W/E June 1 Caribbean Ports of Call

I am trying out a new game this week. The game is to explore various ethnic cuisines of a region with a different country or ethnicity every day. This week we are touring the Caribbean—we'll let our palates linger in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and even the Yucatan. It is just an experiment but one I thought might be worthy of your taste buds. I know we don't have easy access to some of the ingredients, like fresh seafood, but we'll see how far we can get. We leap all over the Caribbean; get your flavor passport ready.

Also happening this week—drumroll, please—we begin our experimental

opening on Saturday nights. 

June 1st marks our first Saturday evening dinner service. We plan to continue this through the summer months. The verbal feedback has been less than stellar, so we are not terribly sure how long we'll give this a try. So don't wait very long if you want to secure Saturday evenings at A La Carte as a weekend dining destination. This is truly an opportunity to vote with your pocket books. We'll initially open at 5pm. There has been some noise requesting earlier open times but we'll wait and see on that. We are adding the dinner service in hopes that we'll hit that sustainability level we need. Up until now we didn't even consider it as an option as we couldn't, ourselves, put in more hours. However, with the crew we currently have, headed up by Amy and her enthusiastic crew of Drew and Vincent, plus Tina and Sharon as evening table servers, we think we can split the efforts and make it work. We are confident in our team but also know you will tell us if things don't measure up. We are looking at having me do most of the evening cooking, as before, but with me only coming in for lunch on Tuesday to get things rolling for the week. If this works, it'll be the best of all options as it'll mean I can also get back into my studio a day or two per week. My soul cries out for studio time. I hope it works.

The lamb sure had good response last week. I was delighted. It is nice to be able to step outside the usual comfort zone, food-wise, and have you guys step out with me. What made the lamb different this time was that although it was heavily spiced, it had no hot chili peppers to hike up the heat. I know that many of you really like lots of heat, but there are at least as many who do not. It was nice to be able to offer flavor without crossing half our customer base off at the get-go.

I am continuing to delve into that menu for the Moroccan Dinner. Assuming the weather is cooperative, we'll be dining al fresco. I think it'll be a magical evening, one day after the solstice, where it won't be fully dark until 9:30pm. I am saving all my cans to make table lanterns with punched out patterns. We'll have carnival lights strung across the dining area. I am in talks with a couple of entertainment options. With at least 7 courses, 3 wine pours and the mystical menu of Morocco, you will be most entertained. Please make your reservations ASAP so we can fully plan this out. Only 30 reservations will be taken and we are well on our way to filling those up. $60/pp

Now to THIS week's dining adventure—

Have you tried our local grass-fed beef hamburgers yet? Served on a ciabatta bun we offer 2 options: Southwestern-style or Classic. This beef has a wonderful non-gamey flavor that is VERY similar to the elk we served recently. At 95% lean we cook it to order at a lower temperature to keep it from getting tough. The Southwestern option includes chipotle mayo, salsa, queso fresco, guacamole and sprouts. The Classic comes with mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato and onions. Served with a side for $7.99. Available most always at lunch.

The lunch sandwich all week, or as long as we have the ingredients, will be a Jerk Chicken Sandwich on a ciabatta bun, with a touch of creamy jerk sauce, crispy cabbage slaw, and pineapple mango salsa plus a side of sweet potato salad that doesn't contain a drop of mayonnaise. We dry rubbed, then wood-fired the chicken thighs for extra flavor.  $7.99 Oh Mon!

