Certified green!

Gaithersburg is known for its stunning lakes and lush forests and parks, so it’s no surprise that being environmentally conscious comes through in our daily routines. So we’re proud to announce that the Green Restaurant Association has certified Copper Canyon Grill as a green restaurant!

The GRA upholds rigorous standards for environmental sustainability in terms of a business’s water efficiency, efforts to reduce waste and recycle, energy usage, and reduction in chemical pollution, among other points. Culled from the past 25 years of research, with input from over 40 independent government, environmental, and science organizations. For our dining room, that might mean that any chair or fixture made from salvaged wood is accounted for in GreenPoints; coffee filters and rechargeable batteries are used in their environmentally preferable forms; our HVAC systems and exhaust fans run on cleaner energy, more efficiently; our toaster is running at an optimal energy rate; offer at least one vegetarian entree; or reducing paper or ink cartridge usage in our offices. It’s evident in the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables we use in our kitchen for everything from indulgent cocktails on Saturday nights to crisp, refreshing salads at lunch.

We look forward to pushing our score even higher in the year ahead! We hope you’ll notice the small, everyday changes we’ll be incorporating into our meals that add up to make significant, sustainable improvements that we can all participate in. For Copper Canyon, being green goes past the leafy shrubs and blooming flowers on our patio—it goes all the way behind the bar, in the recycling bin, around our dining room, and straight through our kitchen, and onto your plate.

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A Romantic Evening on Valentine’s Day

The sun sets early, the snow is falling—we may still be in the middle of the long winter, but that feeling of wanting to stay inside the cozy indoors is the perfect setting for the most romantic day of the year. Valentine’s Day is a rare thing to look forward to during this long, dark stretch between the holidays and the first days of spring.

What do you have planned for the 14th? Whether it’s a quiet dinner with that special someone or a convenient night to get all of your friends together, we’ll save a booth for you. The holiday falls on a Thursday night this year, so you might want to get an early start on evening plans. A crisp salad; a pair of rich, satisfying entrées, and special shared dishes make for a great dinner for two, especially when accompanied by some of our finest wines and hand-crafted cocktails. And don’t forget to save room for a sweet finish—dessert!—on this freezing night.

Stanford Grill’s classic Wood-Fired Rotisserie Chicken and Lamb Shank also make for a terrific combo on a February night; Stanford Kitchen’s Crab Cake Salad is a sophisticated, composed dish to begin the night: pan-fried blue crab is offset by refreshing grapefruit and a champagne vinaigrette. Seared Ahi Tuna, topped with ponzu, and Grilled Filet Mignon, with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, and Cabernet sauce, are two standout highlights from our winter menu; pair them with a glass of Fleur de Mer rosé or Alamos Malbec—or a pair of our famous Uptown Old Fashioneds. Don’t forget to leave a little room to share an Ice Cream Sundae or a slice of Key Lime Pie!

If you’re joining us at Copper Canyon Grill, every Thursday calls for special sushi offerings, in addition to our Fresh Fish of the Day. Start—or finish—your evening with a pair of Harvest Mules: the luscious pouring of Grey Goose La Poire, apple brandy, ginger beer, fresh lemon, and honey is a sweet seasonal finish.

Valentine’s Day: A Night for Get-Togethers

Valentine’s Day—the holiday isn’t just for those who are planning a fanciful evening for two. It is, however, a night for everyone to set aside an evening and appreciate the loved ones in their lives. While February 14th isn’t the right time for a romantic meal for everyone, celebrate the mid-winter occasion with a group of friends and family—we’ll save a booth for you!

Stanford Grill’s Deviled Eggs, Shrimp Cocktail, and Marinated Steak Salad get the party started at your table. Order the Danish Barbecue Pork Ribs, Prime Rib, and Crispy Chicken Sandwich for mains, and don’t forget to add a side of Bacon Mac & Cheese or French Fries! No winter evening out is complete without a round of Elite Margaritas or Stanford 75s, and a few sweets for the table—our Bread Pudding and selection of Seasonal Ice Cream and Sorbets are especially great for sharing.

