Friday, June 01, 2007

Chautauqua Summer Events

Food, Drinks, Other Fun
Chris Scarano, chef at the Ironstone, will prepare multi-course food tastings for customers who call the West Fourth Street restaurant in advance.

Submitted photo
6/1/2007 - Friday always seems to come early when the week is only four days long. Thanks, Memorial Day! And despite there not being a holiday this weekend, Southern Chautauqua County is jampacked with all different kinds of entertainment events. From a wine festival in Bemus Point, to a jamboree in Sherman and several other music events happening throughout the area, there's little reason to stay in and do the same old thing. Summer is here and Chautauqua County has much to offer in terms of food, drink and fun.

¯ SPOTLIGHT ON TASTING MENUS AT THE IRONSTONE — Most restaurants restrict customers to ordering from what's on the menu, but give the Ironstone's staff some notice and they will serve your party a unique multi-course feast.

On Wednesday, I experienced The Ironstone's food for the first time and have truly never tasted anything like it. Maybe it helped that I was with a group celebrating the birthday of a friend who happens to work for a Food Is Good restaurant, but Chris Scarano, chef at The Ironstone, says anyone who calls in advance can experience the same sort of six-course meal.

''I suggest this to anyone who is looking to entertain friends or looking for a more outside-of-the-box and ambitious type of dining,'' Scarano said. ''If you call ahead, we will be more than happy to do something special for you. That's how we find excitement in our kitchen.''

Arriving at The Ironstone, our party was told to just order our entrees from the menu and the kitchen staff would take care of the rest. Our waiter, the knowledgable James Saullo, suggested the perfect wines to pair with the four appetizer courses.

Though a six-course meal may sound like a lot, the purpose of it is in the small portions and the presentation. First up was a chilled gazpacho with crabmeat and what Scarano called a tomato toy box. Shortly after that we each received a single tortellini stuffed with goat cheese and a side of red pepper marmalade, followed by a small cappuccino-sized cup of asparagus soup. Then came the truffle risotto, the entree and dessert.

''It's how I like to eat and that's why I like to do these tasting menus,'' Scarano said. ''If you put a big pile of something in front of me, I'll eat a quarter of it. But if you bring small samples of foods, it's new tastes and new flavors. It keeps your mouth excited and it keeps you wanting more. That's what we enjoy doing here. We enjoy putting together tasting menus for the more adventurous diners.''

For the fine dining they specialize in, the Ironstone's prices are more than reasonable. And the bill for our six-course dinner was no more than what a complete meal for nine people for nine people would have cost had we ordered our own appetizers and desserts. The difference is the way the meal was presented. We received more courses, but the portions were smaller and the eager staff was always at hand to explain the intricacies of the meal.

The Chautauqua Restaurant Row of the Food Is Good company includes Olive's, serving classic Northern Italian cuisine; House on the Hill, which has a beautiful view in addition to a delicious breakfast and lunch menu; Bonjour, a cafe and patisserie; The Watermark, specializing in steak, seafood and more; La Fleur, serving French country cuisine and the Hot Fish Shop, Bemus Point's newest family restaurant.

¯ MARKING ONE YEAR OF MAYVILLE SHOWS — Mayville Shows will mark one year of bringing hardcore, metal and indie rock acts to the Hartfield Bay Cafe this Saturday. Hard to believe this group of dudes from Chautauqua Lake High School have been booking monthly shows at the Hartfield bar for 12 months already. Time flies, I suppose.

''It has been a really great experience,'' said Hunter Benson, one of the Mayville Shows crew. ''I think we've reached a lot of people. Our audience has grown and I think having all these little venues like The PF Cafe in Russell, Pa. is great. There's a really great movement that's happening and I think we need to continue it.''

This month's concert will feature performances by Crimson Raid, Kaeolyn, Don't Shoot the Messenger, The Line Dance Massacre and Hello, Star Vega. Headlining the event is Tugnut, a band on tour from Cambridge, Ontario. The show starts at 6 p.m. and costs $6 admission.

''More places need to let kids do shows,'' Benson said. ''There are plenty of bands out there to book, but we just don't have enough places to do it. We're proud of what we have done. We've brought bands from record labels like Metalblade, Emerald Moon and Five Point to little old Mayville.''

