Message for a quiet week

This is my favorite week of the year. It is a week where the social and familial expectations are behind us and one can take a moment to reflect on what went well this year and what changes should be made for the future. For myself, it has been a year of transition. As our café begins its bricks-and-mortar life, my fiber art assumes a smaller role. Were it not for the fact that I find creativity in the kitchen as well as the studio, I would mourn the loss. I expect that I'll always have an itch to work in fiber, but my current focus is to make A La Carte Café a favorite destination for local lunchers.

Admittedly, most restaurants are the manifestation of a strong vision of the head chef—an extension of their egos, if you will. No doubt A La Carte Café will follow that same path. But I wanted to share with you some of my personal philosophy in creating this venture. So bear with me.

About 20 years ago I swore off taking on jobs by default—jobs that others weren't stepping up to but that I knew I could probably do—simply because it needed doing. Unless it directly moved me forward in my personal goals, it was not a job I for which I was going to volunteeer. I've taken too many detours along my path for that. So the decision to open our cafe came after a LONG personal search of my goals.

When we moved to the Ozarks 11 years ago, after living our lives in medium and large cities, we expected to find our dining options somewhat limited. Like you, we anticipated each new restaurant opening hoping to experience some of the dining diversity we'd experienced in the larger cities. Sadly, most just seemed to be more of the same ol', same ol'. Some didn't even seem to care whether our dining experience was worthwhile. Most used already-prepped provisioner ingredients. Freshness and local sourcing were foreign concepts. Seemed like nobody was stepping up to the plate to provide what we were hungering for— literally.

I've never been one to play it safe. However, the last several years have beaten some of the maverick out of me with its tight finances and looming social security balances. Suddenly, the room to stretch and expand was limited by a demand for money that MUST be met. While I was younger I would have jumped in whole hog and simply expected a positive outcome. Now the downside consequences are heavier and the upside rewards less guaranteed. But we still find there is this niche that is not being filled and I think I have the skills, along with Jon and now Bruce, to pull it off. We are, quite literally, betting on ourselves and even the community.

We believe there is a community-wide demand

• To eat closer to the soil 
• To eat REAL food from sources that have faces and names
• To avoid the GMO, MSG world of fast food  
• To eat food that takes us on flavor journeys
• To demand that food be made from really fresh ingredients 
• To seek sustainable solutions to growing our food

To that end we are building our café. We'll do it bit by bit while learning along the way. If you agree with our mission, please tell your friends and co-workers.

We are fortunate that Bruce Carr is available currently to assist in steering us. He has many, many years experience in food service management. He also is an adventurous cook and we've worked together in various ways over the years. Most of all he is a very dear friend. The three of us, together, hope to present a lunch time solution that inspires you to come back regularly.

This week we are bringing back a favorite and adding a new thing or two. I would love to keep the popular dishes on the menu full-time but we simply can't if we wish to keep the batches small and fresh. So we will rotate through some favorites while adding flavor journeys along the way.



Portabellas from Bob and Wendy Semyck at Willow Mountain Mushroom Farm in Tecumseh

 This week's favorite is the Portabella Brie Bisque. I'll have it ready for lunch on Monday and make it fresh throughout the week. This is the weekly soup and it is $3.49/cup and $4.99/bowl.

This week's Flavor Journey is a hot lunch of Carnitas served with pintos and rice. Carnitas are a slow cooked pork, seasoned with Hatch peppers (mild but warm) that is pulled (shredded) and served as a taco on soft flour tortillas. You'll get 2 plus rice and beans for $6.25. We make it all from scratch. The pork starts with a dry rub and then 10 hours in the slow cooker. The beans soak overnight before being cooked with a smoked hock. The rice is my Spanish rice cooked with onions, tomatoes and bell pepper. You'll get salsa, too.

This week's salad journey is a Winter Spinach Salad—Organic Spinach from Maranatha Farm, red onion, grapefruit slices, avocado slices, pomegranate and Jon's wood-fired chicken. The dressing is a sweet/sour one that is Bruce's personal recipe. $6.25

We hope the week finds you inspired to reflect back as well as excited about the future. We believe strongly in this land of ours and are betting that scarcity will be replaced by ingenuity, abundance and growth. We have much to be grateful for— you are part of that. Thank you.

Happy Holidays

 First of all--specials this week will evolve as the week progresses. My starting soup will be one I have been developing "Caldo con queso y pollo". I'll start with russet potatoes, add mild Hatch chilis, fresh chicken breasts (shredded), Cheddar cheese, and a bit of cream. While it is a creamy soup, it is not a dense cheesy one. The chicken and potatoes will add enough substance to stick to your ribs. The Hatch chilis will add a glowing warmth without being "hot". I have ordered portabellas for the soup for week between Christmas and New Years.

I will have Antipasto Salad on Monday and Tuesday. Later we will have a spinach salad as Mary Badiny's spinach is finally ready.

I'll have some cranberry nut muffins and a lemon bread as the breakfast breads.

We will be closed on Friday the 24th as well as the 31st. It looks like those may be the last 3-day weekends we get for a while.

We have once again re-instituted the "cameback treat." This little tidbit of a treat is for those who make it in more than once in the week. It is a dessert only available as a freebie to those who qualify as a "thank you." If we somehow didn't notice, on our own, that your visit is a repeat that week-- feel free to remind us. The treat changes by my whim and is seldom the same from week to week. This week--white chocolate tamales.

We are finally getting settled in our new space and we LOVE it! We are getting the lines grooved in. Those who call in orders seldom have to wait more than a minute or two for their orders. We've discovered that parking is fairly easy on the back side of the block--between us and the Quill.

We now have gift certificates available. They make terrifc employee incentive or thank you gifts. You can pay via any method-- cash, check, debit or credit card.

Did you know we have free WI-FI? Check your email, update your facebook status or download an ebook- while enjoying a cup of Starbucks French Roast coffee.

Gleeful Greetings!

Wow! We had such fun last week saying howdy once again to our loyal customers. While we had quite few new faces in the door, we had far more of our old friends stop by. We were delighted with your reactions and even more pleased to be able to serve you in our new environment.


Here's our new service kitchen. It is right out front so I can be a part of things and cooking is done right in front of you.

We really wore ourselves out pushing so hard to get open quickly. But now that part is over and we are slowly regaining some energy and perspective. One big factor that is helping is that Bruce Carr has joined our team. His extensive knowledge of the management end of the food business as well as his can do/ will do attitude make him a joy to work with. He also brings a personal flair for exploratory cooking. We look forward to adding his creations to the mix as time goes along.

I have a new soup recipe that I am using as our main soup this week. It is Italian Sausage Minestrone. I found it in the New England Soup Factory Cookbook. They are the same guys who had the recipe for the Butternut  with Cannelloni Soup we had last week. It is full of fresh veggies including carrots, celery, onion, zucchini and yellow squash, tomatoes plus three kinds of beans in a light tomato based broth. Both sweet and hot Italian sausage are in abundance.

Starting Tuesday we'll have Antipasto Salad for the rest of the week. I have received several requests for this. Thank you for letting me know what you want. I'm listening.

Did you realise we are now open at 8AM? We are serving coffee, tea, orange juice and breakfast breads~muffins, etc. 

Did you know we now have WI-FI? Yep. It is free. So enjoy your coffee while surfing the web.




This is the view from the stage.

