Thursday, October 28, 2010

We Got The BEET!


Beets generally share a love hate relationship with people today. You either love 'em or you hate 'em, (or maybe you've never even tried them). Those that love them and hate them are usually thinking of pickled beets, which is certainly an acquired and generally regional taste. 

Woolley's has decided to give the beet, in all her purple glory (hey - this is Vikings' territory, after all) another chance. However, instead of incorporating the typical pickled variety that often appears on salads and relish trays, Woolley's has roasted them. Exactly! Not sounding so bad any more, right? 

Now add deliciousness to their already great health benefits, and who couldn't love beets?  

Stop in and try Woolley's Roasted Beet Salad off of our new Fall Dinner Menu, or if you're feeling industrious, you can try to make it at home. A great addition to any fall staples, it would even make a great Thanksgiving Day side. 

Roasted Beet Salad
Mixed Greens
Orange & Ancho Chili Vinaigrette (Recipe Below)
Roasted Beets
Shaved Roasted Fennel
Manchego Cheese

Orange & Ancho Chili Vinaigrette 
1/2 quart - Fresh, Squeezed Orange Juice
1 cup - Chopped Shallots
1/4 cup - Honey
1 quart - Sherry Vinegar
7 - Toasted Ancho Chilies (Place chilies on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven for about three minutes)
2 3/4 quarts - 80/20 oil (80% canola oil, 20% virgin olive oil) 

Put all ingredients into a large container and blend with a stick blender.
*Note this is our restaurant-grade recipe and will make a large quantity of dressing. Feel free to scale down according to your needs. 

Roasted Beets & Fennel: Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Cut each beet into about six wedges. Cut each fennel bulb horizontally into 1/3-inch thick slices. Toss beets and fennel in olive oil to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 45-minutes to one hour. Beets should be tender. 

Toss Mixed Greens with desired amount of Vinaigrette. Top with Roasted Beets, Fennel, and grated Manchego cheese.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Woolley's Thanksgiving Day Brunch

- Has your family grown too large to squeeze into a single home?
- Has preparing Thanksgiving dinner taken a turn for more labor and less love?
- Is all of the painstaking decorating, hosting, and cleaning up preventing you from spending quality time with your family?

Fret no more! This year, Woolley's will be hosting a wonderful Thanksgiving Day champagne brunch from 10am to 2pm. Our executive chef has a wonderful menu planned that includes all of the traditional Thanksgiving favorites as well as some exciting new dishes and of course champagne!

The cost is $28.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 12 and under, and free for children under three. Reservations can be made by calling Woolley's at 952-854-1010.


Let Woolley's handle all of the stress this Thanksgiving, so you can enjoy your holiday to the fullest!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hope for Haiti Banquet

This Friday, Woolley's is proud to host a banquet to raise money for the All God's Children Orphanage in Fedja, Haiti. Woolley's feels especially tied to this event, since our very own Chef Peter and food and beverage director, David Breen, were at the orphanage when January's deadly earthquake struck.


Chef and David were in the process of assembling the on-site kitchen that will feed all of the orphans, staff, and volunteers in residence at the orphanage. Due to the disaster, they were forced to evacuate the country before the work could be finished and are committed to partnering with the organization to finalize the structure. 


A dinner, silent auction, and entertainment are planned with 100% of the proceeds from the event going directly to completing the construction at the All God's Children Orphanage. Please join us for what's sure to be a wonderful evening, celebrating a great cause. Tickets are $50 per person/$90 per couple. 

Silent Auction: 5:30 - 7:30pm
Dinner & Benefit: 7:30 - 9:00pm

To purchase tickets, please visit the orphanage's website. Registration closes today.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Chef Peter's Plump Chef Line


Our very own Chef Peter has created a line of spice shakes to take your cooking to a whole new level! Available in the Woolley's coffee shop or online, the shakes pack some serious flavor punches. Shake into everything from baked beans, hamburgers, chicken and steaks, to fish, game, or even pineapple before its grilled. 


Even one of Woolley's most popular appetizers, our Diablo Bites, are created using one of Chef Peter's special shakes. Simply season skewered beef tips with the Diablo Shake spice blend prior to grilling. Then, once the tips are blackened to your liking, remove and serve with marinated tomatoes (basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper), and/or fried onion straws and the dipping sauce of your choosing. We serve ours with a smoky tomato fondue (smoked and roasted tomatoes, shallots, toasted ancho chilies and garlic), but a creamy horseradish sauce or warm cheesy fondue would pair nicely as well!


Available in seven different varieties, Chef Peter's spice shakes are a complementary addition to any home kitchen! The newest variety, Haitian Love Rub was developed after January's earthquake in Haiti, which occurred while Chef Peter was in the country on a mission trip. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this and all Plump Chef products will be donated to the Haiti Relief effort. 


With special gift packs available, it's never been easier to surprise that chef in your life with a little spice this holiday season! 

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Yes I Can!


At Woolley's, we pride ourselves on a great ambiance, excellent food, and fantastic service! This week we just wanted to give a special shout out to our employees that make a difference, day in, day out, working hard to ensure that Woolley's answers on all three of those deliverables.


Jose Fuentes, Yes I Can Winner



Jose Fuentes is Woolley's busser/food runner and an incredibly dedicated employee.  He has been with us for over nine years (since he was 16)! No matter the task, Jose goes above and beyond every day. "It's not my job," just isn't in his vocabulary. He is the servers' "go to" guy, ensuring that they have all the tools needed to deliver prompt, impeccable service to our guests.


Other Wow Service this week: 
  • Tran - Great job on a party of 16!
  • April - Amazingly prompt service and way to handle the large corporate group!
  • Heidi - Excellent service for a large corporate client's dinner group!
  • Grandma Sue - Another special request and recommendation for Grandma Sue's service!
  • Emily - Awesome job on the root beer floats!
  • Stephanie - Attentiveness to her guests!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our employees! You give us something to brag about