Spend Valentine’s Day with Michael Smith

Sea Urchin Risotto
butternut squash & tangerine agrumato
Leitz Dragonstone Riesling, Germany 2011

Baby Kale Salad
tomatillo, radishes, lady apples & grapes
Muga Rioja Rosado, Spain 2012

Crispy Loup de Mare
celery root purée, scallions & sunchoke sott’olio
Anima Chardonnay, Romania 2011

Tamarind Glazed Leg of Lamb
hazelnut pommes puree, chestnuts, frisée & honeyed eggplant
Andrea Oberto ‘Langhe’ Nebbiolo, Italy 2007

Flourless Chocolate Cake
raspberry truffle & passion fruit sorbet
Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc Sparkling, Napa Valley, CA 2007

5 course menu $80 per person plus tax gratuity
optional wine pairing $30

Full Dinner Menu will also be available
Contact Nancy Smith nancy@michaelsmithkc.com
Book through Open Table
Call 816-842-2202

Conn Valley Vineyards Wine Dinner February 28 – Meet The Winemaker

Conn Valley Vineyards by Todd Anderson

Conn Valley Vineyards Wine Dinner

Thursday, February 28 2013

6:30 pm

Todd Anderson of Conn Valley Vineyards and Ghost HorseMeet the Winemaker

TODD ANDERSON has been making world-renowned wines in Napa Valley for almost three decades. His Ghost Horse Vineyards wines, first made in 2000, are his crowning achievement ~ extremely small lots, completely hand-made inside and out, and matching all of his considerable wine making talents and skills to whatever Mother Nature happens to throw at him each growing season.

Having grown up on a farm and driving tractors and train engines by 8, his love of the land grew at an early age. Todd graduated from UOP as a Geologist. His extensive background as a geophysicst makes him one of the most unique and qualified winemakers as his knowledge of soil and micro-climates gives him the edge up on others. Todd develops the land, pounds the posts, plants the vines, cares for the grapes, all before he even starts the bottling process.

An avid adventurer, Todd also loves hanging out with people who share his passion for great wine and great times. Whether it’s marlin fishing in San Jose del Cabo Mexico, ski racing in Taos, golfing at Pebble Beach, or simply hanging out by a roaring fire surrounded by family and friends. Now you can join Todd in living the lifestyle.

 

Menu to be announced soon.

Reserve your spot early by contacting Nancy Smith at 816.842.2202 or email Nancy to RSVP at nancy@michaelsmithkc.com.

2013 Kansas City Restaurant Week

KC Restaurant Week Logo

January 18-27, 2013

An exhibition of Kansas City’s finest culinary talents, Kansas City Restaurant Week will offer a variety of mouth-watering foods from top chefs across the metro area, demonstrating why the KC dining scene is among the nation’s best–and up until now, one of the best-kept foodie secrets (the Zagat Survey has called Kansas City the No. 1 dining bargain of all the major cities it reviews).

Restaurant Week features an array of restaurant participants so diners can visit old favorites and also try the many new restaurants that have opened recently in the Kansas City metro area. KC Restaurant Week diners order from special prix-fixe menus at participating restaurants. Multi-course lunches are $15 and dinners are $30.

The official Restaurant Week website is regularly updated with information about the 2013 participants. Please keep checking for new additions and info and be sure to check out the Restaurant Week mobile app.

Michael Smith and Extra Virgin are excited to participate for 2013. Take a look at our Kansas City Restaurant Week Menus for both restaurants.

Michael Smith Logo

2 course Lunch Menu offered at $15
Please choose two courses
**
Market Greens Salad with apples, pepitas & maple vinaigrette
Daily Soup Selection
**
Braised Pork Tortellini with tomato ragu
Canadian White Fish with basmati rice, broccolini & black garlic
**
Dark Chocolate Tart with espresso ice cream
Warm Pecan & Apple Bread Pudding

3 course Dinner Menu offered at $30
Please select one from each course
**
Braised Pork Tortellini with tomato ragu
Baby Kale Salad with roasted cauliflower
**
Eight Hour Roast Pork with scallion risotto, jaliscan pico de gallo & pan sauce
Pan Fried Hanger Steak with broccolini, mashed potatoes & red wine-mushroom sauce
Canadian White Fish with basmati rice, broccolini & black garlic
**
Dark Chocolate Tart with espresso ice cream
Warm Pecan & Apple Bread Pudding

