Fine Dining Plus

This article was written by Julianne Munn of the Citrus County Chronicle. Click here to view the entire story on the chronicle website.

Much like the “Alice’s Restaurant” of folk music fame, you can get just about anything you want at The Supper Club in Crystal River, one of the newest gourmet dining establishments in Citrus County.

Not only will diners find spectacular appetizers and entrees created by Chef Rick Pleskovich in the spacious dining area that seats 86, but also a separate wine tasting room, huge lounge with live entertainment in the rear of the building and off to the side, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor complete with a soda fountain, comfortable seating and Internet access.

The Supper Club, on State Road 44 just a couple of miles east of U.S. 19 in Crystal River, is a veritable kaleidoscope of fine food and wines, a variety of dinner shows, ice cream treats in the Sweet Spot parlor, and a private room for civic and club groups.

Owner of the new restaurant is Joann DiBella, who operates the club with her husband, Joe. Chef Rick Pleskovich is an Inverness native and worked in the chiropractic field before he became a cook extraordinaire. He is assisted in the kitchen by Jean Dominique and Brock Myrvik, a culinary arts student at the Withlacoochee Training Institute in Inverness.

“We worked on refining the menu since last July,” noted Joe DiBella, who described many dinners prepared for friends and family at their home as the menu came together and was finally deemed scrumptious enough to offer to patrons.

All that preparation and testing is evident in such dishes as Crab Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (each portabella as large as a saucer); Crisp Spring Rolls hand-made with a jumbo shrimp in each bite amid finely shredded cabbage, carrots and scallions, accompanied by a sweet Thai chili sauce, Seared Tuna with Hummus on Crostini, Fried Calamari and Ravioli, and Tomato and Mozzarella with fresh basil and olive oil.

Steak lovers will be happy to know that all the steaks at The Supper Club are 100 percent Angus beef, which is aged a minimum of 27 days, according to Joe DiBella. Other beef entrees are Beef Tenderloin Medallions lightly smoked and napped with a black pepper molasses glaze, filet mignon, rib-eye and grilled New York strip.

An early favorite with customers, Pleskovich said, is his special Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Almond Glaze. It is truly a work of nuanced culinary art — lightly smoked medallions perfectly complemented by the cherries and almond sauce. Another favorite is Chef Nick’s Slow Smoked Ribs, extra meaty, and fork-tender baby back ribs — a 2-pound rack per serving — with the chef’s “secret sauce” served on the side.

Also in demand is the Chilean Sea Bass, 8 ounces of lightly seasoned and broiled fish plated with the chef’s signature Orange Buerre Blanc, a creation, he said, that has patrons asking for the recipe.
Almost everyone’s Florida favorite finfish is grouper, and at The Supper Club it is grilled with a pecan crust and drizzled with a hazelnut cream sauce. Among the pasta dishes are Stuffed Shells with Sausage Fennel Sauce and Lobster Ravioli in Seafood Cream Sauce. Other chicken and seafood entrees complete the menu and all are served with a loaf of warm bread, house salad, vegetable du jour and potato or rice.

Joann DiBella is excited about the separate Sweet Spot ice cream emporium. She said the ice cream is totally homemade by Old Meeting House Ice Cream in Tampa, right down to the toasted nuts and freshly baked brownies and other ingredients that go into each delicious bite. Sodas, sundaes and shakes are available, too, and soon a variety of specialty coffees will be offered.

The DiBellas, natives of Staten Island, N.Y., and their children, Jessica, 13, and Christopher, 12, moved to this area about seven years ago. Her previous experience in the food business included a luncheonette and catering service.

Servers at The Supper Club are friendly and helpful and a suggested wine is noted on the menu with each entree. Appetizers range in price from $6 to $12. Entrees range from $15 for the Fettuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken, to $27 for the 16-ounce rib-eye steak and all portions are generous.
Entertainment includes piano dinner music on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Complete dinner show packages for the April and May calendar are “Tony & Rachel’s Comedy Wedding” on April 27 and “Murder with Extra Cheese” on June 1.

The Supper Club is closed Monday and Tuesday. Restaurant hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The lounge remains open until 2 a.m. and there is a separate bar menu for hungry imbibers. For information and reservations, call 436-4189.

Here are three recipes from the repertoire of Chef Pleskovich:

Linguine with Clam Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
7 to 8 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
1 (15-ounce) can fancy clams
1/2 pound of fresh middleneck clams, steamed
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat; add pepper flakes, garlic, anchovies and cook until anchovies melt into oil. Add thyme and white wine and reduce for 1 minute. Add clam juice, clams and lemon zest. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Top each dish with 1/2 pound of fresh steamed middleneck clams. Cook linguine according to package directions. Serve clams and clam sauce over linguine.

Chicken Marsala

4 chicken breasts, skinless and deboned
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence
2 cups dry marsala wine
1 stick butter
Extra virgin olive oil and butter for frying
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
1 cup fresh mushrooms

Cut chicken breasts into medallions. Combine flour and Essence. Dredge chicken medallions in flour mixture. Fry in butter mixed with olive oil until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Add marsala, salt and pepper to hot pan and reduce by 70 percent. Stir in butter, several tablespoons at a time, until sauce is creamy. Turn off heat. Add sauteed mushrooms and chicken medallions to sauce and toss until well coated.

Fetuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound fettucini
1 cup Balsamic vinaigrette

Prick chicken with a fork and place in a zippered plastic bag with balsamic vinaigrette for 3 to 4 hours, turning every hour. Grill chicken and boil fettuccini according to package directions.

Saute shallots in extra virgin olive oil until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add heavy cream and stir until it starts to simmer. Turn off heat and add grated Parmesan. Stir until incorporated. Add cooked and drained fettuccini and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Toss until noodles are covered in sauce.

Divide fettuccini among servings dishes and top with grilled chicken breasts. Sprinkle tops with finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

Filed under: Supper Club by Joe Dibella