Humans,
I hope you're having a magnificent summer so far! For those of you that have been in our world a while, maybe you've heard me say: "When I started Cow by Bear, all I knew is I didn't want it to be a restaurant. I wanted to recreate how dinner goes down in the wild, when the salmon run in the summer and us bears would gather and enjoy these majestic feasts together." Sure, we've evolved over the last 7 years of putting on dinners by listening to you all and implementing more traditional human elements that have been suggested. But that sentiment is still very much at the core of experience today.
That's why I cringe just a bit when I'll sometimes hear Cow by Bear compared to a fine dining restaurant. Don't get me wrong, I so appreciate the compliment, but that's not us and doesn't really set a proper expectation for what we do. We don't follow the traditional fine dining rules, and that's what excites me! Maybe we're fine dining, wild animal style. Our dinner party is all about connection and having the most fun possible. It all starts there and everything else - the menu, pairings, service, other little details of the experience - is designed to support that philosophy. It's what makes us "us" and that's what we hope to share with all of you!
Our experience probably isn't for everybody, but for those of you that want to enter into our crazy little world, we're here for you! Osa, Osito and I would like to extend a summer promo exclusive for our 'Bear's Necessities' readers. Just use SUMMER18 when booking your reservation for 15% off ticket prices. The promo is valid from now until end of day next Friday. We can't wait to spend an evening with you!BOOK NOW!
Shrimpin' Ain't Easy
Osa and Osito collabearated on this dish for the brand new summer menu in San Diego, and with the recent heatwave it's just what the doctor ordered. Don't let the simplicity of the recipe fool you; it's a tasty dish that'll put a smile on your face. The key is getting the best and freshest melon you can find. Enjoy!
Serves 6
for cold cantaloupe soup
1 cantaloupe peeled and seeded
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
2 tsp banyuls vinegar
for pickled shrimp
3 pounds cooked shrimp
1 tsp celery seeds
6 cloves sliced garlic
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp mustard seed
3 bay leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup cider vinegar
to garnish
cilantro
mint
sal de gusano
1. Cut cantaloupe in 1-inch chunks. Place about 1/4 of them in a blender and process at high speed until puréed. Once you have a purée, gradually add remaining melon, processing until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add lime juice and blend briefly. Season with salt to taste and blend again.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pickled Shrimp
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss thoroughly. Pack everything into a large glass jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to come together.
Divide soup among 6 soup plates and drizzle with a little vinegar. Garnish with sal de gusano, cilantro, mint and the pickled shrimp.
Basil Bearracuda
Our mixologist Terry made the news last week when he was caught splashing around in a human’s hot tub drinking a “margarita.” No question he was having a jolly ol' time frolicking around, but what the media got wrong was his drink of choice. It wasn't a margarita, but our brand new cocktail he's been experimenting with. We're calling it the Basil Bearracuda and you can find the recipe below. Enjoy!
3 lime wedges
3 slices of cucumber
3 mint leafs
2 oz cachaca
.5 oz basil simple syrup*
2 oz soda water
for the basil simple syrup
1 c fresh basil
1 c sugar
1 c water
1. Put 3 lime wedges, 3 cucumber slices, and 3 mint leafs in a Boston shaker and muddle ingredients.
2. Pour in 2 oz. Cachaca and .5 oz house made basil simple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously.
3. Double strain into a Collins glass (use a regular bar strainer plus a mesh strainer to keep all the seeds and crushed mint out).
4. Add 2 thinly sliced pieces of cucumber plus one thinly sliced lime wheel. Add regular ice. Give it a good stir and top with 2 oz. soda water. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
If you want to get fancy with it, you can sugar the rim with basil sugar. Just pulse one cup sugar and one cup basil in a food processor until it becomes uniform (store in a cool, dark place). And if you want to get extra fancy, sip it with a bamboo straw.