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, Copper Canyon Grill offers two menus for your choosing: our weekly sushi specials, as well as our traditional à la carte menu of time-tested classics and new cuisine. If you’re choosing from our standard menu, our Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fiesta Eggrolls, and Spinach Artichoke Dip are all great starters for the table to share, while our Big Meatloaf Stack, Rattlesnake Pasta, Steak Maui, or Barbecue Ribs make for great main courses to serve family-style. Split a Chocolate Uprising and a bottle of Louis Jadot Burgundy for a sweet, rich finish to your night by our fireplace.

Thank you from Stanford Kitchen!

One of our favorite things to do as the new year begins is to look back at some of our favorite memories from last year. We’re so fortunate that 2018 has brought us closer to our extended Stanford Kitchen family of supporters, guests, staff, and community.

What was your favorite time at Stanford Kitchen this past year? We’re asking everyone to share their best 2018 #BlueRidgeMoments with us, and we’ll be sure to share some highlights with everyone in the coming season.

We’d love to hear from you as well! We’re watching the entries roll in for our the best of this year’s #BlueRidgeMoments and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts and memories.

Did you share a special lunch with friends, reminding everyone at the table that you really need to make it a priority to get together more often? Chopped Veggie Salads and Peartinis taste better when shared over a laugh.

Perhaps you finally carved away some quiet time for a cozy date night, just the two of you, to share an Ice Cream Sundae and a few glasses of La Crema Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast?

Did you secure the deal and sign on the dotted line over the Seared Ahi Tuna and Grilled Filet Mignon, and celebrated with a pair of mid-day Uptown Old Fashioneds? Maybe you finally got the whole family together around the table once the leaves started to fall and the winds picked up and only the Chicken Pot Pie and Prime Rib would do?

Let us know all about your favorite #BlueRidgeMoments from 2018; we’d love to share the details with our extended circle of Stanford Kitchen family and friends!

Copper Canyon Grill’s Flowering Peach

It feels like winter has been going on forever—so we’re here to offer you a little bloom in the snow to help you get through this last stretch of short days and cold nights. Copper Canyon Grill’s Flowering Peach is a lusciously floral and fruity taste of spring—a perfect addition to your brunch or dessert plans at home.

The Flowering Peach

In a cocktail shaker, combine

1 1/4 oz Hennessy Cognac

1/2 oz Peach Brandy

1/4 oz St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz honey syrup (to make your own honey syrup, pour equal parts honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and keep stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Let cool and store in an airtight container.)

Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an edible flower.

Bottoms up!

Learn how to make Stanford Grill’s Pear Martini

It’s no surprise that Stanford Grill’s Peartini is one of our most popular cocktails—the tastes of subtly sweet, fresh pear and mellow, bitter amaretto make for a seriously delicious, refreshing combination year-round. While we love to see your party pull up a seat at the bar, sometimes a cocktail is best served at your kitchen table or backyard barbecue. So, we’re declassifying this closely guarded secret to brighten up your winter!

In a cocktail shaker, combine:

1 1/2 oz of Grey Goose La Poire

3/4 oz of Amaretto

1 oz of sour mix

Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a thin slice of fresh pear.

Cheers!

Thank you from Stanford Grill!

One of our favorite things to do as the new year begins is to look back at some of our favorite memories. We’re so fortunate that 2018 has brought us closer to our extended Stanford Grill family of supporters, guests, staff, and community.

What was your favorite time at Stanford Grill this past year? We’re asking everyone to share their best 2018 #BlueRidgeMoments with us, and we’ll be sure to share some highlights with everyone in the coming season.

Did you celebrate a graduation in one of our dining rooms for private events? How about a bridal shower or family reunion? Maybe you had a real breakthrough with your coworkers in an all-hands-on-deck team lunch. Did you celebrate a special moment with your special one, or just finally found an evening when everyone in the family was free to get together and just enjoy each other’s company around the table, while we did the cooking (and cleaning!)?

