Seems like the holidays are filled with never-ending opportunities for food: recipes, baking, friendly gatherings, work parties, family dinner traditions. I think most hectic fun and exciting part is trying to fit it all in within the few short weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Somehow, we all manage to make it happen, but boy…what a deep breath we take on New Year’s Day.
Just this past week, I had three work-related evening dinner commitments. One of them, I had the opportunity to plan! Entertaining a group of out-of-towners in Frederick is always a treat, and for this event I knew exactly where I wanted to take them: Quynn’s Attic.
Having visited Quynn’s Attic back in September for lunch, I’ve been dying to dine there for dinner – the menu looked fabulous. One of those, “Can I try one of everything on the menu?” kind of restaurants. Plus, you just can’t get enough of their cute decor – originally a 200 year old hardware store, and now a quaint, yet modern, nook with great views of Patrick Street in the heart of downtown Frederick. For this event, we’d be in the third floor private dining room – kept toasty warm, which was perfect for the wintery nights in the twenties we’ve been having lately.
Hardest part about planning the dinner for 20? Picking the menu! How do you pick three entrées from a menu as good as this??? (<--- PS: Click there.) I did manage to finally whittle down the menu eventually…but it did take a few days. Here’s what I settled on:
Crab Encrusted Filet of Rockfish
Lump crabmeat crust, Applewood bacon & vegetable rice pilaf, ginger lime cream
Chicken Paillard
Fresh basil, prosciutto, smoked mozzarella & red sauce over a lightly breaded chicken breast, roasted garlic potato puree, garden vegetables
Quynn’s Shrimp Pasta
Sauteed Black Tiger shrimp, spirali, marinara, cilantro, feta cheese
Are you salivating?
Next hard part was deciding which of the three to personally devour when the dinner started. I’ve had my eye on that rockfish since first reading Quynn’s menu a couple months ago, and so I felt obligated to order that. In fact, I dug into it so quickly that I forgot to snap a photo before completely messing up the plating.
And while the rockfish was simply prepared, light and fresh – not too rich, and worth ordering, my neighbor to the right at our table got the chicken paillard…and…well…I kinda wish I had gotten that. Creamy mozzarella melted over a the breaded chicken with a light tomato sauce gently drizzled on top. MMMMmmmm! So, next time, I’m all over that one!
Dinner wouldn’t have been complete without dessert, and I capped mine off with their creme brulee. I’m a sucker for creme brulee on a menu; I always have to try it. I’m also the same way with Reubens. Just sayin’.
My neighbor to the right at the table, the one that chose the chicken paillard I now regret having not tried, said, “This is the best creme brulee I’ve ever had.” And I have to agree. It was a little different than others I’ve tasted, with the custard still warm and a lot thinner than you’d normally see. Creamy, with a hint of vanilla, and the distinct crunch from the melted sugar crust – I can’t think of a more perfect way to end a meal.
nice post. thanks.