Extra Virgin Logo

Lunch 11:30am-4pm
Please Choose Any Three Items for $15

**
Stuffed Mushroom Caps with morcilla sausage & crescenza cheese
Mixed Greens Salad with palm sugar-lime vinaigrette
Deviled Eggs
Arepas de Cabra Venezolanas
Fig & chorizo Filled chicken Thighs
Tuna Ceviche Tacos
Duck Tongue Tacos
Prosciutto Skewers with farmhouse greens
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Apple Crostada with cinnamon ice cream

Dinner  4pm-close
Please Select Any Three Items for $30

**
Poblano Mac & Cheese
Octopus with Black Fettuccini
Stuffed Mushroom Caps with morcilla sausage & crescenza cheese
Extra Virgin Greek Salad
Grilled Hanger Steak with pickled mushrooms & romesco
Tuna Ceviche Tacos
Assorted Cured Meat Platter
Duck Tongue Tacos
Assorted Artisanal Cheese Platter
Prosciutto Skewers with farmhouse greens
Mushroom & Cheese Empanadas
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Apple Crostada with Cinnamon Ice Cream
Churros & Chocolate

Pig & Peay ‘S’wine Dinner

Pig and Peay Swine Dinner at Michael Smith Restaurant

Wednesday, January 16, 2013
6:30pm

Hamachi Crudo & Lardo Crouton
2011 Cep Rosè, Russian River Valley

Uni
pancetta & potato chips
2010 Estate Chardonnay

Whole Roasted Pig
steamed buns & garnishes
2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir & 2010 Pomarium Pinot Noir

Roasted Wild Boar
house cured guanciale spaetzle & house made boar soppressata
2008 ‘La Bruma’ Syrah

Almond Milk Doughnut
chocolate glaze & bacon bits
The Roasterie Coffee

Very Special Guests:
Andy Peay of Peay Vineyards, Richard Kingston Zellich  Pinnacle Imports, Ryan Sciara Cellar Rat

$100 per person plus tax & gratuity
reservations @ nancy@michaelsmithkc.com
816-842-2202
Online reservations not available

Rhone Wine Dinner

December 13, 2012 at 6:30pm

***

Stone Crab Claw

serrano ham & smoked roe potato salad

2009 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc

***

Pancetta & Eggplant Wrapped Swordfish

winter mushroom ragout & caramelized pearl onions

2010 Mas de Boislauzon Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rouge

***

Pheasant Breast & Pardina Lentils

pheasant sausage, chestnuts & kabocha squash

2010 Jean-Louis Chave Crozes Hermitage Rouge ‘Silene’

***

Braised Duck & Cardoons

warm polenta, huckleberry compote & red wine reduction

2010 Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition Rouge

***

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

banana bread croutons & apple cider sauce

The Roasterie Coffee Service

***

Special Guest- Richard Kingston Zellich
Certified Sommelier, Branch Manager Pinnacle Imports of KC

$125 per person plus tax & tip
Reservations nancy@michaelsmithkc.com or call 816-842-2202

The Grand Marquis to Ring In New Year Again at Michael Smith

The streets of the Crossroads Art District will once again echo with the sounds of jumping blues and hot swinging Jazz this New Year’s eve as restaurants Michael Smith and Extra Virgin host another memorable party with The Grand Marquis.

As in years past, there will be two dinner seatings at James Beard award winning chef Michael Smith’s namesake restaurant, with a special menu created for the occasion. Next door at Smith’s second restaurant, Extra Virgin there will be a prix fixe offering also. The Mediterranean tapas style Extra Virgin and the fine dining experience at Michael Smith will begin New Year’s festivities at 6:00pm. Michael Smith’s first seating (4 course menu at $75 per person plus tax & tip with a $35 optional wine pairing) begins at 6:00, 6:30 & 7:00pm.The second seating (a 5 course menu at $95 per person plus tax & tip with a $35 optional wine pairing) begins at 8:30, 9:00 & 9:30pm – The second seating includes a champagne toast

Extra Virgin will offer an all-you-can-eat ($50 per person) tapas buffet with wine specials, craft cocktails & specially priced bubbly.