In the front corner of the dining area we have added a stage. During the week you may dine in the elevated area. But come Friday night (beginning in January) we'll be open for a Tapas menu (appetizer sized portions) and will feature various acoustic artists. I doubt we'll be open very late--probably closed by about 10pm. It should be the kind of environment where you could bring your mother, your daughter or your business partner while being able to relax and be comfrtable while listening to good music and dining on good food. Much more on that later.

We're Back!!!!

Well it took longer than we hoped and more than every penny from selling the trailer, but we got it done. We are indoors in what I think is a most beautiful building on a prime location.The kitchen was totally designed so that I can be a part of things-- not stuck in the back room. I'll tell you more in a minute. But first-- here are this week's specials--

• Soup~~White chicken chili    cup $3.49  bowl $4.99
• Sushi~~THURSDAY AND FRIDAY ONLY~~spicy shrimp rolls, Philly rolls (smoked salmon, cream cheese and green onion), miso soup     Choice of roll plus miso soup $6.25
• Breakfast Breads~~Yep! Bran Muffins, Cranberry Walnut Muffins, Pumpkin Walnut Bread  $1.50 

Gosh! It feels nice to say that!



Here's an view looking at our new service counter.

Friday morning, yes I said morning, we opened at 8am. We are now open for coffee, tea and breakfast breads until 11am when we begin serving lunch. Several friends dropped by for their free coffee and muffins and to scope the place out. (This week the coffee and muffins are NOT free) I was very pleased with the results. Everything went fairly smoothly. The orders came in at a nice pace and everyone seemed happy with the result. We served 38 meals-- a number that took us being open several weeks to achieve while in the trailer. I love having a commercial range with 6 burners and an oven. The cold prep table has taken the scrambling for ingredients in salads and sandwiches and made it all like a painter's palette. All ingredients within reach. This should translate to quite a bit faster service and easier for me. Jon gets to work from his new granite counter taking your orders, providing your beverages and delivering your order.

It is Sunday night and we are still exhausted. So I am going to keep this short and sweet and skip the details til later.
We look forward to seeing you again-- in our nice warm location on the Square, immediately to the right ( north) of Bank of America. 

Take a deep breath! We haven't gone away!!!

If you have driven by our courtyard you have noticed the trailer and all our stuff- tables, plants, umbrellas- are GONE. Fear not! We will be back. We are simply moving indoors.

Today we are signing a lease that will put us in a prime spot on the Square. Our official address is 28 Court Square. We will be immediately to the right of Bank of America- in the old Famous Grocery Building. A place designated as a national historical landmark. I am thrilled by the aesthetics of the place. Fortunately, Toney Aid is willing to be creative in working with us.  As soon as the paperwork is done we will begin the process of converting the space over to the cafe. We will be putting in a kitchen as well as making an aesthetic dining space.

Our priority will be the kitchen as we can't function without it. You may see the dining area evolve over the next few weeks, even after we are open. As before, we are doing it all in baby steps. Selling the trailer has given us the capital for the basic equipment and remodel. The remodel will consist mostly of adding some plumbing and electrical to facilitate our appliances. We'll be painting and doing some fairly minor carpentry.

If you'd like to trade some sweat labor for food-- we are very happy to do so. We want to keep as much money in the local economy as we possibly can. We also have no income while we are closed. So getting open FAST is a priority.

We've been speaking with the fire department, the health department, the liquor board (yep- hoping to get at least a beer and wine license) and adding to our learning curve. Yeowza! Mucho to learn.

One of the things I am most looking forward to is the ability to expand our menu to include tapas. We HOPE- please note I said hope- to be able to be open Friday nights. The deciding factor is how to take care of Mom. We can usually safely leave her on her own during the early day as she is a late riser.  But leaving her alone in the evening is a whole nuther thing entirely.  So we have to make some kind of arrangement that is suitable and worthwhile. 

Our concept for Friday nights would be a place you could come, dressed casually and comfortably, and get to hear live acoustic music, eat good food, drink your favorite beverages and visit with friends. We hope to create an atmosphere that is extremely comfortable where you would feel equally comfortable bringing your mother or your child or grandchild or beau. We want to present music in an intimate setting where the musician is respected and heard without having to blast out the audience and where the audience listens and is attentive.

My food plans for Friday nights are to lean toward tapas-- light food designed to be accompanied by wine and beer. The concept is from Spain and features small plates of tasty morsels. To that end I played with a new recipe from Stephan Pyles- restauranteur extraordinaire in Dallas. His new restaurant is a fusion of India, Spain and the Middle East. The recipe is for a Lebanese eggplant dip served with pita chips. Very nice. It is called Moutabal.

Another small dish I am considering is a dish called Pogaca- or feta dumplings. It is a savory pastry full of feta and parsley and baked with a shiny egg yolk finish. They are a favorite in Turkish bakeries where they are served as a take-along breakfast or savory snack.
We also plan to be open for coffee and light breakfast Monday - Friday. We arrive by 7:30am most days and will have dark roast coffee (I'm a Starbucks fan) and muffins. You'll be welcome to read your paper, do your homework or work out your next legal brief--or even work on that new novel you are writing. There are even lots of places to plug in the power cord on your computer. Hopefully, we will soon be able to offer wi-fi--part of the learning curve. We are going to be SO SMART when we get through this.

Today we learn about building permits and inspections. Our mosaic glass sample has come in for my color board. We are keying the color scheme off the glass tile we are putting on the backsplash. Any of you who have known me first as a fiber artist know I am ALL about color. The tiles may have to come at a later date but the scheme will be in place.

We are now past the point of terror and are simply putting the next actions in place. So far the biggest surprise and area of confusion has to do with the exhaust hood. That could actually cost more than all the other appliances combined- OUCH!

We very much are looking forward to seeing you in our new place. Our primary focus will remain lunch. Hopefully, it will be a place you and your friends frequent and you find fills your need for "something a little different." We'd also love it if you find it is Friday night and you are thinking, "I wonder what is happening over at A La Carte tonight. Let's go find out."

See you very soon!!!!

October 25-29--Beef & barley soup; Antipasto salad

Man! Life just got more interesting! We have 2 possible buyers for the trailer. What that means is that we MAY be able to move into a permanent indoor location sooner than expected. But it also could mean that we have to close completely for a couple of weeks. BUT NOT YET!!!!!!!!!

This week's forecast is pretty nice after Tuesday. I have a new recipe for Beef and Barley Soup that comes from the New England Soup Factory. Those guys are famous for their rich, from-scratch soups. It uses beef stew meat and braises for a good long while to completely soften the beef. The pearled barley is one of the most nutritious grains out there. For years one of my favorite canned soups was Scotch Broth, which is basically a beef and barley soup. So when I was reading the ingredient list I went Hmmmmm! This is a stick-to-your-ribs type soup.

The salad is familiar as I am doing the Antipasto salad again. It is also a very filling salad. Downright Manly!!!  With provolone, kalamata olives, fennel leaves, tomato, red onion, corned beef, basil, pasta noodles and asiago on a bed of Romaine and that lovely dressing that is lemon and olive oil based.

Speaking of salads-- The Fuji chicken salad we served last week got rave reviews and is now a regular part of the menu. In case you missed it, it has fresh sliced Fuji apples, feta, craisins, red onion, candied pecans and Jon's awesome wood-fiired chicken on a bed of Romaine with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing-- Heaven on a plate.

 Haven't decided on the "return visit" treat yet-- but I am pretty sure it will be chocolate-based. If you arrive in costume during the week you will also be eligible for my treat--Tuesday or later.

Bring a new customer along and you each get $1 off.your lunch. We need to get the word out very fast now, as we'll be making some changes soon and need to have a strong email list.