Wednesday we'll serve a Cuban Style Picadillo with yellow rice and black beans. The primary meat in the picadillo is beef although a bit of ground pork has been added to sweeten up the meat flavor. The flavor profile of the picadillo includes sweet with raisins, briny and bright with olives and rinsed capers plus red wine vinegar, and spiced with cinnamon and cumin. Once again we have lots of spice but no heat. $7.99

Thursday will take us to Puerto Rico for Pork Mofongo. Vincent's mom is from there and he was telling me this is one of his favorite dishes his mom made. It starts with plantains that are cooked then smashed and cooked again in bacon drippings. Bacon or chicharrones are added. It is formed into a bowl shape, turned upside down and served with a broth and meat. We'll use pork and its broth. I am tickled to serve this labor-intensive dish. I hope you enjoy it.  I suspect that most of the labor involved in this will be done by Vincent. Be sure to let him know what you think. $7.99

Friday—Ceviche We've got a combination of cod, rockfish, shrimp and scallops to make this lovely dish. The perfect warm weather dish. If you are not familiar with this Caribbean seafood treat, let me tell you about it. It starts with raw fish that is marinated in fresh citrus juices. The acid in the marinade transforms the raw fish into "cooked" fish just as heat does but with no heat. The texture remains silky but the taste is no longer raw and the flesh is no longer translucent but opaque. It is mixed with fresh bell peppers, a bit of fresh jalapeno, cilantro, onions and garlic. We'll serve it over a bed of chopped cabbage and add some tortilla chips to make things texturally interesting. $7.99 WARNING: If you are wanting this I strongly suggest you call in to have us reserve a portion for you.

The Flavor Journey this week is Grilled Bahamian Chicken with Cha Cha Salsa. Served with black beans and confetti yellow rice plus side salad $13.99 The chicken is marinated in a coconut milk based marinade with jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice. The chicken breast is then grilled and served with a salsa made with all fresh ingredients.

Seafood Flavor Journey is Caribbean Tilapia with Mango Salsa. The tilapia fillets are rolled in coconut-flavored bread crumbs then pan-fried and served with confetti yellow rice and black beans plus a side salad.$15.99

Get out your dancing shoes!!!!! With this much fun happening I suspect you won't be able to sit still. So feel free to stand up and dance! As is always our policy—sometimes it just makes sense to lick the plate!!!

I haven't fully decided on the desserts this week. Carrot cake for sure but something appropriate for the Caribbean too. Mango ice cream? Perhaps.

I hope you have a fun-filled glorious week. I plan to...even working Saturday night.

~~Susan

w/e May 25 Switching gears to include adventure

Switching gears as we move from Spring to Summer is always an adventure. It is pretty amazing to realize how much we can take certain daily activities we consider routine and scramble them with new ones. Suddenly getting family to places on time can get a bit confusing, if not downright difficult. We have your back. We can help you get a meal into your family—lunch OR dinner, while being assured they are eating healthy.

This week we'll dress up some old favorites, explore some new tastes and make sure your palate isn't bored. You know—the usual.

Last week I mentioned that we would begin serving dinner on Saturday evenings as of the beginning of June. We heard from a few of you that you think this is a good idea. I had hoped to hear from more of you about this. Believe me when I tell you, I am not anxious to give up a day off for something that few would appreciate. So if Saturday evenings are something you'd like—we need to hear about it. We have heard many times that you had wished we were open when you were entertaining friends and family for the weekend. We are looking at trying it out for the summer. Talk to us!

The Moroccan dinner is fast approaching and I am having a ball selecting menu items. I know we'll have some lamb, some couscous, and various dishes using preserved lemons. Oh, that's not even close to all.  There will be lots of different items. Think of it as a tasting menu. I am still in search of a parachute or very large tent-like material to create a backdrop. I am hoping for something somewhere close to creating the feel of a bedouin tent or at least having it feel like making tent forts in the living room. It'll be fun. I am collecting large cans to make lanterns. I am even talking to a group about possible entertainment...hee hee. I am not going to go so far as to do low seating on cushions. I don't think most of us Westerners could enjoy putting our bodies in that position for very long. Those who live in Morocco and similar parts are used to stretching those particular muscles. Me? Not so. We only have 30 spaces and 1/3 are spoken for already.  Give us a call or tell us when you come in to make that reservation. Held on the Saturday after Father's Day—— June 22nd at 6pm on the grounds of the former Victoria B&B. The cost is $60/pp and includes wine pours.