See SPOTLIGHT on Page C-2

From Page C-1

At a year and still going strong, the Mayville Shows crew have no intentions of ending their monthly gigs at the Hartfield Bay Cafe. According to Benson, there are shows scheduled through September.

In addition to Benson, Mayville Shows is comprised of Jake Haskin, Matt Shang and Justin Newsome. For more on the bands and Mayville Shows, visit MySpace.com/MayvilleShows. The Hartfield Bay Cafe is located at 6040 Lake Rd (Route 430) in Hartfield and can be reached by calling 753-7711.

¯ THE PLACE TO BE THIS WEEKEND — Less than a week since legions of music-loving campers descended on the Cole Family Farm, Sherman is again The Place To Be This Weekend as the Hypnotic Clambake will be hosting their 11th annual O.U.R. Music Festival. The two-day jamboree event begins tonight and is again being held at the Brushwood Folklore Center.

In addition to Hypnotic Clambake, festival favorites like Leigh Stoner and the Smoking Jackets, Baby Gramps, Redheaded Stepchild, and Stewed Mulligan will return this year. Other performers include Gumshoe, Zydeco Vacation, Buddhahood, New York Klezmer Orchestra, Joann Vaccaro and Mad Tea Party. Local soul band Smackdab will also play the festival.

For more information on the bands, the festival or tickets, visit OURMusicFest.com or HypnoticClambake.com. The Brushwood Folklore Center is located at 8881 Bailey Hill Road in Sherman.

¯ FIVE OTHER THINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND — Can't make it to Mayville or Sherman, but still want to see some quality live music? Or are you looking for something non-music related to do this weekend?

5. The Infinity Performing Arts Program will present the Infinity Showcase Concert tonight at the Reg Lenna Civic Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and will feature performances by Steel Pan Alley, Midas, Milestones, I Kandy and Deja Blues. 4. Jack The Dog will play The Village Casino in Bemus Point tonight. 3. Pending inclement weather, try walking the Chautauqua Gorge in Westfield. 2. Yankee Zydeco Company will play BruceFest 2007 on Saturday at the Tsintzinia Society on Jackson Avenue in Celoron. 1. Ever been schooled at darts? Chances are I'll be at The Wine Cellar at some point during the weekend if you're looking for a challenge.

¯ DELICIOUS DRINK(S) OF THE WEEK — Paris Hilton is scheduled to begin her 45 day jail sentence on Tuesday and I, for one, will be shedding tears each day the socialite is behind bars — which the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says may only be 23 days in total. While searching the Internet for news on my favorite heiress, Google yielded the following three drink recipes bearing a likeness to her name:

To make a ''Paris Hilton Cocktail,'' mix two ounces of vodka with two splashes of orange vodka and three ounces of Mountain Dew. Pour the ingredients over cubed or crushed ice. To make a ''Paris Passion,'' mix eight ounces of Bacardi (or any rum) with two ounces of chocolate syrup and two ounces of Bailey's Irish Cream.

To make a ''Paris Is Burning,'' which also goes by the My Bloody Valentine song title ''Soft As Snow But Warm Inside,'' you will need one tablespoon of granulated sugar, two ounces of brandy, two ounces of Chambord one slice of orange and one slice of lemon peel. When mixing the drink, start by dissolving the sugar in the brandy and adding the orange slice. Then tilt the glass carefully and ignite the drink with a match. Stir with a long spoon until the flame is extinguished. Strain the liquid into a punch cup, add the Chambord and garnish with the lemon twist.

¯ COMING NEXT WEEK — Sweet Ass Cream Corn will play the Bull Frog Hotel next Saturday. Look for more about the band in next week's edition of Late Night Spotlight.

¯ QUESTION OF THE WEEK — Which Beatles album was released on this day in 1967? Technically, the album was released on June 1 in the U.K and June 2 in the U.S. And here's a second question: What female Canadian singer-songwriter was born on this day in 1974? She has won seven Grammy awards, sold millions of records and played the role of God in the movie ''Dogma.'' In answer to last week's question, Lauryn Hill is the member of The Fugees who has won eight Grammy's and was born on May 25, 1980.



Nick Dean is a Post-Journal staff reporter. Comments on this column can be sent to ndean@post-journal.com. Suggestions and items for submission can be sent via e-mail or by calling the newsroom at 487-1111, ext. 251.
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com


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