The Grand Marquis will be playing from 8:30-12:30am.

“This has turned into a tradition for many,” said Nancy smith, co-owner and general manager of the restaurants. “We love The Grand Marquis and our patrons tend to agree. Their Kansas City “Speakeasy” sound works so well in our neighborhood and in our restaurants.”

The night may end with a champagne toast, but the journey to that toast is a gastronomic delight as chef Smith pulls out all the stops for a meal to be remembered throughout the year. Master barman Berto Santoro and his team will also be on hand to craft all manner of music and holiday inspired cocktail creations and the impeccable waitstaff at Michael Smith and Extra Virgin will ensure excellent service is at the core of your New Year’s Eve festivities.

Call Nancy Smith to book your reservations as the dinner seatings and blow out party fills fast each year. 816-842-2202 – Guest may also book through opentable.com

About The Grand Marquis:

Over the past 12 years the Grand Marquis have played a lot. They’ve logged more than 1400 performances, as far-flung as Seattle to South Beach Miami, but often in the Midwest where they call Kansas City home.

The Grand Marquis’ music can bring to mind a variety of settings and places as well: Prohibition-era KC, the streets of New Orleans, 1950′s Memphis and even 1930′s Paris. But their sound remains grounded in a roots influence that keeps inspiring the Grand Marquis to create, innovate and build off a solid foundation of American music. Theirs is a style that defies the limitations of category, whether jazz, blues or swing, yet finds favor with a wide audience culturally, demographically and inter-generationally. For more information visit Michaelsmithkc.com, Extravirginkc.com or Grandmarquis.net

Read more here: http://pressreleases.kcstar.com/release/messages/32420/#storylink=cpy

Cakebread Wine Dinner

Very Special Guest Dennis Cakebread

Monday, September 24, 2012

6:30pm
$135.00 per person plus tax & gratuity

Reception
Cheese Gougères
Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2010

**

Crab & Sea Urchin Risotto
Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012

**
Nicoise Pistou Soup
aile de poulet
Reserve Chardonnay 2009

**

Tomato Braised Octopus
house made chorizo stuffed rigatoni
Pinot Noir 2009

**

Brioche & Pork Stuffed Duck
braised red cabbage & plum sauce
Red Hills Lake County Zinfandel 2009

**

Braised Beef Short Ribs
roasted carrots & chanterelle mushroom sauce
Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc 2008

**

Pear & Apple Petit Fours
The Roasterie Coffee

$135.00 per person plus tax & gratuity

Reservations can be made via email to nancy@michaelsmithkc.com or 816-842-2202

Cellar-Rat-Wine-Merchants-LogoIn collaboration with Cellar Rat Wine Merchants.

Learn more about the winery.

About Cakebread Cellars

Rutherford, CA
Over 39 years ago, Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley for a book and while here, he casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to some family friends who had a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang and it was the family friends offering to sell their property. He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born.

As the Cakebread family reflects upon the many profound changes in the wine industry over the last 38 years, such as innovative farming techniques and new methods of reaching out to consumers, they note that their key values have remained the same. Dedication to making the highest quality wines and a commitment to family has followed a continuum as their first small vineyard has grown into a thriving internationally distributed wine company.

Their first vintage–157 cases of 1973 Chardonnay–was sold to Phil Faight of Groezinger’s Wine Shop in Yountville. He in turn sold to a small audience of premium wine drinkers who primarily drove up from the Bay Area on weekends to visit the country. “Two or three cars an hour would be on the road and we would all stop and look to see who was coming,” said Jack as he thought of his original neighbors who became some of the “legends of the wine industry – Mondavi, Martini, Heitz, BV’s Tchelistcheff and Christian Brothers “Brother Tim.” Today, traffic is about 30 cars-a-minute as the world comes to visit the Napa Valley wine country.