As the school year is ending and the summer begins, you'll see a few new faces. Tina will be our new primary nighttime waitperson. She is experienced in this and the feedback has been stellar. What you don't know is that she is studying viticulture at MSU. I hope I got that right. It means she is studying growing grapes. Later she plans to make wines. Her family just planted their first acre of vines early this spring. Please make her feel welcome. We are delighted to add her to our team/family.

The flavor journey this week is another adventure into the Middle East. We'll have lamb with couscous. The seasonings are rich and luscious. The leg of lamb is cut into bite-sized portions and is slow-cooked in a braise that is seasoned with turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, onions, garlic, and pitted dates. It has a nice balance of sweet and savory but not HOT. If you like rich flavors but avoid hot spice, this is a dish you'll enjoy.  The couscous will be embellished with pine nuts, dates, almonds and apricots, and sugar snap peas.  Besides the special side salad it comes with, there will also be a cucumber yogurt dish to accompany the lamb and couscous. $14.99 Suggested wine pairing would be merlot or cabernet sauvignon..

The seafood entrée is Prince Edward Island fresh mussels cooked in a white wine, garlic, curry and shallot broth. I'll serve it in bowls with lots of broth and country style bread. I have a green veggie of sugar snap peas or you may choose the seasonal stir-fry. Of course it comes with a side salad. Wine pairing suggestions are pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. $16.99

Don't forget that Tuesdays bring you beers with 20% off and Wednesdays the wines are 20% off.

Now for this week's lunches~~

Monday~ In-house made veggie burger on Roman bun. Served with side of sugar snap pea salad. $7.29

Tuesday~Available all week Tuscan Salad on Pretzel bun!. This is the wood-fired chicken salad so many have come to love. We just got in some new pretzel buns that have a delightful flavor and texture. The outside is somewhat chewy but the inside is soft and the flavor is definitely...well...pretzelly. Served with tomato and sprouts. Comes with a side $7.59

Wednesday~ Wood-fired Tuna salad sandwich on Pretzel bun. We wood-fire the tuna steaks then add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Served with tomato and sprouts plus a side $7.59

Thursday~ freshly made Ravioli stuffed with mozzarella and sweet Italian sausage plus fresh parsley and eggs. Topped with a sauce made from fresh roma tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts.Served with a side salad for $7.99

Friday~Italian shrimp salad. This is my family's favorite summer meal. The shrimp is cooked, then chopped into chunks. A marinade with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh parsley, mustard, lemon juice and a tiny bit of cayenne coats the shrimp which is then tossed with chilled white rice and chopped parsley. Served on a bed of romaine lettuce. $7.99

As you change gears from frantic to something of a different pace, we hope you'll take the time to join us for a meal. Please introduce us to your families and friends. We so love getting to meet such nice people. You are the heart of what we do. You keep us motivated to stretch ourselves. Have a lovely week.

~~Susan

w/e May 18th Considering options

Having a very dynamic team playing for us is allowing us to take a look at options that might increase our sustainability. But we need your input and thoughts. Most folks in the restaurant game know that the more you are open, the better use you are making of rent you are paying anyway. We've been able to add Monday lunches because we have a team that can support it, and it doesn't require additional physical effort on the part of Jon and myself. As fabulously as things have been steadily growing, we really need to boost the sales we do on a weekly basis in order to truly make this work. We have resisted being open more hours, as Jon and I are maxed out on available energy. However... we are now looking at being open Saturday nights and are looking for ways to make that happen. In the past we have heard loudly and often that you wished we were open on Saturday evenings. We need to know.. is that still the case? If so, we need to hear from you in any manner you might get us the info and as soon as possible. It would probably involve a shift in the hours Jon and I are here, but would allow the addition of Saturday evening. While looking at this option we are also considering the format. Same as usual? Perhaps more of a cabaret? Reservations only? Please share your thoughts. When have you most wished we were open on a Saturday evening? What did you do instead? How can we generate the kind of loyalty on a Saturday evening we have gotten on Friday nights?
Changes are afoot. Perhaps we'll just make this a summer thing. Talk to us!

