Featuring through May: Lands of Spice

May 16  – 20:  Featuring “Lands of Spice” 

 

Welcome back to the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.

What’s Happening ~  News from the Garden,  Sweet improvements at the Rhody Too Gallery, Specials for the Week!
We continue to   harvest Salad Greens out of our greenhouse and garden!  We are combining our greens with fresh basil, cilantro, and mint in our Thai Beef Salad. Yumm!  We are also harvesting rhubarb, perenial herbs, and some radishes and carrots.  Come in and enjoy our spring harvest!!

 

If you havent wandered around the Gallery lately -  we invite you to do so ~  along with some incredible local artwork and gifts and cards from around the world we have made some nice changes on the outside with a new front porch and trellis for hanging art and some nice changes to the garden.  Drop by and check it out!

 

This Week We are featuring dishes from Mexico, Thailand, India, China, and Argentina.
Did you know we feature Paella all year long as one of our stationary menu items -  and further more for something special we also always offer our famous “Paella Dinner for Two” – which includes a daily tapa plate and a generous Seafood Paella for Two with housemade chorizo and chicken ~ and a special dessert selection to boot ~ all for $55.   We also have Sagria available to complete the experience.
Our local cheeses this week are: Gothberg Chevre , Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery’s Lavender Cheddar.

 

A note about our regular menu…… Along with our Paella on our regular menu ~  also available lunch and dinner are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!
The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm Don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her  very unique originals. ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables

Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew  

Lands of Spice: Week 3  -  May 16  ~  May 20

Lunch Specials:

Bacon-Swiss Burger  ~ Lean organic beef on our house made sesame bun

Torta Ahogado ~ A specialty of Guadalajara This pulled pork sandwich is smothered with a zesty tomato sauce  

Chuckanut Cheese Plate :  Featuring our three local (Bow) Cheese producers ~ Gothberg Chevre, Samish Bay Ladysmith, & Golden Glen  Lavender Cheddar ~ paired with sliced Washington Fuji apple, fruit chutney, house made crackers

Thai Beef Salad ~ Marinated & Grilled Beef with Rhody mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, red onion and Thai vinaigrette

Dinner Specials:

Gaucho Steak ~ Grilled New York strip loin with Argentinian Chimichuri sauce

Thai Fish in Banana Leaf with lemongrass & ginger  served with Jade Rice

Cascadia Mushrooms with Quinoa, asparagus, and roasted garlic cream

Chinese Five Spice Duck Breast with gingered garden rhubarb compote

Saturday & Sunday Brunch  May 17 & 18 

Curried Shrimp Benedict  house made English muffin and curried hollandaise

Bacon, Spinach, Swiss Cheese Scramble with toast and roasted potatoes

Coconut Waffle with Bananas & Ginger Butter

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May 9th – May 13th Featuring “Lands of Spice” & Special Mother’s Day Menu

 Thanks for being part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.

What’s Happening ~  Mother’s Day Rezzies,  Our Garden is Blooming!,  Special Sale at Rhody Too Gallery next door!

Mother’s Day is May 13th -  and as many of you know – this is  a very busy day for most restaurants and making a reservation early is highly recommended.  As with other holidays we do take reservations for parties of 2 or more -  so give us a call Wednesday – Sunday during our regular hours and take mom or your special someone out for a treat. We do NOT take reservations on line so please call to set up your reservation.  We will be serving Mother’s Day Brunch from 9am to 3pm and Dinner after that until closing.  Thanks!!


We are excited to be harvesting Salad Greens out of our greenhouse and garden!  We have a couple of great salad specials to offer featuring our own greens.  We also love seeing all the perenial herbs coming back to join the steadfast herbs like rosemary and sage – we are getting lots of oregano, thyme, lemon verbena, mint, and sorrel.   Carrots and Italian parsley are on the way and lots of starts almost ready to go in the ground!  Come in and enjoy our spring harvest!!

This Week We are featuring dishes from Brazil, Thailand, India, and Indonesia!


