Owner, Master Chef & Foodie Kevin Daughrity Shares Insights
I sat down with Quincy Cellars owner and master chef, Kevin Daughrity, to find out why the food he serves at Quincy Cellars and Sensory Winery & Art Gallery is so extraordinary? if he considers himself a foodie – and what does that mean? and, the vision for his hospitality business? I gathered volumes from him and share a few insights today.
Most interesting to me is that Kevin is self-taught. Kevin became bored with college food and so cooking for himself and his college buddies became a practical and creative outlet. Food is still a passion of his, constantly honing his art, in addition to the creative license with cooking, Kevin likes the instant feedback – a quick sampling or a deep inhale gives him quick feedback about whether or not the direction he’s going is appealing or not. To dig a little deeper, Kevin loves to explore flavor combinations and trends – for instance he makes an all-time American favorite, macaroni and cheese, from scratch. For a twist, he includes a variety of fresh herbs and a blend of non-traditional cheeses, giving the dish new life with amazing rich flavor.
I asked Kevin what his favorite meal was and showing he truly is a foodie, he could not pin one down – he says what he likes best is the unabridged experience – and expects a complete celebration, no matter what the occasion or setting. Being served a 4-course gourmet meal at a fine restaurant with the perfect pairing of wine is pure enjoyment for him. Kevin also says that firing up the grill savoring a flavorful burger with a fresh homemade roll and kicking back with a craft beer is just as pleasing.
Check out future blog posts for more wisdom from Kevin like his secret to creating fantastic meals and vision for his business.
Katie and Matt’s Wedding Day Menu
Quincy Cellars is known for its fresh gourmet food with a contemporary flair and so I personally have been very curious to hear all about featured couple Katie and Matt’s menu choice for their upcoming special day.
Events manager, Amy, guided the couple through this important decision. First she presented them with owner/chef Kevin’s decadent wedding fare options – which by the way totally impressed Katie. Next, considering Matt is an outdoorsman with a traditional American palate (hot dogs, tacos, burgers, you get the picture), Katie wanted to make sure he was happy and asked him to take the first pass at the menu choices. He chose at least two options per category – despite a little trouble with some of the pronunciation of the contemporary options (wink, wink) and, Katie filled in the blanks in request for their personal tasting.
The couple worked with Amy, scheduled the tasting and ultimately discovered a perfect menu just for them. Drum roll please… and, here it is:
Hors d’oeuvres will be offered in the venerable wine cellar, including an assortment of classic and mod artisan cheeses, meats, and crackers at the bar. Black-tie serviced hors d’oeuvres include a one-of-a-kind Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail, along with delicately created spinach and artichoke phyllo cup pastries (Katie’s fav!). My mouth is watering already!
North 40 Photography captures Abbey and Chris in the cellar at Quincy Cellars in 2012.
The main course includes a locally-sourced field green salad with house-made intensely flavored and fresh vinaigrette. The salad is accompanied by bread freshly baked onsite, served along with compound butter. If you are like Matt (and me) and wondering what compound butter is – it is just that a combination of fresh herbs and spices added to the butter giving it amazing flavor, kick and sweetness – a perfect match spread upon the out-of-the-oven hand-crafted bread.
Abbey and Chris’ menu. Year 2012 by North 40 Photography.
All guests will be served a paired plate which includes a poultry and a meat entree. The bird is a slowly roasted chicken breast with a honey pomegranate sauce which assures a moist white meat along with an incredibly sweet and tangy flavor – divine! The hoof is an exquisitely selected filet mignon cooked just right using Quincy’s very own Merlot along with a hint of rosemary garlic for a flavorful yet subtly infused steak. Katie and Matt chose a parmesan and herb mashed potato for the starch. A seasonal farm-stand vegetable will also be prepared with care and served with the paired plate.
Kevin and Andrew in the Quincy Cellars kitchen making the magic happen!
Drinks include Quincy Cellars’ fine wines and 7 Sins Brewery crafted beers. Per Katie’s request, a variety of 5-star doughnuts from Mighty Fine Donuts in Erie will be served along with locally pressed apple cider.
October 22 cannot come soon enough!
Enjoy a Panoramic Farm-to-Table Dinner Including Wine, Music and PleinAir Painting
You may have visited Quincy Cellars to sample our wine, and possibly had an appetizer or, even a dinner at a special wine & cheese or holiday event – or maybe you attended a wedding or philanthropic event, regardless, if you even had one bite of the food, you would be delighted.
And if not, here is your chance to come and sample a fresh, simple, natural, true culinary arts experience. Quincy Cellars was chosen to host the Farm-to-Table dinner as part of the upcoming national PleinAir Westfield event. While here, you will enjoy a sumptuous dinner prepared by our owner and chef, Kevin Daughrity. The menu is inclusive of food from local farms and paired with wines from our cellars. Additionally, there will be live music and invited PleinAir artists in action.
En plein air is a French term that means open air and is often used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Often artists work in a studio looking at a still object while plein air painting is when an artist reproduces the scene or picture at that time at which they are in the natural environment. Artists from around the country will gather to spend five days painting in beautiful Chautauqua County including our lovely Quincy Cellars. The Quincy Cellars event center and wine cellar are in a country chic restored barn set on romantically landscaped grounds including a pond, willow tree, rose garden and vineyard – a perfect spot for artists to recreate.
This year is the third annual PleinAir Westfield event Sponsored by The Station Art Gallery & Studio of Katherine Galbraith, Johnson Estate Winery and Quincy Cellars. The Farm-To-Table Dinner is Thursday, June 23 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m with a cost of $60 per person. We are located at 10606 Route 20 in Ripley, close to the State line. Reservations are needed, get your tickets now – go to the “events calendar” under News at JohnsonWinery.com, or call 716.326.2191.
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