Chef Neil has been busy in the Horse Thief kitchen, perfecting new recipes for the fall menu. He’s showcasing exotic meats prepared with bold flavors and creative twists. Many ingredients are local, but according to Neil, the inspiration isn’t.
“I created this menu inspired by my time cooking at Slightly North of Broad in Charleston, South Carolina. Every day at SNOB we would receive fresh produce from the farmers markets and seafood hand-delivered by the fisherman himself. Charleston has its own style of cuisine—Low Country, a blend of French and African influences, infused with local Southern ingredients. Reflecting back to my time spent there 12 years ago, I was able to create a menu that blends classic French technique with a Southern Gastropub flair. . . . What I love about this menu is that although it incorporates a lot of familiar ingredients, we are also going outside the box to offer something different to our customers.”
— Neil Byers
These influences are reflected in the Song of the South, a fried chicken breast served on a buttermilk biscuit with house-made habañero pickle and honey aioli. Another popular fall dish is the Seared Duck Breast appetizer, shown above. It features White Pekin duck breast with a goat cheese custard, caramelized red onion, and a honey thyme reduction. Neil believes in sourcing local ingredients, so the Wild Boar, his newest burger, and the beef cheeks in his Wild Mushroom Risotto are from Slagel Family Farms in central Illinois. View the full fall menu here.