We hope to see you this week and look forward to visiting with you. Mancha!

October 18-22 Portabella Brie Bisque & Chicken Salad with Apples, Craisins, & Pecans

I'm a day late posting as we lost a day somewhere. Mom was in the hospital and it kinda scrambled our time. But as of Tuesday morning we have our soup of the week-- Portabella Brie Bisque. This is the return of one of our most popular soups, yet. I got 2 lbs of Portabellas from those nice people at Willow Mountain Mushroom. They are exceedingly fresh. I'll be using rice as the thickener. Although it is pretty thick, the amount of dairy is fairly low.  The brie adds a nice delicate touch. $3.49 cup/ 4.99 bowl

I chose a new salad as my next special. Let's call it Fuji Chicken Salad.  I'll begin with the usual chopped Romaine base. To that I'll add sliced fresh fuji apple, craisins, candied pecans, red onions, Jon's wood fired chicken and feta cheese. Balsamic Vinaigrette is the recommended choice for a dressing but you can have any of our homemade dressings on it. $5.99

Thursday and Friday this week I'll do California Rolls with Miso Soup. $6.25

We hope you will join us this week. If you'd like to see a particular soup or other special-- please tell us. We are here to feed you. To that end we are wanting to know what you want.

BTW-- I finally got the new cookies made for the return visit treat.-- Pistachio rosemary white chocolate. Intriguing and yummy.

October 11-15 Italian pork stew & chicken tortilla soup

Score!!!!! I bought up the remainder of Mary Badiny's basil crop. This image is the bin of basil leaves after I have removed all the stems and flower heads and seeds. It started as a HEAVY garbage sack. I should be able to make enough pesto to make it through the winter. I'll be freezing it. I think I may even have enough to sell some 4 oz containers of it. This is organic basil and the pesto is made using walnuts, asaigo cheese, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and some salt. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing some.

The soup this week is Chicken tortilla soup. I've been looking forward all week to making this. It has become a family favorite. The chicken is pulled and chopped. Lots of corn, black beans, and plenty of spicy punch from fresh chiles but not overly hot..

The second special this week is an Italian pork stew served over polenta. It cooks for many hours and is very tender. Its Italian-ness comes from the use of fennel, orange peel and rosemary. I know, sounds like a strange combination. Think Italian sauasage for flavor direction but it uses pork shoulder. It also has a goodly amount of tomatoes. The polenta is made using corn meal and is allowed to firm up. I'll be saute-ing it before piling the stew over the top. Yum!

Many of you have asked about our move indoors.We are making good progress.  We have the trailer for sale so that we can use the proceeds to purchase kitchen equipment. Don't freak out if you drive by and suddently the trailer is gone. If you'll check the blog and/or facebook we'll be telling you where to find us soon after.We may HAVE to be closed for a week or so when the time comes in order to get our equipment and get moved in. We are not disappearing-- we are upgrading! Mostly, thanks to the support you have shown us, we are looking to be able to move to an inside location so you can visit us year around and not have to face nasty elements while dining. We are looking toward a November- December timeframe. Nothing has been firmed up and all options are still being considered.

This week's "return visit" treat is a cookie that won Epicurious' annual recipe contest. It is Rosemary PistachioWhite Chocolate Chip Cookies. This will be available to those making at least two trips to see us this week. I love picking unusual treats for this prize. Since they are not available for sale, it is fun to choose based on interesting flavors.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you-- hopefully this week. It is a real joy to be getting to know everyone. This town has some delightful gems.

Hasta manana.

October 4-8 Chicken curry & Lentil soup

Well around here the seasons change like the flip of a switch. It was one of the real joys we discovered after moving here from Florida. Can you imagine going 6 years with no spring? or fall? Actually in Florida, these seasonal changes happen a week apart in early February. One week the leaves are finally falling and the next week the new leaves emerge.The week after that the tent worms take over. Orange trees don't even have to have dropped their fruit before new blossums and fruit forms. Here ends the geography lesson for today.

Actually-- we are going to be visiting the Middle East again. This week I am making another family favorite-- chicken curry. I use lots of fresh chicken and fresh ginger, plenty of coconut milk and lime and curry. But this will not be a hot curry. So if you are relatively new to curries- fear not. If someone wants theirs real hot, I'll pass them the habanero sauce. I'll serve it over a bed of jasmine rice and with a side of fresh fruit. It will be plenty juicy and stick-to-your-ribs filling.

We are still recovering from an overwhelmingly busy weekend. So I will make the soup starting on Tuesday. This week's soup will be lentil soup with wholewheat cornbread. This is NOT a vegetarian version. I use lots of smoked sausage (beef and turkey), garlic, carrots and basil. Perfect for a cool weather treat. It can get quite thick-- like a stew. As always, you are welcome to taste a sample.

Our search for an indoor, permanent location continues. We appreciate that several of you have your eye out and are open to bright, resourceful solutions. I have great confidence that the right solution will reveal itself shortly-- and may already have. Last week we had three record days in a row. Each time the numbers went up, we looked at ways to make it go smoother while maintaining our high quality standards. It is almost scary to look back and realize just HOW MUCH we have learned in the last 2 months. My committment to creating delicious food using the freshest, locally sourced (when possible) ingredients has been like a light through the fog of confusing options.  I especially enjoyed being able to serve locally grown Chambourcin grapes and local Jonathon apples last week. As that grape makes my favorite Missouri wine, it was fun to taste it in its raw form.

Later in the week, watch for the new tablecloths. Autumn! Just today I noticed that the turkey vultures have once again arrived and this morning I spied a bald eagle soaring overhead. Aren't they early this year?

We look forward to seeing you this week. The "return visit" treat will be a surprise even to me!
Have a great week!

Sept 27- October 1~~White chicken chili, Pesto Chicken Sandwich & Th/Fr sushi

It's really beginning to feel like fall now and with the rain out of the way, the courtyard should be perfect. I have ordered new batik fabric to change out the tableclothes to a more appropriate color-scheme for autumn. The next batch of mums should begin blooming and a few pumpkins added to the mix should be just about right.

I've been awaiting this weather to bring out the white chicken chili. Finally!!! We'll be using Jon's wood-fired chicken as the base. I'll cook navy beans from scratch, add onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, some newly roasted New Mexico Hatch chilis, and so on. I'll top it with Crema Mexicana and toasted Pepitas and  serve it with a jalapeno cornbread muffin. Bring on the cool weather!!!

For the sandwich this week we are bringing back the Pesto chicken sandwich. I am using what is probably the last of Mary Badiny's basil to make fresh pesto. This is the "spread" on the sandwich. Then a few slices of wood-fired chicken, fresh tomato, provolone cheese and sliced avocado. If you missed it the first time, here is your chance. We had people asking for it well into the next week last time.

For you sushi fans-- I am making sushi but only on Thursday and Friday. I will make spicy shrimp rolls and serve it with miso soup. You might wish to reserve yours a day ahead--just to be sure.

In case you missed it, we have brought the fish tacos back as a permanent item on our menu.

The "return" goody~~for those of you making a second or more visit during the week~~ your goody will be a bar cookie of some sort. I make those for delivery beginning Tuesday. So I am reserving my decision on which one right now. It's a surprise.

We now have several people helping us find our perfect next spot. We are looking for some creative thinking to make it all work. Progress is being made. Your continued visits are making it happen. Your spreading the word even farther will make a huge difference in the long run. Thank you!!

