Soaring to New Heights With Napa Nights

Slate’s Three-Course Menu Pairs Creative Cuisine with Wines

Since opening two years ago, Slate restaurant in the heart of Dr. Phillips has become a neighborhood favorite and gained the attention of national media. In a recent article, the Boston Globe described the restaurant’s brunch as “phenomenal” and highlighted Slate’s brilliant-pink deviled eggs as one of the top things to eat in Orlando.

It’s no surprise then that this casually elegant restaurant with a hint of Southern style will be soaring to new heights this summer with the introduction of Napa Nights, a prix fixe menu paired with award-winning Napa Valley wines.

In order to highlight some of the most iconic wine producers of the region, paired with creative, fresh cuisine, Slate’s executive chef, Jacob Woolf, has put together a three-course menu to take guests on a culinary journey of the Napa Valley.

“I have always admired the chefs of the Napa region and how they utilize the best products and flavors around them,” said Woolf, who draws on the incredible local harvest available from area farmers and fishermen to create an exquisitely prepared menu that showcases peak-of-the-season ingredients. “I wanted to do the same here in Florida.”

Debuting June 19 and taking place Sundays through Thursdays, the Napa Nights dinner menu offers guests a choice of starter, main course and dessert — an outstanding value for $34 per person or $50 with wine pairings (tax and gratuity not included). For the first course, diners have the difficult, yet delicious, task of choosing between a Florida peach salad prepared with herbed goat cheese, arugula, fennel and toasted almonds, or Cape Canaveral shrimp with a tostone, avocado mousse and serrano mojo.

Selecting a main course doesn’t get any easier, with a choice between a flat iron steak with grilled sweet potatoes, asparagus and a jalapeño pimentón hollandaise or the seasonal fish with smoked field pea succotash, beech mushroom confit and roasted lemon vinaigrette. Chef Woolf’s creative flair is evident in the beautiful balance of seasonings, textures and acids that each dish encompasses.

For the evening’s finale, guests can indulge in heavenly rum raisin bread pudding with pineapple compote or decadent dark-chocolate terrine with honey-roasted peanuts and raspberry coulis for dessert.

From light and summery rosés to rich, ripe cabernets, the accompanying wine pairings were carefully chosen from prestigious award-winning Napa Valley wineries, including Silverado Vineyards and Chateau Montelena Winery by Slate’s sommelier and general manager, Leslie Johnson, to enhance and complement the menu perfectly. In addition to the wine pairings, cocktail-lovers will delight in the inventive list created by Rob Terfehr, bar manager. One of the most popular cocktails is the London Bell, featuring Sipsmith gin, red bell pepper, lemon, rosemary and cracked black pepper.

“I like to think my food is approachable but exciting at the same time, giving guests a chance to try something bold that is also balanced and delicious,” Woolf said. “I am really excited to offer this new culinary adventure to our local friends and neighbors, as well as to out-of-town guests visiting our great city.”

Make a reservation for Napa Nights soon, because this special menu ends Aug. 14.
If you can’t make it to Slate for dinner, stop by for a glass of bubbly, a cocktail or local Florida craft beer during happy hour, Monday-Friday, from 4-6:30 p.m. Small plates will give you a taste of what everyone is raving about, from fried green tomatoes with spicy buttermilk dressing to chicken pizza with bourbon-pickled peaches cooked in a wood-burning copper-topped oven, the restaurant’s crown jewel. If weeknights are out, gather a group on Saturday or Sunday for one of Orlando’s most-talked-about brunches. Either way, a visit to Slate will make your summer sizzle!

Slate is located at 8323 W. Sand Lake Road in Orlando. For more information, call 407-500-7528 or visit www.slateorlando.com. ♥