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Hello, everyone.

Every now and then, some sweet customer will send Cheryl an email message saying: "The newsletter is very interesting, but it's too damn long. We tried to print it out today and it took up five pages."

Not this week.

There is a conference in town with 1,200 people and they all want to drink at Chez Sophie, and some of them want to eat here as well.
We'll be brief.

Chef Paul and souschef Mark D. Graham have been having fun with ahi tuna. We did a tasting menu Thursday for a charming young couple.
When we asked the girlfriend, who was treating the boyfriend for his birthday, if there were any dietary restrictions and preferences, she paused, thought, and then hesitantly offered, "Well, he eats everything, but he likes red meat."

We found out later that she had come to regret this volunteered information, because she feared he would end up with a meat-and- potatoes-kind-of-meal. Never fear.

Paul and Mark sent Cheryl out the menu for this tasting and she began to type it up so she could analyze it and make wine pairings. At some point, she walked into the kitchen and called out over the blare of the hood fan: "Uh, Honey? The only directive I gave you on this tasting menu is he likes red meat. I'm not seeing any red meat on this menu."

"i beg to differ," he said archly. "I had a good time interpreting the term 'red meat.' They've got calves liver and ahi tuna."
"Well, ahi is definitely red," Cheryl conceded.

It turns out the girlfriend was completely accurate when she said her boyfriend didn't have any food issues, and they appreciated Paul's sense of humor, so it was a calculated risk that paid off.

Later Thursday, Cheryl asked Paul exactly what ahi tuna is.
"It's tuna that is edible," Chef replied archly.

More technically, ahi refers to two species, bigeye tuna (Thunnus
obesus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). Ahi is the Hawaiian word for "fire", and is used because of the vibrant red color of the flesh. The name yellowfin comes because the soft dorsal and anal fins of the fish are bright yellow. (Those of you who have a pornography filter on your email won't be getting this week's newsletter because of the use of the word anal.)

Yellowfin is becoming a popular replacement for bluefin tuna because it is not threatened by extinction as is the bluefin. It is also popular in the meat-hungry United States because it seems more like ultra-tender beef when rare and a bit like beef tri-tip when cooked through.

Speaking of fish, we're expecting a shipment of fluke tomorrow.
Fluke, aka (Paralichthys dentatus) has a white flaky meat that is prized for its delicate flavor and texture. People always ask what a fish "is like" and if we had to tag fluke that way, we'd describe it as somewhere between Dover sole and grey sole in texture.

Mark is going to stop by Lakeside Farms in Clifton Park today and pick up some baby Seckel pears, "those little baby cute things" and maybe some cider.
"The Seckel pears specifically will be accompanying the duck dish,"
Mark said. "We'll probably poach them in some wine and fun stuff...meaning star anise, clove and Javanese long peppercorn and whatever."

Paul really wants to do cassoulet this week, but he's afraid to promise it because he's not sure he'll have time to pull it off.
Cassoulet is a dish that originated in the Languedoc consisting of white beans and meats cooked in a stewpot with seasonings, then finished with a gratin crust. The name comes from cassole, the word for the glazed earthenware crock traditionally used for the dish. The white beans give the dish creaminess and flavor. Originally, fava beans were used, but after haricot were introduced in France in the 19th century, they became the bean of choice. The choice of meats used in cassoulet varies widely from region to region.

The Pink Plate Special this coming week will be leg of lamb with mint and honey.
The Pink Plate is a weekly prix fixe special we offer on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For $32 per person, you get your choice of soup or salad, the featured entree, two selections from our cheese board or one of a couple of featured desserts and coffee, tea or espresso.

We offer a fun and elegant à la carte brunch on Sunday. Our artist-in- residence, jazz pianist Cole Broderick, plays the baby grand piano from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The brunch menu this Saturday and Sunday will feature grilled pork loin chop with wild rice pilaf and Normandy sauce ($14); seared scallops on truffled white bean purée with exotic mushroom sauce ($16); vanilla French toast with grilled ham steak ($13); and papardelle Bolognese ($13). Appetizer specials include Rhode Island Littleneck clams steamed in white wine with garlic and herbs ($13); a salad of Sunset Hill Farm greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette ($7); Rhode Island Littleneck clams steamed in white wine with herbs and garlic ($13) and soup of the day ($8).

The brunch specials run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu,
offered from 7 to 2 p.m., includes a Continental assortment of
muffins, pastries, fruit, yogurt, frittata etcetera for $9;
omelettes ($10 to $12); pancakes du jour ($10); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($10); waffles with sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($10); and Irish steel- cut oatmeal ($8).

Artist-in-residence Cole Broderick has been busily promoting his seventh CD release this month, "Chez Sophie Jazz." This CD is a departure for Cole, who won a Billboard Critic's Choice Award for his 4-CD set of jazz compositions: "Seasons in Saratoga," because it's the first time he's recorded with a vocalist. Weirdly enough, that vocalist is Cheryl Clark, co-owner of Chez Sophie, wife of Chef Paul and mother of the adorable Nico and Léo. Their artistic collaboration started back in the diner, a couple of days after Nico was born, when Cole heard her singing to her infant son while vaccuuming the carpet in the rear dining room. Since then, he has persistently urged her to sing with him in the dining room, and conceived and produced a CD of
12 of the standards the two of them perform in Chez Sophie's dining room and 4 original piano compositions. Our illustrious web designer, Sharon Maenza of Kilakwa Associates, has loaded parts of the CD onto our website at http://www.chezsophie.com/ Copies are for sale for $16 at Chez Sophie.