If you haven't been back in a bit, please make this the week you do so. There are lots of improvements-- larger quesadillas, more meat on the sandwiches, umbrellas shading the tables & a community table. We've gotten quite a bit faster as we learn to streamline some techniques without sacrificing quality.We continue to make our own breads each day, use fresh ingredients and source locally as much as we can, and we really care  that you get a meal you thoroughly enjoy, at a cost you find reasonable, in a timeframe that allows pleasure. We actively seek your feedback and listen to what you say.

See you this week!

Sept 20-24 Roasted Butternut Soup & Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This week marks the last days of summer and the first of autumn. Hopefully, we will have more glorious weather like last week. It was sheer joy to look out on the courtyard and see virtually every table filled. It also made me realize some things about myself.

welcome to the courtyard!

We have begun our search for possible indoor locations. As I have told you previously, I have never been a restaurant cook. My cooking has always involved friends and family being nearby, usually chatting with me and often participating. My joy in looking out and seeing happy diners made me realize that I have zero desire to be stuck in a back kitchen, out of sight of my customers. Well that changes things, doesn't it? So our search for space now includes being able to create a kitchen/work space that is right out in the middle of things. Instead of being tucked away and hidden, I want to be able to speak with my customers, share with them what is happening and most of all, let them enjoy the many fragrances released while cooking. Just as I want you to be able to enjoy the sensory overload of eating outdoors, I want your nose to tell you "this is gonna be GOOD!" We figure we can create a galley kitchen along one side of a retail-type location. We are not in a fat hurry to move indoors but at least have begun a gentle search.



Plenty of shade to keep you comfortable

This week's specials selection began with an email from Mary Badiny telling me she has some butternut squash ready to harvest. Well, I'm ready to roast them and make a lovely fall soup. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is the soup special this week.There will be sauteed onions and garlic and a chicken broth base.This will all be pureed with roasted potatoes to make it fairly smooth.  I'll top it with crema mexicana (similar to sour cream or a creme fraiche) and pepitas (toasted seasoned  pumpkin seeds). I'll serve it with a whole-wheat cornbread muffin. Yumm-o!!! My mouth is watering already. Usual soup pricing will prevail- $3.49/ cup(8 oz)  and $4.99. bowl(12 oz)

My other special will fill the niche of BOTH salad and sandwich-- Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps. We are marinating the chicken and grilling it over a wood fire. Then I am adding rice, shitaki mushrooms, onion, red pepper, cilantro and Asian seasonings. These are served with three lettuce leaves so you can roll them up and munch them down. I'll add a side of peanut sauce for dipping.  Hungry yet? This is one of my absolute favorite flavor combinations. Forks are optional, though suggested. Napkins...required. $6.25

I want you to know I am having a great deal of fun cooking for you. Making food that isn't the same ol', same ol' is important to me. I love being connected to the seasons by working with the freshest, just-harvested ingredients. As the seasons evolve, so do the herbs, the peppers, the starches. They will change along with their availablilty. Do YOU have something growing at home? Wanna share? Wanna trade?

I almost forgot! We are now making the Fish Tacos a regular item on the menu. So you can get it every day. Not so the Egg Salad Sandwich. We are taking it off the menu as it doesn't have a following. If I get a demand for it, I may being it back occasionally as the sandwich of the week.

Jon and I are very attuned to your input and comments. While cooking what I love strokes my ego and feeds my own sense of joy, being viable and creating what you really want is also very high on the priority list. So your input is not just welcome, it is vital to keeping this gig rolling.

Occasionally, I would love to do a Friday night dinner that is a fixed menu (I choose the menu) of seasonal ingredients served spectacularly. We would dress things up a bit and have fancier ingredients. I have to find out about the laws on bringing your own bottle of wine. Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If the weather is nice, do you enjoy dining al fresco at night? Torches, live acoustic music, perhaps a firepit. Hmmm? Talk to me!!!!!

I am making a yummy chocolate cookie as dessert for you who are making it by more than once this week. These are not available for purchase. They are my special "thank you" to let you know I really appreciate you making the choice to join us more than once in a week. We know you have several choices available and appreciate you choosing us a one of your regular lunch options. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you and hearing about your week.

September 13-17 Fish Tacos are back!

What a crazy week last week was. Holidays and non-stop rain do not a busy week make. What, to many, may have seemed a depressingly slow week turned out to be a week where we had time to really look down the road at our goals. We were able to put some things into perspective and prioritize some actions. I can give you more details later. But right now, let's move on to what you really care about-- this week's specials.

our courtyard before we got the umbrellas for the bigger tables

They may each seem familiar as we have featured them at different times over the last few weeks.

One of our most popular specials were the fish tacos. Well, they are back this week. To those who haven't tried them, they are on soft corn torillas and you get 2. We wood-fire tilapia and finish it with creole seasoning. Kicky! Then we top it with a slaw that has lime, chili, and cilantro as major flavor contributors. We sold out each day we made them. So if you know you want them, get your call in early in the day ...or even a day ahead to reserve your serving.

The soup is Tom Ka Kai. You may know this as Thai coconut chicken soup. This fairly light weight soup, by that I mean it isn't thick and heavy, has a (home made) chicken broth plus lots of shredded chicken, ginger, cilantro, onion, carrot, bell pepper & lemon along with coconut milk which gives it a distinctly Asian slant. We trotted this out our first week when it was 100F. It was sadly overlooked as NO ONE was thinking soup that week. Hopefully there are a few of you ready to think soup again. If I judge by last week, as slow as it was, you are definitely thinking soup.

The third special is a return of the Anti-pasto salad. This is a very dense salad that will fill you right up. Beginning with chopped Romaine, we add provolone, woodfired chicken, cabicola and pancetta (seasoned Italian hams), Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, bell pepper, red onion, tomato, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, pasta, basil and parlsey. It is tossed with a dressing based on a lemon juice/ olive oil mixture seasoned with oregano, mustard and worchestershire. This is almost an extreme salad and it generated lots of positve comments the week we introduced it. I will serve the tapenade with it as well along with a few crackers.

Now back to long term plans and priorities--

Many of you asked us what we plan to do come winter. Judging by how many of you stayed inside during the non-stop rain last week, this is a valid question. We have very mixed feelings about this. You do know that there are food wagons operating all winter in Chicago and Boston and NYC. Of course, those guys are always bragging about not being weather wimps. Over the years I have, myself, become a weather wimp. Gone are the days when  I am willing to battle the elements-- especially if it risks my life. So that means, if it is icy we will not be there. We live 25 miles down US 63 and parts are quite hilly.

We would like to move to a permanent inside location but we are not in the position to further stick our necks out on much higher rent. We figure we have until the beginning of November to build our customer base as quickly as we can. Hopefully, we'll have you hooked by then and willing to face the elements for  a lunch that really satisfies. If you can tough it out with us through the winter months, we think we can be in a better position by spring to make changes.  That's the plan as of this week, anyway.

We've always been dreamers. Both of us are active artists; me-fiber, Jon- jazz guitar, so dreaming is a foundation of our beingness. But we've become much more realists in the last few years, too. This tends to soften our momentum but not determination toward our goals. We are far more cautious that we used to be.
Aah, age!

September 7-10 Soup weather at last!

First of all-- we are closed this Monday for Labor Day.

