The Cupcake
Blog
What is Secret Supper?
Secret Supper is our version of the underground dinner…it is our chance to break out of our breakfast-lunch mold & showcase seasonal ingredients for supper.
What is the ‘secret’ part?
We really have two secrets!
The first is the date, only recipients of our email newsletter, our fans on Facebook, and those that follow us on Twitter get word of the date/time of the next secret supper.
The second is the menu. Want to know what to expect? Directly below are details and far below are some of the past menus to give you a clue.
The Menu
Our kitchen and bakery staffs create, collect and develop recipe ideas each month: the result… a crescendo of seasonal culinary creativity. Because of this and special ordering we must stick to the Secret menu and substitutions can not be made. At times, Southport Grocery will hold dinners without red meat or shellfish, and even dinners that are vegetarian friendly – we’ll be sure to get the word out when those dates approach. Secret Supper is not about exclusion, on the contrary, it’s about bringing together flavor, ingredients, and people in new and interesting ways; we really want to allow our chefs and the food to shine.
Our 72 hour cancellation policy
Many of our ingredients are sourced & we commit to buying them from the farmers & vendors ahead of time; we also spend a lot of time preparing for dinner starting at the beginning of the week.
So with this kind of commitment we need you here to eat! In that same vein, we urge you to be present promptly at the stated time. Our dinners are finely orchestrated and tardyness affects all dinners and staff – please be on time.
What if I have an emergency and need to cancel or remove one or more persons less than 72 hours prior to Secret Supper?
First, we will miss you!
Unfortunately, just like a concert, your credit card will be charged the full amount for each person canceling, but you can always give your seats away to someone, or find replacements for seats and we’ll be happy to rock their socks off with the dinner.
Menus from Secret Suppers past:
2013
April
grilled squid – ramp gnocchi – turmeric & carrot nage
guinea hen ballotine – bacon scrapple – ramp jus
pistachio goat cheesecake
featuring local eggs & Zingerman’s goat cheese from the cafe
March
sour beer cheese soup – berkshire chorizo – daikon radish
crispy sweetbread taco – charred slaw
pastrami rye ravioli – glazed hakurei – russian espuma
chocolate stout cake – bourbon peanut pretzel – stout anglaise
February
charred octopus – forbidden rice – parsnip & wasabi puree
duck – black lentil – plantain – coconut – tamarind
poached pear – champagne sabayon – chocolate mousse
January
country pork pâté with olive oil gelato & smoked crostini
slow cooked goat & roasted parsnip risotto
goat cheese-persimmon tart
featuring local goat, parsnips & radishes
2012
October
new england clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
pork confit & orecchiette
pumpkin rice pudding with a black sesame lace cookie
featuring local arugula, carrots, grapes & pumpkin
September
‘a walk in the woods’ salad
brussels sprout leaves, wild mushrooms, black walnuts, swiss chard with farro & apple gastrique
‘tongue & cheek’
butter poached halibut cheek, leeks & broccolini & cherry bomb braised beef tongue
apple-butterscotch upside down cake & cinnamon-clove ice cream
featuring brussell sprouts, mushrooms, swiss chard, apples, broccolini & cherry bomb peppers
August
seared scallop with pickled peppers, fennel puree & smoked tomato
plum glazed spare ribs with seaweed, corn & wax beans
chicken chasseur with maple glazed carrots
cream puff with stone fruit
featuring local peppers, fennel, tomato, corn, wax beans, carrots, plums, nectarines & peaches
July
chicken & waffles
blueberry braised short rib benedict
coffee & coffee cake
featuring local blueberries, peaches, corn & zucchini, & our beer shallot mustard from the grocery
June
crab brodo
genesis farms baby lettuce salad
fish n chips
strawberry monkey bread
featuring local strawberries, baby lettuce, scapes & peas
May
sauerkraut soup
legume salad with merguez sausage
chorizo crusted albacore tuna with plancha asparagus
lemon mousse with an olive oil cookie
featuring local asparagus & Rancho Gordo beans from the grocery
April
egg yolk ravioli & spring salad
bouillabaisse with smoked lake trout gyozas & kimchi
braised deckle pierogis with roasted cauliflower & brown butter
