Pine Grove Hall

101 E Pine Grove Rd, Pine Grove Mills
pinegrovehall.com
Open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday, plus brunch on Sunday

Rainbow Tuna Tataki
Black sesame-crusted seared Ahi tuna with a peach ponzu sauce, marinated cucumber and horseradish made blue and purple with butterfly pea flower, cilantro microgreens, fried shallots, pink peppercorn, roasted cherry tomatoes, herb oil, and snap peas

For this year’s Restaurant Week, Chef Tory Glossner passed the reins to Sous Chef Brittany Pereda (whose Cuban menu last fall garnered waves of support from local foodies). Celebrating the season — summertime and Pride! — she developed a Tuna Tataki dish featuring all the colors of the rainbow.

Black sesame-crusted seared Ahi tuna is surrounded by a peach ponzu sauce and plated with marinated cucumber and horseradish made blue and purple with butterfly pea flower, cilantro microgreens, fried shallots, pink peppercorn, roasted cherry tomatoes, herb oil, and snap peas.

“I thought it would be a fun creative outlet for me,” said Brittany. “When Chef Tory told me the dates, I thought, June, that’s Pride month! I thought it would be a nice refreshing dish for the summer.”

Originally from Miami, Brittany loves all the classic central PA flavors of summer: tomatoes, eggplants, summer squashes. Since moving to State College, she’s worked at Spat’s, the former Allen Street Grill, the current Allen Street Grill, and RE Farm Cafe. “Moving here and working on the farm really showed me the huge difference between a tomato from the farm and one you get any other time of year.”

Pair her Restaurant Week dish with a drink from Pine Grove Hall’s equally thoughtful and impressive bar menu — Brittany suggests the Ume-Shiso Japanese Cocktail, a tantalizing mix of Japanese liquors finished with umeboshi (salt-pickled plum) and dried red shiso.