Willow Mountain Mushroom's Portabells

Finally! The weather has calmed down a bit and one can once again confront a bowl of soup. I have those gorgeous portabella mushrooms from Willow Mountain Mushrooms and plan a portabella & brie bisque. A bisque is usually thickened with pureed rice instead of flour--so it is gluten free. The portabellas, as I mentioned last week, were the freshest I have ever seen. This week I'll saute them in butter and olive oil and a touch of white wine ( the alcohol evaporates out during cooking). The brie is a very mild cheese that melts nicely. There will be sauteed onions and garlic plus a touch of parsley and tarragon (from my garden). Simple pure pleasure. This is a thick creamy soup with a light cheese flavor- but not gloppy cheesy. Served with crackers and roasted red pepper tapenade. My tepanade is a concoction of chopped black olives, roasted red peppers, garlic, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. It often includes anchovies-- but not this batch.   Oh Yum!

I am surveying for your favorite soups. I am not using canned or powdered bases. Everything is from scratch. So speak up and get your favorite in the line-up. NO MSG!!!!!!

The sandwich--Grilled Black Forest ham and cheddar. This is a grilled sandwich. Your choice of bread and dressing. I am adding a cranberry horseradish sauce to dressing the line-up for your pleasure.  Served with seasonal fruit salad-- which right now is cantaloupe with blueberries.

The salad--Spinach salad with bacon, hard boiled egg (real farm eggs), red onion, mushroom, tomato, roasted red pepper &; grated mozzarella with glazed pecans and a sweet and sour hot bacon dressing. Served with crackers and roasted red pepper tapenade.

Good news for quesadilla fans! One of our most popular items has been the chicken quesadilla. I am increasing the size of the tortilla-- so you'll get a bigger serving. 10" instead of 8". You math wizards-- tell me how much larger that is-- keeping in mind it is a circle. Let's see-- you increase the diameter by 25%...you still get guacamole, salsa and sour cream on the side. Price remains the same. Double the chicken for $1 more.

Are you having an office meeting? Call in the day before and we'll have everybody's order ready to cart off right on time. We LOVE LOVE LOVE having office orders. Call in the day ahead and we'll even throw in free batch of cookies.

The umbrellas are in and many diners took advantage of the lovely weather and shady tables. I absolutely love to look out of my cooking spot and see happy diners enjoying the courtyard, good food and each other's company. It is totally ok to linger as long as other diners are not awaiting tables.

The community table is now available for those who wish to add company while dining.

Because it is outdoor dining, it is also pet friendly. If you bring along your dog all I ask is that you are considerate of others and have your pet leashed and under your control. I have been a dog owner for most of my life and know how seldom pets are welcome in dining areas. Need water? --no problem. Our itty bitty birdbath is just the right height.

Week of August 30-Sept 3--SUSHI !!!!! & Sirloin

What a glorious week we just had! The weather was wonderful. We had our first public event and we served our most meals yet. What could be better? Next week!

Cygnet Brown signing my copy of her book When God Turned His Head

Author Cygnet Brown launched her new book When God Turned His Head with a book signing in our courtyard Saturday morning. I’ve attached a photo of me getting my signed copy. My 81-year-old mother is an avid reader and has claimed first read. Fortunately, she is a fast reader. You can find more info about this local author and her work by going to her website.

Julie Shaw has brought us the makings of a fine little fountain for the courtyard. While we work out the mechanics we can enjoy its funky styling. Thank you, Julie. Julie is best known for her mosaic work. We are expecting the arrival of components for our pond in the next week or two. Hopefully, it’ll be complete with goldfish and lilies.

Wendy and Bob Semyck have Willow Mountain Mushrooms in Tecumseh. They delivered the freshest portabellas I have ever seen. The gills were a dry light brown. Not that usual dark brown verging on wet and slimy you usually get at the local grocers. I am incorporating their lovely ‘shrooms into the Grilled Sirloin Salad—more on that later. Wendy and Bob have been in the mushroom business for a long time.For Bob, over 20 years. They have five (FIVE!) children and growing the mushrooms is a family endeavor that allows them to spend much time together. The kids often travel with Bob and Wendy on their outings to vendors and I was delighted to meet them all. Visit their website at http://www.willowmountainmushrooms.com/ or pick up a batch at the Howell Valley Grocery on east Business 63 or at D& D Produce on Gibson.

While the country has been going through a massive egg recall, we have been enjoying our lovely rich-yolked eggs from Black Bell Acres. Their eggs, often with a light green or brown shell, are the main component in our egg salad sandwiches. Those are very happy chickens laying very rich eggs.

We have scuttled Saturday lunches and are adding in Mondays to our schedule. Since our clientele is largely those seeking work-day lunches we thought it would be more appropriate. Hopefully, you won’t have too many leftovers from the weekend and will join us on Mondays.

We have ordered umbrellas to provide shade for our other 3 three round tables. More and more are joining us in the courtyard as the weather settles down. We are fortunate to usually have 6 months of the year in the moderate category. Now that we are past the most grueling in the heat department, you can enjoy a gentle breeze while getting your Vitamin D and nourishing your body.

New Community table—We have just added a longer 6-person table that will provide a friendly place to visit with others who are likely dining alone. If you wish privacy—pick one of the smaller tables. If you wish for possible company, sit at the community table and take advantage of the opportunity to meet new friends or visit with old ones. We’ll be adding an umbrella for that table shortly.

This week's specials—We’re globetrotting to Asia this week. The 2 specials are 1) California Roll, Miso Soup and a cucumber/seaweed salad for $6.25 and
2) a Grilled Sirloin Salad with oriental dressing. Also $6.25

I KNOW that California Rolls are not truly Asian. If you are a sushi fan, you are already aware of the ubiquitous roll. It is made of sushi rice, surimi crab (yeah, it is the fake stuff but traditional), avocado, rolled up in a nori sheet (seaweed wrapper) and garnished with sesame seeds. We’ll have wasabi and soy sauce to add your touch. The miso soup is made with a fish broth (dashi), miso, and has a bit of tofu, seaweed, green onion and mushroom. The cucumber salad starts with Mary Badini’s organic cucumbers, sprinkled with rice vinegar and sesame oil, a bit of chopped dried seaweed and black sesame seeds and a bit of Spike seasoning.

The second special is the Grilled Sirloin Salad. The steak is marinated in a distinctly Asian marinade—ginger, garlic, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce-- and grilled to medium rare, chilled and sliced. It tops a bed of chopped Romaine with tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms and bell pepper. A variation of the marinade is served as a dressing. Vegetarians-- request portabellas instead of steak!!!!

We were delighted with the response to last week's specials. Three days we sold out of at least one of them. I do have the ingredients to make a few more of the gazpacho shooters if you didn't get a chance to try them.

Thank you for spreading the word. It is because of you that I am able to do what I love. Thank you.

Book Signing at A La Carte Cafe courtyard

We've added tables, chairs and plants to our courtyard.

Please join us in the courtyard Saturday August 28th 9-11am for our first public event.

Cygnet Brown will be signing copies of her newly published, JUST released book "When God Turned His Head"-- a historical whodunit.  The book signing is THIS SATURDAY  from 9:00am- 11:00am. In celebration I will provide a continental breakfast of muffins, fresh fruit and quiche. Coffee and juice will also be served. This is a free event and there is no charge for the breakfast.

FYI-- this will be our last Saturday being open. As of Monday we will be there Mon.-Fri. 11am - 2pm. We apologize to everyone who showed up on Monday looking for good food. We got the message-skip Saturday and be there for those who work Monday - Friday.  You got it!!!!