Did you know we feature Paella all year long as one of our stationary menu items -  and further more for something special we also always offer our famous “Paella Dinner for Two” – which includes a daily tapa plate and a generous Seafood Paella for Two with housemade chorizo and chicken ~ and a special dessert selection to boot ~ all for $55.   We also have Sagria available to complete the experience.


Next Month through May we will be featuring “Lands of Spice”  Which is alot of fun trying cuisines from East Asia, India, South America, and Africa. Our local cheeses this week are: Gothberg Chevre and Woman of LaMancha, Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery’s Gouda. A note about our regular menu…… Along with our Paella on our regular menu ~  also available lunch and dinner are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!
The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm Special Mother’s Day Sale: through Mother’s Day: 20% off all Jewelery in the Gallery! Find something special for your Mom or Special someone ! ….and don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her  very unique originals. ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables

Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

 
Lands of Spice: Week 2-  May 9 ~  May 13(Mother’s Day)

 Lunch Specials: Chuckanut Cheese Plate ~ Assorted Local cheeses, chutney, Fuji apple, and house made sesame crackers

Thai Chicken Sandwich with Peanut Sauce

Salad Trio: Mixed Greens with Coconut Chicken and mango chutney vinaigrette, Curried Orzo Salad, and Indonesian Gado Gado ~ veggies with peanut sauce

Dinner Specials: Vatapa ~ Brazilian Seafood Stew with coconut milk, ginger, cilantro, tomato, & cashews featuring assorted seafood and served with jasmine rice

Golden Star Curry ~ lemon grass-ginger coconut curry: fresh veggies with choice of ~ tofu, coconut chicken, or prawns; served on Jasmine Rice

Grilled New York strip loin with Cabrales, caramelized onions, and demi glace

Brunch Specials for Saturday May 12th —

(see Mother’s Day Menu for Sunday, May 13th)

Eggs Florentine with sautéed spinach, house made English muffin, hollandaise

French Omelette with Chevre, tomato, & olive relish Sour cream Waffle with bananas, lemon butter, and maple syrup

Mother’s Day Brunch Menu

Sunday   May 13, 2012

Classic Eggs Benedict  Grilled Black Forest hamandpoachedorganic  eggs on house made English muffin with fresh made hollandaisesauce;  served with oven roasted potatoes.   $12

Dungeness Crab Benedict     Fresh Dungeness Crab on house made English muffin with poached organic eggs and  topped with our fresh made hollandaise;   served with oven roasted potatoes.    $15

French Omelette       3 egg Omelette filled with French chevre, diced tomatoes, and  olive relish;   served with toast and oven roasted potatoes.     $11

Don’s  Scramble  with Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and provolone cheese ; served with oven roasted potatoes and homemade toast.    $12
Finnish Pancake ~ A favorite at the Rhody – this oven baked “custardy pancake” with ricotta cheese is served with Marion berries and pure maple syrup  $9.50 Try it with a side of Black Forest ham, Thick sliced bacon or Italian sausage for $3.75

Sour cream Waffle  served with fresh strawberries, lemon butter,  &pure maple syrup    $9.50 Try it with a side of Black Forest ham, Thick sliced bacon or Italian sausage for $3.75

Gambas Pil Pil    From the Basque country of Spain -  Prawns sautéed with tomato, sherry, garlic, and chilies;  served with saffron Rice and grilled asparagus  $21

Mixed Greens with Coconut Chicken ~  Organic greens with breast of chicken in a coconut-citrus marinade tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and a  mango chutney vinaigrette  $18

Cascadia Mushrooms with Quinoa     Creamy mushroom Ragout with shiitake, portabella, and oyster mushrooms served on quinoa with asparagus    $18        Start out with a mixed green salad ~  $5

Roast Pork Loin    marinated with ginger, orange, and garlic  served with house chutney, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and  fresh asparagus  $20        Mixed Green Salad $5  

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Through May ~ “Lands of Spice”

May 2nd ~ May 6th Featuring Foods from South and Central America, India, South East Asia, and Africa.through May!

Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.

What’s Happening ~  Mother’s Day Rezzies,  Heads up on our Month’s Featured Cuisine, Special Sale at Rhody Too Gallery next door!

