Since so much of what we do is based on what you have told us you are looking for, I thought it might be worth sharing our current vision. First of all, my mission is to provide you with real foods made with real ingredients that are minimally processed. As much as we can we want to use fresh ingredients and make virtually all our dishes from scratch, thus avoiding the hidden ingredients causing so much trouble for many. Those hidden ingredients might be artifical sweeteners, gluten, MSG, preservatives and chemical colorings. To that end, we make our own dressings and sandwich breads. We are currently having the French bread made for us to our specifications. But it has only 4 ingredients per the French regulations for "French bread"—flour, salt, yeast and water. We add no preservatives to our inhouse breads. We recently switched from using shredded mozzarella cheese on our pizzas to fresh mozzarella. This gives the pesto pizza a more upscale flavor profile while maintaining a "closer to source" ingredients list. Our "signature flavor profile" comes largely from the meats we wood-fire. We are simply grilling the boneless chicken breasts, tilapia, corn and trout on a slow wood fire. We are still using up some of the wood from our 200-year-old oak that died 4 years ago. Needless to say, it was a big tree. Each week Jon and I prep and cook the meats to give them their distinctive flavor.
We are always trying to source what we can locally. As other chefs in the area have discovered, that is easier said than done. I am delighted with the relationship we have with Maranatha Farm for our largely organic produce. Mary and Skip consistently provide tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and the summer veggies like eggplant, cucumbers and squashes. When her supplies run low we can often get what we need from the local "fruit stand" where much of the produce is regionally grown. When it comes to eggs we love using local free-range eggs. Our second choice, while it comes from our purveyor, is still free-range, antibiotic-free brown eggs from a collective of Amish farms mid-state.
I wish our meat choices were so readily locally sourced. While we do use local grass-fed lamb for our gyros, the hurdles we have to jump through are onerous. We have to set an appointment with a state inspector to be at the processor when the lamb is slaughtered in order to have it inspected and legal for restaurant use. There are only one or two processing plants in the southern part of the state that even have access to inspectors. Being closer to a larger city would make this easier. We recently lost our elk provider as they were tired of the hassles they had to jump through in order to get their meat to market. They had to use a USDA inspector and had to have their entire herd trailered out of state to Illinois in order to be processed. It kinda defeats the whole purpose of local sourcing to have to haul the meat first out of the area and then bring it back in. We'll continue to seek more optimal solutions for our meats.
We are really having some fun with our desserts these days. During the warmer months I prefer to offer choices that follow the fruit seasons and are somewhat light. We are often making our own ice creams and using only wholesome ingredients to do so. You won't find high-fructose corn syrup in our ice creams or in-house cakes and pies. Lately we have been grilling our in-house pound cake and serving it with freshly grilled fruit and ice cream.
One of my biggest personal missions is to expand the palates of our customers. While the largest demographic to our customer base is people who are well-traveled, many who have grown up locally simply have not been exposed to a wide range of flavor offerings. I see it as my personal duty to remedy that. While I was traveling the country doing art festivals and before that, living in various parts of the country, I had the opportunity to experience a wide range of flavors. I am personally quite fond of fish and seafood as well as various ethnic fare. I love to do fresh-ingredient based Latino cuisines and never tire of experimenting with new foods. So far that has been a winning combination that you have embraced. It works out well for me, as I get bored easily with "same old- same old." Our most common comment from first timers is, "I can't make up my mind; everything sounds good." Many have suggested a dart board for making choices. We have found, however, that most people find a few things they love and tend to stick to those. Nevertheless, I still create new dishes that I hope will lure you onto a new flavor profile. My "Flavor Journeys" are created with that in mind.
At this point in our lives, we find it is imperative to keep a high level of fun in what we do. With four 14 hour days, our nearly 60-year-old bodies are working harder physically than ever before. We are joyful that we get to work with such a happy team. Generally speaking, our policy is that if it isn't fun, fix it! We've managed to attract a team of happy, people-oriented and eager staff. They make what we do not only fun but have made those long days much easier. With school starting next week we'll have some shifting occuring, but our goals still will include a team of this caliber.
