Big Night 2010 - Kuckhahn's

Big Night 2009 - Holton's

Under Construction

Big Night 2008 - Kuckhahn's

Big Night 2008 

Table set with signature cocktail

vanilla-butter poached lobster, enoki mushrooms dusted with sweet curry powder, served in a baked crisp wonton shell glazed with a jack fruit reduction

morel mushroom souffle and cracker with morel mushroom tapenade topped with creme fraiche 

roasted carrot soup garnished with grilled prawn, warmed Thai spices and garlic/ginger alongside to adjust spice profile to taste

"Caesar Salad"

romaine leaf, anchovy, parmesan flakes, soft boiled quail egg, olive oil, lemon zest, cracked pepper

selection of Kramarchuk's sausages and accompanying sauces

"Bouillabaisse"

seared sable fish, steamed clams and mussels, red pepper puree, rouille

chicken with Moroccan flavors, dried apricot, pistachio, macerated golden raisin

"Neopolitan"

steak grilled rare, risotto, roast tomato aspic, balsamic reduction

caramelized nut "cigar", poached apple, vanilla ice cream 

Big Night 2007 - Holton's

Under construction

Big Night 2006 - Kuckhahn's

Under construction

Big Night 2005 - Holton's

One of the true culinary wonders of the world is that anyone can turn out semi-decent food out of a galley-style kitchen.  What was the 1960's design wizardry that went into designing a kitchen in a hallway?  Same group that felt like olive colored refrigerators were a good idea.

One of the highlights of this adventure was the first Amouse Bouche, a grilled mushroom dotted with truffle oil, wrapped in a thinly shaved slice of Blau's Saukville Meats smoked beef tenderloin, and then tied with a home-grown garlic chive.

But the true highlight was sharing the meal with the Holton's good friends, the Timm's along with their children.

Big Night 2004 - Kuckhahn's

Here is one of the first menus...

but at this point there had already been several memorable cooking adventures, most often they involved Tom and Bob attempting to make some hopelessly complicated meal, like Beef Wellington or roasting an entire leg of lamb.  By the time the meal was ready, the patiently suffering wives were usually asleep on the couch, driven partly by this crew (in addition to these three, two more little ones are trying to sleep somewhere)

And yet, often obliviously, the cooking must go on.

A memorable feature of this meal was the "Fruit Soup Riot" that featured a stunning dessert wine combined with a puree of roasted summer fruits and a hint of Asian flavors with the addition of hoisin sauce.

How it began

Tom and Bob both attended the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and met when both were living in the lower level of a dormitory on the St. Paul Campus. They became good friends.  Whether debating religion or watching the Golden Gophers beat the Fab Five from Michigan, they found a natural kinship.

In their senior year, something special began with an innocent effort to create a decent home cooked meal in Tom's small apartment. In the process of making garlic bread with a dozen cloves of real garlic, they took turns walking out the front door and then back in, just to get the full impact of the roasted garlic aroma filling the entire apartment.  Somewhere in the all day cooking marathon, they realized they shared an appreciation for food.  It would be that appreciation for food and a genuine friendship that became the foundation for the "Big Night" tradition.

Big Night - The Inspiration

In the beginning there was food...and it was good. The inspiration.

The name of our annual celebration of friends and food is taken from the 1996 film "Big Night", a portrayal of two brothers trying to establish an authentic Italian restaurant in 1950's America starring Tony Shaloub and Stanley Tucci with a great supporting role played by Mark Anthony.