Breadfruit owner Dwayne Allen plans to focus on his bubbly beverage company Big Marble Organics. However, he promises his beloved Jamaican restaurant will return with pop-up events around the city in the future.
On Tuesday, the Bitter & Twisted team will begin the relaunch of globally-inspired menu items that were served at the cocktail lounge since it opened in 2014.
“We’re going to have a nice array of favorites coming back, shareable dishes and one or two really special, instantly satisfying desserts," Simon says.
Among the returning items will be the fan-favorite Dragon Dumpling Burger, which Simon anticipates will be "the star of the show." An homage to sheng jian bao, Shanghai-style pork soup dumplings, the burger received raves from critics and diners alike.
"It's hard to fathom turning these dumplings into a burger, but [Bob] Tam has managed it with this uncommonly inventive dish," former New Times food editor Patricia Escárcega wrote in 2015. The burger was named the New Times' Best Nontraditional Burger the next year.
Though partner and chef Bob Tam stepped away from the kitchen to work on other projects, he returned to support the development of the menu. The kitchen team has been testing items to get ready for the transition, Simon says.
Though partner and chef Bob Tam stepped away from the kitchen to work on other projects, he returned to support the development of the menu. The kitchen team has been testing items to get ready for the transition, Simon says.
Korean nachos with Szechuan carnitas are another former menu item that will return to Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour's food menu.
Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
Ross Simon says the team is "super excited" to begin rolling out the new food items.
“I don’t think there’s anything quite like it," he says of the food menu. “We’re not really stuck in a box of what our food has to be. We’ve always used the world as inspiration – the same with our drinks."
The changes in the Bitter & Twisted kitchen come on the heels of the debut of the cocktail lounge's latest drinks menu – one of several recently dropped at bars around the Valley.
