WELCOME TO TRESTLE ON TENTH

What to do with Father’s Day?


In Thailand the day is celebrated in December, in Denmark on June 5th, and in Germany “der Männer Tag” is commemorated on Ascension Day by an all-male hiking outing with sausages and beer. Here in the United States, Father’s Day was founded as an counterpart to Mother’s Day and in memory of a tragic mining accident in West Virginia, as well as in honor of a man who raised six children by himself in Spokane, WA during the Great Depression. Somehow I’ve always felt Father’s Day was the ugly duckling of all the holidays, wanting to be equal to Mother’s Day but nah, not quite.

Are men really supposed to relax a bit more on this special day? Just a tad bit more then any other Sunday, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s Day? Should they be given presents, like a new lawn mower (the one from Sears that turns on a dime) or sterling silver nose-hair clippers or a very organic clay ashtray from the youngest one or a set of dumbbells from the wife? Hmm, reminders of chores undone? But then, once a year a hug and a six pack can be a nice thing.

In my family the celebration consisted of my mother’s cooking my father’s favorite meal: pork roast spiked with cloves, mashed potatoes, carrots and gravy. He would open a bottle of local lager and end the meal with a cup of coffee enhanced with “Kernobstbrand,” an apple and pear eau de vie.

Here at Trestle on Tenth we will celebrate this joyous day of maleness and familial adoration of same by offering a rather hedonistic sandwich for brunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday, the 14th and 15th.

“The Suckling Pig Hero”


Tender roasted suckling pig meat pulled of the bone, mounded on a crispy hero roll, along with chopped crispy skin, house-made mayo and mustard, lettuce and tomato, and a light gravy; served with blue-cheese potato chips. The thirsty man can accompany his hero with an ice-cold pint of Six Point Brewery “Apollo” Wheat. And for the true hedonist, male or female, we will top the mound of succulence with a slice of seared foie gras and an fried egg and serve it with a pint.


The “simple” Suckling Pig Hero, $14.50

The “sudsy” Suckling Pig Hero, $17

The “hedonistic” Suckling Pig Hero, $23


I really don’t know exactly what do with Father’s Day, but I know what I would like to eat.

Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth




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The Cherry Blossom Festival is over and the last few pink pedals have been blown of the tree by the wind and rain last night. So it goes.
Mothers Day is just around the corner, well in fact its next Sunday the 11th of May. We will be featuring a special brunch menu that day. Stay posted. Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth


Cherry Blossom Festival at Trestle on Tenth


Spring finally arrived in full force last week, and our cherry tree at last got with the program. On Friday the first tender buds started to open, and by Sunday night the majority of them were completely unfurled. Without a doubt spring is here! At the Greenmarket the flower stands are in full swing and just bursting with colors. Here at the restaurant fiddlehead ferns, morels, ramps and other goodies are arriving.

Starting Tuesday we will be preparing spring-inspired dishes all week long. Seared sweetbreads with tender spring herbs and lemon vinaigrette, wild striped bass with ramps, oyster mushrooms and roasted fingerling potatoes are among the dishes we’ll be offering. I even put in an order for tender suckling pigs for the weekend. The first rosés of the season are going to be featured, and of course we will premier our “Cherry Blossom” cocktail.

Come and celebrate this precious and magical time of the year with us.

Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth.
212 645 5659

CHERRY TREE BLOSSOM UPDATE



04/19 -- 78F. We are definitely getting to have a spectacular looking cherry tree this year. I think the few cooler days we had at the beginning of the week helped to ready the tree for the blossoms to open. This might be my last entry before Tuesday, when we will start our festival. Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth.

04/18 -- 77F. Talking about going from 0 to 100 in 6 seconds. The cherry tree opened its first blossom this afternoon and now it is just a matter of a short couple of days before the whole tree is in full bloom. That means for us here at Trestle on Tenth that we will start our cherry tree blossom festival on Tuesday for seven days. Come and visit and Lunch or Dine under the cherry tree, seating permitting of course. Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth.

