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Guest Chef - Hard Rock Cafe
Loforina Rolle at Hard Rock Cafe
Known for its rock and roll memorabilia and its classic American fare–think 10 oz monster burgers and thick milkshakes–Hard Rock Cafe offers the ultimate in casual dining.
The two-story cafe on Charlotte St, is a stone’s throw away from Nassau’s downtown Straw Market. Here you’ll find good food, fun and, of course, rock and roll music.
If you’re in the mood for chicken, steak, seafood, burgers or just a salad, this popular restaurant has it all.
For the truly hungry there’s the Jumbo Combo–a selection of starters, such as spring rolls, hickory-smoked chicken wings, onion rings, potato skins and chicken tenders. Or you might opt for the hickory-smoked barbecue ribs followed by a hot fudge brownie sundae or a tasty fresh apple cobbler.
All these dishes and many more are prepared at Hard Rock under the watchful eye of 26-year-old kitchen manager Loforina Rolle.
“I’ve been cooking since I was 11 or 12 years old,” says Rolle. “My mother ran her own catering business from home, and that piqued my interest. Whatever she cooked she would give me a smaller [portion] to do, so I would just emulate what she was doing.” With a chef for a father and a sous-chef for a sister, it was only natural that Rolle would gravitate to the food and beverage industry. As a teenager, she worked part-time at McDonalds.
She began working for Hard Rock Cafe in 2003 as an “expediter.” That is, the last person on the kitchen line who makes sure the plates are perfect. “We garnish it [and] check to make sure it’s the right temperature before we send it out,” says Rolle.
After a year, she was promoted to line cook and kitchen supervisor, a post she held for two years.
Rolle says she left Hard Rock Cafe in 2005 to work as a manager at Johnny Rockets, another casual American-style eatery. By 2007, though, she was back at Hard Rock, first as operations manager and then as kitchen manager.
“What I like most about working here is that it’s a free environment. You can be you,” she says. “You can be that rock star in the kitchen.”
Music paraphernalia adorns the walls of the first-floor gift shop and the upstairs restaurant. These items include guitars played by Melissa Etheridge, Carlos Santana, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Latin American singing star Shakira.
One-of-a-kind items add to the flair. Among them are Britney Spears’s leotard, Madonna’s cowboy shirt and hat and a golf shirt that may have belonged to Elvis Presley.
The ambience is enhanced by flat-panel screens showing rock concerts with music blasting from overhead speakers. It’s a buzz that Rolle thrives on. “It’s a great place to work,” she says. “It’s fun. Plus there’s always room to grow.”
Here are a few Hard Rock specialities you can try at home.
Cobb salad
1 qt mixed greens
1⁄4 cup avocado, diced
1⁄4 cup mixed shredded cheese
1⁄4 cup tomatoes, diced
5 oz pre-cooked chicken, 1⁄2 inch cubed
1⁄4 cup small red onion, diced
1⁄4 cup hard-boiled egg, diced
1⁄4 cup seasoned bacon, diced
Microwave pre-cooked chicken for 20 to 30 seconds, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. Place leaf lettuce in bowl, topped by mixed greens. Place ingredients in lines, as shown. Serves one.
Grilled NY strip with white cheddar mashed potatoes
12-oz center-cut New York strip steak
2 tsp light oil
1 tsp seasoning salt
Oil and salt both sides of the steak and cook to your preference on a hot grill, leaving a diamond pattern on the meat. Drain vegetables. Arrange steak, white cheddar mash (see below) and vegetables on a plate. Serves one.
White cheddar mashed potatoes
1 medium potato, diced
1 tsp unsalted butter
3 tsp heavy cream
½ tsp garlic in oil
2 tsp white cheddar cheese, grated
½ tsp Romano cheese, grated
In a saucepan, boil potato in salted water until cooked. Drain, add heavy cream, butter, garlic in oil, white cheddar and Romano cheeses. Mash until smooth. Serve with blanched (still crunchy) broccoli.
Herb marinated chicken breast
8 oz marinated chicken breast
2 tsp light oil
1⁄4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp seasoning salt
Fry chicken breast five mins per side in a hot frying pan. Combine butter, garlic in oil and mushrooms for two mins and remove from heat. Prepare mashed potatoes as in the previous recipe and place on a plate. Top with chicken breast and mushrooms. Ladle herb chicken sauce over chicken and mashed potatoes. Serves one.
Herb chicken sauce
selection of fresh herbs to taste
1 cup water
½ tsp chicken base
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and hard boil for three mins. Remove from heat and ladle over dish.
Hot fudge brownie sundae
(Although the HRC brownie recipe is secret, you can use your favourite brownie and decorate it the Hard Rock way.)
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 oz chocolate syrup
1⁄2 cup whipping cream
1 tbs chopped walnuts
1 tsp chocolate jimmies
Maraschino cherries
Microwave brownie for 10-15 seconds. Place in a small bowl with two scoops of ice cream on top. Ladle hot fudge (or chocolate syrup) over the ice cream. Add whipped cream as shown and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and jimmies. Top with a maraschino cherry. Serves one.
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Guest chef
Loforina Rolle at Hard Rock Cafe
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