August 24-28 Gazpacho shooters, fish tacos, quinoa tabbuleh

August 24-28

Here we are beginning our 4th week at this game. We are really enjoying connecting up with people in the day-to-day course of business. For the last several years Jon has been interacting with the public primarily via telephone or internet. As a fiber artist in my other life, I would often spend many hours happily alone followed by weekends of meeting thousands of people at fine art shows. So this adventure has quite a different pace from our recent past.


As scary as this is, we are still having fun. I did get a couple of bad reviews on a thing or two and while it upsets me that anyone was less than pleased, I am delighted to get the feedback. I am not here to feed my ego. I am here to feed you. So I need to know what you like and what you didn’t. If something should fall short of your expectation—I want to know about it!!! Now the good news—I was stunned this week to have received phone calls from several of you raving about my specials. Score!!!!!!


On a personal satisfaction level, it is pure joy for me to see how quickly we have developed multiple repeat customers. As absolutely terrible as I am at remembering names when needed, I am actually beginning to remember customer names and preferences. It is a fun game to guess whose order it is by what has been requested. I know—silly grown-ups!!!


This week we finally found some new chairs!!!! One of our tables now sports an umbrella, and most of my plants from my deck at home are now in the courtyard. Several have ripening peppers and a good part of my basil and rosemary is coming from the garden on premises.


Mary Badiny has had a banner year in banana peppers. So I am working with her to find recipes that use them in large quantities. My first special of this sort will be a roasted banana pepper gazpacho shooter. The photo is those peppers before roasting. Aren't they beautiful!


These mild peppers have a lovely flavor—even better roasted. The skins and seeds are removed and the remaining peppers are blended with garlic, tomatoes, parsley, broth and lots of cucumber. It is very light, cool and refreshing without being overpowering in flavor. I know for many of you, gazpacho is not on your palette list. That is why I am producing them as shooters. You can give them a test drive in a 3 oz. serving for only $1.50.

My hope is that you’ll be willing to let me take you on flavor adventures. Last week we were largely in Italy with the Antipasto Salad (which we sold a ton of) and the Chicken Pesto Sandwich (that we sold even more of.) Gazpacho is primarily from Spain while the fish tacos are more of a Western hemisphere concoction and then we are back again in the Middle East for the tabbuleh.


As the week progresses, the weather will become more amenable for dining. We hope you’ll join us.


My sandwich special—Blackened tilapia tacos with chili lime slaw served on soft corn tortillas (you get 2). You may have noticed lots of hoopla lately surrounding restaurants serving fish tacos. Nationally they are hitting their stride. Eleven years ago we were eating them with gusto in Florida. There are several versions out there, but my favorite version has the tilapia marinated in a Creole seasoning and then cooked over a wood fired grill. They are finished off in the kitchen by a quick warm up and a squeeze of fresh lime. The wraps are a double layer of corn tortilla. Sharing the space is a chili lime slaw. Slaw means it starts with cabbage. Instead of being sweet or tart, this slaw has a very fresh taste with a lime kicker.




My salad special—Quinoa Tabbuleh with wood-fired chicken, grilled eggplant and portabellas. This dish is gluten free because the quinoa is being used instead of the usual wheat. Quinoa (pronounced keen’- wah) is a grain that is vastly overlooked. It has a high protein content and is very flavorful. If you like couscous, you’ll enjoy this. If you haven’t tasted it before and are curious—please ask for a sample!!!!!! I would be delighted to expand your palette range by sharing a free sample with you. If you are vegetarian, it can be ordered without the chicken. We are trying out a new grower-- Willow Mountain Mushrooms from Tecumseh, MO. We expect they will be providing us with portabella and crimini mushrooms regularly. With their sourcing we may be able to explore the flavors of oyster mushrooms and other more exotic varieties—all grown under the healthiest conditions possible and available to you for purchase at http://www.willowmountainmushrooms.com/.


Special event in our courtyard. Last spring, during a time when I was exploring income options, I met Donna Brown. We were both working for the U.S Census. In our various conversations I learned that her dream was to get her book published and out into the world. I find it very exciting to know people’s dreams and I loved hearing hers. Recently Donna contacted me to tell me that she had, indeed, self published her historical whodunit—“When God Turned His Head” and was using her pen name Cygnet Brown. The books are just being delivered from the printer. To celebrate we are hosting a book signing Saturday morning, August 28th at 9:00am- 11:00am. Jon and I will prepare a complimentary continental breakfast with pastries and fruit and provide coffee and tea. This is a free event open to the public. You are most definitely invited. Help us launch this new book with all the excitement it deserves!!!

Bring along a new customer and you both get $1 off your meal.


Schedule change—We’ve tried doing Saturdays but never served more than half a dozen meals per day. So we are going to give that up after next Saturday. We would rather be there when you are more likely to want us—during the work week. So after Labor Day we will open on Mondays and give that a try. It may be that Monday is just as dead as Saturday. If so, we’ll adjust. Tuesday – Friday is safe.


Jon and I both thank you for giving us a chance to share our dream with you. You make this happen and our relationship is a treasured one. Please join us again this week and take your next taste voyage—perhaps to places you’ve never been before. The courtyard should be comfortable and you can stock up on your vitamin D without discomfort. See you this week!

August 17-21 Antipasto Salad & Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Announcing this week’s specials--



Things are shaping up and we are anticipating somewhat cooler weather over the next week. Not soup weather but maybe eat-in-the-courtyard weather. I’ve been adding the plants from my deck and the courtyard is beginning to fill up. It might not look like the Tuscan Villa you see here, but I am willing to plant the seed.

My fantasy Tuscan courtyard

As the one whose dream this is, I thank you for letting me share it with you. Without your participation and commitment to eating something beyond “fast-food”, this dream/experiment/game would not be happening. But you have supported it from day one. I’ve heard from many of you who plan to come by but haven’t yet. Well—let me try to entice you again.

Last week’s 1905 Salad was a big hit with several people ordering it more than once before it went away. I hope this week will create a similar effect. In fact, I am creating 2 specials this week. For you locavores, I am putting an asterisk* by each ingredient that is from a local source.

The first is an Antipasto Salad. The name means “before food” as it is made up of ingredients that are typically served as appetizers in Italy. But this is a hefty salad that will satisfy your mid-day hunger and probably take you well into the evening. For you vegetarians—just tell me and I’ll skip the meats. I start with cabicola (an Italian thin sliced ham) and oven roasted turkey. Then I add provolone and asiago cheeses plus black olives, bell pepper*, roasted red pepper*, tomato*, red onion, artichoke hearts, shaved fresh fennel bulb*, and sliced mushrooms*. This is mixed together with a bit of pasta and romaine. The dressing has fresh basil* and marjoram*, garlic*, olive oil, lemon juice, & wine vinegar. Sound yummy? It is. I’ll top it all off with a roasted red pepper crostini (side of seasoned, toasted bread). Maybe you should share it.


The second special this week is the Chicken Pesto Sandwich. We start with our woodfire roasted chicken breasts sliced thin on our home made bread*. The dressing is pesto made fresh from our own basil*, pine nuts, Mary’s garlic*, and olive oil. We add sliced avocado, mozzarella cheese and tomato*. We’ll serve it with a side of our fresh fruit. Lately the melons*, blueberries, and grapes have combined well with a touch of fresh mint* to make a refreshing fruit side.


Each of these is priced at $6.25. As with all my specials—I only prepare for about 6 servings per day. If you know you want it, I suggest you call in and reserve one. 417-505-0302.


We are very excited with the reception you have given us. Those who call in don’t have a wait. Those who are showing up and placing an order can count on it in less than 7 minutes. If you are not in a hurry, sit back and enjoy a glass of tea or lemonade while I prepare your lunch.


