I am taking a few moments here to reflect on where we have come in the, now, 7 months we've been open at this location. Overall, the trend is on a nice long growth curve. We've managed to grow without expanding our debt load. Whew! We've even managed to show a modest profit and live off the proceeds. Nobody is getting rich but we are laying a nice solid foundation. People keep telling us that restaurants typically don't show a profit for 5 years. We didn't have that option.
I have been able to keep enough creativity in the menu to keep me satisfied on the creativity front. As an artist, there is no way I could just crank out a fixed menu, week to week and remain interested in what we are doing. Bruce has had his hand in the creative focus, as well. He is a master at taking an ingredient I put in front of him and say, "What can you do with this?" I hope he is having as much fun as I am in that realm. His tamales are always well received and his knowledge of pickles astounds me. He has almost photographic memory when it comes to recipes—subsidized, I am sure, by his innate sense of taste. We are very lucky to have his daily input creatively as well as his broad knowledge of the food industry. He just wishes I'd stop bringing more "stuff" up here that needs storing! Jon does too, but he gave up on that front years ago.
A big part of creatvity is fed by an allowance to fail. If you aren't always editing yourself, scared of failure, you can stretch and grow. As an artist I am keenly aware of that viewpoint. I try to keep that in mind when I try something new or encourage Bruce to do so. We won't always have successful creations. We know when something didn't work. But knowing it is okay to stretch beyond our comfort zone is key to our growth and expansion. It has given us room to try out improvisations using leftovers as well as seeing where a fresh ingredient will take us. The day our actions reflect a fear of failure is the day we start dying. Are we afraid? Sometimes! Does fear stop us? Not yet. When we started this cafe we were already staring at financial challenges. For us, non-action would have sealed that fate. Action, even a wrong one, was better than attempting to stand still. You can float on quick sand as long as you don't stand still. Fortunately, we have been able to build a fairly solid foundation under us while continuing to stretch and create. You have had a major role in this success. You have recognized that what we do isn't like everyone else. You have let us know that you appreciate our creative efforts and have supported them. You have forgiven us our less-than-successful attempts and given us feedback to improve them. You have a vested interest in our success and we can feel your love and support. Corny? So? Thank you for giving us room to fail!
Speaking of progress—we have finally paid off the back property taxes. That has been hurdle numero uno in keeping us from acquiring our beer and wine license. In Missouri, you can't even apply for a permit if you owe any back taxes. The next hurdle is filing our income tax. We don't anticipate that being a financial hurdle just a paperwork one. Being caregiver for Mom plus running this cafe has often taken more energy than we had to offer. Some things simply got put on the back burner. Filing the paperwork that didn't demand our attention was one of them. My target to have all that caught up is the end of August.
The tamales for Tuesday will be a mystery, thus far. Bruce took off for a couple of well-deserved days of visiting with friends and I failed to nail down his plan. Suffice it to say, they will be tasty. This week's menu takes advantage of the plethora of the grilling meats available. On Wednesday I am combining grilled sirloin steak with mint and cilantro to make a Thai Beef Salad. The recipe came from FRESH. I have made it once before and it was very well received. I love the light fresh taste of the combination of ingredients. The freshness of mint and cilantro add a lightness that might be missing with simply a steak salad.
The feedback on my pizzas has been a pleasant surprise. I have often completely sold out. So I am going to try to keep them as a regular item. This week I am combining Bruce's sun-dried tomato Zesto, brie, smoked portabellas and smoked turkey sausage. Sounds pretty yummy to me.
We are getting in a fresh delivery of Rockbridge rainbow trout this week. Jon will do his usual magic in wood-firing some of them for the Trout Roman and as an add-on for the spinach salad. We'll feature the Trout Roman Friday for lunch by giving you $1 off. If you have not tried them yet—this would be a good time to do so. They come on my Roman bun which has diced onion baked in for flavor. I put a wasabi mayonaise on the bun for a bit of kick. If you are not familiar with wasabi, it is a Japanese horseradish that I mix with mayonnaise for a bit of entertainment for your tongue. It isn't really hot, just kicky. Then I add fresh tomato and spicy sprouts. So we are combining the mild onion flavor of the bun with the smoky goodness of the trout with the kickiness of the wasabi and the lusciousness of fresh local tomato and the final finsh is the freshness of the sprouts. The line starts HERE!
I am also featuring the trout in one of Friday's night-time entrees. I am doing a pepper crusted trout with potato cranberry corn galette and a shitake mushroom braise. This recipe orginated in Dallas at the Mercury Restaurant by Chef Chris Ward. I have adapted it to fresh trout and used the local shitakes instead of chanterelles. Galette is a general term used in French to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes. The braise will surround the stacked trout, spinach and gallete. I think if will be quite a treat. $12
Another of the featured entrees this Friday night will be Pecan Crusted Chicken Breasts with whipped sweet potatoes and jalapeno pecans. This one also came from Dallas— Chef Helen Duran at the Crescent Club. She has done an exquisite job of incorporating fresh ingredients with staple stand-bys to create a tasty and visually exciting dish that has loads of texture. $12
The vegetarian entree this week will feature stuffed zucchini rolls, baked phyllo with mushrooms and leeks as well as a fresh corn pudding. It doesn't get much fresher than this. The will be no feeling of compromise here for a lack of any meat. $10
You may have heard Sean McCormick play on open mic night last week or with Swiftkick a couple of weeks ago. This week he is the featured artist and will play bluegrass traditionals plus his own tunes.
When we say we strongly encourage you to make reservations, it isn't out of any hoidy-toidy illusions. We have routinely filled to capacity and sold out of the featured entrees. We WANT you to be here and we WANT you to get your preferred entree choices. Simply call 505-0302 and let us know who will be joining you. We'll make sure you are taken care of.
As always, we take great joy in being able to call you by name and make you feel welcome. We know we couldn't be here without your weekly, sometimes multiple weekly visits. Thank you. By the way, the "comeback treats" are back. This time they are rosemary, pistachio, white chocolate cookies. If you have been in more than once during the week, it is ok to remind us you are due one! We do try to remember on our own but your reminder is welcome. I hope you have a terrific week and look forward to seeing your smiling face!
~~Susan
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