red wine rhubarb hand pie with blue cheese crust
featuring local trout & rhubarb
More Photos
March
shrimp & grits with fava beans and persian cress
ramp crusted veal breast on house-made bun with ramped & tater tot salad
goat’s milk tres leches cake
featuring Fat Toad Farm goat caramel sauce from the grocery & local persian cress,bakena cabbage, white grits & ramps
More Photos
February
lobster pho & roll
beef wellington with charred green beans & red wine reduction
chocolate cake with champagne-passion fruit mousse & churro hearts
featuring living kraut from the grocery
More Photos
January
forbidden rice arancini, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella & licorice citrus salad
braised lamb, preserved lemon pasta, sunchoke & radicchio
banana jam stuffed crepe with saffron fluff
featuring RJ Black Licorice, Molinari Pepperoni, & housemade preserved lemons & blueberry preserves from the grocery
2011
November
charcuterie – cheese ball – pickled pumpkin with roasted nuts & house made crackers
turducken with a savory pumpkin bread pudding
pumpkin consommé with apple dumplings
featuring local pumpkin, apples & brussel sprouts
October
apple & celery root soup ~ poured table-side into our blue cheese custard
green bean salad ~ hen of the woods mushrooms, almonds, apples, crispy pastrami, mustard vinaigrette
braised goat w/goats milk yogurt ravioli and local kale
sangria poached pear served over white chocolate & coconut risotto, coconut chips
September
glazed yellow beet salad ~ watermelon, micro greens, beet chips, 5-year aged cheddar
scallop sashimi ~ local grapes, avocado, aurora pepper vinaigrette
skatewing ~ romanesco, potato-carrot au-gratin, carrot-lemongrass emulsion
white grape polenta custard ~ anise almond brittle, concord grape sauce
August
panzanella ~ heirloom tomatoes, crispy shallots, toasted almonds
3-way duck sliders ~ duck confit, pastrami, & cracklings.. served w/asian slaw and togarashi eggplant chips
“singapore turnover” w/peach butter, pickled peach & ginger mascarpone
July
corn soup w/crispy chorizo and fingerling potato coconut creamed corn crostini
beef confit sopes ~ maize tortilla, Rancho Gordo beans, cabbage, sour cream served w/salsa trio (mojito, peach and verde)
SoPoGro jello duo ~ apricot pie w/graham cracker crust, coffee & cream
June (aka “Strawberry Secret Supper”)
genesis farms baby green and herb salad, “barely buzzed” cheese tuile, strawberries dipped in basil gelatin
berkshire pork loin w/spring onions, spetzle & pickled green strawberries
strawberry shortcake in a jar
May
shrimp a la plancha w/ramp cornbread, collard greens & hollandaise
local pheasant w/purple asparagus & noodle galette
pink peppercorn pineapple upside-down cake w/raita sauce
April
wild ramp soup & octopus salad
seared lamb, Israeli couscous, lamb date jus
sweet ricotta pastry, rhubarb curd
March
witbier homebrew aperitif w/Unique pretzel split
corned beef caraway-scented cabbage egg roll
stout glazed duck breast with melted leeks & twice baked potato
chocolate stout cake & shamrock shake
featuring Unique pretzel splits from the grocery
photos
February
winter spinach salad with roasted persimmons & pickled rhubarb gastrique
boar stroganoff & boar ribs with wild rice & golden beets
raspberry filled angel food cake french toast with burnt honey custard
featuring local winter spinach from Granor Farms & raspberries from Klug Farms; pickled rhubarb & Bron’s Bee Honey from the grocery
photos
January
hamachi tartar citrus salad
bolognese with root vegetable ragout & pimento dumplings
‘banana split’
featuring Zingerman’s pimento cheese, sour cherry preserves & cinnamon cayenne cashews
photos
2010
November
olive oil poached artic char & brussel slaw
noemi’s pork & beans with fennel-braised leeks
s’more cake
featuring local pork, brussel sprouts & leeks, & Rancho Gordo yellow eye beans
photos
October
pumpkin soup with gingersnap croutons
sausage crusted wild striped bass with pumpkin sformado, collard greens & pepita mole
pumpkin cream pie
featuring local pumpkin & collard greens, & Morning Glory Mexican Chili Brittle from the grocery
photos
September
baby red mustard greens – pickled corn & goat muenster with cider vinaigrette
roasted chicken with wild mushroom tart, butternut squash puree & candied hazelnuts
dutch apple cake with brown butter almond brittle ice cream & raspberry coulis
