Changing lives—pursuit of happiness vs. meaning W/E 3/09/13

I just read a fascinating article in the back the The Week magazine that addressed the subject of pursuing happiness versus pursuing meaning. It was thought provoking. I have long understood that happiness is self-generated and have been able to find happiness in virtually anything I put my energies into. Before the economy tanked in 07-08, I was happily being a full-time fiber artist. I was scratching my own creative itch and getting lots of positive feedback. I was happy and it felt good. However, I wasn't really making a difference in people's lives. I could, perhaps, give them something visual that brought about happy feelings or made them feel good about gifting something, but the results were more self-serving than not. Even when I taught, an effort that was more with the intent of creating another income avenue than a calling to teach, I didn't feel I was changing lives.

Enter À La Carte Café. Our initial intention was to replace, in fast order, the lost income and create a steady stream of cash flow to allow us to survive. Neither of us felt that the runway of going back to school for a new skill while in our mid-fifties would pay off in the time-frame we were addressing. Jon had some restaurant management experience going back to his teenage years. He also has terrific people skills and a pretty strong understanding of marketing. I brought a high level of curiosity and a fascination with cooking good food. My professional food training is nil. I have a voracious appetite to learn, especially in the realm of food and was bored silly with the food options locally offered. We both have a high work ethic and are self-starters. What we lack in financial skills we hope we make up in pure gumption.

When we began in the food trailer, a gift from my mother, we were happy that what we offered was well received by those who discovered us. Fortunately, word spread and I made every effort to keep every new customer we gained—both by keeping the quality high and by reaching out via this blog. We listened to what was wanted and have pursued solutions for those wants. Years ago, we often mentioned to friends that what this town needed was a restaurant that served really fresh, locally sourced, quality foods. Virtually without exception, the response we got was, "Yeah, but nobody around here would be willing to pay for and support that effort." Well we went that direction anyway and I am happy to report that our friends were WRONG. You have been very supportive—sharing us with your friends and family, often coming in more than one time per week, and giving us updates on what you are still looking for and reports of when we missed our mark. You are vested. That means you have a stake in our success and we want to acknowledge that. You care how we are doing because you want us to be able to keep doing it so you can enjoy the benefits of good eating. A very nice synergy.

A part of me is seeking happiness by making dishes of which I am personally fond. Like a bored home cook, I really need the variety of creating a wide selection of flavors. I've told many of you that if I had to simply make the same foods each week like most restaurants, I'd be looking for a fast way out. That is still the case. However, I now find a much higher level of satisfaction in the response I get from folks who eat with us. I am delighted when a customer takes a moment to come back to the counter on their way out to tell me they especially liked what they'd eaten. Because we try to source locally, we are able to help keep several small businesses alive. I like to think that our foods are producing a higher output in productivity in our customers because they are not sleepy-faced from eating fast food at lunch. We are listening to what you want in your dining choices—more gluten-free, more low carb, less animal protein, more local sourcing—while still wanting foods that can satisfy and even become comfort foods. Every week someone makes a point of telling me that we have changed the way they eat; that we give them a place to really look forward to eating at. While I am delighted to be part of that I find it sad that there are so few options in this region. That is simply sad.

Another part of this business is working with staff. As an entrepreneur, I am more aware of what I don't like from a boss. There is a REASON I have been self employed most of my life. Over the last 2.5 years we have had the pleasure of working with several talented folks. Most were able to do the job without complaint, but a few have stood out in their ability to get the customer viewpoint and had a strong willingness to exceed customer expectations. Because I tend to approach most of my activities from an artist-first viewpoint, I am first looking for the self-satisfaction of creativity or a newly learned skill. I am forever grateful to my father for instilling in me a never-satisfied sense of curiosity. For me, I think that a key to job satisfaction is being allowed to be creative within the confines of what is needed and wanted. Being allowed to find my own solutions, if needed, and not being penalized for minor failures gives me the confidence to grow and learn. These are aspects I try to keep in for our staff. I am happy to report that this seems to be working as we have a staff that has quickly become a real team, who are very much interested in exceeding customer expectations and who will move heaven and earth to make things go right. They constantly delight me with their solutions and I no longer feel like I am the single source of long-term creativity. My warmest thanks to Amy, Drew and the newest, Vincent, for their kitchen creations and to Ashley and Jourdyne for their intentions in keeping our customers happy and informed.

