DINING OUT:
KETTLE LAKES (4/05)

by Sue Brode

Kettle Lakes (View Map)
5785 Route 80
Tully, New York
(315) 696-FOOD (3663)

by Eric Kainass

A short ride on a rainy April night brought my companion and me to the warmth and comfortable subdued light of Kettle Lakes restaurant. A Jazz duo was playing inside the Bistro. The bar was filled with people sipping cocktails and the tables with people enjoying the small plates and entrees. I was there to see an old friend, Chef Brian Shore, to see for myself how he had changed, and how his cuisine had changed (he is well known for being the Executive Chef at the Arad Evans Inn in Fayetteville and as the Chef of The Brewster Inn in Cazenovia). Chef Shore is a Certified Executive Chef, has 27 years of experience in the kitchen and has been a chef for the last 21 years.

Kettle Lakes has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2002, 2003, 2004, and will soon receive it for a fourth time in 2005. Although I felt somewhat nervous in the position of examining his restaurant, his kitchen, and his food, I looked forward to the experience. As he showed me the kitchen, I could not help but appreciate at how clean and well organized it was, and how the chefs and cooks, the wait-staff and dishwashers moved through the tight spaces without any frenzied hurry.

Years ago I worked under Chef Shore at a different restaurant before he opened Kettle Lakes. I was responsible for salads and cold appetizers, as well as making many of the desserts and plating them for the customers. Now, I was very surprised to see how much he had changed. He was much calmer than before, yet obviously in full control of the kitchen and the restaurant, “it took a lot of work to get here, and as a result it’s now almost effortless.” The presence of the Sous Chef: Jeff “Captain” Sanders; First Cook: Danny Smith; Pastry Chef: Tony Lache; and Garde Manger: Charles Merchant help Chef Shore run the kitchen. Torrey Grant, the sommelier and floor manager, and Brian’s wife, Cindy take care of the front of the house. Torrey had a perfect suggestion for wines with our appetizers and entrees.

Brian presents each diner with an “amuse bouche,” a small ‘pre-appetizer,’ which in French literally means, “mouth amusement.” The evening we dined there, it consisted of escargot prepared with tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese and garlic butter-a delicious take on a classic. After that, we were treated to a crab cake made with Jonah blue crab, served with caramelized onions and mushroom butter ($8.00).

The cuisine prepared by Chef Shore is unique and has undergone many changes since I worked for him. He continues to purchase as much local produce as possible, “currently we are partnered with Lively Run Dairy in Interlaken, Fresh Herbs of Fabius, Cowles Settlement Farms of Fabius, Cobblestone Farms in Preble and Frary Farms in Tully. These represent just a few of the outstanding local purveyors that we count among our friends and partners.” The farms provide Chef Shore with vegetables and herbs. Some of the most interesting flavors in his dishes come from “micro-greens”—very tiny versions of chervil, mustard greens, daikon radish greens, etc.-which often pack more punch than their larger relatives and add a delightful crispness and freshness.

My companion and I started on our appetizers-we shared two-she ordered the Duck Fondue: warm duck confit and sweet onions in a fontina cheese sauce, served with crisp croutons ($7.50); I ordered the Foie Gras: seared and served with double-smoked bacon on brioche French toast, accompanied by maple-poached prunes and Chilean carica papaya ($14.50). We both gave these high marks-the food was superb, and Chef Shore has changed his presentation quite a bit since I worked with him. Gone is much of the “height” on the plate, such as potato gaufrettes or sprigs of rosemary—now he uses the ingredients of each dish to dress the plate.

Brian’s different approach to tastes, textures and presentation was refreshing-a “less is more” feeling-which combined with the nicely shaped plates, offering white space around the food, and the clean silverware replaced after each course gives a feeling of comfort, rather than alienation, which often occurs when experiencing unfamiliar, gourmet cuisine.
We continued our excellent meal with our entrées: I opted for the butter poached lobster tail and claw, served with corn risotto and asparagus and a butter créme sauce, all cooked perfectly (market price). My companion, after a Butterhead Bibb lettuce salad with Chef Shore’s famous ratatouille vinaigrette, shredded cheddar cheese, and fried onions ($5.00), decided on the Snook filet, actually a fish called Robalo, hailing from the Gulf of Mexico. It was served with a crisp sushi rice cake and Daikon mustard greens. Chef Shore now places more emphasis on seasoning the food before cooking and provides salt and pepper on the tables by request only. The entire dining experience is high-end without pretension, and one appreciates the effort put into the balanced flavors and looks of the dishes.

Chef Shore continues to progress and impress with his cuisine. For dessert, we shared a plate of Profiteroles: delicate pastry puffs filled with coffee-flavored ice cream and topped with a warm chocolate sauce. Brian likes his desserts to have at least four different textures, and the Profiteroles managed that nicely, we enjoyed mugs of coffee with the Dessert . . . “the mugs tend to break less often and customers receive more coffee.” The overall dining experience was unhurried and professional, attentive yet unobtrusive. All of the prices were reasonable; the knotty-pine ceiling and rowing shell suspended above us lends the feel of an Adirondack camp to the restaurant.

Kettle Lakes has a website at www.kettlelakes.com, and their telephone number is (315) 696-3663 if you have questions or wish to make reservations. When you visit Kettle Lakes, tell them you saw their review in Table Hopping.