However you chose to celebrate these little—or big—moments at Stanford Grill this year, we’d love to hear all about it. Drop us a line, or tag us, and let us know what happened, your impressions, and anything that made your visit memorable. Whether you celebrated with Crab Cake Salads and a bottle of Belle Glos “Clark & Telephone” Pinot Noir or just snuck in for a slice of frothy Key Lime Pie, a mug of French Press Coffee, and a moment alone, we’re delighted that you thought of us in these moments, and we hope to see you again soon.

Thank you from Copper Canyon Grill!

The weather can start to feel brutal this time of year, but nothing warms us up like looking back at our favorite memories from the past 12 months. We want to thank you for spending time with us this year, and we love hearing about your experience.

As 2019 begins down, we’re asking our extended Copper Canyon Grill community to share their favorite #BlueRidgeMoments from 2018 with us—what was your favorite visit of the year?

Maybe you wanted to spend the holidays catching up with friends and family, instead of over the stove, so you ordered our special holiday menu this year? What was the crowd’s favorite dish? Bacon Mac and Cheese or Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Sauce? Was the only time that everyone was at home together on a Saturday morning, so you decided to come by for brunch? With Steak & Eggs and Banana Nut Pancakes, there’s something for everyone!

Did you sneak away for Happy Hour after a long day, and ordered both the Smoked Salmon Dip and the Truffle Parmesan Fries? Everyone finally agreed on a free evening, and you ended up with the Hickory Grilled Tenderloin Filet, Eastern Shore Style Crab Cakes, Steak Maui, and the Barbeque Ribs? And the Chocolate Uprising? And a bottle of Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion, or a round of Hemingway Daiquiris? It was too much, but you can’t wait to do it again.

We can’t wait to hear all of the details from your special trip to Copper Canyon, and we’ll be sharing some highlights over the coming season. We’ll see you again soon!

Holiday Cornbread

Why not mix it up a little bit and add this spicy, sweet, warm cornbread to your next family dinner menu?

We’ve come to rely on this now-classic recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread from one our favorite chefs, Ina Garten courtesy of the Food Network:

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Recipe
1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don’t overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Even better, this simple, delicious, vegetarian cornbread has a prep time of only 10 minutes!

#NYE with Stanford Kitchen

The last few weeks of the year are rushing past us—and the big finale is almost here. New Year’s Eve is getting closer and closer… and is it just us or did it get here way too fast this time around?

Wrapping up the year is stressful enough, so let us take care of every detail of the big night. Stanford Kitchen is planning New Year’s Eve, so you can spend time and energy on your loved ones.

Is New Year’s your night for a distinctive three-course meal and wine with friends? Or just a quiet table for two? Start with our Crab Cake Salad—blue crab dressed with fresh grapefruit and champagne vinaigrette—and classic House Salad, with Adobe dressing, goat cheese, spiced pecans, and cornbread croutons over a bed of crisp greens and veggies.

The big night calls for a special dinner—try our Wood-Fired Rotisserie Chicken, super-slow-roasted and served with mashed potatoes and green beans, or our signature Barbeque Pork Ribs, cooked patiently so it’s falling off the bone, with a side of French fries and rich, tangy coleslaw. Our Seared Ahi Tuna is topped with aromatic ponzu; our ten-ounce Prime Rib is served with a smear of horseradish sauce; and our nine-ounce Grilled Filet Mignon is drizzled with Cabernet sauce.

Accompany or end your meal with one of our hand-selected wines, whether you’re in the mood for a glass of our light, fresh Fleur de Mer rosé or a La Crema Pinot Noir from California’s Sonoma Coast. Or stick with the classics, like a flute of Vueve Cliquot—it is New Year’s Eve, after all!

We at Stanford Kitchen wish everyone in our extended family a great night and very happy new year. We hope to welcome you back soon in 2019!