Here's an example from just last week of how this all comes full circle— I had created a dish of cod cooked in packets with a wild mushroom sauce. One of our most loyal customers enjoyed it but suggested that serving it in foil gave it a bit too much of a backyard BBQ feel. I agreed. Now it was time to find a solution. First, I looked at previous solutions, including parchment. Since I had already par-cooked several of the servings I was not anxious to start over completely. I knew we had some banana leaves left from the Filipino dinner but could not figure out how to make them work. I gave the challenge to Amy. Like me, she fiddled around with ways to fold them but they were too brittle and kept tearing along the vein lines. She tried microwaving them but after softening up initially they became brittle very quickly. Then she hit upon the solution of blanching the leaves. This worked beautifully and shortly thereafter she had these marvelous little scoop-looking  boats to hold the finished dish. I really had not expected a quick solution to be found and was thrilled to see what she had created. She enjoyed the exploration and our customers enjoyed the unusual presentation.

Jon's additional special skill is his music. It is his "forever passion." He is in charge of setting up the Friday night music. We are still trying to figure out a way to bring you jazz on a weekly basis that satisfies the need for good quality, makes it worthwhile for the musician and is cost effective for everyone involved—you, us and the musician. We are surveying actively for a solution to this quandary and invite your input. Should we start the music later and charge a $4-5 cover charge and stay open later? Only bring in musicians that are willing to play for food and tips? We want your solutions. Please jump in.

This week I have given free-rein to Amy to create a strong vegetarian/vegan presence on our menu. As of Monday this week we are now open for lunches all week. Amy is creating "Meatless Monday" dishes for the Monday daily special. She is also bringing her several years of vegan cooking skills to creating vegan salad dressings and upping our vegan food presence. I have never lived in a town that didn't have at least one restaurant that catered to those who were seeking healthy food options and especially served the vegetarian community.  Usually they were attached to a local health-food store. There simply is nothing like that here.

While we will continue to bring you the foods we have taught you to expect, we will also be looking for ways to serve the vegan and vegetarian community and thus a larger audience. We already enjoy the reputation for having the healthiest food around, but we want to be able to expand beyond that point. We expect to stumble a time or two while making this leap. But we also know that we have a most loyal customer base who are forgiving as long as they know we truly care and are continuing to try and grow as individuals and as a company. Thank you for giving us the room to make this growth happen and the courage to know that filling a need can be very satisfying.


Now about those specials~~

Introducing Winey Wednesdays! Every Wednesday we'll offer 20% off every glass or bottle of wine. We are beginning to bring in a wider range of quality wines in various price ranges with the most expensive running to around $25/ bottle. We'll be sharing the rating/ flavor profiles with you so you can make an informed decision. Learning about wines is a never-ending journey; one we have just begun. Why not make mid-week a more interesting day?

Lunch~

Monday~Quinoa mac and cheese. While not vegan, this dish has the high flavor and protein that quinoa can lend plus lots of healthy goodness. Served with a side salad--with the new vegan dressing option of "Vegan Ranch" . $7.99  
Tuesday~Grilled Reuben Sandwiches with side $7.99
Wednesday~Chicken mole enchiladas with Spanish rice $7.99
Thursday~Chicken pot pie with side salad $7.99
Friday~Crab and shrimp quesadilla with Monterey jack cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed peppers plus all the fixin's $8.25

Dinner~

Seafood~Mexican Fish Stew. Wednesday- Friday. We've had requests for more authentic Mexican dishes. From award-winning cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman, here is an authentic Mexican fish stew that utilizes firm white neutral-flavored fish—we'll use cod. There are no shellfish in this so those who have allergies are safe. The flavors include tomatoes, garlic, onions, white wine, peppers, carrots, parsley, cilantro all cooked to a rich broth. The fish is added late so as not to get too mushy or tough. We'll serve it with our crusty rustic bread plus a side salad. Good to warm you from the insides. $13.99

Flavor Journey~Tuesday - Friday. Greek baked chicken! Baked Coleman NaturalTM chicken breast stuffed with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. Seasoned with lemon oil and oregano. Accompanied by oven roasted organic purple potatoes (high in anti-oxidants) seasoned with fresh rosemary, oregano, garlic and lemon oil plus stir-fried bok-choy and arugula. Served with soup/ salad. $13.99

Soup~ Starting out with a fresh vegetable soup made from scratch with our in-house broth.
Dessert~ Fresh berry turnovers with lemon icing and vanilla ice cream $4