Did you notice we finally got new signage out front? Gone is the yellow banner with the wrong days and hours. Our new sign is simply large painted wooden letters spelling out the cafe name. Understated, yet visible. Our next major expense will be a new awning to cover the front of the main dining room. We're still a couple of months away from being able to make that happen. But on sunny days and rainy ones you'll be very glad to have the additional covering. Hopefully, it will encourage more folks to enjoy dining al fresco.
I've got more to say but I better hold off until next time. Here's this week's menu info~~
Seafood dinner~~It is Coho season! As sockeye salmon season fades each year, Alaskan fishermen prepare their nets to target Coho, or silver salmon. Near Kenai lies Beluga Point, a peninsula jutting out into the cool waters of Cook Inlet where many people’s favorite wild salmon is now landing. Coho’s latin name, Oncorhynchus kisutch comes from the Greek roots onkos (hook) and rynchos (nose), alluding to their striking jaw hook that males develop during spawning season. Born in the river of their parent’s birth, coho fry remain in streams for over a year, moving seaward the following spring, returning to spawn when they are three years old. They are being harvested on Tuesday and shipped overnight to be served beginning Wednesday evening. I'll simply filet the large loins and bake them to order, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with a roasted red pepper coulis. I am committed to not over-cooking the salmon unless specifically requested. Medium rare to medium is my norm. We'll serve it with an eggplant casserole, and your choice of twice-baked potato or a fresh stir-fry of onions, squash and peppers, a side salad and my "sea sauce." $17.49 While I expect we'll have plenty, it never hurts to have us reserve a portion for you.
Flavor Journey~~I am nearly as excited to be serving this as the seafood. Rick and I are making black pasta from scratch. The colorant comes from natural squid ink which adds a bit of an iodine flavor to the pasta. It is not an intense flavor, but it sure is stunning on the plate. Pure black! I don't know of any other restaurants within 100 miles that make their own pasta—much less squid-ink pasta. We'll top it with our wood-fired chicken and a Rosy gorgonzola sauce. I know gorgonzola has a strong flavor profile (bleu cheese), but I bet that the fresh tomatoes (the rosy part of the sauce) will tone things down enough to make it worth giving it a try—even if you aren't sure about the bleu cheese part. $12.99
Now the lunches~~
Tuesday~ Bahn Mi sandwiches—either pork or chicken. These Asian-based sandwiches have gotten lots of new followers. We marinate the meats in ginger, garlic and other Asian seasonings then grill them. The French bread is toasted, topped with a srarichi mayonnaise, freshly pickled cucumbers and carrots, sprouts and cilantro. 50 cents off at $6.49; served with a side.
Wednesday~ Rick's day to shine again. We are doing a beef dip sandwich. First we are slow cooking pot roast. Then we'll pile it on a French baguette, top it with mushrooms and Swiss cheese and provide an au jus to dip it in. If you don't know—au jus is the juice the beef was cooked in. $6.99 with side.
Thursday~Grouper cheek poboy. This is probably the last of our grouper cheeks. We saute them in butter, salt and pepper and serve it on a toasted French baguette with "sea sauce," slivered lettuce and tomato. Served with a side item $8.50
Friday~ You've been begging for it. The return and, nearly last chance, to experience our elk burgers. We start them with a wood-fire on the smoker to give them the smokey essence, then finish them to order on the griddle. We'll serve them on ciabatta rolls with grilled onions, melted Muenster cheese and an in-house blueberry chipotle BBQ sauce. Served with Cajun home fries. $7.50 You won't find more gourmet than this! If you are serious about wanting this for lunch, I recommend you call in before Friday to have us reserve one for you.
I know things are about to get crazy as school starts next week. We love that we are a part of your lives and look forward to seeing you and hearing about the updates. Thank you for sharing us with your friends and family. We are especially proud as you bring in your visitors so they can experience our take on Ozarks fare. We are keenly aware that we would not still be here were it not for your continued support and encouragement. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!!!! Have a joyous and happy week.
~~Susan and Jon
No comments:
Post a Comment