Enough with the snow, already!!!!

This weather has been insane! I know each of you has been affected in some way, so I'll stop my whining. But REALLY!!!!

The good news is that even if we are unable to put total predictability into your lunch we can at least tell you that when you come in, you'll walk out full, warm and happy. That is a promise—even if we are not sure each day whether we will be open. Call to be sure before you venture out—505-0302

All week we'll have our red tableclothes on the tables to help remind you that Valentine's Day is just around the corner—next Monday. It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of life that taking a few moments out to let your Honey know you really appreciate them can easily get overlooked. Please make it a priority. We had hoped to plan a Valentine's dinner but decided that we are not as prepared this year as we would like to be.We are still looking at getting that beer and wine license. (If you know someone who would like to purchase one of my quilts, it will go a long way toward getting that license.) and BTW—my hand-dyed silk scarves make lovely Valentine's gifts.

I am having a grand time choosing and cooking your lunches each week. Bruce has added his take on what tastes good. Everyone benefits. This week we'll adhere pretty much to comfort foods that will stick to your ribs and keep your insides warm. Bruce has made an awesome Minestrone and Tuesday will feature a new batch of the Italian Tamales. The flavors say Italian, the look says Latin. Your tummy will figure it out. We served this last Friday night and the response was terrific.

Assuming we can get in Monday, I have a great potato, smoked sausage and cabbage soup that is a family favorite.

For Friday evening we are looking at 2 main entrees. The first is a Ukrainian dish that Bruce brings to the table. It features ribs that are braised until very soft. We'll surprise you with these flavors. Also we discovered that Blood Oranges are in season and we'll do a salmon with Blood Orange Salsa. If the weather holds, they will start out wood-fired.
Are you ready for some more chicken and sausage gumbo? John Rapier shared his recipe last month and I've doctored it slightly to my way of doing things. We sold out each day we had it. I'm thinkng Wednesday--assuming we can get there. The week's weather forecast is so bizarre.

Most of you know that prior to opening the cafe, I had never cooked in a restaurant environment. I had done some catering and lots of private parties, but nothing where I planned, prepped and cooked in volume every day. So, as our volume has increased, our purchasing of ingredients in larger quantities has expanded. You have no idea what a thrill it is to have a 50 lb. bag of yellow onions just awaiting some creativity. For me it is like having a new box of 64 crayons—or better yet, 120 colored pencils. Bruce used up 7+ lbs in just the last batch of French onion soup. I now buy my flours in 50 lb sacks. Oh, Momma! We still purchase our produce daily and plan to continue to do so.

We've put the Pesto Chicken Sandwich on the menu full-time now. Now that I have a year-round source for fresh basil, I can make it as needed. The sandwich is made on our fresh in-house breads. It begins with a nice smear of pesto and some slices of Jon's wood-fired chicken. To that we add Provolone cheese, slices of tomato and avocado and then finished with the crunch of some alfalfa sprouts.

One of my favorite benefits of being in the food game is getting to buy cookbooks. I have been on a buying binge and got several geared toward "Small Bites."  One of the recipes I found is "Meatball and pecorino soup with greens and carmelized onions." Doesn't even the name sound yummy? The meat balls are tiny and made from veal. The greens will be Mary Badini's organic kale. Pecorino is a Romano cheese, similar to Parmesan. I'm not sure when this week we'll serve it. We are having to coordinate with Mary and the weather to bring it to you.

Until the last week or so, I have been planning on a couple of "flavor journeys" per week. Since so many of you are coming multiple times per week, we decided that simply keeping the same specials all week might bore you. So I am now changing the flavor journeys several times per week. I am also listening to you regarding lower calorie options. As spring approaches, watch for many new salads and veggie choices.

Now I have a survey question for you. If we had more protein-rich items available in the morning, would you be likely to visit us for breakfast? If so, what time? Do you want quiche? Smoothies? So far I have prepared muffins a couple of times a week and often they are purchased by you at lunch time. How important is it to you for us to be open and serving breakfast items? Did you know we open currently at 8:00 am? We are here anyway doing prep and it would be easy to expand this area of our service.If muffins don't tickle your fancy, what does?