This week we will have music on Friday night played by Phil Orlikowski. If you are a fan of 70s classics, you'll love his renditions. He's pretty spectacular at channeling Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and a plethora of your favorites. Make plans now to join us Friday night. We are starting to hear from more musical artists and should be able to fill out the schedule more this summer. Menu options mentioned later in this blog.

Speaking of this summer... June 22nd, the Saturday AFTER Father's Day is the Flavor Excursion , the Moroccan Dinner. I am in the process of putting together the menu. It will be held outdoors at a nearby location. Ann Conner and Doug Page have generously made available the grounds of their lovely home. You may already know about their house and just didn't make the connection. They live in what WAS the Victoria Bed and Breakfast off BB highway, just north of town. We'll be situated so that we can see the sunset over the valley. A truly lovely location. BTW—I am trying to locate a group of belly dancers who might lend an air of authenticity to the celebration. If you know of one, please tell me. Our customers have consistently been the BEST source of information and help. Here's what we know so far: We'll limit the number of reservations to 30; the cost will remain at $60/ person and include several generous wine pours; we already have folks coming from afar and reservations could fill up quickly; we'll start about 6pm. As it is the day after the solstice, the sun will set late and the twilight will be lengthy. It should be a magical environment. We will try to make sure we provide plenty of options for those who choose to restrict their diets. If you have restrictions, make your reservation early and voice your needs. I can accommodate if I know the needs in plenty of time. The last Flavor Excursion was a blast but limited to 20 people. We have expanded our capability here but can't really go beyond that at this point. Please get your reservation in early so we can begin to predict our needs.

This week we are serving Red Snapper with Romesco Sauce at dinner. I will only buy red snapper from a known source as it is the most commonly mislabeled and fraudulently advertised fish on the market today. When properly sourced it is a succulent, mild-flavored fish option. It is sustainably wild-harvested from the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States. I am pairing it with a sauce from Spain called Romesco Sauce. This dish's sauce was created by the fishermen of northeastern Spain to pair with local catches. It is made from fire-roasted sweet red peppers, ground almonds, olive oil, tomatoes and yellow onions and garlic. The flavor is rich, though mild. We'll pair the 6-8 ounce fillets with a bed of couscous, sugar snap peas, leeks, sweet red peppers and oven roasted garlic. I think you are in for a treat. We'll have 10 pounds of the fillets to take us through the week. Reserve early. $16.99 with side salad.

The other Flavor Journey this week is a preview of the flavors of Morocco with chicken. The dish is called Djej Besla and is made of stewed onions, chicken and preserved lemons. Additional seasonings include turmeric, cumin, paprika, saffron and fresh cilantro. I'll serve it over couscous and add eggplant with charmoula as the side dish. The chicken is marinated in the sauce before cooking and is rich and flavorful. The eggplant charmoula is also traditional and made using a seasoning that includes garlic, paprika, cumin, fresh cilantro and parsley plus lemon juice. The eggplant is double cooked for tenderness and actually served at room temperature. $13.99 with side salad.

On Monday Vincent shared his culinary creativity by making a vegetarian sofritto seasoned potato, black bean and corn burrito. I love that each of the A team has now created their own flavor expressions. Amy, Vincent and Drew are each very important in maintaining our day-to-day equilibrium. To them go the responsibilities for all the daily routine preparations that make preparing your meals a smooth operation. Great job, guys! 