A Move Toward a Healthy Lifestyle
Dennis Cakebread“When we first got started, I would prepare lunches at home to offer to visitors who came to our ranch, ” Jack’s wife Dolores explained. “We would ask friends and wine trade guests to bring old clothes and boots and we’d put them to work before we all gathered in the shade to share a glass or two of wine and some food.” Today, thousands of visitors each year are treated to wine tasting and if desired, a tour of the garden, vineyards, kitchens and state-of-the-art winemaking facility.

What has changed in the sales environment of the wine industry? Dennis Cakebread, Director of Sales has noticed that, “there is less talk about technical facts, like the percentage of malo-lactic or the length of time in oak, and more interest in personal anecdotes about enjoying a bottle of wine.”

“We believe wine is fun, so we do fun things” said Dennis, just before leaving to go ice fishing with trade associates and consumers in Chicago. Dennis created the “Good Life Series” to build memories with consumers and give them an opportunity to appreciate healthy food and great wine with some of their favorite pastimes.

Cakebread Cellars has been at the forefront of the American healthy-eating movement since the early 1980′s. “We realized that if we wanted to live to see the business grow, we’d have to eat healthier,” Dolores joked. In addition to overseeing hospitality and her famous organic kitchen garden, Dolores is responsible for Cakebread Cellars’ “American Harvest Workshop” – an annual four-day seminar where top chefs from around the country interact with the winemaker, local farm purveyors and media representatives to discuss wine, food and a healthy lifestyle.

Culinary Director, Brian Streeter, who assists Dolores with the workshop, observes that since the program began in 1986, there is “more of a focus on wine as an important part of the meal with an interest in creating finer dining for customers, chefs include wine selection in the menu-planning dialogue,” Brian says. “They are also more interested in buying fresh foods from local farmstead and cottage producers than in previous years.”

The Evolution of Wine Production
The most dramatic changes and extraordinary improvements in the wine business are found in the vineyard and winery. “Years ago, the vines would get one long drink in the spring which was believed to be enough until harvest,” Bruce Cakebread, President and COO at Cakebread Cellars, said. “Today, Cakebread Cellars uses a neutron-probe irrigation system which allows us to accurately measure how much water specific vines are using and how much watering is needed to grow better grapes.”

“In early years at harvest, we brought all the fruit in, de-stemmed and crushed it and put the wine in barrels as a matter of routine. The only variations were for red or white grapes,” Bruce remembered. “Today, we have ‘game plans’ for each block in every vineyard which are written during the summer, so we’re ready for harvest.” A game plan includes how to press (de-stem or whole-cluster), fermentation instructions and which barrels to use (different oak and toast) – all based on data from previous vintages and reflecting the current growing season. “We don’t repeat undesirable combinations and the entire crew knows ahead of time what the game plan is so we get the best we can from the fruit.”

This increase in sophistication and knowledge in winemaking has given Cakebread Cellars the opportunity to offer a broader selection of wines to their customers. In addition to a diverse selection of new varietals available at the winery, two new wines have been released that demonstrates the difference between vineyards located in the Eastern and Western slopes of the Napa Valley. Both are Cabernet Sauvignons that represent the distinctive terroir of the opposing sides of the valley.

Looking to the Future
One thing that hasn’t changed in over thirty years is the family-members’ participation in all activities when it comes to growing, making or promoting their wine. “We didn’t know we were going to build a winery,” said Jack. “There was no strategic business plan like you have today. We just believed in our heart-of-hearts that it would work to bring our family here.” Today, a team of four Cakebreads leads Cakebread Cellars into the new millennium with a positive and enthusiastic outlook.

As the wine industry has grown, anti-wine and anti-alcohol activists have effected changes in regulations imposed on wine producers, like warnings required on bottle labels. Continued education about the benefits of moderate daily wine drinking balances negative messages, however, and Cakebread Cellars remains among the forerunners who continue to promote California wine and locally grown foods for a healthy lifestyle. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) included wine in their official “Diet Guidelines” Dennis Cakebread noted.

“When people have a wonderful experience with food made better with wine, they appreciate it and don’t really know why, they just know they love it,” Dolores has witnessed over the years. “In some ways we could say nothing has changed, only enhanced.”

“When we started out, we made a barrel and we sold a barrel. We made two barrels and sold two barrels,” Jack stated. “We are very grateful for our ability to sell the wines we make to such supportive customers.”

