Secret Supper

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

april-bar
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

march13-photobar
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

feb13-photobar
charred octopus – forbidden rice – parsnip & wasabi puree

duck – black lentil – plantain – coconut – tamarind

poached pear – champagne sabayon – chocolate mousse

January

january13-bar
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

More Photos

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

More Photos

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

More Photos

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

photos

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

photos

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

More photos

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