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We caught up with Natalie to talk about the first year of business.
Q: What is unique about the food you are serving up?
A: No pretense. Our food is simple and straightforward, authentic and delicious. We only use fresh ingredients. Everything is made from scratch. I know that this shouldn’t be unique, but you would be surprised.
Chef Jack is an incredibly skilled, well-trained Chef. His background is in French cuisine, so he takes these classic French techniques and applies them to classic American dishes.
While the farm-to-table movement is very popular right now, Jack and I have been working with farmers for years and it’s part of the soul of our restaurant. There’s nothing in this world that tastes as good as a tomato in the height of its season, or that sweet snap of corn. Local growers are our partners in offering fresh, natural food.
Something else that makes us unique is our daily specials. It allows us to showcase the bounty of the season. Every single day we offer something different that is carefully planned and executed.
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Q: Describe the menu to someone not familiar with the restaurant.
A: Corner Kitchen is a “finer diner” — a mid-priced Oregon District neighborhood restaurant offering seasonal American cuisine. Classic and familiar dishes are infused with creative and unexpected twists, served fresh from the farm to the table. There are also some surprises that reflect Jack’s inventiveness and originality.
Q: Describe the approach the kitchen takes on food?
A: Corner Kitchen is what is called a “scratch kitchen.” That means that virtually every dish is prepared fresh daily. For example, our hamburgers have earned some well-earned acclaim, in great part, because Jack grinds the meat fresh every day. I guess the one-word description to both ingredients and dishes is “fresh.”
Q: What do you think makes Corner Kitchen a destination restaurant?
A: We have worked very hard to offer superior service — attentive yet unobtrusive. Both Jack’s and my experience is in very fine dining establishments. We wanted to take our fine dining training and apply it to the casual, comfort food that we serve. I think people appreciate receiving clean flatware for each course, servers that are well-informed and engaged yet unobtrusive, a restaurant that is clean and casual.
I think we are a destination because we are offering quality, fresh food at reasonable prices that is expertly prepared with seamless service. We have an incredible team. Everyone who works with us is truly excited and interested in learning, improving every day, and have pride in what we do. I think fostering this happy, engaged staff is tangible in everything we do.
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Q: What is your favorite menu item that is currently on your menu?
A: Each iteration of the menu seems to focus on one core ingredient that you’ll find used throughout the menu in different ways — our first menu featured lamb, the next was duck, spring focused on artichokes, and our late summer menu will highlight the humble, but glorious rabbit!
We are so excited to introduce our rabbit pasta dish: braised rabbit with fettuccine, mirepoix brunoise, shiitake mushrooms, and chervil.
One of my other favorites is the chicken liver mousse.
It’s incredibly creamy, whipped lighter than air, and so rich and complex.
We love charcuterie and the delicious diversity that it can allow.
Prior to the Chicken Liver Mousse, we served a Duck Liver Pate. He’s also made a Rabbit-Pork Terrine. During our winter menu, Chef made a Southwestern France-styled garlic sausage that we served in our Sausage & Peppers Fettuccine dish as well as the Cassolet.
Hands down, the Cassolet is my favorite dish that we have ever served. Sadly, we won’t be bringing it back until the winter.
Duck confit that Chef makes in-house, garlic sausage, braised pork and white beans. It’s unbelievable.
One of my favorite entrees on the current menu is the Chicken Dinner — a seemingly simple dish, but so incredibly bright and complex. The richness of the butter in the dish is cut with the lovely acidity of lemon. On the surface, the dish seems simple, but with every bite I find a new taste or flavor that I hadn’t noticed before.
I also love the Ratatouille.
While the dish is vegan and gluten-free, it’s so incredibly rich and filling. We use locally grown eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, tomato and basil and create a stew that is served with two large slices of grilled eggplant and dressed with basil oil. It’s the perfect summer dish.
WANT TO GO?
What: Corner Kitchen
Where: 613 E. Fifth St., Dayton
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 4:30-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4:30-11 p.m.
Seating: Indoor seating, 64; bar seating, 13; outdoor seating, 32
Cocktails: The bar program, run by Natalie Skilliter's sister Tess Vella-Collette, always seems to surprise in just the right way with an inventive, playful list and interesting daily specialty creations. The Corner Cocktail is one the most popular drinks and Corner Kitchen's signature cocktail. Guests have the option of selecting Bombay Sapphire Gin or Old Overholt Rye, the other ingredients include Aperol (a bitter orange, rhubarb aperitif with lots of spice and herbs), fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a house-made mint simple syrup. All of Corner Kitchen's specialty cocktails are $7.50 and they follow the same principles that is used throughout the kitchen: simple, straightforward, fresh ingredients. The Pinky is also a favorite, combining Watershed Four Peel Gin from Columbus, a house-made Basil Simple Syrup, a touch of lemon juice, and a sparkling Rose float.
Happy hour: Runs 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with specials that include two red wines and two white wines for $4 and selected domestic beers at a discounted price. Early this fall the restaurant plans to expand its happy hour menu to feature selected cocktail and small bites at the bar.
Wine and beer: Corner Kitchen carries 23 cans or bottles of beer and four rotating draft selections. The bar carries eight sparkling wines, 13 white, three dry rose and 12 red wines by the glass with 29 additional wines sold by the bottle. "Our wine and beer selection is carefully curated – each beverage stays very true to the style. As much as we love a wine that packs an unexpected punch, there is a beautiful complexity in the true style of a Riesling, or a perfectly crafted lager. Our bar program is reflective of our food – delicious, and authentic," Skilliter said.
The menu: The seasonal menu takes full advantage of what local purveyors have to offer. The restaurant features a six-course tasting menu for $34 with six small plates that will give diners a feel for what Corner Kitchen is all about. If you're feeling hungry give it a try, but you'll have to get the rest of the table to order the same as it's offered to whole tables only, or you can order it at the bar on your own check. Wine pairings are available with each course for an additional charge. The lamb khorma shepherd's pie, which just came off the menu was a favorite of mine that Skilliter says will be back for winter, so look for that later this year.
More info: (937) 719-0999 or www.afinerdiner.com
It has been a year since Corner Kitchen opened its doors in the Oregon District.
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