Whether you come to The Desmond for a meeting, banquet, wedding or dinner in The Hunt Room, everything happens around a table of some sort.
7/8/2013
Summer is here and thoughts naturally turn to all the outdoor activities that make Summertime memorable and fun for us all. The weather so far has been challenging, but thanks to all of you who have been sitting “Around the Table” under the umbrellas on our Sunset Grille Deck for lunch, dinner or a cold Happy Hour Margarita!
This season, we are offering a blend of old favorites and new ideas for your enjoyment. Whether you are in the mood for a burger, light fare or a good steak, you won’t be disappointed. Ice cold drinks, live entertainment and friendly, prompt service await you at one of the most beautiful outdoor dining venues in
the Greater Philadelphia area. Visit our Facebook page and let us know what you would like to see on the menu!
In July and August the Sunset Grille features la carte menus for lunch and dinner. Lunch is served Monday though Friday (BBQ on Fridays) and Dinner – Wednesday through Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday, the Pub menu will be available for dinner under the stars. Happy Hours on Monday through Friday are from 5 pm to 7 pm and feature $5 Martinis, the Sunset Grille Deck has become THE place for live entertainment every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6 pm to 10 pm.
Every Wednesday night, Paul Martone performs his popular It’s a Sinatra Thing.
Thursday and Friday have featured some musicians that were new to us but well known in the area, such as Russ Lambert, Ben Singleton and The People’s Choice, Brenna Fitzgerald, and Heat Run.
Mark your Calendar for the remaining Sunset Grille PARTY NIGHTS!
July 9 Annual Clambake with The Chatterband
August 27 The Juliano Brothers
September 26 Sunset Grille Deck Closing with The Chatterband
Look for more updates and we hope to see you soon!
4/26/2013
Winter is FINALLY gone and with the dawn of good weather, thoughts naturally turn to all the outdoor activities that are to come! Soon it will be time to sit around the table, under the umbrellas on our Sunset Grille Deck with a cold Margarita!
Lisa Powell, our Director of Restaurants, and her staff are hard at work getting the Deck ready, planting flowers and hiring Summer staff. Right now, on warm, sunny days we invite you stop by for cocktails and snacks from the Fox & Hounds Pub menu. Beginning in June through August, the Sunset Grille will be in full operation.
This season, we are planning a blend of old favorites and new ideas for your enjoyment. Whether you are in the mood for a burger, light fare or a good steak, you won’t be disappointed. Ice cold drinks, live entertainment and friendly, prompt service await you at one of the most beautiful outdoor dining venues in the Greater Philadelphia area. Visit our Facebook page and let us know what you would like to see on the menu!
In June, July and August the Sunset Grille will feature a la carte menus for lunch and dinner. Lunch will be served Monday though Friday (BBQ on Fridays) and Dinner – Wednesday through Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday, the Pub menu will be available for dinner under the stars.
Plus, the Sunset Grille Deck is THE place for live entertainment every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday nights, Paul Martone will be back with the very popular It’s a Sinatra Thing. Thursday and Friday will feature some musicians that are new to us but well known in the area, such as Russ Lambert, Ben Singleton and The People’s Choice, Brenna Fitzgerald, and Heat Run. The performance calendar will be posted online shortly.
Of course, the special Party Nights are back!
Click Here for The Sunset Grille Calendar
4/18/2013
Whether you come to The Desmond for a meeting, banquet, wedding or dinner in The Hunt Room, everything happens around a table of some sort.
This is our first post. In the coming weeks, we’d like to introduce our amazing staff and talk about upcoming Hotel events, plus provide insider tips on cooking, planning meetings and social events, etc. Most important of all – we would like to hear from you to find out what you would like to talk about.
Prior to coming to The Desmond, Chris Calhoun – our Executive Chef – was at the helm of 5 Star kitchens in Atlanta, Chicago and Washington DC. He made a big impression within his first couple of months here by winning Philadelphia Magazine’s “Philly Cooks Dish of The Year “2012 competition. He confesses to being a foodie from about the age of 10 and his cooking mantra is to use the best quality, freshest seasonal ingredients and prepare them with a minimal amount of manipulation. If you haven’t tried the Hunt Room lately, you are missing a great dining experience.
This week, Chris has some ideas about using a much overlooked “garnish” as a main ingredient.
Fresh Parsley – Not Just a Garnish
Parsley comes in many varieties but the two best known are curly parsley, generally used as a garnish, and Italian flat leaf. Many cooks prefer the flat leaf type for cooking because it is more fragrant and less bitter, but it’s up to you. Parsley is a major ingredient in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes such as tabbouleh salad and gremolata which is typically used a condiment but can be tossed with pasta for a wonderful change of pace. In the vegetable garden, parsley repels slugs and other insects and is easy to grow. Always use just the leaves for cooking and keep in mind that 2 cups of fresh parsley leaves yields about ½ cup when chopped. If you have leftover parsley that you won’t need for a while, it can be frozen for future use. Just remove the leaves, chop and store in a freezer bag or chop, mix with water and freeze in ice cube trays. Not only does the addition of parsley brighten and balance any recipe, but it is a good source of antioxidants, folic acid, and Vitamins A, C and K.
OK. So look in the fridge and pull out that bunch left over from the special dish that needed 1 tablespoon or you actually did use it for garnish and don’t let it wilt away. Use it to make:
Parsley/Walnut Pesto Make your favorite pesto recipe and substitute parsley for the basil and walnuts for pine nuts. Delicious!
Parsley Soup – make a light cream of onion soup and puree a bunch of fresh parsley leaves into the soup for a fresh from the garden taste.
Parsley Salad – this is a favorite. Combine parsley leaves with thinly shaved vegetables (carrots, radishes, fennel – your choice) Toss with a simple lemon vinaigrette and garnish with roasted red peppers and parmeggiano-reggiano cheese.
Bon Appetit,
Chris Calhoun