I am delighted to announce we now have access to some local grass-fed beef. We'll introduce it initially as the sandwich of the week—1/4 pound burgers on ciabatta with chipotle mayonnaise, queso fresco, guacamole, salsa and sprouts. It'll be served with a side for $7.79. The meat has been tested out at 95% lean. The shrinkage will be very minimal and the flavor bountiful. If you like grass-fed beef you won't find any better. If you find you like having this option we'll introduce more beef options.

We would love to serve lots of locally raised meats but the challenge has been threefold. Either the cost is really high, the minimum quantity too large for our storage capabilities or finding a processing plant that can reliably get an inspector. At this point, to get meat that can be inspected and therefore legal to serve, we have to take the animals to Cabool or Norwood. That's a trek and the fuel costs are not ignorable. Really good locally raised,  pastured pork has been available, but the cost is outside the realm of what most of our customers are willing to pay. So, as always, it seems to be a juggling challenge of priorities. Feel free to voice your preferences so we know what to be looking out for. If you hear of a processor/ butchering plant that has easier access to inspectors please let me know. Fortunately the hurdles for using local produce are nonexistent. 

Wednesday our pesto pizza with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, red onions, and kalamata olives will be served with a side salad for $7.99

Thursday the special will be Thai sweet chili salad with chicken. Normally $6.29 plus $2.49 for the chicken; we'll discount the whole shebang for $7.99. This new salad that is available every day has gotten lots of new fans. Check it out.

Friday I'll bring out the crepes. We have fresh tarragon and rosemary now and that works beautifully with mushrooms and chicken plus a light sour cream/ white wine sauce. I'll add a side of sugar snap peas. $7.99 

We hope you'll join us for lunches as well as dinners. I couldn't be more pleased with the way business has picked up. Bringing in your friends and loved ones keeps things alive for us. We love meeting your family members and enjoy learning about their exploits and accomplishments. 

This time of year brings on lots of good news on that front. This week our male grandchildren have big things happening. Andrew who just turned 10 has earned special awards in scouting that is enabling him to crossover from Webelos to Scouts a year earlier than is normal. Our elder grandson is having his board of review this week with the expectation of being approved for his Eagle Scout. He has just turned 14 and already has built a climbing wall for a local grade school to assist the kids in learning to climb safely over boulders. Since he is in Clearwater, FL where there are almost no boulders, much less rock faces, teaching these skills to kids is a challenge. We are so very proud of our grandkids even though we seldom get to see them face to face.

Have a glorious week. I look forward to seeing your smiling face.
~~ Susan

w/e May 11 Staying Alive!

As each day passes we often wonder what the future holds for us. We've seen the years pass by so quickly. We were astonished to realize that our two grandsons are now 14 and 10 respectively. The elder even has a girlfriend. As they live in Florida we have missed whopping chapters in their lives over the last 13 years we have lived here. Decisions were made to be near my parents as they aged and though I don't regret that decision, it has left us missing out on some great kids. We have missed as much from our granddaughters' lives, as well. I hope over the next few years we are able to spend more time with our own kids as well as theirs. In the meantime, we live vicarious lives enjoying the positive efforts of those physically closest to us. Ashley Romans has been our primary waitperson on Friday nights for over a year. She is astounding in her ability to conquer new tasks and always have a terrific attitude. Somehow, while juggling being the mother of 4 kids under 10 she has managed to go back to school and is getting her RN next week. We are so proud of her and hope these new skills find her doing something that satisfies her and feeds her soul. The medical field is going to be a lucky one. Ashley will be with us off and on over the summer but by fall she'll be working full-time in her new career. We hope you have a chance to give her your warmest wishes for a bright future. Ashley, you will be very missed.

I am thinking this may be the week we have all been waiting for. The weather forecast looks promising for a more moderate range of temperatures and it may finally be safe to risk putting out those warm weather plants. With the soil barely warm, it may be awhile until we see those seeds sprouting and plants in the ground thriving. It would be nice if this meant we'd have a cooler than normal summer. But we know better than to expect that. No doubt in the next  two weeks we'll be experiencing warmer than normal temps to bookend the cooler than normal temps. Aaah. The Ozarks.

