Why do I mention this now? Because we are finally beginning to see our summer business picking back up. We had a few weeks of wondering what had happened. Fortunately, even when the lull seems to go on way too long, we are humbled by the strength of the returning force when it hits. We have been striving to keep things light and now we are rejoicing. We missed you!
You came back just in time to celebrate the abundance of the season. Each week, in addition to what we are finding at the local produce stands and Mary and Skip Badiny's garden, we are also being gifted with some fabulous fresh herbs and veggies. Just last week we were brought French tarragon, oregano, parsley, winter savory, poke weed and chives as well as fresh eggs. We love that you share with us. If you are about to leave town and don't wish your crop to go to waste, we'd love to include your goodies on salads and in stir-fry.
Earlier I mentioned energy. Well the foods we have been getting in abound in it! When crops are harvested and consumed with minimal delay there is an almost direct transfer of energy from plant to you. While working in preparation I am acutely aware of the boost in energy that the freshest produce and herbs contain. Dang near visceral. When long-distance transport, cold storage and time enter the picture, the available energy is just reduced. This may seem all new-agey but we who are working with the produce are quite aware of it.
One of the experiments we added while trying to get our numbers to a sustainable level, was to be open Saturday evenings. Despite being open for six Saturdays in a row, it has not proven to be a desirable night for dining—at least during the summer. So we are ending that dinner service for now. I expect we'll add it back in come fall. We are anxious for your feedback. Please feel free to share your thoughts. ####NOTE#### No more Saturday Evenings this summer.####Note####
This week Renee Wood Trio will play on Friday evening. This time Jon Lumsden will be the guitar player. Even though we have Renee and her trio fairly often, there are actually 2 different sets of personnel. The sets of music played are almost completely different when Tom Rowley joins her as guitarist. Although both Jon and Tom are playing jazz guitar, they each have a different take on things and Renee's improvisation is quite different between trios. Renee plays saxophone and David Moore plays drums.
We'll have three dinner specials this week. I doubt I'll have the ingredients for all three throughout the week, so if you have a favorite, come in early.
The seafood entree this week is a low-country crawfish boil complete with corn and boiled potatoes. We'll cook the crawfish in a broth seasoned with Old Bay.. $12.99
The second option is a pork loin roast glazed with garlic jelly. I'll serve it with our seasonal stir-fried veggies plus a tomato tart. $12.99 BTW—We make the garlic jelly in-house and have containers of it available for sale. It would make a lovely hostess or thank-you gift for someone who enjoys cooking.
The third option would be the Flavor Journey straight from Italy in the form of linguine all' Amatriciano. This ones really celebrates the season with slow oven roasted Roma tomatoes, pancetta and pecorino. The pancetta is an Italian ham and the pecorino is a cheese somewhat similar to Parmesan. This makes a very pretty dish—lots of flavor and lots of color. $12.99
I have some special appetizers right now too. A fresh batch of goat cheese plus some lovely smoked salmon brings out the water crackers and dill. The second and third appetizers celebrate the arrival of eggplant season. We have a combo platter of hummus plus babaganoush (an eggplant dip) served with pita chips and crunchy veggies. The third one will have to wait until Wednesday evening before I'll get a chance to bring it together. It is grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with feta and kalamata olives. Each of these is for a short time only while the ingredients are readily available and fresh.
For desserts I have a real treat. Last week I took a whole large plant's worth of basil and blanched it—cooked quickly in boiling water and then tossed in ice water to stop the cooking. This intensifies the flavor. Then I made a simple syrup (half water /half sugar) and cooked it in that a for several minutes to make a basil syrup. That was then blended with juice from a whole honey-dew melon, some fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt and then frozen. The result is a basil granita served on a bed of fresh sliced peaches. The flavor is delicate, summery and bright.
By Wednesday evening I hope to have a fresh local blackberry cobbler ready.
Now here are the lunch specials for the week~~
Monday~ Stuffed manicotti with creamy tomato sauce and side salad $7.99
Tuesday~ Solstice Salad 20 cents off. A base of romaine topped with fresh mozzarella, fresh Roma tomatoes, wood-fired chicken and fresh basil. Served with balsamic vinaigrette $7.39
Wednesday~ Baja chicken tacos with side $7.99
Thursday~ Pork Bahn Mi sandwiches $7.99
Friday~ Summer squash and 4-pepper smoked sausage quiche plus side salad $7.99
As always—we are grateful for your support and continued sharing of our little secret. Amy, Drew, Vincent and Haleigh all welcome you when we are not around. In the evenings you'll see those faces plus Christina and Sharon and, of course, Jon and me. We invite your input and encourage you to write reviews of our services on sites such as yahoo.com, yelp.com and google.com or even just a quick word on our Facebook page.
~~Susan
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