04/16 -- 62F. OK, it looks like I pulled the trigger a bit too early by announcing our first ever cherry blossom festival. The tree is absolutely not cooperating and looks like it has no interest in celebrating spring just yet. We did have a good talk though this morning and perhaps we will see more of an enthusiastic progress over the next couple of days. I’ll keep you posted. Ralf

04/15 -- 57F, that is the predicted high for today, definitely cooler then it was over the weekend. It looks like the cooler weather is slowing down the cherry tree a bit. The blossom stems are fully developed and the blossoms themselves are starting to form in to the bell shape that announces the eminent opening. More tomorrow. Ralf

04/12 -- 71F, “April, April er macht was er will.” Which translates to something like “April, April does what it wants.” Just like today. Some sun, some clouds, perhaps some rain later. The cherry tree is developing like crazy. One can feel the power of spring---I almost expect to take a look at the tree one morning and see it split in half from the raw, wild exuberance that was penned up within. The way the buds and leaves are coming along, it looks like opening day of the festival may be Wednesday, the 16th. Ralf

04/11 -- 69F today, sunny with a mild and gentle breeze blowing. The blossom buds are growing faster then weeds. If I had the time I would gather some loved ones and friends, open a bottle of young German riesling and watch the leaves of the cherry tree unfurl. Got word, the first ramps made it onto the New York wholesale market. Yippee! Ralf

04/10 -- Ok, so today is a warm sunny spring-like day and nobody will believe me if I say the blossom buds are twice as big as they were yesterday---no kidding. Also the first tiny leaves are beginning to unfurl. My prediction still holds for mid-next-week, especially considering it is supposed to cool down again the next few days. Today is warm enough for the garden to be set up to serve lunch al fresco. I just got off the phone with my purveyors, and nice looking fiddle head ferns are coming in. Stay tuned. Ralf

04/09 -- I think the buds on our cherry tree are a bit bigger today than they were yesterday. Some started to shed off the protective shell. Based on my experience we are still about a week out before the tree blooms at its fullest. Ralf

Trestle on Tenth Cherry Blossom Festival 2008


Every year at the beginning of April it’s the same story: tired of constantly banging steam pipes, wet cold gray days and hibernating friends, we click on the weather news in hopes of a warm, sunny forecast. In a cheerily compassionate voice, the weather person (in too-summery suit and sporting a tan) announces another slush storm rolling through Washington DC and heading up the coast for New York. Tomorrow’s Saturday and we thought we could dust the bike off and go for a nice long ride, but instead it’s going to be another weekend penned up inside or slogging around in the rain. Misery.

But just a few days later an enthusiastic bird whistles from the bottom of his tiny lungs and penetrates our morning sleep. And when we start down the street for work we see that the branches of the street trees have begun to glow with that wonderful yellow-green that presages the bursting out of leaves and blossoms. Wow, hello, could this be it? Yes, it must be---everybody has that smug little “I knew it was coming” smile on their faces that means they’ve succumbed to the annual magic.
Spring is here!

Hoping to find some early greens and other things that grow above ground, we head for the greenmarkets. We’re all tired of root vegetables and legumes---we need dirt-grown green stuff! No such luck yet. Over the next few weeks all the delicacies of spring will start rolling in, but in the meantime we’re jonesing to taste the first fiddlehead ferns. And yearning for asparagus, morels, ramps, and the first tender greens from the hot houses over in New Jersey.

Be patient just a little longer---the wonders of spring are nearly here, and we intend to do them justice.
To celebrate this magical time of year and the opening of our garden, Trestle on Tenth is preparing for a weeklong Cherry Blossom Festival. Beginning the first day the cherry tree in the garden starts to bloom, we will offer a series of spring drinks and dishes for 7 days. We’re bound to nature for our timing, so we can’t say exactly when the festival will begin. But stay tuned. We’ll keep you posted. Spring is here!

Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth

212 645 5659


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Jura wine and cheese tasting



March 4th - 9th at Trestle on Tenth

In the hills and deep cold valleys of the Jura region of France and Switzerland, some of the world’s most delicious wines and cheeses are produced. The cheeses ripen and the wines develop over the quiet months of winter, growing in depth and complexity of flavor. The weeks just before the crocuses begin blooming on the spring pastures are considered the perfect time to pair these wines and cheeses in an exquisite harmony of tastes.

In this beautiful area forgotten by time, wines made of Trousseau, Chardonnay, Ploussard and Savagnin grapes marry blissfully with blue, goat, and other mountain cheeses. The wines range from light reds to crisp, lively whites to complex and nutty whites, such as vin jaune, which demand to be paired with the most richly flavored of cheeses.

We can’t bring you the beauty of the Jura, but we can transport your taste buds there with a pairing of four wines and cheeses from the region. Come join us in a last celebration of winter just before our spring arrives.

reserve your sampler for $26 per person, Tuesday March 4th - Sunday March 9th, from noon on.



