Dear Friend:

There’s an orange sign on our front lawn. Don’t be alarmed – it’s a good sign. It’s our liquor license application.

Why? I read your comment cards and take them very seriously. Some guests love bringing wine from their wine cellar to complement their dinner. Others have urged us to get a liquor license. Now, everyone can be happy. You can order your liquor at Alison at Blue Bell or you can bring your own, if you prefer. It’s the best of both worlds.

Valentine’s Day – We only have a few spaces left for Wednesday, February 14. For Valentine’s Day, I’ve created a special 3-course menu with lots of choices – including old favorites as well as several new dishes. We’ll preview two new appetizers: Mixed Greens with Pomegranate and Fig Vinaigrette with Pistachio Baked Goat Cheese; and Pan Seared Quail with Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Sauce, Foie Gras and Basmati Rice. New entrees include: East Coast Halibut with Warm Artichoke and Braised Leek Salad, Truffled Mashed Potatoes, with Roasted Meyer Lemon-Garlic Aioli; and Seared Filet of Beef with Root Vegetable, Taleggio Risotto and Red Wine Sauce. We’re still working on a few really special dessert options. So you’ll just have to trust us and be ready for a sweet surprise. For reservations call 215/641-2660.

Wild Fish – It’s no secret that one of the keys to a great meal (either at the restaurant or in your home) is starting with the freshest and best possible ingredients. That’s why I’m committed to serving locally-caught wild fish, whenever possible. Sometimes you’ll see something special, like whole Pompano or American Red Snapper on the menu. Sometimes we’ll serve less familiar species, like Wild John Dory and Tautog. Sometimes species are only on the menu for a few days or go off the menu periodically, like Halibut. We’ll take what the fishermen have available, when it’s available.

Trend Setting – I really enjoyed reading the food magazines last month. Saveur named my friend Engin Akin one of their “top 100 favorite restaurants, foods, drinks, people, places and things” in 2007. A couple of years ago I went to Turkey and cooked with Engin, who has been described as “Turkey’s Martha Stewart and Julia Child rolled into one.” Check out my photos. Plus, Bon Appétit did a feature on hanger steak this month. We love hanger steak too, especially with our hand-cut French Fries. Gourmet wrote about Milan, which is a great food town, where I had a life-altering Risotto Milanese.

Fretz Kitchen – Watch for me on “Fretz Kitchen” on weeknights on CN-8 at 5 p.m. One of these days I’ll be on, again, preparing my Black Sea Bass with Curried Pumpkin Sauce, Root Vegetables & Apple Samosa. One of the things I love about this dish, besides the great flavor, is the creaminess. But, here’s the secret…the pumpkin and squash make it so creamy that I don’t even add cream. Here's the recipe or watch for it on the menu at the restaurant.

Singapore – I’m beyond excited about my upcoming trip to Singapore where I’ll be the first guest chef at Global Kitchen, a new restaurant in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Singapore, which has been called “the Manhattan of Asia,” is a fast-paced, urban city with one of the most colorful and exciting culinary scenes in the world. This will be my third trip there and I’m afraid I won’t have time to eat at all of the places on my list. Singapore has the greatest street food and the hawkers’ stalls are open 24 hours a day. I especially love the Chili Crab and Hainanese Chicken. Thankfully, the Pan Pacific has a gym. Who knows what new ideas I’ll bring home to you!

New Dishes – We typically add new dishes to the special menus we create on holidays. We love guests who trust us enough to try our newest dishes and we use their comments to decide which dishes should be added to the daily menu. From the New Year’s Eve menu, we’ve added two appetizers: Escargot on Buttery Garlic Brioche with Roasted Garlic, Potato and Celery Root Soup; and Parmesan Fried Oysters with Creamed Spinach and a Horseradish Whipped Cream, Crispy Shallots, Bacon and Shaved Parmesan. The latter is a take off on the Horseradish Baked Oysters I used to make at Striped Bass. I forgot all about the dish until an old friend called (and called) for the recipe.

Old Favorites – In the last newsletter, we mentioned that we were updating our Greek Salad. Scratch that. Lots of people told us they love it the way it is. So, at least for now, no changes.

BeeGee Shrimp – Lots of you have asked about the BeeGee Shrimp on the menu. It’s a wild, pink shrimp from British Guyana. We love the texture. They don’t shrink when you cook them and, I think, they taste the way a shrimp should taste. We’ll serve them whenever they’re available. When they’re not around, we use another favorite, Brazilian Pink Shrimp.

Sablefish – It’s not as unfamiliar as you think. Sometimes it’s on menus as Black Cod, especially at Japanese restaurants. The season is just starting and you’ll be seeing it on our menu by its true moniker – Sablefish. Perhaps you’ve tasted smoked sablefish on a bagel with cream cheese. Hope you’ll love the rich, buttery flavor as much as we do.

Chocolate Desserts – The Chocolate Caucus has been lobbying relentlessly for more chocolate desserts. So, we’ve added three new chocolate desserts to the menu for this strong and persistent group: Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Eggnog Anglaise; Chocolate Panna Cotta with Banana, Cashew Baklava; and the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust from our New Year’s Eve menu.

Stay warm,

Alison