One of the most popular features of our seasonal menu is our antipasto cart. Each Friday and Saturday evening, we fill the antique cart in the center of our dining room with an ever-changing variety of antipasti. Antipasto before dinner is an Italian tradition, and to me, the perfect showcase for the seasons. Local salami, house marinated mushrooms, and imported olives are featured weekly, along with both hot and cold specialties for sampling before dinner. At the peak of tomato season, a highlight is our Caprese Salad with fresh mozzarella, red and yellow tomatoes, and basil. Lately, in the cold, locally-made hot Italian sausage has warmed us up!

Look for seasonal antipasto recipes forthcoming here on our blog. We’ll celebrate winter as we wait for spring.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and the classic flavors of fall abound: chestnut stuffing, apple cider, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie. However, today’s cocktail pays homage to an oft-overlooked autumn flavor: maple.

The “Mapletini” is a simple seasonal cocktail perfect for your pre-turkey line-up; although you might be hard pressed to find the drink’s secret ingredient in your local liquor store. The signature spirit, Sortilege Maple Liqueur, hails from Quebec. We special order it for the bar at Nino’s from one of our wine importers.

Sortilege is a delicious blend of Canadian whisky and Canadian maple syrup. So, in a pinch, you might stir some warm maple syrup with whisky to create your own infusion. The flavor profile is more maple than whisky, so be liberal with your syrup. The vodka added to create the Mapletini will mellow any cloying sweetness.

We chose Stolichnaya vanilla vodka, although different vodkas might yield interesting results. The ratio for the cocktail is 1:1–just half Stoli Vanil and half Sortilege. We chill this ‘tini in a shaker and serve it up in a glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar. A cinnamon stick stirrer or a garnish of vanilla bean would also do the trick.

The Mapletini is great alone or paired with food, and the vanilla-cinnamon-maple notes would work well with both sweet and savory dishes. Since I tend towards savory, how about miniature maple sausage sandwiches with sauteed onion and apple to beginning your Thanksgiving feast?

Mushrooms are a wonderful seasonal ingredient in autumn and winter. We feature them in earthy dishes such as veal and porcini pappardelle, chicken portobello, and wild mushroom risotto. Plus, our house marinated mushrooms have become a staple on our weekend Antipasto Cart. For marinating, we begin with whole baby button mushrooms, heated–just barely–with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and herbs. They are the perfect companion to our selection of local salami; not to mention, tossed with carmelized onion and gorgonzola, they make a delicious pizzetta!

The witches pictured below attended our Hallowine Tasting on Friday, which was complete with wines from Transylvania. Our menu for the evening included deviled crab cakes, death by chocolate, and other terrifying treats.

Finally, a spooky view of our moonlit garden, and a Halloween arrangement of mums, bells-of-Ireland, and pumpkin trees, complete with a garden gnome.

Invitation and centerpieces by The Laurel Garden.

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Bacon & Onion Tart / Hahn Merlot 2007, California
Arugula with Mustard Vinaigrette / Fortress Sauvignon Blanc 2008, California
Butternut Squash Ravioli / Hedges CMS Red 2007, Washington
Roast Cornish Hen / Hahn Meritage 2007, California
Poached Pears / Montinore Sweet Reserve Reisling 2008, Oregon