Forsythias, redbuds and dogwoods! Oh my!



redbuds in our yard

 Oh, I love this time of year. Everywhere you turn there is a delight for the eyes. I especially get a thrill of returning flowers from trees and perennials. They are like old friends dropping by to add a touch of joy to your day. All too fleetingly they will go away. But while here, these raise your soul a touch, swell your nostrils with a glorious scent  and add color to a landscape that has been well...colorless.

It is also the start of a season of flavor explorations using as many local sources as we can get our hands on. I love finding new sources, new flavors, new textures and sizzles to the tongue.

We are having a blast! We started this adventure quite scared. It's not like we had never started a business before. We have. Several. But we have never done so where it was so vital that we make it pay from the very beginning. You ask most people and you will hear that the restaurant business is not a low risk game. So we have been VERY cautious. We have not used credit lines. We have paid for everything as we went along. That is why we still have plastic tables. But there have been a few upgrades as we have moved forward. The most recent upgreades were to the music system. Phil Orlikowski generously donated a PA system and older speakers. We traded the speakers in to get new smaller ones more appropriate to our venue size. We hope to have them properly hung by next weekend.

We recently added new blackboards for our specials. Thanks again to Bill O. for his efforts. If I can get a quiet moment I'll be able to fill out the new larger blackboards to fill the wall above the kitchen—easy to read, yet changeable as our menu chages during the seasons.

Our next upgrade will likely be new tables. We plan to replace the round outdoor ones with smaller 2-top ones that can be moved together or apart, as needed. This will allow us to seat more parties during the lunch hour and give us more flexibility. Plus we'll be wanting to move the round tables outside so you can dine al fresco.

I am tweaking the desserts. I got a bit of feedback and here is what I learned—during lunch you want simple tasty desserts but at dinner you want lavish ones that make breaking your rules worthwhile. I'll see what I can do about that. We've already planned tiramisu and panna cotta with pinola brittle for Friday night. Lunch will be more pedestrian—like the apple pie or strawberries, whipped cream and angelfood cake. So, I am not committing yet for the weekday desserts. But you'll LOVE the Friday night ones.

Here's this week's flavor journeys—

Monday~ trout ceviche served over a slaw with chips; also Reuben sandwiches
Tuesday~wood-fired tilapia and shrimp tamales with pineapple salsa and blackbeans; also egg salad sandwiches
Wednesday~Grilled Veggie Sandwiches~Zucchini, Red peppers and red onions grilled and served on our Roman bun with feta and a mayo based lemon dressing. Watch out!!!!
Thursday~ Curried chicken crepes with a side of fruit; also 1905 salad from the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa
Friday~Baby Artichoke salad; also stir-fried veggies over brown rice
Dinner~Entree #1 Linguine with white clam sauce. Served with a side salad and garlic bread
Entree #2 Macadamia Nut crusted trout with stir-fried veggies and rice
Friday desserts~ Tiramisu and Panna cotta with pinola brittle

Friday nights are becoming such a joy. We look forward to each one—even though it means a 14 hour day for us. The trout seems to be a hit and I am changing the way I serve it each week. I don't want you getting bored. Plus my pasta is usually the second entree and I am changing it each week as well. I know I can count on your feedback to give me direction.

New "comeback treat" this week. It's a secret.