Joe's Blog Tasting Summer at Joe's

It's mid July and the kitchen is bustling. A crescendo of line and prep cooks chattering competes with clanking cast iron pans with sizzling Branzino. Adjacent to the kitchen, in the East Wing are subtler ambient sounds. Waiters and waitresses having personal conversations, tapping pens and scooting their chairs closer to the table fades out as General Manager, Brian Johnson along side Executive Chef, Andre Bienvenu begin introducing the new summer dishes. Yes. Joe's is open for the summer and there are just two weeks left for you to try the new dishes.Twice a year, Joe's employees host a tasting for the front and back of the house staff to try new items on the summer menu. JoAnn Bass, granddaughter of Joe and Jennie Weiss with her son, Stephen Sawitz work alongside Chef Andre to create an enticing and exclusive summer menu.Joe's has hosted summer sessions for the last 13 years when Owner, Stephen Sawitz, GM, Brian Johnson and Chef Andre realized summer is the perfect time to play with new recipes. "It's like being a painter and taking away the canvas," explains Executive Chef, Andre Bienvenu while recounting the days when Joe's was silent for five months following stone crab season. He and the staff grew restless. Thus, Joe's Summer Session was born.Another change in the restaurant in the summer time is something many of our guests confuse year round. It's the checkered tablecloths! During stone crab season, our table clothes are white. In the summer session, not only are the white table cloth's replaced with checkered linens, waiters and waitresses hang up their tuxedos until next stone crab season and dress in all black. It's too hot for jackets and bow ties. Here's a sneak-peek at some of our summer menu items:Clams CasinoBeef Caprese SaladCrab CanneloniMahiBranzinoHalibutBackyard Beef Brochettes Twice Baked PotatoJoe's Summer DessertsWarm Chocolate Lava Cake (in a mug): Warm chocolate flour less cake (soft center) with berry sauce, whipped cream, heath bar pieces, mini marshmallows & mint. Deep Dish Apple Pie & Cherry Pie: Granny smith apples tossed in sugar, butter, raisins, cherries, pecans, and cinnamon, topped with oatmeal butter crumb. Topped with a scoop of ice cream Coconut Cream in a Jar: Coconut cream filling, cookie crust, whipped cream topped with coconut shavings. Peach Pound Cake Skillet: Pound cake with peaches topped with a scoop, lemon sour cream drizzle & peach wedge. Does contain Peach Schnapps.And of course, there's still key lime pie. Til' next stone crab season.-Joe