Welcome to my blog. Here I will share relevant experiences and thoughts on any culinary topics. I will try to keep you updated on new venues, liquors, cocktails and other discoveries. Please feel free to write me with any comments or suggestions of places you'd like me to visit or cocktails to try. Cheers!

02.10.09

So sorry for the delay! Without boring you on the time and stress and sacrifices it takes to open a business, I'll just tell you I've been very busy =)

Trummers on Main is moving along! We have run into many construction surprises, as should have been expected with a building built in 1869.  We are almost finished with electrical, plumbing and HVAC. The restaurant is fully framed, so it's finally looking like a restaurant. The elevator is also finished, although we can't ride in it yet. Below I've attached some pictures of the most important part....the bar!

We also hired a fabulous chef, Clayton Miller. He worked at the French Laundry (with friend John Fraser) and Daniel. Most recently he's been at the Ritz Carlton Hotel's Norman's. More good news, we hired a talented Pastry Chef, Chris Ford. He is finishing his time at Chikalicious in New York and will be moving here in a few weeks.

We still have a lot of work to do. The kitchen construction has not yet begun as we are still waiting on that permit. As of now, we are anticipating a May or June opening, but will keep you updated. We will keep updates on our website www.trummersonmain.com.

Although opening a restaurant is plenty of work on its own, we are also opening a cupcakery! Victoria's aunt, Susan Woodhouse, has been baking these seriously ridiculous "Actually Dipped" cupcakes out of her house for years. So with a perfect location in Fairfax Corner, a planned community with plenty of foot traffic, and great shopping, Sue moved to Virginia to open a shop. We have been focusing a lot of our effort on the cupcake shop and hope to open in March. Check out www.cupcakesactually.com for updates.

MAIN BAR AND LOUNGE - VIEW FROM BACK OF BAR LOOKING TOWARDS FRONT DOOR

VIEW FROM YOUR SEAT AT THE SIDE BAR!

BAR EQUIPMENT DESIGN

OUR CHEF, CLAYTON MILLER

VIEW FROM FRONT DOOR OF RESTAURANT, PAST THE BAR AND STRAIGHT INTO THE WINE CELLAR

05.13.2008

The move is official! Below are pictures from our "Aufwiedersehen New York" Party. I want to thank all of you for attending on that rainy New York night, I couldn't believe the turnout!! Thank you to Albert Trummer for organizing the party.

Sorry we've been so busy with the restaurant plans and renovations that we haven't had a chance to write. The plans are coming along and we are very excited about this restaurant. We're actually excavating under the kitchen to create a wine cellar and private room. Many exciting plans!!

We're leaving for Europe today, and will be spending one week in France (Paris, Chateauneuf Du Pape, and Burgundy) and two weeks in Austria. I'll be available via email. Once I return I will update you on the renovations on the restaurant.

                        Julie                       Molly                         Ryan                      Chris

                                       Me                  Kurt Decker                 Albert Trummer

                                                 My lovely wife Victoria

                               Group photo with Simon (Plymouth), Scott (Krahn) and the next big

                                                                Austrian bartender Ralf (Apotheke)

                                                If  you look closely you can see Cachaca Dave

                                                        More friends and Ralf in action

To my close friends and family,

Over the past 8 years I have had the pleasure to grow close to many of New York's most wonderful and talented people. I am sorry to say that I will be leaving New York, but I will be pursuing a much larger dream. My wife and I are opening a restaurant in Historic Clifton, 25 miles from Washington DC. We were fortunate enough to find a historical landmark building which housed many infamous presidents and politicians since it was built in 1869. Today the restaurant is 3 floors with an attached winter garden and about 8,000 sq ft.

My wife and I will be in the city quite often for other projects and promise to continue supplying the concoctions I'm known for to all my thirsty fans. I will also be extending a warm welcome for friends and family week to our restaurant sometime in the fall. Please be sure you have contacted me on this page so I have your information.

In the meantime I recommend trying my brother, Albert Trummer's, new cocktail hotspot called "Apotheke". The bar should open soon and is set up like an old apothecary. I'm confident that his bar will satisfy all of you cocktail lovers. The bar is on Doyers Street, the oldest street in Chinatown, right off of Bowery. Further details will follow.

I want to thank my loyal friends and customers who have continued to encourage me over the years. Without your support I would not be finally seeing my dream come to life.

PROST!!!
 

9/2/07

It's September (already) and I decided to check out the Long Island Vineyards to taste new vintages and keep updated with our local wineries. My first stop, and my personal favorite, was to Paumanok. I smiled immediately upon entering as Kareem Massoud, the winemaker and owner along with his father, was behind the bar pouring tastes to the many followers of this wine. We went through the pleasing tastes, being especially delighted with the Bordeaux-like 2004 Assemblage (which I like to refer to as the "Awesome - Blage"). Kareem explained that this wine needs another year, however our taste buds were thrilled with the slightly jammy yet complex layers of this wine. We look forward to opening our purchased bottle in 2008, if we can wait that long. We were also stimulated with the 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling which had the fresh grassy flavors we love so much but was tamed by a balanced sweet apple finish that kept us desiring more. Lastly we liked the medium bodied expressive 2004 Cabernet Franc with nice hints of cassis. It goes without saying that I am still a huge fan of the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc as well as the 2006 Festival Chardonnay which I purchased the last bottle of (sorry)!

We stopped at vineyards along the North Fork, most notably Pelligrini for their 2004 Petit Verdot (which you can only purchase as a wine club member unless you beg.....), Bedell Cellars for their 2005 Merlot, Laurel Lake for their Sparkling Moscato and Raphael for their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (which was incredibly palate stimulating), their 2000 First Label, and their 2005 Saignee (which was a bone dry rose made from Merlot).

On our way to the end of the North Fork we stopped off on the water to a fresh fish market which also serves limited cooked dishes. The seafood salad is not to be missed (made with fresh crab, lobster and shrimp). Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the place, but it is right next to the Seafood Barge Restaurant.

After a short ferry ride we were on Shelter Island with excitement to visit Andre Balazs's Sunset Beach. We parked and arrived at the incredibly French Riviera atmosphere. In concept it's great, good drinks and food right across from the beach overlooking the incredible yachts, however we were slightly disappointed. We were told by the hostess that lunch was over but we might be able to get food at the bar, if the bartender felt like it (dependent on how busy she was). Then we made our way to the incredibly packed bar and ordered mojitos (which took close to 15 minutes although there was no muddling involved - just a few quick careless ingredients). So in order to drink mojitos lacking lime juice or good rum, we raced to the finish so we could get back to the car and head to the Hamptons. We topped off our experience with a $100 ticket for parking in the permit only parking lot.

Once off of the ferry we knew we were nearing the Hamptons as traffic slowed us down right away. We drove through the quaint busy towns of the Hamptons, stopping at a casual restaurant for some seafood, and at 9:30pm decided to end our evening on the beach. Bringing the bottle of Bedell Cellars 2005 Merlot, we went out to the pitch black beach and stared up at the stars while drinking the perfect bottle to finish our tasting extravaganza. We were just about finished when the Fire Marshall kicked us off the beach...just the adventure we needed to head back home to Manhattan.