We would be delighted if those of our customers who are so inclined would consider joining our family for Thanksgiving at Chez Sophie. We will be serving Thanksgiving dinner from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 22. This was a huge and wonderful day for us last year, and we were surprised at how many people wanted to eat out at Chez Sophie on Thanksgiving, rather than cook at home. We'll be offering free-range turkey and all the trimmings, with fresh-baked pies for dessert for $40 per person, plus tax and gratuity. An à la carte dinner menu will also be available. Turkey dinner for children under 12 is $15.

We will also be offering a special five-course turkey tasting menu with four spectacular wine pairings for $100 a person, plus tax and gratuity, for those looking for an even more elegant and extraordinary repast. A credit card is required to confirm reservations for Thanksgiving.

We've also started booking reservations for New Year's Eve 2007, on Monday, December 31, 2007.
This is our most elegant party of the year, with festive decorations and special menus to make the evening memorable. Our early seating, with tables available at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m., will feature a prix fixe five-course menu including options for three of the courses, with a glass of Champagne included for $80 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
The New Year's Eve all-night party starts at 8 p.m., with seatings available at 8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m. The 9-course menu will feature options for three of the courses, with a midnight Champagne toast included. Jazz Pianist Cole Broderick plans to start playing at 8 p.m. The cost is $130 per person, plus tax and gratuity Special prix fixe wine menu available as well as our full wine list and bar.
The Saratoga has agreed to make double and king rooms available to Chez Sophie customers for $219 per night. Book early, because the hotel is always sold out on New Year's Eve.
Reservations required with credit card confirmation, call 518.583.3538.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Night Dinner December 24 and 25 Details to be announced We will be serving options suitable for families and for gourmands wishing for a special holiday meal. Rooms will be available to Chez Sophie customers at The Saratoga at a steep discount. ($79 per night.)

Live Piano Jazz
Jazz pianist Cole Broderick plays the baby grand Tuesday and Friday night, and during Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(barring special events that preclude live music.)
Cost: No cover charge

Tasting menus
Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu available each night. The
menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you at an additional charge or you can order from our extensive wine list.
Cost: $80 to $200 per person for seven courses, plus tax and tip.
Everyone at the table must partake in the tasting menu.
If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a
special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings
designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.
Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.
Cost: Depends on the number of courses and the wines selected; available for two to 75 guests. Call Cheryl to make arrangements at
518.583.3538

The Pink Plate Special
offered Monday, November 5, Tuesday, November 6, Wednesday, November 7, and Thursday, November 8 .
$32 per person
includes your choice of soup or salad, a special entree, selected desserts or a cheese course and coffee, tea or espresso.

This week's special entree:
Leg of lamb with mint and honey

Notes on Nico and Léo:

Randy, who started years ago as our dishwasher and has since become the manager of our dishwashing and room service staffs, was telling us about his precocious three-year-old daughter Arianna on Halloween.
He asked her for a piece of her Halloween candy, and she authoritatively told him: "You don't need any chocolate. It will rot your teeth right out of your head. I need to eat the chocolate because I'm very tiny and I need to grow."

It reminded Cheryl of her horror last week when she came home and found a box of Cocoa Puffs or some such hideous cereal on the kitchen counter, with a little plastic cup next to it half full of the noxious sugar-coated morsels.
"What the @#&%$ is this?" she asked her husband indignantly.
"I dunno," he said, lifting his nose from a book. "I thought you bought it."
Four-year-old Nico, having overheard the unfortunate exchange, sailed into the kitchen and informed his mother that the offending item belonged to Hope, the nanny.
"Only she eats them," he announced. "We aren't allowed to eat them because our Mommy knows better. She only feeds us protein."

The Parker family
at Chez Sophie
518.583.3538

Chez Sophie was founded in 1969 by sculptor Joseph Parker and his French-born wife, the late Sophie. The business moved to a vintage stainless steel diner in Malta Ridge, New York, in 1995. It is owned today by Sophie and Joseph's son, Paul Parker, and his wife, Cheryl Clark. In June of 2006, they moved the restaurant into their current location in The Saratoga Hotel on Broadway..

If at any time you would like to be removed from our weekly email list (or receive less frequent postings about wine dinners or special events) please let us know by return email. We hope you enjoy our news.

P.S. Each month we draw a name at random from our database of customers and send them a $50 gift certificate to Chez Sophie. If you would like to be added to this promotions database, which is owned by Chez Sophie, please send us an email with your name, address, telephone number, birthday and anniversary. People on the list will also receive a gift certificate by mail or email for a free glass of champagne or dessert on their birthdays or anniversaries. (You only need to enter once to be eligible every month.)

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