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New Tasty Fare at Hearthrock Café

New Tasty Fare at Hearthrock Café

By Peggy Werner

In his second year as head chef of Benson Stone Company’s Hearthrock Café, Todd Cooper is realizing his goal of taking the restaurant to the next level of quality. He’s ensuring customer satisfaction while regularly introducing new food and beverage items.

“I’m always inviting customer input and want to cater to their ideas, as well as my own ideas and those of my staff,” he says. “I explore possibilities and try new things while providing the best food at affordable prices.”

Recent menu changes include using all free-range grain-fed chicken in recipes, using more smoked meats in some tasty new sandwiches and adding specialty seasonal coffees like Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte, Cinnamon Roll Latte, Caramel Macchiato and Cinnamon Dulce Latte are all on his radar.

New sandwiches include a Double Bacon BLT, made with fresh guacamole, Roma tomatoes, shredded Romaine lettuce on toasted marble rye; and an apple wood smoked boneless baby back rib sandwich topped with homemade barbeque sauce.

Among the most popular menu items are the Smoked Andouille Sausage Flatbread, made with a homemade Marinara sauce, fresh Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese, red pepper and portabella mushrooms; a Mutated Reuben sandwich, made with a homemade sauce and pickled red cabbage; and traditional signature dishes such as the BBQ pulled pork, which is smoked in-house, and the tender, savory pot roast sandwich.

Cooper is following the farm-totable trend, working with seasonal and fresh ingredients as much as possible. New dishes are first introduced as specials. A computerized menu boards above the café counter displays daily and weekly features.

Fresh hot apple cider will be served from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday in December at Benson’s, 1100 11th St., and a local band will play seasonal tunes. ❚

Todd Cooper

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