On our days off this week we are working on a sign design. We are fortunate to have two very skilled friends in graphic design and copywriting who are coaching us from afar. Fortunately, they have been to our burg and have seen the real environment in which we are marketing. The guys from Missouri’s Small Business & Technology Development Centers, Mark and Russell, also lent us a DVD on signage. So we are much closer to making that commitment. If you have business questions, they are there to assist and are great. Even better—it is a free service of the university.


Even though you might be in and out really fast, please park only on our side of the lot. Jason, the used car guy, has his business blocked if you park in his lot. He has been nice up to now. There is a ton of room on the east side of the lot.


I am planning to put in a small fountain to add to the ambiance. I am hoping to encircle it with rocks from your property. If there is one thing we have lots of in the Ozarks, it is rocks! So, on your way into town, grab a good sized hunk of rock and drop it by. I think it would be lovely to have our small pond surrounded by rocks from the people who patronize us. Don’t you? I am looking forward to seeing the variety or similarity between them. All those Karst formations should create a nice texture. I am ALL about texture.

Jon & I are both looking forward to seeing you next time you come by. We are both enjoying reconnecting with many WP friends. As fast paced as this ride has been, with as  little preparation as we had done prior to getting set up, we think things are going quite well. We are torn about what to do about being open on Saturday for lunch or Monday or neither. Your input would be a big help. Our last 2 Saturdays were very quiet. Promote more or let it go?

See you soon. Thanks for being a major part of this adventure.

Up! Running! and Ready! for Round 2

Goodness! I can't believe it has been more than a week since I last posted to the blog.  In all fairness I DID post to FaceBook. But it is a true indication of our level of exhaustion going into the opening that I skipped posting the last few days before and during the first week of being open.

So my report!--

Well it happened! We jumped through the first round of hurdles-- health department inspection, site location, menu planning. On Tuesday we opened for our first lunch. We expected a quiet start and were pleasantly surprised by many friendly faces. There were a few hiccups the first couple of days-- running out of a couple of key ingredients, a few slower-than-expected preparations. We thank you for your patience while we figure things out. Those who called in orders had virtually no wait, again, thank you! Having never cooked in a restaurant environment previously, I had a bit of a learning curve figuring out transitioning from adventurous home cook to food truck chef.

What worked well were the in-house fresh breads and sandwiches and the salads. Sadly, we opened during the hottest week of the summer so the soups were largely overlooked. Too bad since the freshest ingredients with the most fleeting flavor subtlety were not able to be appreciated. I understand-- it is just too darn hot! So I've taken the soups off the menu until the weather cools a bit or our customer base has developed enough trust in my culinary skills to follow my lead and try out something unfamiliar.

Speaking of trust-- I know that a big part of our foundation for growth will be built on mutual trust. I have to trust that you actually are looking for quality fresh food prepared fast and you have to trust me to keep the quality and flavors high. Hopefully the trust will extend to you allowing me, over time, to take you on flavor adventures and expand your palette. If you are at all like me, you get bored eating the same stuff all the time. 

I'd like the opportunity to take your taste buds to places they might not have been before. My plan is to walk the tightrope between health food and gourmet. I'll avoid extreme flavors while celebrating the freshest, usually local, often organic in-season ingredients.  

We've a had a few humorous moments-- like when I had to tell the party of 10 on Friday to bring their own tables & chairs! You'll be happy to know that we have 3 new bistro sets--small tables with 2 chairs each.  We have also added tableclothes so the courtyard will sport a much more festive air.

We're spending our 2 days off assembling the furniture and working on getting the word out. This time of year it is very tough to find basic outdoor resin chairs. So if you have any you aren't using, we'd appreciate borrowing a few. We could use as many as 16-20. To keep it simple, you could just write your name on the bottom and drop them off by the trailer.

We've streamlined the menu a bit. Those items that didn't get your attention are off it for now. I've figured out the speedy assembly thing ( I hope) and we finally got proper to-go containers for the bigger items. That was another funny moment-- trying to wrap paper plates in cling wrap! SOOOO clumsy!

The later batches of Greek dressing got rave reviews and I think the Greek Salad and Navajo Salad will make your taste buds dance.

Our most popular items-- the chicken quesadilla and the gyros are getting a strong following. We are using wood-fired  marinated chicken breasts in most everything calling for chicken. That extra edge of flavor is Jon's cooking contribution to the menu. He uses nothing but wood to fuel his grilling fire. We've been working our way through oak from our dear old 100+ year old post oak that bit the dust the year before the ice storm. Big tree. See? Where else would you get to know your food like this?

For those who have yet to try the gyros, let me try to entice you. First of all, the correct Greek pronunciation is “yee-rohs." I start with a 50/50 mixture of ground lamb and beef. To that I add onion, garlic, marjoram (similar to oregano) & rosemary. This is the meat portion. It is made into a loaf and baked, then sliced and grilled.  This usually goes into a pita. The only varieties available locally are the dry ones that get split and stuffed. Cardboard. Typically Greek pita is a very soft and a bit thicker. I have chosen to use soft flour tortillas as a substitute and I am giving you 2 instead of the usual one. Red onion, feta cheese and tomato are the salad portions and then Tzatziki  (pronounced tat-zee-kee) sauce adds more moisture in the form of Greek yogurt (thicker than normal yogurt because the extra moisture has been allowed to drain off) cucumber, garlic and mint. Yummy, yummy fills my tummy! Wonderful on a hot day!

We make our guacamole and salsa daily. Part of the learning curve has been to figure out what to make fresh each day and what needs to be made in larger batches.

Also-- new this week is the Lunch Bunch Punch! Our new business cards have arrived and they have a built in punch card. Ten punches and you get a free meal. Some of you are already nearly half-way there!

And last but not least--This week's special comes from the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, FL-- that is the Cuban part of Tampa. It is called the "1905 Salad". This is our absolute favorite family salad. I'll only be making about 6 servings a day to start. So call in to reserve your portion early!

I've altered it slightly by using Romaine instead of Iceberg and Kalamata olives instead of Spanish olives. Enjoy the combination of lettuce, tomato, Kalamata olives, sliced turkey breast, Swiss cheese and Romano cheese. The dressing uses olive oil, Worchestersire, lemon, garlic, oregano and red wine vinegar.

We look forward to seeing you this week. We always seek your feedback. Be a part of our adventure!

5 days-- picking up steam

Is that  not the most gigantic red onion you've ever seen? It weighed in at nearly 2 lbs.

You'll be eating it next week. Know your food!

Well, the speed of prep is certainly picking up and the excitement is escalating to a dangerous level. Thanks to the feedback from the survey we did, we now have the prices for our menu. I think you'll be pleased.

I am committed to using only quality ingredients. To that end, I am trying out cooking our own roast beef for the deli sandwiches. I could not find one on the market that had decent flavor that wasn't processed using nitrates. I cooked it last night and will try to slice it this morning. Medium rare, right? Fingers crossed.

Each day the UPS  and Fed Ex drivers have been making deliveries. Yesterday we had to go to another cafe to pick up our initial order of  TO GO containers. Those suckers take up a LOT of room!

Yesterday we got the credit card machine that will allow us to take your plastic--debit or credit. This will allow fast transactions and simplify phone orders.

We are planning on having a small dining courtyard complete with fountain to give you an al fresco opportunity mid-day. While it may start out somewhat crude, I hope to add a firepit, lots of greenery and even some yard art. We'll even pipe in some Parisian accordion music. Well, maybe not. Anyway, it should be a nice oasis and a cozy place to enjoy your lunch.