Mother’s Day is May 13th -  and as many of you know – this is  a very busy day for most restaurants and making a reservation early is highly recommended.  As with other holidays we do take reservations for parties of 2 or more -  so give us a call Wednesday – Sunday during our regular hours and take mom or your special someone out for a treat.

We do NOT take reservations on line so please call to set up your reservation.  We will be serving Mother’s Day Brunch from 9am to 3pm and Dinner after that until closing.  Thanks!!

So a little about “Lands of Spice” ~  Well first of all -  Spice does not necessarily mean Hot!  When exploring the foods from such areas as South and Central America, India, South East Asia, and Africa -  one can certainly encounter spicey (as in caliente) foods.  But it can also be spice mixtures that create a complex – some would say exotic sensation on the palate.  We endeavor to recreate authentic dishes from the cuisines we explore (with some creative lisence) but we also have our American palates in mind and very rarely create dishes that are spicey to the point of painfulness.  Some dishes actually be available to be tweaked to your hot button  – and can be prepared mild to hot.  This is a fun month with lots of exotic ingredients and flavors. We hope you will explore this romp around the Globe and discover the lands of spice with us.
Did you know we feature Paella all year long as one of our stationary menu items -  and further more for something special we also always offer our famous “Paella Dinner for Two” – which includes a daily tapa plate and a generous Seafood Paella for Two with housemade chorizo and chicken ~ and a special dessert selection to boot ~ all for $55.   We also have Sagria available to complete the experience.

 

Next Month through May we will be featuring “Lands of Spice”  Which is alot of fun trying cuisines from East Asia, India, South America, and Africa. Our local cheeses this week are: Gothberg Chevre and Woman of LaMancha, Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery’s Gouda.

 

A note about our regular menu…… Along with our Paella on our regular menu ~  also available lunch and dinner are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!
The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm Special Mother’s Day Sale: through Mother’s Day: 20% off all Jewelery in the Gallery! Find something special for your Mom or Special someone ! ….and don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her  very unique originals. ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables
Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew 

Lands of Spice: Week 1:  May 2  ~  May 6, 2012

Lunch Specials: Chuckanut Cheese Plate ~ Assorted cheeses, chutney, Fuji apple, and crackers

Thai Chicken Sandwich with Peanut Sauce

Salad Special:  Mixed Greens with Coconut Chicken, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and a mango chutney vinaigrette

Dinner Specials:

Roast Duck Breast with mango, ginger, and bell pepper;  Jasmine Rice

Tom Yam Kung ~ Thai Seafood Stew with lemongrass, ginger, assorted seafood

Golden Star Curry ~ lemon grass-ginger curry with fresh veggies in a coconut-orange juice sauté; served on Jasmine Rice

Grilled New York strip loin with Cabrales, caramelized onions, and demi glace

Saturday & Sunday Brunch ~ May 5 & 6

Eggs Julia ~ Shrimp & asparagus on English muffin topped with organic poached eggs & hollandaise

Chorizo Scramble ~  with tomato, onions, fried corn tortilla strips, and avacado

Pina Colada French Toast with coconut-pineapple batter. sliced banana, and Pure Maple Syrup

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Last Week of Spain & Portugal

April 25  -  29  ~

Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.
Well the Tulips are out and it has been great to see so many out enjoying the weather and all the beauty that Skagit Valley has to offer.  We are also looking forward to Mother’s Day on May 13th -  and as many of you know – this is  a very busy day for most restaurants and making a reservation early is highly recommended.  As with other holidays we do take reservations for parties of 2 or more -  so give us a call Wednesday – Sunday during our regular hours and take mom or your special someone out for a treat. We do NOT take reservations on line so please call to set up you time.  We will be serving Mother’s Day Brunch from 9am to 3pm and Dinner after that until closing.  Thanks!!
Yes ~ We are featuring the Cooking of Spain and Portugal through the month of April -  but did you know we feature Paella all year long as one of our stationary menu items -  and further more for something special we also always offer our famous “Paella Dinner for Two” – which includes a daily tapa plate and a generous Seafood Paella for Two with housemade chorizo and chicken ~ and a special dessert selection to boot ~ all for $55.   We also have Sagria available to complete the experience.
Next Month through May we will be featuring “Lands of Spice”  Which is alot of fun trying cuisines from East Asia, India, South America, and Africa. Our local cheeses this week are: Gothberg Chevre and Woman of LaMancha, Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery’s Gouda.

