By: Christa Glennie Seychew
I was happy to recently take a Toronto food writer/Food Network television producer to SAMPLE for dinner during her trip to Buffalo. I've known Chef Goetz for sometime--in fact, he's one of the chefs I selected for Nickel City Chef--and I knew I could count on him to provide our guest and her husband with a unique meal in one of the city's most attractive restaurants. He came through, killing us with kindness (per se), as course after course made its way up the stairs to our table on the mezzanine. The meal was a thorough tour through SAMPLE's menu and specials, and fun was had by all. If you haven't had a meal at SAMPLE yet, I hate to think of what else you've been missing.
The quality of the food and the chef's ability to really work his ingredients is spot on, and it is with this thought in mind that I tell you of how downright tickled I am with their latest offering: Cocktail Party To Go.
I am a competent cook and enjoy entertaining, but to be honest, with young children, a busy professional life and an equally preoccupied husband, cooking and entertaining--as a pair--hover somewhere on my priority list alongside finishing up my kids' baby scrapbooks and re-caulking the bathroom. And although I'm feeling rather festive in early December, a party at home is really just too much for me to do in addition to the holidays and the wealth of extra-curricular activities they bring. So, when Chef Goetz sent me the details for his Cocktail Party To Go, I was intrigued. Then, to be honest, once I saw the pricing, I was enthused!
The concept is that, for a reasonable fee, SAMPLE will prepare a remarkable spread for you and your guests, including the choice of a delicious and fresh culinary cocktail mixer--you only need to add the alcohol. I priced it out with what I would spend on raw ingredients at the supermarket for a similar feast and found that it was reasonably affordable with the additional benefit of the fact that I wasn't going to have to do all the work and clean the kitchen up afterward.
The minimum number of guests for this mobile fun factory is only 10, and there is a very nice selection of options to choose from. They've detailed it all on their website, so pop over there and check it out. I think this is a great option for an office party or as a way to have a signature soiree at home for any number of guests. 48 hours notice is all that's required.
One of the best cocktails SAMPLE currently has on the menu (and in its Cocktail Party To Go offerings) is the pumpkin martini. I'll be honest, when I first heard about it I was skeptical, but once I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised. Chef Goetz explained to me that his farmer/purveyor, Dan Oles, had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year. Goetz purchased a bulk of them and then spent time roasting and pureeing them into this tasty cocktail mixer, which he then cryovac'd and put in the deep freeze so that his guests can have local pumpkin cocktails all winter long. I bothered him for the recipe and he politely gave in, so I'll share it with you. He suggests that folks at home use a good quality canned pumpkin in place of all the roasting and pureeing--it's just simpler that way.
SAMPLE'S PUMPKIN MARTINI
Caramel Sauce:
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
½ tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
Cocktail Puree::
1 can organic pumpkin pack (not pie filling)
3 oz vodka
splash of ginger ale
For the caramel sauce:
In a medium-sized pot combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt and cook over medium heat until the sugar turns a dark amber color. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in heavy cream.
For the cocktail puree:
While the caramel sauce is still hot, add pumpkin puree and a little water to thin out mixture.
For the drink:
In a shaker with ice, combine 2 oz puree, 3 oz vodka and a splash of ginger ale. Shake and
strain into a martini glass. Dust with cinnamon, or garnish with a cinnamon stick.
SAMPLE
242 Allen Street
Buffalo, NY 14201
Restaurant Number: 716.883.1675
Cocktail Party To Go Number: 716.316.6664
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I was happy to recently take a Toronto food writer/Food Network television producer to SAMPLE for dinner during her trip to Buffalo. I've known Chef Goetz for sometime--in fact, he's one of the chefs I selected for Nickel City Chef--and I knew I could count on him to provide our guest and her husband with a unique meal in one of the city's most attractive restaurants. He came through, killing us with kindness (per se), as course after course made its way up the stairs to our table on the mezzanine. The meal was a thorough tour through SAMPLE's menu and specials, and fun was had by all. If you haven't had a meal at SAMPLE yet, I hate to think of what else you've been missing.
The quality of the food and the chef's ability to really work his ingredients is spot on, and it is with this thought in mind that I tell you of how downright tickled I am with their latest offering: Cocktail Party To Go.
I am a competent cook and enjoy entertaining, but to be honest, with young children, a busy professional life and an equally preoccupied husband, cooking and entertaining--as a pair--hover somewhere on my priority list alongside finishing up my kids' baby scrapbooks and re-caulking the bathroom. And although I'm feeling rather festive in early December, a party at home is really just too much for me to do in addition to the holidays and the wealth of extra-curricular activities they bring. So, when Chef Goetz sent me the details for his Cocktail Party To Go, I was intrigued. Then, to be honest, once I saw the pricing, I was enthused!
The concept is that, for a reasonable fee, SAMPLE will prepare a remarkable spread for you and your guests, including the choice of a delicious and fresh culinary cocktail mixer--you only need to add the alcohol. I priced it out with what I would spend on raw ingredients at the supermarket for a similar feast and found that it was reasonably affordable with the additional benefit of the fact that I wasn't going to have to do all the work and clean the kitchen up afterward.
The minimum number of guests for this mobile fun factory is only 10, and there is a very nice selection of options to choose from. They've detailed it all on their website, so pop over there and check it out. I think this is a great option for an office party or as a way to have a signature soiree at home for any number of guests. 48 hours notice is all that's required.
One of the best cocktails SAMPLE currently has on the menu (and in its Cocktail Party To Go offerings) is the pumpkin martini. I'll be honest, when I first heard about it I was skeptical, but once I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised. Chef Goetz explained to me that his farmer/purveyor, Dan Oles, had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year. Goetz purchased a bulk of them and then spent time roasting and pureeing them into this tasty cocktail mixer, which he then cryovac'd and put in the deep freeze so that his guests can have local pumpkin cocktails all winter long. I bothered him for the recipe and he politely gave in, so I'll share it with you. He suggests that folks at home use a good quality canned pumpkin in place of all the roasting and pureeing--it's just simpler that way.
SAMPLE'S PUMPKIN MARTINI
Caramel Sauce:
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
½ tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
Cocktail Puree::
1 can organic pumpkin pack (not pie filling)
3 oz vodka
splash of ginger ale
For the caramel sauce:
In a medium-sized pot combine water, sugar, corn syrup and salt and cook over medium heat until the sugar turns a dark amber color. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in heavy cream.
For the cocktail puree:
While the caramel sauce is still hot, add pumpkin puree and a little water to thin out mixture.
For the drink:
In a shaker with ice, combine 2 oz puree, 3 oz vodka and a splash of ginger ale. Shake and
strain into a martini glass. Dust with cinnamon, or garnish with a cinnamon stick.
SAMPLE
242 Allen Street
Buffalo, NY 14201
Restaurant Number: 716.883.1675
Cocktail Party To Go Number: 716.316.6664
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Love their food and they mix up the best tini's in Buffalo.