Jon has been working hard at the menu layout for a flyer. If you think the people where you work would like a copy, just  email me and we'll make sure you have a copy for your menu drawer. Today's big plan for Jon will be to get the web site populated. That's techy talk for having something to look at on our website. We'll be linking in the blog to that site and plan to add social media to the marketing. Talk about a learning curve!
I think we'll even be able to text you when your order is ready. 21st century--here we come! Limping maybe, but making the effort. At 56 I feel like an old fogey learning this stuff.

Speaking of techy stuff, I'm just glad it will be Jon who gets to program our new cash register. This may sound quite silly. But I remember playing store as a kid and the idea of having our own cash register just sends goose bumps of kid-dom up and down my spine. MUCH more fun than a cash box.

I've been speaking to various suppliers and learning the ropes as far as locally raised meats, inspections and what I can use. We'll be using grass fed lamb in our Gyros. That was our test meal yesterday. Oh my! I'm using Greek yogurt to make the Tzatziki sauce along with my home grown mint and local cucumbers. The "salad" portion of the Gyros is made up of locally raised tomatoes, onions and fresh feta. I'll be happy when I can get a local source for cheeses like feta. If you know of one, please let me know.

For me today, I'll continue to work on my painted sandwich boards which we will place near the street to mark our location. We've ordered a light up "open" sign so you can see from the street when we are open.
Our friend Kevin will be here to help create free standing lattice sections that will wall off our courtyard from the rest of the property thus creating an "intimate space".

If you have access to any rubber roofing remnants, I'd like to talk to you. I want to create a small fountain and that is my chosen pond liner. Wanna trade for food? We can do that!

Ok. It is time for me to get back to that pre-launch check list. Next? Oh yeah-- building the grocery shopping list. This is very much like prepping for a large party. Only instead of using the list only once, I'll be using it weekly as a basis for my shopping.



  

Ta Dah! Our opening menu

Our concept is simple— to bring you food that is made from fresh ingredients, prepared quickly so you can enjoy it on your lunch break. We’ll source from local suppliers as frequently as we can and take advantage of seasonal opportunities as they arise. We’ll modify this menu to suite your tastes and desires—so feedback is very important to us. We want you excited about your mid-day meal!



The Basics—


Build your own salad— We start with organic field greens, shredded Mozzarella cheese and our in-house croutons. You choose the salad dressings (made from scratch) & top it with any of the following ingredients—


Tomato                        Sliced red onion                     Sliced mushrooms
Black olives                  Shredded carrots                    Cucumber
Roasted red peppers     Alfalfa sprouts                         Spicy sprouts
Lentil sprouts                Green Pepper


Dressings—


Buttermilk ranch           Olive oil and lemon juice        Balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Oriental sesame            Poppy seed (Sweet & Sour)     Honey Mustard
Greek


Build your own sandwich—We start with freshly made breads that we bake from scratch (no preservatives). Our deli meats are Prima Della made here in Missouri & contain as few non-essential ingredients as possible. The golden turkey breast has no nitrates while the ham and beef have some.


To that base you tell us what to add—
Meats                          Breads                            Cheese                  Spreads
Roasted turkey breast   100% whole wheat             Swiss                    Regular mayonnaise
Black Forest Ham          Sour dough white              Monterrey jack      Soy based mayo
Roast beef                   Light Rye                          Provolone             Chipotle mayonnaise
Grilled Veggies             Wraps (commercial)          Pepper jack           Grey Poupon
                                   Sun-dried tomato
                                   Spinach


Veggies
Tomato                           Lettuce                    Onion                        Cucumber
Dill pickle slices               Mushrooms                Black Olives              Green Peppers
Roasted Red Peppers        Alfalfa Sprouts           Spicy Sprouts             Lentil Sprouts


Soups—
We start with homemade stocks and broths. There will be 2-3 options each day. At least one will always be vegetarian. All will be served with a half slice of our homemade breads or a cornbread muffin


Week 1’s selections—


Fiesta Summer Vegetable with optional wood-fired chicken—if it is in season, it is in it
Tom Ka Kai—Traditional Thai chicken soup with coconut
Silken Corn Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis—smooth and fresh tasting with a slight kick.

Pick two option—pick any above half sandwich, half salad or small soup for a combination. Full sized combinations will also be offered.

Bohemian Special—
A low cost daily offering to get all your protein
Brown Rice and Beans—week 1 will be Black Beans

WAY Beyond the Basics—

A La Carte Café’s own signature salads—

Navajo Chicken Salad—Organic Romaine lettuce topped with blackened chicken, black beans, fresh corn, chopped red onion, chopped tomato, roasted red pepper, toasted corn tortilla strips and a creamy dressing featuring chipotle peppers



Oriental Sesame Chicken Salad—Organic Field Greens, seasoned sliced chicken, tomatoes, toasted almond slices, red onion, toasted noodles and an oriental sesame dressing


Greek Salad with marinated chicken or Gyro meat—Organic Romaine, red onion, Feta cheese, black olives, cucumber & tomato topped with your choice of grilled chicken or grilled Gyro meat (combination of lamb and beef cooked with onion and herbs)and dressed with a Greek dressing that has fresh basil and oregano.


Spinach Salad—Organic spinach, bacon, red onion, garlic croutons, roasted red pepper, candied pecans, and a hot bacon dressing.


Thai Chicken—Organic Romaine/ spinach mixture with a light rice vinegar dressing, topped with grilled chicken and noodles with a peanut dressing.


Italian Shrimp Salad—Organic Romaine mixed with gulf shrimp, rice, parsley, lemon, olive oil and smoked paprika.


A La Carte Café’s own signature sandwiches –


Chicken Quesadilla—wood-fired chicken, Monterrey jack cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, sliced onion all grilled on a pair of flour tortillas. Served with homemade salsa and tortilla chips, sour cream and a dollop of our guacamole


Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato—Lots of bacon, lettuce and fresh tomato with mayonnaise on your choice of toasted sour dough or whole wheat. Served with sliced fresh fruit.


Egg Salad Sandwich—Local farm fresh eggs ( yep- the real thing!), mayonnaise, chopped red onion, & sweet relish on your choice of toasted sour dough or whole wheat, topped with spicy sprouts.


Tuscan Chicken Salad—marinated wood-fired chicken, onion, chopped toasted pecans and mayonnaise on your choice of bread, topped with sprouts and tomato.

Guacamole Tacos—you get 2—Our own guacamole made with onion, garlic, chili paste (my own), lemon juice, & cilantro on flour tortillas stuffed with spicy sprouts, Monterrey jack and tomatoes. Served with a side of salsa and chips.


Gyro—a blend of lamb and beef cooked with lots of onion and oregano, then sliced and grilled. Topped with tzatziki ( yogurt, cucumber, garlic & mint) and along with tomato, feta and onion and served on a softened flour tortilla. Served with a side of fresh fruit.
____________________________________________________________________________


So that's our starting point. We invite your feedback, comments and suggestions. I do plan on adding daily hot entrees after I get down the timing on the rest of it. We are committed to making sure you can get your food fast so you can get back to work. So I don't want to venture too far out my comfort zone yet.  If we have your address you will be getting another copy of this menu but in addition will be, to us, a very important survey/ questionnaire. That is why there are no prices yet shown. We hope you will take the time and effort to tell us what you want and how much you are willing to pay for it.