It wasn't enough to eat the Easter Bunny. Now Caffe Boa chef Payton Curry is ready to cook Rudolph for Christmas dinner.

That's right, he'll be serving a six-course holiday tasting menu featuring caribou -- a.k.a. North American reindeer -- prepared a variety of ways, starting December 20.

In other words, right around the time the classic 1960s stop-motion TV special about Santa's favorite sidekick goes into rerun marathons, Curry is hoping you'll get a hankering for a taste of Rudolph's adorable little face.



Whether this is a trick or a treat (hey, which holiday are we talking about, anyway?) depends on how much a gourmet you are. According to the restaurant's press release, caribou "is considered the king of luxury meat and is one of the world's most sought-after wild game meats."

Kind of makes eating Bambi, er, venison, seem downright mundane, doesn't it?

Curry caused a culinary uproar this past spring, when he featured an all-rabbit tasting menu in honor of Easter. Yeah, he was dubbed a bunny killer, but the dinner was a hands-down success.

Now, he's sourced caribou from ranches in Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, and Idaho, and is planning on serving Rudolph in the form of tartare with pickled quail eggs, as well as cotechino sausage with red lentils and quince mostarda. He'll even use the Christmas mascot's tongue for bruschetta with pickled watermelon radish and horseradish crema.

A bite of Rudolph won't come cheap (the tasting is $65 per person), but it'll sure be a hell of a conversation topic for your office holiday party. And don't worry if you can't make it in before Christmas -- the menu will be available at both Caffe Boa (480-968-9112) and Boa Bistro (480-981-2000) through January 6.