 

A note about our regular menu…… Along with our Paella on our regular menu ~  also available lunch and dinner are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!
The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings ….and don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her  very unique originals. ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables
Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew
Spain & Portugal: Week 4-  April 25 – 29, 2012


Lunch Specials: Prego no Pao ~Portuguese Garlic Steak Sandwich w/ onions, peppers, red wine

Veggie Bocadillo  ~ Grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, romesco & Gothberg Chevre

Portuguese Inspired Oyster Sandwich with Chourico, garlic, peppers, cream

Chuckanut Cheese Plate ~ Gothberg “Lady of La Mancha”, Samish Bay Ladysmith,  & Golden Glen Creamery Gouda ~ with Fuji apple, and house chutney

Dinner Specials:

* Tapas Trio ~  a selection of three different tapas for a real Spanish taste treat!

Grilled New York Strip Loin with Spanish Cabrales blue cheese and caramelized onions

Gambas Pil Pil  – Basque Prawns with sherry, garlic, chilies, & lemon; saffron rice

Costeletas de carneiro Escondidinho (Portuguese Lamb Chops with Port, Mustard, & Cream) served with roasted garlic mashers & fresh vegetable

Veggie Paella ~  Vegetarian version of our Spanish Paella with asparagus, peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, in a flavorful stock with saffron rice

Week 4  Saturday & Sunday -  April 28th & 29th

Poached Eggs with Dry Cured Ham, Romesco hollandaise on house made English muffin

Piperada—Basque Frittata with peppers, ham, chorizo, peas ~ served with roasted potatoes and toast

Finnish Pancake ~ oven baked “custardy” pancake with Marion berries and maple syrup

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April 2012 ~ The Cooking of Spain & Portugal

Third Week of April ~ Featuring Spain & Portugal

Thanks for visiting the Rhododendron Cafe ! We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.

Yes ~ We are featuring the Cooking of Spain and Portugal through the month of April – but did you know we feature Paella all year long as one of our stationary menu items – and further more for something special we also always offer our famous “Paella Dinner for Two” – which includes a daily tapa plate and a generous Seafood Paella for Two with housemade chorizo and chicken ~ and a special dessert selection to boot ~ all for $55. We also have Sagria available to complete the experience.

The great thing about this month ~ you will really get a chance to explore other elements of this very special part of our culinary world. Spanish restaurants and even more so Portuguese restaurants are few an far between in this country – especially compared to Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and even Thai and Vietnamese.

This is pretty amazing considering the most cutting edge cooking has been taking place in Spain over the last 10 plus years. Google “El Bulli” if you want to see what one the world’s most famous chefs has been up to over the years.

In any case – We are always proud to feature the food of these 2 countries as they both have unique flavor principals which make the cuisines standout on their own merits. Granted the influence of France from the North and the Moorish influence from North Africa play into many dishes – both Spain and Portugal have their own unique cuisines. Whether for Lunch, Brunch, or Dinner – you will find some truely wonderful dishes from the “Iberian Penninsula”

Along with cheeses from our neighboring cheesemakers we are enjoying playing with imported Cabrales (Spanish Blue Cheese from Asturias), Spanish Manchego and also imported Serrano dry cured ham.

Our local cheeses this week are: Gothberg Chevre and Woman of LaMancha, Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery’s Gouda.

A note about our regular menu……

We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close ~ Wednesday – Sunday. Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns. Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!

The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm

New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings

….and don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her very unique originals.

~ Come in and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables

Read on for this week’s specials ~ We look forward to seeing you in!

Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

Spain & Portugal:

Week 3- April 18 – 22, 2012

Lunch Specials:

Prego no Pao ~Portuguese Garlic Steak Sandwich w/ onions, peppers, red wine

Veggie Bocadillo ~ Grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, romesco &

Gothberg Chevre

Chorizo y Pimiento Bocadillo ~ house made chorizo, roasted peppers,

manchego, & romesco

Chuckanut Cheese Plate Gothberg “Woman of La Mancha”, Golden Glen Creamery Gouda, Samish Bay Ladysmith ~ with Fuji apple, and house chutney

Dinner Specials:

Tapas Trio ~ a selection of three different tapas for a real Spanish taste treat!

Pato a la Sevillana ~ Classic duck dish from southern Spain – Roast duck breast finished with sherry, oranges, and green olives, with saffron rice

Amejoas na Cataplana—Portuguese steamed clams with chourico sausage, tomato, garlic; served with saffron rice

Bife’ a Cebolada ~ grilled New York topped with caramelized onions, tomato, & port ~ served with roasted garlic mashers and fresh vegetable

Couscous con Setas y Ajo ~ Cascadia Mushrooms and grilled veggies with garlic and sherry wine sauce, served over couscous

Saturday & Sunday Brunch (served 9am – 3pm) ~ April 21st & 22nd

Portugal: Migas con Chourico, seared peppers, and fried eggs

Sofrito Scramble with shrimp, Spanish sofrito, & manchego cheese

Filloas – From Asturias~Light Crepes filled with sauteed apples and served with crème fraiche & cinnamon syrup

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Featuring the Cooking of Spain & Portugal

Second Week of April ~ Featuring Spain & Portugal


Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter ! We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.

Well It finally feels like Spring has arrived in the Northwest! A beautiful Easter weekend and great to see lots of people out plying the Drive and I am sure out visiting the Daffodil and Tulip fields. The next two weeks should be prime for “flower viewing”. There have also been some awesome sunsets and if you are up by 6:15 some great “Moon Sets” in the mornings.
We are excited about getting the garden planted and in shape as well. We are so glad we have a green house – with the cold temps the last couple of months. We have been picking salad greens the last couple of weeks – lettuces in the green house and kales, mustards, arugula, etc in the garden. We missed having them and it is great having them back in the kitchen.
Lots of great dishes from Spain and Portugal – one of my favorites is “Zarzuela” which is named after a type of Spanish operetta – I like to think of it as symphony of seafood – A Catalan seafood stew with a variety of seafood in a unique broth flavored with tomato, garlic, sherry, and brandy.
Along with cheeses from our neighboring cheesemakers we are enjoying playing with imported Cabrales (Spanish Blue Cheese from Asturias) and also imported Serrano dry cured ham.

A note about our regular menu……
We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close ~ Wednesday – Sunday. Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns. Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!

The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm
New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings
….and don’t forget about our own Hailey who is not only a member of our waitstaff but an amazing artist – and she now has a selection of prints available as well as exhibing some of her very unique originals.
~ Come in and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables

Read on for this week’s specials ~ We look forward to seeing you in!
Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

Spain & Portugal:
Week 2- April 11 – 15

Lunch Specials:
Cabrales Burger ~organic ground beef with Spanish Cabrales blue cheese
Veggie Bocadillo ~ Grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, romesco & Manchego
Spanish Bocadillo~ Serrano Ham, roasted peppers, manchego, & romesco
Mixed Organic Greens Gothberg Chevre, golden raisins, Fugi apple, toasted almonds, and sherry vinaigrette ~ served with crostini
Dinner Specials:
Steamed Clams & Mussels with chorizo, garlic, and tomato
Solomillo~ Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cabrales Cream
Zarzuela~ Named after a Spanish Operetta – This Spanish seafood stew is flavored with tomato, garlic, sherry, & brandy with a variety of seafood
Bife’ a Portuguesa~ grilled New York topped with red wine sauce with dry cured ham, tomato, garlic ~ served with roasted garlic mashers and fresh vegetable
Escalivada y Hongos ~ Grilled Veggies, Cascadia Mushrooms, topped with romesco sauce and served on saffron rice
Brunch Specials:Week 2 ~ Saturday & Sunday – April 14th & 15th
Eggs Valencia~ Organic eggs on saffron rice with shrimp, peas, &
saffron hollandaise
Asturian Omlette Caramelized onion, apple, and Cabrales Omelette
Torrijas – French Toast a la España in a sherry-cinnamon batter & served with cinnamon butter & syrup

