A new dinner game in town promises creativity in every course. The Rose, beloved as a late-night haunt, will soon be known for its inventive fare thanks to new Executive Chef René Stein, a veteran of several Michelin Star kitchens including Seasonal in New York. Recruited west by Cakebread Ranch, he spent the winter staging pop-up dinners with Dishing and this summer, he’ll host a series of six Farm-to-Deck Dinners on Thursday nights at Persephone, starting July 9 (for more information on our dinner series, visit – http://persephonebakery.com/
But we digress: Back to René and the magical dinner he made for us at the Rose. The German-born chef takes an imaginatively precise approach to the culinary arts. “Creativity in the kitchen is what makes me get up in the morning,” he says, a raison d’être apparent throughout our dinner, starting with the amuse-bouche of beet gazpacho sorbet drizzled in a walnut vinaigrette all the way through to the sunflower oil gummy that accompanied our check. Consider the triumphant trio of first courses: the soft poached egg (an immaculate custard) paired with a medley of mushrooms (hen of the woods, morel, button); the so simple yet so perfect salad of early summer greens tossed with honey; and the pork terrine, a tour de force pairing of headcheese, beet, mustard and chardonnay vinegar. René crafts each dish as a showcase of local ingredients and shares credit for his ultimate success by listing the growers and producers responsible for the fresh flavors, making the menu a who’s who of Teton growers and producers: Robinson Family Farms, Reeds Dairy and Haderlie Farms, among others.
René’s creativity knows no bounds; even the serving pieces are impeccable from the ceramic plates and mugs hand-thrown and -painted by valley artist Jenny Dowd to the driftwood slabs he sanded himself as dramatic platforms for his hearty beer-bread.
A solo show, René plates dinner (with tweezers) from 6 to 10pm Wednesdays through Saturdays (July finds the schedule slimming down to Thursdays through Saturdays). Sample his genius à la carte or commit to the four-course tasting menu. Either way, you win.
