at Simo’s are generous. For dessert, guests have options that range from tiramisu to a citrus salad with toasted almonds and pink grapefruit sorbet. To wash all this delicious food down are amazing wines from Rosh Marketing and Select Brands, a bubbly cart from which diners can get flutes of Champagne and Cava, and well-crafted cocktails.
The simplicity of the passionfruit margarita is what makes it divine. Fresh passion fruit, tequila and lime juice get an added oomph from Simonitsch’s Scotch bonnet salt that is used to rim the glasses. The watermelon mint martini is fresh on the mouth and the MoBay Mule is a creative take on the traditional Moscow Mule and subs vodka for Appleton Estate Reserve; the addition of fresh rosemary takes it to another level.
Adding to the appeal of the pop-up is the fact that it’s occasional — the next two Simo’s pop-ups are this weekend and then Valentine’s. Simonitsch loves catering too much to give it up but gets to flex her restaurateur muscles every now and again. And for this, Thursday Food is grateful.
Source link (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/thursday-life-food/a-pop-up-la-simo-style_155870?profile=1469)
More (http://ahlam1399.i234.me:8888/m/2019/02/02/a-pop-up-la-simo-style-2/)
A lot of thought has gone into this seemingly casual bote; calling this a backyard restaurant is a gross understatement. The lighting, the music, the well-lit garden path that guests walk along, the amiable servers, the rustic-chic dcor — the elements work together to create an experience that is special. Upon entering Simo’s there’s a wall of photos of her hotelier father Heinz Simonitsch meeting famous guests that he’s hosted at Half Moon. This dedication to her father is more than just a conversation piece; it’s an indicia of the tradition of excellence that the Simonitsch name represents. And this tradition is Simo’s lodestar.
The menu is comprised of 24 seasonal items in four categories — vegetarian, fish, meat and desserts. Out of the eight vegetarian options, five are vegan and from the swooning expression on the face of diners the sweet pepper fig peperonata and raw butternut, kale and walnut salad are sure to please. Simonitsch goes to lengths to ensure that, where possible, only local ingredients are used. This commitment has resulted in the use of local oyster mushrooms to create a flawless risotto.
The first bite of the jerk porchetta is a Damascene experience. Was that the voice of an angel or just the crunch of perfectly crispy crackling? The plantain pure (yes, there is such a thing) adds just enough earthy sweetness to complement the jerk and citrus notes of the tender piece of meat. The charcuterie board is whimsical and shows the chef’s playful side. A clothesline of meat is secured by miniature clothespins and is served alongside house-marinated olives, cheeses, home-made focaccia and baguette crisps. If you’re lucky you may score a bit of foie gras.
Seafood options include oysters topped with apple-fennel sorbet, whole salt-baked snapper, charred octopus tacos and a seafood stew. Although intended to be shared, the portions at Simo’s are generous. For dessert, guests have options that range from tiramisu to a citrus salad with toasted almonds and pink grapefruit sorbet. To wash all this delicious food down are amazing wines from Rosh Marketing and Select Brands, a bubbly cart from which diners can get flutes of Champagne and Cava, and well-crafted cocktails.
The simplicity of the passionfruit margarita is what makes it divine. Fresh passion fruit, tequila and lime juice get an added oomph from Simonitsch’s Scotch bonnet salt that is used to rim the glasses. The watermelon mint martini is fresh on the mouth and the MoBay Mule is a creative take on the traditional Moscow Mule and subs vodka for Appleton Estate Reserve; the addition of fresh rosemary takes it to another level.
Adding to the appeal of the pop-up is the fact that it’s occasional — the next two Simo’s pop-ups are this weekend and then Valentine’s. Simonitsch loves catering too much to give it up but gets to flex her restaurateur muscles every now and again. And for this, Thursday Food is grateful.
Source link (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/thursday-life-food/a-pop-up-la-simo-style_155870?profile=1469)
More (http://ahlam1399.i234.me:8888/m/2019/02/02/a-pop-up-la-simo-style-2/)