Call in a restaurant-within-a-restaurant, Collar City–style. Downtown Troy’s Plumb Oyster Bar will be hosting a new “Chef in Residence” series, giving local chefs an opportunity to showcase unique concepts in an established environment. The popular powerhouse duo, Chef Alexander Goldman (Five Senses Private Catering) and Quang Tran (Quang’s Vietnamese Bistro), will showcase dishes from their pop-up restaurant concept, Clermont, starting on June 17 and running through mid-September (for that stretch, Quang’s Bistro will be closed).
During the pandemic, Plumb owner Heidi Knoblauch made the tough call of closing her restaurant down temporarily, though she did consult and collaborate with a number of chefs and restaurateurs during that time. Being a restauranteur is also just one of the hats she wears; Knoblauch also serves as venture and growth relationship manager for Pioneer Bank, and during COVID, helped many local businesses secure their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Now, she’s using her own space as a quasi–business incubator, in an attempt to kickstart the Collar City’s downtown economy, which has seen a battery of empty storefronts pop up in the last year.
“All restaurants needed to pivot over the last year, and this is how we are choosing to contribute to our neighborhood while elevating and providing support to deserving chefs and other industry professionals,” says Knoblauch. “Alexander and Quang hold nine Michelin stars between them, which is an impressive feat. Helping people access their talent and food is a pleasure and a win-win for both of us.”
For the uninitiated, the Clermont style of cooking features elegant, composed plates highlighting fine, global ingredients. Chef Goldman offers a departure from the tasting menu option with an à la carte menu of small-plate selections. The opening menu will highlight dishes featuring foie gras, steelhead trout, strozzapreti (an elongated form of the cavatelli pasta type) and pork collar (commonly used in coppa), with the possibility of the chef adding Italian summer truffle or Black Kaluga caviar to any plate.
Chef Tran, on the other hand, will run the front of the house. The cocktail menu will feature exclusive, artful concoctions personalized in Clermont’s signature style, with recipes developed by Plumb’s mixologist, and Knoblauch’s wife, Kelly McNamee.
Starting June 17, Plumb Oyster Bar featuring Clermont will be open Thursday through Saturday, 5–10pm. To make a reservation, direct message Clermont on Instagram. For seating availability and updates on the Chef in Residence series, follow Plumb Oyster Bar on Facebook and Instagram.
