The Chef’s Selection

Consider the new Tasting with Julio dining option which launched this month at Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar as a culinary cruise, with Chef Julio Genaro at the helm. Instead of having to navigate your way through the same dishes every time you drop in to the Stamford restaurant, Chef Julio sets a course for sumptuous flavors and curates a four-five course immersive dining experience for you. Featured only at dinner Wednesday through Fridays, the menu changes weekly and the whole table must opt in for this celebration of the chef’s expertise and the rhythm of the seasons.

“The dishes I prepare are definitely centered on seasonality and what is in peak at the moment,” Chef Julio says. Almost like a “restaurant within a restaurant,” the new menu is also a chance to expand your dining horizons with new flavors.

We spoke with Chef Julio and asked him to explore dishes that exemplify the beauty of his work—from the plating down to flavors that will dance on your palette. Think of this as an appetizer of the kinds of dishes you can expect to savor at Tasting with Julio.

Bright Bites

Photo Caption: Scallop and citrus ceviche with agrumato, finger lime, orange segments, radish, kalamansi and tapioca crisp.

“Scallops have a light sweetness and a delicate brininess that is enhanced and contrasted by the sweet and tanginess of kalamansi, which is a citrus fruit found in China and the Philippines,” Chef Julio says of this dish, which made its way onto the launch menu for Tasting with Julio.  For those unfamiliar with the taste of kalamansi, Julio advises, “It’s a mix of lime, lemon and orange. It steers more toward acid than sweet, which makes it perfect for pairing with seafood.”

Hearty Helpings

As the season shifts into winter, expect to find heartier dishes featuring legumes, grains, and homemade pastas. You might be lucky enough to enjoy a dish that features roasted pear and taleggio ravioli with chestnut puree and port wine glaze. “Taleggio cheese is a semi-soft cheese with an earthy and fruity tang,” Chef Julio says of this dish. Though normally cheese and earthy chestnuts might weigh down a dish, he brightens things with a port wine-based sauce that adds an acidic punch.

New Classics

Above: Prime rib with acquerello rice and white truffle risotto, wild mushrooms, butternut squash and black truffle-yuzu kosho jus.

Chef Julio often riffs on classic combinations like prime rib and vegetable-forward risottos. “Fall brings a great bounty of wild mushrooms, truffles and squash,” he says of his latest risotto that focuses on autumn’s harvest. He often toys with Asian influences, like using the common Japanese ingredient of yuzu kosho—a paste made of chilis, salt, and the peel of the yuzu citrus fruit—to brighten creamy and rich dishes like risotto.

Decadent Desserts

Photo caption: Chocolate and Nutella bar with devil food’s cake and white chocolate cremeux

Also a master of desserts, he often incorporates familiar ingredients like chocolate but explores them in new ways. For this specific dish on the launch menu which features a chocolate and Nutella bar with devil’s food cake, he notes, “This dish is a play on different textures and the diversity of chocolate.” Expect less common sweets preparations like cremeux, which is somewhere between a light mousse and a pudding, and served in this dish like a cake frosting.


Prime – An American Kitchen and Bar

78 Southfield Avenue, Stamford, 203-817-0700; restaurantprime.com

To learn more or make a reservation go to: restaurantprime.com/stamford

 

 

 

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