Ellenville's Number 1 Trip Advisor Restaurant!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

“My Restaurant Will Never Serve Atlantic Salmon” Says Chef Marcus Guiliano Of Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville, New York



Aroma Thyme Bistro, Chef Marcus’s restaurant in the Catskills, serves only wild Pacific Salmon, primarily Alaskan Salmon.

1888PressRelease) September 26, 2007 - Why?

“It’s farmed salmon, and that’s unhealthy salmon. It’s caged, it’s fed dye and anti-biotics. I will never use it.”

Aroma Thyme Bistro, Chef Marcus’s restaurant in the Catskills, serves only wild Pacific Salmon, primarily Alaskan Salmon.

“It’s a lot of work, just getting the fish, but it’s worth it. We follow the rivers, and we switch back and forth between the top Salmon as the season progresses. That means King Salmon whenever possible, and Coho and Sockeye now and then.”

The best areas?

“Yukon River. When a fish has to swim 2,300 miles to spawn that’s a mighty fish. Before they set off up the river those salmon build themselves up. They feed on krill and small fish until they’re in tip-top condition, and then they charge up that river. We also look for Taku, Stikine, Copper and other river run fish as well as ocean caught from Kenai, Kodiak, Sitka and Cooks Inlet.”

The result?

“That’s the best tasting salmon there is. There’s no comparison with the farmed stuff. The texture is incredible, the flavor is fantastic.”

How does he get it?

“Wild Alaskan Salmon runs from spring to the fall, river by river. As a buyer, though, you just never know for sure what species is available in any given week. That means you don’t just call up your supplier and order salmon! You really work the phones! You really have to play the market if you’re going to be serious about providing the best quality, by which I mean the healthiest, best tasting salmon for your restaurant. One thing that’s tricky is that you never know the price until you call and it varies widely, based on the area being fished, the quantity available and the method of fishing.”

What’s the best method then?

“Trolling, line fishing basically. It avoids the terrible wastage problem with any commercial netting fishery. But it adds $3 to $5 a pound to the fish. I would rather pay that then contribute to tons of bycatch, other fish that is caught and thrown away by net fishermen.”

And finally, how do you like to cook them?

“When the fat content is relatively low, like with Coho Salmon, I like to cook them with Asian sauces. The lower fat content allows the use of many sauces and interesting flavors. But the high fat content of the big King Salmon should be left alone. That fish is perfect as it is. I love a piece of grilled King Salmon with a little touch of lemon and sea salt, and of course, the char marks from the grill.”

Chef Marcus Guiliano Biography

Marcus Guiliano discovered his calling in 1999 after 8 years culinary experience. He was already a seasoned, veteran Chef, with stints at such famous resorts as The Greenbrier Resort and the Broadmoor Resort, plus a stint working at Pierre Koffman’s La Tante Claire in London, which was a coveted Michelin Three Star restaurant at the time. But, something was wrong. “

All this experience taught me how to cook great tasting food which was slowly killing me,” he explains. “I was overweight, I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma and I was facing an operation for acid reflux.” Then he just happened to catch Gary Null promoting “Get Healthy Now: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment, and Healthy Living (1999) on public television. Marcus rushed to a health food store for a copy and read it immediately. (He subsequently contributed numerous recipes to Null's recently released “The Power of Aging.” )
“The principles I discovered, from Null and others, changed everything. I learned about detoxifying, about the need for exercise and, most important of all, about whole foods and a diet based on whole foods alone. It’s no exaggeration to say that it changed my life. Having saved himself, Chef Marcus, together with his wife Jamie, turned to helping the rest of us. The first step was the opening of Aroma Thyme Bistro on New Year’s Eve 2003.

Aroma Thyme Bistro offers an innovative menu of focused, natural cuisine that reflects balance and well-being. Guiliano's consistent objective is to create meals that achieve impact through focusing on pure ingredients and limiting manipulation. To achieve this objective, Aroma Thyme Bistro avoids refined white flour, sugar and butter and heavy dairy products. These are the traditional ways of masking food’s natural flavors and Chef Marcus realized that they are not only unnecessary, but they contribute massively to poor health.

Chef Marcus credits his culinary style to major health changes he experienced from the impact of diet including the use of Essential Oils, and raw foods. His restaurant, Aroma Thyme Bistro, has been described as “a miracle in the Catskills” among other things. The Bistro has been a regular recipient of an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator and Zagat rated 25 for food. Marcus was recently featured in a National Public Radio Labor Day" 2007 special on healthy living, which can be heard at www.joebev.com .

“Who says healthy cuisine has its limitations”, says Chef Guiliano. The menu blends healthy, pasture-raised meats, sustainable seafood and vegan options, while the wine list runs to 300 selections and the beer list to 120.
Now in its fifth year of operation, Aroma Thyme Bistro has established itself as one of the best small restaurants in the Hudson Valley. Aroma Thyme Bistro 165 Canal St, Ellenville NY 12428 tel: 845.647.3000 www.aromathymebistro.com

AROMA THYME BISTRO 165 CANAL ST. ELLENVILLE NEW YORK
“A miracle” in the Catskills.
Best of the Hudson Valley 5 years in a row.
Astonishing wine and beer list.

###

No comments:

We would never expect you to eat this shrimp, nor do we serve farmed Asian shrimp

One Awesome Blender