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Spain & Portugal

First Week of April ~ Featuring Spain & Portugal

 Easter is this coming Sunday!  Sneak Peak at our menu…
Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients.
Well, lots to think about this week -  April is here and with it the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Easter Sunday (April 8th), and of course we are switching gears from American Regional Cooking to the Cooking of Spain and Portugal.  We hope the weather improves so we don’t all have to dodge raindrops to get out and see the splendor of the tulip fields in full color!  It’s worth it no matter what -  but we are overdue for some blue skies and sunshine in any case!  Along with our specials this week featuring the cooking of the Iberian Penninsula ~ We are gearing up for Easter Sunday – always  a popular family day out -  and one of the holidays we take reservations for parties of 2 or more – so call us at 360-766-6667 and come and join us.  Our Easter Brunch menu is below and we will be serving our popular Roast Pork Loin Dinner along with other specials for Easter Sunday Dinner.

A note about our regular menu…… We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close ~ Wednesday – Sunday.  Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!


The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables
Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

 
Week 1-  April 4 – 8, 2012

Lunch Specials:

Cabrales Burger ~organic ground beef with Spanish Cabrales blue cheese

Veggie Bocadillo  ~ Grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers, romesco & Manchego

Mixed Organic Greens   Gothberg Chevre, golden raisins, Fugi apple, toasted almonds, and sherry vinaigrette ~ served with crostini

Francesinha   Portuguese sandwich with grilled pork, linguica, thin sliced ham, and topped with jack cheese, and zesty port-tomato sauce

Dinner Specials:

Steamed Clams & Mussels with chorizo, garlic, and tomato

Solomillo~ Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cabrales Cream

Pescado Setubalense ~ Fresh Fish pan seared & finished with orange-wine sauce

Bitoque~ Portugal ~ grilled New York topped with fried egg & romesco sauce

Saffon Rice with Grilled Veggiesand Romesco Sauce
Brunch Specials:  Saturday April 7th ***** (See Easter Menu for Sunday, April 8th) 

Poached organic eggs   on dry cured ham, with romesco hollandaise on house made English muffin

Tortilla Español ( Spanish style potato frittata)  with Escalivada (grilled veggies) & P’amb Tomaquet (grilled  baguette with tomato & garlic)

Torrijas-  French Toast a la España in a sherry-cinnamon batter & served with cinnamon butter & syrup
Rhododendron Café Easter Brunch Menu

Sunday  April 8th,  2012

Entrees are served with Fresh Fruit and  Coffee Cake

Classic Eggs Benedict  Grilled Black Forest ham and poached eggs on an English muffin with house made hollandaise;  served with oven roasted potatoes  $12

Dungeness Benedict- Fresh Dungeness Crab on our house made English muffin, 2 poached eggs and fresh made hollandaise;  with oven roasted potatoes  $15

Don’s Omelette  Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers & provolone;  served with oven roasted potatoes and home made toast.  $11        Veggie Don’s with mushrooms for sausage  $11

Rhonda’s Scramble   bacon, avocado, tomato, & cheddar cheese;  with potatoes &  toast   $11

Finnish Oven Pancake   This Rhody Favorite is a “Custardy”Oven Baked Pancake with Ricotta Cheeseand isserved with Marion berries and pure Maple Syrup     $9 Try it with a side of Black Forest ham, Thick sliced bacon or Italian sausage for $3.50

Sour Cream Waffle  Served with praline butter, candied pecans, and  maple syrup   $9 Try it with a side of Black Forest ham, Thick sliced bacon or Italian sausage for $3.50