(The tasting can be ordered on its own or as the start or finish to your meal.)

On a little side note we are now taking reservations for Easter and Mothers Day Brunch.

Cheers,
Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth
212 645 5659

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Needless to say the duck necks were a smashing hit on Super Bowl Sunday. We exposed tons of people to a brand new snack. You don’t have to wait until the next Super Bowl, just come on over and order them at our restaurant.

Forget about chicken wings for your Super Bowl snacking…this is the year of

Crispy Duck Necks



Come and pick up a mound of crispy duck necks for Super Bowl XLII on Sunday February 3 at Trestle on Tenth from noon until 8 PM.

Haven’t eaten our crispy duck necks before? Necks (which have the sweetest meat on the duck) are braised until falling-off-the-bone tender, then rolled in bread crumbs and fried until golden crisp. We serve them with a savory garlic and anchovy sauce that makes grown men cry for more.

Perhaps you are already a crispy duck neck aficionado who orders the dish when you dine with us. But this year on February 3, as the un-official supplier of duck necks for Super Bowl XLII, Trestle on Tenth will offer the crispy goodies to go! You may not be aware that more than one player (and a cheer leader or two) on each of this year’s competing teams has secretly been eating crispy duck necks for extra strength and endurance. We cannot reveal the names of these players---sorry!---but we can assure you that our duck necks do impart superhuman powers, especially when consumed with a cold beer while watching a football game.

So preorder your own hot crispy duck neck pieces, served by the dozen for $16, and pick them up, or come in and order them to-go on Super Bowl Sunday.

Crispy duck necks can be reheated to prime crunchiness in a 400F oven or in the microwave for 45 seconds. Be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand because this is pick-up-with-your-hands and munch-off-the-bones kind of eating!

call 212 645 5659 today to reserve your duck necks



Cheers,
Ralf and the team at Trestle on Tenth
212-645-5659

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The Metzgete was a run-away success and we will definitely offer the feast again a year from now.
In the meantime we are gearing up for Valentines Day. We will keep you posted. Ralf


Metzgete at Trestle on Tenth


Dear friends of Trestle on Tenth,
Please come and join us for our first-ever metzgete any night from Tuesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 20. It will be a special offering in addition to our full dinner menu.

So, what is a metzgete? Loosely translated as “a butcher’s affair”, it is a very traditional Swiss celebration of the pig, customarily offered at country restaurants throughout Switzerland during the cold months. The metzgete follows right on the heels of the slaughter, which happens in late fall & deep winter, and originated as a way to use every scrap of the pig--especially those parts that would or could not be dried, smoked or pickled for later consumption. Resembling the choucroute garnie of neighboring Alsace, the dish starts with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes and is then heaped with all kinds of pork.

Next week at Trestle, our version will include everything from braised belly to homemade bratwurst to liver and blood sausages, for only $24 per person (it can be served family-style for a group). We would suggest pairing the metzgete with a glass of Switzerland’s most notable white wine, Chasselas, or a bottle of artisanal Swiss beer, both of which will be available as options as always.

We look forward to sharing with you a true Swiss experience in a modern American setting.

Ralf and the Trestle on Tenth team

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Believe it or not BRUNCH is here!


We started Brunch and it is as smashing success.

We’ll serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11AM until 3:30PM.
We are not taking any reservations, so get here early.



We are now continuously open from noon until night closing time and are serving a smaller menu between 3 and 4:30 pm.


We are what we eat!

I remember this saying from my grandfather when I was a child growing up in Switzerland, and I like it. "We are what we eat" stuck with me, and ever since I have enjoyed watching people eat and drink and getting clues about their personalities. As a child my imagination would conjure up all sorts of characters and stories: some were funny, others were sad. I still watch, but now as a chef---seeing how people react to my food, making sure that they are enjoying it.

At Trestle on Tenth, everything begins with food and drink. Then we add hospitality, friends, and a warm atmosphere. We invite you to come and join us, to eat and drink, to make new friends or tighten bonds with old ones, to share with family. We hope you'll let discussions abound like fish in a creek, your minds wander happily like a flock of chickens.

In short, we hope you'll eat and drink well and have a great time at Trestle on Tenth. That is our goal, that is what gets us out from under the feathers in the morning.

Let us know how we do.

Ralf Kuettel


Trestle on Tenth is located on the corner of 10th Avenue and 24th Street, (right side, far corner) across the street from the future High Line Park in Manhattan's West Chelsea art district.