A trip to Wegmans usually goes far beyond grabbing a few grocery list essentials. Ask anyone and they're bound to gush over the prepared foods section that makes weeknight dinners possible, satisfies cravings and inevitably adds a few unexpected bucks on your grocery bill. So it goes without saying that working as a chef at just such an establishment is not without its notable perks.
For those of you who work in the food industry, imagine an endless supply of the best ingredients, a steady stream of enthusiastic (and hungry) customers and a kitchen staff trained at the best culinary schools and fine dining restaurants. This dream is a reality for Allentown Wegmans' Executive Chef Geno Nosenzo.
“As a restaurant chef it's a dream come true. We have market fresh meats, seafood and produce every day, virtually a 120,000-square-foot pantry at our disposal all just a very short walk away,” he says. “Incredible inspiration comes from just walking the aisles in our store and seeing what's available on any given day.”
This inspiration amounts to meals of all kinds, prepared fresh by Nosenzo's dedicated team of 55 to 65 cooks and chefs, all working together to make sure customer's needs are met each day. Every day is a busy day, and the demand for Wegmans' meals is only growing. That's why it made sense to expand the Allentown store to include a pub that would rival many dining experiences in the area. Sleek granite countertops, stainless steel open-air kitchen, an extensive bar—the Pub at Wegmans certainly doesn't feel like you're dining at a grocery store.
“A great deal of thought has gone into everything we've done related to the Pub, from menu and drink development, to layout and design, we feel the end result is the creation of a great place where family and friends can meet to enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience,” Nosenzo says.
During the development of the Pub menu, Nosenzo and his team focused on making sure that customers get a taste of the market, so to speak, so they set out to source as many of the ingredients as possible needed to prepare the recipes from the store so that customers could ultimately create the same meal at home.
Pub Ale Steamed PEI Mussels with Wegmans Shallot Thyme Butter, Organic Chicken Under a Brick, Rigatoni with Monday Sauce using Wegmans San Marzano Tomatoes, a Crab and Asparagus Salad with Wegmans Lemon Oil—is your mouth watering yet? “We are also using the fresh squeezed juices from our Fresh Fruit Market in many of our drink recipes,” Nosenzo adds.
Customers will often find Nosenzo perusing the store to visit each department, searching for items to use on the Pub menu. If there's fresh caught Halibut from the Day Boat Station then rest assured you'll find that incorporated onto the Pub menu that day. His inspiration becomes yours and an ordinary trip to the grocery store just became your ticket to many great meals ahead. Here are a few recipes to get you started.
3900 W. Tilghman St., Allentown | 610.336.7900 | wegmans.com
Pub Ale Steamed PEI Mussels
Serves 4
4 ounces garlic, minced4 ounces Wegmans Shallot Thyme Butter16 ounces Red Sly Fox Ale—Wegmans8 ounces heavy cream5 lbs. Wegmans PEI MusselsSalt to taste4 Tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, minced8 pieces sliced baguette, cut into ½ inch slices on bias
Put cream and garlic into a large saucepot and reduce by half.
Add mussels, beer, salt, shallot thyme butter and cover just until mussels open.
Toast baguette slices in a 350°F oven.
Toss mussels with minced parsley and serve in bowl with toasted baguette.
Roasted Tomatoes
8 oz. Grape tomatoes cut in half2 Tablespoons Wegmans Basting Oil1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper
Toss halved tomatoes with basting oil and season with salt and pepper.
Spread tomatoes on sheet pan in one even layer.
Roast at 450°F for 10 minutes.
Arugula Salad
4 ounces baby arugula1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice1 ½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar1/8 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano1 ounce Campagna olive oil
In a small mixing bowl, place baby arugula and 8 ounces of roasted tomatoes together.
Add lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil.
Gently mix all ingredients together.
Amore Steak with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula Salad
Serves 4
4 8-ounce portions Sirloin Flap Steak “Amore Steak”1 lb. roasted fingerling potatoes, cut in ® inch pieces1 Tablespoon Wegmans Basting OilSalt and pepper to taste2 ounces arugula salad8 ounces roasted grape tomatoes6 ounces beef demi-glace (available in Prepared Foods department)
Toss potatoes with basting oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 350°F until tender, about 45 minutes.
Generously season steak with salt and pepper. Pan sear to desired doneness.
Toss arugula salad with roasted tomatoes.
In The Kitchen With: Another Recipe from Wegmans' Chef Geno Nosenzo >>