Frango Beira Alta ~    Named after one of Lisbon’s barrios ~ this Portuguese dish features a fresh breast chicken stuffed with dry cured ham, red onion, & Chevre ~ roasted and finished with a  Port cream sauce;  served with roasted new potatoes and fresh asparagus  $20

Roast Pork Loin Easter Dinner     Roasted with a sherry-mustard glaze & served with rhubarb-peach chutney; served on roasted garlic mashed potatoes with fresh asparagus $19

Gambas Pil Pil   This Basque dish from northern Spain features wild gulf prawns sauteed with onions, tomato, garlic, lemon, & sherry; served with saffron rice & fresh asparagus   $2o

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Specials for March 28th – April 1st 2012

Last Week of March ~ Featuring  “American Regional Cooking”
Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients. 

Well We are on our last week of March and American Regional Cooking ~ Sometimes I wish a month was a little longer to fit in more dishes before we move on -  but….. then again We are excited about revisiting the Iberian Penninsula ~ that is … Spain and Portugal. Did you know that the term Iberia has been used since about 500 BC and was originated by Greek geographers. Many of you know that Spain especially has a soft spot in my heart  -  so I am always excited about returning to this month.  Of course we have made Paella and our Paella for Two a permanent part of our menu -  but there is much more to the cuisines of this area  and that is what April will be all about.


 But back to this week -  We will continue to offer our Memphis Ribs  – as long as they last through the week  – if you havent tried them they are pretty special -  house smoked and served with our special house bbq sauce, roasted garlic mashers and maple cornbread. We are also happy to bring back our Chuckanut Cheese Plate – featuring our three Bow area cheesemakers.


 A note about our regular menu…… We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close – Wednesday – Sunday.  Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more.

The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables


 Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

 
American Regional Cooking: Week 5 -  March 28  ~ April   1

Lunch Specials:

Smoked BBQ Chicken Sandwich with caramelized onions on house Sesame Bun

Indian Fry Bread with Grilled Chicken, romaine, tomatoes, smoky tomato salsa

Chuckanut Cheese Plate ~ Gothberg Chevre, Samish Bay Ladysmith, and Golden Glen Creamery Basil Cheddar – highlight the plate with sliced apple and house chutney  -  accompanied by home made crackers

Dinner Specials:

Mess o’ Memphis Ribs with House BBQ, roasted garlic mashers, maple cornbread

Cajun Prawn Prawn Pasta -  mushrooms, garlic, dark beer, & Cajun spices

Grilled New York with Lemon Pepper & Rosemary, balsamic onions, and roasted garlic mashers

Chicken and Shiitake-Spinach Dumplings

Week 5  ~  March 31st & April 1st (no foolin’)

Eggs Commodore – English Muffin, Sausage, Bearnaise Sauce

Scramble Eggs with thick cut peppered bacon, grits, and biscuit

….and always on the last weekend of the month:

Our Famous Finnish Pancake ~  baked custardy pancake with Marion berries and maple syrup

 

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American Regional Cooking WK4

 March ~ Featuring  “American Regional Cooking”
Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter !  We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients. We want to apologize for the problems wewere having with our website  -  We have completely overhauled it to eliminate any more problems.   We hope you like the changes!  Thanks for your patience.
We continue on with American Regional Cooking and will continue to feature BBQ at Lunch and Dinner.  Also this week ~ we will offer our popular “High Desert Prawns with Chili-Corn Cakes and Vanilla-Chipotle Cream”.  We are getting in more exotic mushrooms from Cascadia Mushrooms and of course local oyster, mussels, and clams.
     A note about our regular menu…… We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close – Wednesday – Sunday.  Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns.  Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!