featuring local mustard greens, corn, peppers, goat muenster cheese, butternut squash, apples & raspberries; Jeni’s brown butter almond brittle ice cream, Nordic Creamery goat muenster, & our corn relish is available in the grocery
July
heirloom tomato & shaved fennel salad with blue cheese vinaigrette
‘becker lane’ pork belly with succotash & vanilla bourbon peaches
blueberry tamale with sweet corn ice cream & blueberry brittle
featuring local tomatoes, corn, zucchini, dragon beans, bell peppers, pork belly & blueberries
photos
June
ratatouille bucatini with asparagus puree
crusted deckle with glazed chioggia & snow pea salad
a strawberry jam cake & a strawberry shake
featuring: local asparagus, scapes, spinach, beets, snow peas, arugula & strawberries
photos
May
roasted asparagus- brie- pea shoot salad
green garlic butter poached halibut with wild rice, breakfast radish & turnips
chocolate rhubarb tart with Jeni’s salted caramel ice-cream
featuring: local asparagus, green garlic, wild rice, breakfast radishes, ramps, watercress & rhubarb; Jeni’s ice cream (available in the grocery)
April
wild ramp soup
beef bourguignon with Wisconsin watercress
strawberry cream pie parfait
March
black trumpet mushroom risotto with leek broth
lamb meatloaf with house-made goat cheese & Yukon gold mash potatoes
concord grape crepe cake (featuring our house-made concord grape jelly)
February
sunchoke soup with seared bay scallops
pan roasted guinea hen with poached cauliflower & ‘Native Harvest’ wild rice
chocolate fudge fondue
January
lobster bisque with ancho brie espuma
braised beef pie with agave glazed cippolini & shitake brown butter vinaigrette
roasted persimmon banana bread pudding with orange toffee sauce
featuring toffee bits from the grocery
2009
November
pickled pumpkin with purple mustard greens, apples, radish & pistachio pecorino
slow-bake Arctic Char with parsnip puree, endive & cranberry emulsion
braised short rib with sweet potato gratin, brussel sprouts & natural jus
pumpkin tiramisu with pecan pie brittle
October
rose´ poached pear with pumpkin seed crusted goat cheese & pear butter
‘bacon & eggs’
purple potato hash with fried hen egg & applewood smoked bacon
our blueberry mustard is available in the grocery
cider glazed duck with swiss chard & wild rice
buttercup squash parfait with concord grape conserve
our grape conserve is available in the grocery
featuring local pears, eggs,
purple potatoes, concord grapes & buttercup squash
September
heirloom tomato with tomato gelee´, gremolata & bacon-aioli
butter poached shrimp with roasted delicata squash & pickled apple-corn salad
pan seared venison with local braised greens & stuffed polenta
gala apple dumpling with candy apple sauce
August
chilled peach & muskmelon soup with grilled cheese
featuring Rothkase buttermilk blue cheese available in the grocery
japanese hamachi sashimi, white peach & jicama salad
seared lamb loin with rancho gordo bacon succotash
featuring rancho gordo heirloom beans available in the grocery
‘early blue’ plum crisp with vanilla custard
featuring local corn, tomatoes, peaches, plums
& musk melon, & custard from Scooter’s
May
wild watercress salad with pickled baby turnips & buttermilk blue polenta
featuring buttermilk blue cheese from the grocery
soft shell crab sandwich with ginger ramp slaw
seared diver sea scallops with crispy chorizo,fingerling potato fricacasse & ancho chili beurre blanc
lemon pound cake with rhubarb vanilla compote & vanilla walnuts
all available in the grocery!
tonight’s menu features local, turnips, ramps, watercress, asparagus & rhubarb
April
roasted asparagus – orange salad with toasted almonds & mahon sabayon
featuring mahon cheese available in the grocery
‘peas & carrots’
line-caught Alaskan halibut with glazed spring peas & carrot-lemon curd
featuring pea shoots from Heritage Prairie Farm
pork – 2 ways
soy maple glazed tenderloin & sweet-sour braised belly
with oyster mushroom-ramp ragu & macerated rhubarb featuring pork belly from Triple S farms
strawberry cupcake gone ‘shortcake’
featuring sweet cream sandy ice-cream from Bobtail Ice-cream Company
March
pink grapefruit – avocado salad with vanilla vinaigrette
featuring our vanilla vinaigrette available in the grocery
roasted monkfish with goji berry-quinoa & black licorice emulsion
featuring RJ’s black licorice available in the grocery
braised lamb pot pie with red cabbage & wilted greens
bailey’s sandwich with a Black Cat mocha espresso shot
featuring Intelligentsia’s Espresso available in the grocery