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Resurrection Redux: Rhett Vellner's new menu rolls out tonight
Rhett Vellner is taking over the kitchen at Resurrection Ale House beginning tonight. Don't worry, the fried chicken is sticking around.
Resurrection Redux: Rhett Vellner's new menu rolls out tonight
Rhett Vellner, a Doylestown boy and St. Joe’s alum, was recently named the new head chef at Resurrection Ale House. After the past few years of hustling on the line at joints-about-town like Smokin Betty’s, JG Domestic, and Resurrection, he’s gearing up to fully run a kitchen for the first time. Meal Ticket sat down with Vellner at the P.O.P.E. and, over pints of Bell’s Amber Ale, he shared some of what he’s got planned for his big deal new gig.
MT: Congrats on this development at Resurrection - how’s it going?
Vellner: Very busy! But it’s going well. Up until September 26th we’re slowly adding my dishes to the menu, one at a time as old dishes run out. Our servers verbalize all the changes, and it’s a good way to explain to people that we have this new menu in the works.
So, the 26th, which is Resurrections 3rd Anniversary Party, is the last day for the old menu. We’re going to serve from that until 5pm, and then at the party later that evening, we’ll be sampling items from the new menu from 5-10pm. Copies of the menu will floating around the party, and the full new menu goes live on the Thursday, the 27th. That’ll be the test run for the entire menu, and then we’ll push hard through the weekend. The weekend is the real test!
MT: Are you keeping anything from the old menu?
V: The fried chicken. My hands are kind of tied with that, you know! There was a real outcry when we took it off the menu before, so Brendan and Leigh [Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida, owners of Resurrection] are keeping that on forever. But my goal is to offer more of it, so we don’t run out of it before 8 o’clock every day. It really sucks for people who come in hungry at 10pm and can’t order what they want off the menu. The whole new attitude we’re going for is to get away from saying no, and be more a House of Yes. I went to business school, so I understand where my bosses are coming from, and I’m all about making money for the restaurant. I’m just happy I get to do it in a creative way, to cook the food I like. Above all, I want to keep our focus on top quality ingredients, and the simple bistro dishes we are known for.
MT: How did your promotion come about?
V: A few months ago, Joey [Resurrection’s former head chef Joe Chmiko], came to me and said “You should expect the owners to come talk to you about your future here.” He and I worked really well together, and he put in a very good word in for me. They did come to me shortly after Joey gave his notice, and said, “This is what we want for you, this is what we want for the restaurant,” and they gave me ten days to think about it. It was a huge deal for me. So I talked to a lot of people, my parents, my girlfriend, my friends, and in the end I decided to take it. I was a little nervous, but ultimately there was nothing holding me back from going for it. I’m just going to work and working really hard. It helps that I have an awesome crew to work with right now. Everyone is super young and willing to work, they’re totally on board. I’m constantly asking them for ideas and I learn a lot from them.
I love that Brendan and Leigh hire adults that can take care of themselves, that can manage their own micro problems, so there doesn’t need to be that Manager figure that everyone usually hates and talks shit on. They hire people they trust. They know about beer and running kick ass restaurants, and I know about cooking. So they ask me what I need and let me do my thing. There’s no headbutting - it’s how things should work.
MT: What’s your style like? Can we talk about some stuff on the new menu?
V: I wouldn’t really say I have one particular style. Honestly, I’m interested in cooking everything, but I keep it simple and clean. I love trying new techniques. I love doing research and get a little obsessive about learning new things - I don’t have a culinary school training, so I read a ton of books and ask other cooks lots of questions. But sometimes, even mistakes taste really good!
The new menu broken down into different categories: bar snacks, vegetables, sandwiches and entrees. It’s the same number of menu items as before, but a bit easier to read. Everything is super seasonal - so far, I’ve exhausted my list of fall vegetables! Some of my fall favorites are brussels sprouts, honey crisp apples, and pears.
From the bar snacks, I’m psyched about our spaetzel and cheese - our take on mac and cheese. Everyone loves mac and cheese! Plus, it’s a Hungarian dish, and I’m Hungarian, so it feels special to me. We’re going to make the noodles in house, and dress them with a shallot cream and then grate a shit ton of parmesan cheese into it and finish with breadcrumbs and Vidalia onions that are pickled in rauchbier. So it’s not the most traditional mac and cheese, but a creamy, refined, delicious dish with tons of flavors.
Of the vegetables, I’m so happy with the brussels sprouts dish. Just roasted sprouts, with cranberry pistachio pesto, and topped with an aged balsamic. Really, really simple and vegan!
The Asian style braised pork sandwich is shaping up to be exciting, kind of like a pork bun minus the steamed bun. I started the kimchi a while ago and its been getting funky, so by the time the 26th comes it will be uber funky! It’s just a traditional kimchi, and while I don’t have time to massage each leaf or pot and bury it, but it’s still going to be awesome.
I have a guy who gets us beautiful maitake mushrooms that I’m working into a killer vegetarian entree. These are not the maitakes you get from Farm Art in the plastic bags, they come in these gigantic clusters. They’re super meaty, and we’ll be cooking them almost like a pork chop, roasting and basting them slowly. The finished dish is the roasted maitake, creamy polenta, and something with celery root, maybe a fritter, or celery root “noodles.” Celery root is a cool vegetable that I love using whenever possible.
Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite desserts, so my plan is to do a carrot cake slice with a meyer lemon curd and rum raisins. A grown up carrot cake that’s not too sweet.
I’ve been working on these recipes in my head for so long, going over every detail, and I can’t wait to be working on them every day, in real life.
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