The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm New Show by LouAnn Knutzen ~ Floral Paintings ~  Come in  and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables
Read on for this week’s specials  ~   We look forward to seeing you in! Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew 

American Regional Cooking: Week 4 March 21—25

Lunch Specials:

 BBQ Pork Loin Sandwich with caramelized onions on house Sesame Bun

Chipotle-Chicken Caesar Wrap with romaine, parmesan, tomato

Ben’s Mushroom “Burger”  Roasted Shiitake & Oyster Mushrooms with spinach and provolone

 Salad Special:  Pan fried focaccia with arugula, roasted tomato, Gothberg Chevre, and sunflower seeds

Dinner Specials:

 High Desert Prawns ~ Chili corn cakes, tomato, vanilla-chipotle cream

Cascadia Mushroom Pasta ~ with locally raised shiitake & oyster mushrooms with Spring asparagus and a sherry-rosemary cream

Steak Oscar ~ Grilled Striploin with asparagus, Dungeness Crab, Bearnaise Sauce

Mess o’ Memphis Ribs with House BBQ sauce, skillet cornbread, & garlic mashers

Saturday & Sunday Brunch ~ March 24th & 25th

Fried Grits with poached eggs, sausage gravy and toast

Rhonda’s Omelette with bacon, avocado, tomato, & Provolone cheese

Sour Cream-Pecan Waffle with praline Butter & maple syrup

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American Regional Cooking

March ~ Featuring “American Regional Cooking”
and don’t forget about St. Paddy’s Day this Saturday (March 17th)

Thanks for being a part of the Rhododendron Cafe Newsletter ! We appreciate your support and endeavor to bring you high quality food using local, sustainable ingredients. We are fortunate to be in the heart of an area with so much abundance. This week we welcome back Gothberg Chevre – and will continue to feature the produce, cheese, shellfish, etc that is being produced by growers and farmers in our area. The fun thing at the Rhody is – that we get to take all these wonderful ingredients and work them into dishes from all around the country and cuisines around the world.
This month we are featuring American Regional Cooking and with the weather we are having we are happy to have some hearty fare on this week’s specials.
Oyster & Andouille Stew – featuring local Samish Bay oysters and house smoked andouille sausage. Gumbo is another great cold weather stew this wee featuring grilled cajun style chicken & house made Charice sausage.

To Celebrate St Patrick’s Day we have some “Special” Specials …… of course Corned Beef and Cabbage with all the trimmings including Irish Soda Bread! also
available will be Grilled Lamb Chops with Arugula Pesto Mashers and Balsamic Drizzle

We wanted to mention that this last week’s Cascadia Weekly had a wonderful review of the Rhody and we are very appreciative. We hope you all had a chance to read it. If interested it is on their homepage for now – go to: Cascadia Weekly and scroll down the page – the review is on the lower left!

A note about our regular menu……
We feature our Spanish Paella & our special “Paella Dinner for Two” on our regular menu ~ which is available all day from 11:30 to close – Wednesday – Sunday. Other menu items are our Greek Pasta with a choice of Vegetarian, grilled chicken, or garlic prawns. Also available are Pan Fried Samish Bay Oysters, Grilled Organic Beef Burger, and lighter options like our Individual Pesto Pizza, Oyster Po’Boy, Goat Cheese Crostini, and more!

The Rhody Too Gallery next door is open Thursdays – Sundays 11:30 am – 5 pm
~ Come in and peruse our collection of fine art, gift ideas and Carol’s Collectables

Read on for this week’s specials ~ We look forward to seeing you in!
Thank You ~ Don, Carol, and the Entire Rhody Crew

American Regional Cooking:
Week 3– March 14 – 18, 2012
Lunch Specials:

Muffaletta ~ New Orleans stuffed sandwich with olive relish

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Arugula Greens with Gothberg Chevre, almonds, tomato, and a
lemon-almond dressing

Oyster and Andouille Sausage Stew with peppers, wine & cream

Dinner Specials:

Mess o’ Memphis Ribs with House BBQ Sauce

Corn Meal Crusted Catfish with Lemon-Pecan Butter

Chicken & Charice Sausage Gumbo

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Cascadia Mushrooms

Week 3 March 17 & 18
Corned Beef Hash, poached eggs & smoked paprika hollandaise

Green Eggs and Ham! Is it Irish or a Dr Seuss Favorite -
Scrambled Eggs with Ham & Pesto

Maple-Pecan French Toast with bananas and maple syrup

Saint Patrick’s Day on Saturday March 17th !
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Grilled Lamb Chops with Arugula Pesto

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