We have music twice this week. Thursday night the After Hours Big Band will play in our Annex. The band loves to play in that room because the acoustics are really good for their sound. If you love big band you'll enjoy the full immersion experience. If that is a bit much for you, you may still enjoy the sound from the next room in our main dining room. Friday night brings The Renée Woods Trio with jazz guitar, saxophone and drums. It is helpful to us if you call in a reservation.

Garden update: We finally have a few tires set up in back and this week I'll get some dirt in them. I had hoped to get a rain barrel set up to help us water out back...but it hasn't happened yet. I am grateful that I wasn't terribly ready to plant things as the weather has proven less than cooperative. Finally, procrastination pays.  The first things to go in will be the fast growers—lettuces, if not too late, radishes and peas. I am harvesting some spring onions from my home garden—or what is left of it. Mary has begun bringing in the new late spring crops of arugula, pak soy, and some other greens I am quickly becoming familiar with. I love being able to change up the stir-fry as the seasons move along. We'll be adding in some sugar snap peas over the next few weeks along with fresh local garlic and garlic scapes. Scapes are those long skinny things sticking out of the tops of soft garlic. They are somewhere between a flower, a stem and a seed pod.  We got in some ginormous carrots that we are slicing micro-thin and adding to the stir-fry and the sweet red peppers have been outstanding lately.

This week's special sandwich has been a while in arriving. I finally found some decent quality tuna steaks that we are wood-firing and then making into a tuna salad. I'll chop the meat up, add a bit of wasabi oil, mayonnaise, pickled relish, spicy mustard, sriracha and serve it  with sprouts, slivered cabbage, and tomato slices on ciabatta rolls.  $7.79 with side.

I am bringing back the beef rendang this week as the Flavor journey. When I made it the other two times customers were quite vocal in how much they enjoyed it. It is Malaysian dish that is pretty darn kicky in its spiciness. Just as chicken mole takes lots of steps and uses lots of fresh and dried spices and herbs, this dish is quite involved. It begins with a flavor base of dried chiles, fresh shallots, garlic and ginger and even some  galangal which is a root, like ginger, but spicier. Then it gets a whole spice blend of cloves, cardamom, anise and cinnamon. THEN it gets a ground spice blend of coriander, cumin, fennel and turmeric. The beef I am using for the rendang is flank steak. The rendang itself is cooked in coconut milk, a tamarind concentrate, limes, lemongrass, brown sugar, cilantro and even fresh coconut. The outcome is a stew-like, very flavorful but tender beef dish that will transport you to another world. It is served over jasmine rice and paired with our seasonal stir-fry. $15.99 includes a side salad

The seafood is a lovely mixture of shrimp, scallops, sugar snap peas, shitake mushrooms, and shallots and sherry. Six S's. I'll serve it over a bed of lemony pasta made with lemon zest and lemon juice. It should be a really nice celebration of spring. $14.99.

Now for the lunches~
Monday~grilled portabella panini with artichoke tapenade $6.99
Tuesday~ all week actually~ wood-fired tuna sandwich on ciabatta $7.79 with side
Wednesday~Ceviche~Rockfish, shrimp and scallops marinated with lemon and lime, cilantro, fresh peppers, cucumber, garlic and scallions. Served on a bed of chopped romaine and sprouts with tortilla chips. $7.99
Thursday~Smoked sausage with garlic potatoes and steamed cabbage $7.59
Friday~ Pasta with fresh asparagus, ham, mushrooms, kalamata olives and parmesan with side salad $7.99

I hope this week finds you with a moment of time on your hands to get out and enjoy the weather we have been hoping for. Extroverting with a walk around the block can do more for your frame of mind than most anything else. Get out of your head and into the environment. Most of all—enjoy just being alive.

~~Susan