In spite of their ability to transform with the times in all aspects of the winery business and their continued success, they are still asked daily where the name of the winery comes from. The family forebears were bakers in England, primarily of a dense round loaf called a cakebrede.

Make your reservation to meet Dennis Cakebread on Monday, September 24, 2012 by email to nancy@michaelsmithkc.com or 816-842-2202. The cost for the dinner is $135.00 per person plus tax & gratuity.

Meet Special Guest Yseult de Gaye at the Bordeaux Wine Dinner

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 6:30 pm

Meet the Winemaker

In 2005, Stéphane de Gaye and his children decided to revive an ancestral tradition by taking over the Château Grand Corbin Manuel. His daughter, Yseult, today has full responsibility for this estate situated in the midst of the Grands Crus Classés in an area called “Corbin” near Pomerol.

Make no mistake: behind the big, captivating eyes and friendly personality, lies a very strong character. Yseult effortlessly conveys the passion hidden in each bottle.  She is proud of the work of selection and embellishment carried out on the estate’s 7 hectares.  The vineyard is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the average age of the vines is 32 years.

“2011 was an interrogation for us, especially regarding the young vines. In July we found ourselves with larger bunches forming but they were very heterogeneous. Despite the reasonable size of the estate, the soils form a varied mosaic: sand on blue clay, or ordinary clay… We had no problems with the health of the vines and we harvested each grape variety when it had reached opti­mum ripeness by taking each plot individually. The Merlots were at their classic maturity; the Cabernets were superb or even “extraordinary” for the Right Bank.  The 2011 vintage has an intense aromatic structure, good acidity and a long finish. This wine is certainly different from 2009 and 2010 but it has beautiful contours, with freshness and fruit; a real gourmet treat for lovers of our wines!”, Yseult explains.

“The particularity of our wines is that they’re very aromatic, both the nose and in the mouth. This is due to the work we do on the wines, in the vines and with the soil, obviously. We produce our wine with the greatest respect for the fruit as the goal is to reveal the taste of the grapes… Our wines are very intense in aroma… and, of course, very nice to drink.”
– Yseult de Gaye, Owner, Grand Corbin Manuel

$95 per person plus tax & tip

***

Special guest – Yseult de Gaye

Owner/GM of Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel

Saint-Emillion Grand Cru

***

Giblet & Chanterelle Mushroom Tart

confit of Onion
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2005

***

Pancetta Wrapped Smoked Campo Lindo Chicken

bean puree & Spanish Gigante Beans
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2007

***

Braised Veal Cheeks

gratin potatoes & pickled turnips
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2008

***

Coffee Crusted Duck Breast

roasted carrots & sousbis
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2009

***

Warm Dark Chocolate Tart

grilled figs
The Roasterie Coffee & Espresso Service

***

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet Château Grand Corbin Manuel’s Yseult de Gaye owner  right here in Kansas City! Bid summer farewell with these delicious wines at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012. All reservations must be made by contacting Nancy Smith via email at nancy@michaelsmithkc.com

$95 per person plus tax & gratuity. Call Michael Smith Restaurant at 816.842.2202 or email Nancy to RSVP at nancy@michaelsmithkc.com.

In collaboration with Terra Firma, Pierre Wine Group and Gomer’s Midtown

Bordeaux Wine Dinner

September 6, 2012
6:30pm
In collaboration with
Terra Firma , Pierre Wine Group & Gomer’s Midtown

***

Special guest – Yseult de Gaye
Owner/GM of Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel
Saint-Emillion Grand Cru

***

Giblet & Chanterelle Mushroom Tart
confit of Onion
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2005

***

Pancetta Wrapped Smoked Campo Lindo Chicken
bean puree & Spanish Gigante Beans
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2007

***

Braised Veal Cheeks
gratin potatoes & pickled turnips
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2008

***

Coffee Crusted Duck Breast
roasted carrots & sousbis
Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2009

***

Warm Dark Chocolate Tart
grilled figs
The Roasterie Coffee & Espresso Service

***

MENU $95 per person plus tax & tip
Limited Seating Available
Reservations please email nancy@michaelsmithkc.com or contact 816-842-2202