Monday, October 28, 2013

W/E November 2nd Spooky things are happening! Cue the GARLIC!

By all accounts this is going to be another fast-paced week. Starting with the World Series, then add in Halloween shenanigans with candy being handed out on the Square and down Main St. Then we have an awesome new group playing Friday night, as well as the Stroll on the Square and Gail Rowley's nature photography exhibition and reception. So let's look at them all.

The World Series will happen with or without us. So I am not going to put much attention there—except to make sure I record any game while we aren't home to watch it.


Thursday is The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival. It is all about handing out tons of candy to marauding hooligans in strange attire. Amber handed out over $50 in candy last year in under an hour. We'll be ready. The festival covers not only the Square and merchants but also goes along West Main Street to the Methodist Church where even more candy awaits.

Friday is the Stroll on the Square aka the Art Walk. This time we are featuring nature photographer, Gail Rowley. You may have seen some of her note cards in local shops. She and her husband, Tom, live near Willow Springs. As a long-time member of the Missouri Stream Team Project and current efforts in prairie restoration, Gail sees first-hand what our area needs to keep nature in its pristine condition.  Her nature photography has the ability to pull you in and focus your eyes on the beauty around us in this lovely unique habitat we call the Ozarks. We invite you to celebrate with us Friday night.

Also happening Friday night is a duo Jon heard 2 weeks ago at the Taste of Missouri. This exceptional duo is made up of Beci (pronounced like Becky) and Kent Coffey. They hail from Yellville, AR. Beci plays stand-up bass and does the vocals and Kent plays jazz guitar. Jon was highly impressed and persuaded them that we have a strong listening audience. We hope you'll make a point of stopping in to listen and hopefully, join us for dinner. The last two strolls were quite busy. We strongly encourage you to make reservations! We now have our full staff back in place, so service should go a bit more smoothly. Thank you for your patience previously. Oy!

Our Flavor Journey this week originates in Catalonia, Spain which has long been on the cutting edge of gastronomy. This would be the autonomous region of Spain of which Barcelona is the capital. The name of the dish is Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. You might think it would be overwhelming in the kick of garlic. But, since the garlic is left whole while cooking and is roasted quite thoroughly, the bright edge to the garlic flavor is thoroughly mellowed out and simply adds a nice warm essence of flavor. If you understand the difference in flavor between raw garlic and roasted garlic, you'll appreciate the gentle flavor of the roasted variety. I'll be cutting up whole chickens and leaving the skin on. You'll have your choice of white or dark meat. The pieces will be plated on a bed of noodles and topped with the luscious sauce. Fresh herbs as well as white wine and applejack brandy lend their richness to the flavor impact. We'll add our seasonal stir-fry to  complete the dish. $14.99 During the week of Halloween you can never have too much garlic!

Our seafood will follow along the garlic theme, as well. It is Shrimp in Garlic Sauce. The version we are doing is Greek-based, as we are serving it over orzo and adding lemon, feta, oregano and fresh tomatoes. Oh my taste buds will be happy THIS week! We'll pair it up with our seasonal stir-fry. $15.99

The lunch specials~~
Monday~Goat cheese and spinach ravioli with  mushroom and Parmesan sauce $7.99
Tuesday~Shrimp and grits. $8.25
Wednesday~SW BBQ chicken quesadillas  with black beans, tomatoes, onion, BBQ Chicken, and Monterey jack/pepper jack blend $7.79
Thursday~Smothered pork chops with green beans and smashed potatoes $7.79
Friday~Philly cheese-steak-stuffed bell pepper $7.59

I started a new dessert late last week. It is chocolate crepes with a pumpkin mousse, chocolate sauce and toasted pepitas. The soup is most likely going to be a spiced potato soup. Those tend to evolve.

I hope you have a chance to see the trees at their peak. They are running about a week late this year. Did you know that the trees decide when to let the leaves go? You probably thought it was just the wind and rain that determined it. I was surprised and delighted to learn this gem. 

Thank you for your enduring support and encouragement for our little cafe. We love that we can call most of you by name and you know our strengths and weaknesses. It means so much to be a part of this lovely community and we feel we are a vital part of what keeps things interesting around here.  That is YOU I am speaking about—the interesting part.

~~~Susan et al


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