W/E September 29 Equinox Changes

This past Sunday marked the first day of autumn—the Equinox—the day where the sun is visible and invisible for equal amounts of time. While the true colors of autumn are yet a month away, the harvests are winding down, and we adapt to shorter periods of  visible light or around here known as "can't see to can't see". I can feel the inner stirrings I get this time of year. This has always been my prime time of year for doing art shows and being on the road. It is like an itch I don't get to scratch.

Instead I'll channel my wandering energies toward a new piece of art and creative ideas in the food line-up. I was delightfully surprised by how well the tilapia salad with curry vinaigrette went last week. Last Friday night we sold out of both the trout with dijon sauce and the Greek moussaka. Fortunately, as the fall progresses our number of diners is picking back up and hopefully this will be a weekly occurrence.

We've got some wonderful music lined up this week with a Linda Stoffel and Dennis Crider—both from Blackberry Winter Band. Any members of that band have consistently packed the house and we expect that to happen again this week. Other members of the band may join them, but so far, these are promised. Dennis' awesome guitar picking and Linda's Songbird voice are well loved in these parts. Reservations are pretty well the only guarantee you'll get in. So don't mess around—get your reservation in early. While you are doing so, did you know you can call in and reserve your dinner entree? This is especially important on the seafood entrée as we have only 16 servings for the week. Entrée information is listed a few paragraphs down

If you are a fan of Renée Wood's After Hours Big Band, come listen Thursday evening this week. They will play in the Annex. If you want the full dose of big band, you can sit close by. If you wish the sound to be more background, we'll seat you in the main dining room. We close the doors between the rooms as the intensity of the big band can carry you away...in a good way.

The seafood entrée this week is crab-stuffed sole paupiettes with our fall potatoes (mashed with gouda and peppadew peppers), eggplant parmesan with fresh mozzarella, and a salad of microgreens, radishes, pears, walnuts and blue cheese with a mustard vinaigrette. Paupiettes are made by stuffing lengths of sole fillet with the crabmeat, then rolling them up and cooking in a stock. The result is a tender, flavorful roulade (rolled meat). The sole will be topped with a white wine sauce (Sauce Vin Blanc). It is a very elegant dish from Normandy France. On the plate, I am stuffing some of Mary's lovely small eggplants, adding in those seasonal potatoes (which are getting rave reviews) and a pear and blue cheese salad. Perfect for fall. $16.99

The Flavor journey is apple and bacon stuffed pork chops. I'll be using some fresh local sage to season the stuffing as well as local apples plus apple-smoked bacon. As there is no bread in the stuffing, it is lighter than many stuffed pork chops. There will be a pan sauce using the stuffing that doesn't fit in the chops to which I'll add a bit of white wine. This will be drizzled over the top. We'll plate it with our seasonal potatoes and seasonal stir-fry. $14.99 I'll have about 12 servings for the week. Another perfectly timed fall dish.

The Autumnal Equinox Salad returns this week. It starts with a base of romaine, then topped with a combination of arugula and spinach, feta, chopped fresh pear and apple, red onion, wood-fired chicken, pomegranate, walnuts and served with a hot bacon dressing. For many, this is a declared favorite on the menu. We'll have it until late December when things change with the Solstice.

Also returning this week are soups. This first week I have Roasted Poblano-Cheddar Soup made with fresh local poblano chilies, sharp cheddar cheese, chicken broth, cream, tomatoes and onions.  We usually take turns from week to week with our choices. As always variety, rather than predictability combined with local availability dictate the whim of our choosing.

You may already know this, but occasionally there is some confusion regarding Monday's lunch. First of all, we serve our entire lunch menu each day. We feature a meatless special on Monday that has a strong vegetarian following. Since I am often still working on the rest of the week's menu and blog, I can seldom post it beyond the Facebook listing for the day. You are encouraged to come in on Mondays whether you are vegetarian or not. We are lucky to have such talented vegetarians on our staff who can present a wide variety of dishes. I have gotten to taste more vegetarian dishes in the last three months than I have eaten in my entire life. Good for us all.

Come Wednesday I'll have some pumpkin crepes for dessert. The crepes themselves have the pumpkin. They are filled with a sweetened cream cheese and topped with a warm praline sauce and chopped pecans. $6. Holy moly.

Now here are this week's lunches~~

Monday~ Portabella pizzas with feta, spinach ,garlic and tomato plus side salad $7.59
Tuesday~ Equinox Salad~ romaine, spinach, arugula, chopped pear and apple, feta, red onion, wood-fired chicken, pomegranate and walnuts with hot bacon dressing. Normally $7.59; today $7.39
Wednesday~Chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice $7.79
Thursday~Lasagna Bolognese  with side salad. Traditional lasagna. $7.79
Friday~ Pork Estofado with side salad. A traditional Filipino pork stew (estofado means stew) that includes tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. $7.79

I hope you are able to take a few moments to slow down and notice the very beginnings of the change of seasons. The colors are not here yet, but the delicate air, light as a feather, foretells the advent of autumn. Now if we can just have a bit fewer allergies to go with it. So far, so good.

~~Susan

W/E September 21 Variety—our spice of life

By now you have probably figured out that we like to try out new ingredients, new flavors and newly twisted combinations of otherwise familiar ingredients. Because we are small, we are able to make very fast adaptations to our daily menu based on what is available. This week we'll benefit from two local growers who have planted special crops with us in mind. Yippee!!!

Mary Badiny took my suggestions to heart with letting her greens go to seed and creating microgreens. These are sproutings of a variety of greens that are allowed to grow until just before their true leaves are formed—about 10-15 days.. Then they are cut to nearly ground level for consumption. They are extremely high in nutrients and, in fact ounce for ounce, microgreens provide more nutrients than any other natural food known and have a concentrated flavor profile. A little goes a long way. I'll feature a salad on Thursday lunch that showcases these greens.

The other grower has planted Shiso. Shiso is a plant whose individual leaves are harvested for their unique flavor. Often added to Japanese and Asian dishes, Shiso is nearly impossible to get without camping out at the international grocery in St. Louis.  If you have been to a sushi restaurant you have perhaps seen them used as a garnish. They have a somewhat citrusy flavor and are a part of the mint family. Usually, that means the stems are square as I expect these are too. I'll combine the shiso into a salad using buckwheat soba noodles. I haven't decided on every ingredient yet, but you can count on sesame oil, fresh mushrooms, green onions, peanuts, fresh banana peppers, lime, poached chicken ...

Behind the scenes on the expansion—we are progressing, if somewhat slowly. I have requests out to area suppliers for the equipment we'll be seeking.While there has been high interest in a few of my quilts, getting money in hand has been another story. I have been asked if quilts could be paid for over a number of months. I am willing to do so on a few. We need to get this plan in motion and being stable in the present is a prerequisite for expansion. In the next week or so I'll trade out a few of the currently exhibited pieces in order to showcase a few more. If you have an interest in one of the quilts, please take a few moments to talk with Jon. The exhibition in its current form will remain up until after the First Friday Art Walk in October. After that, the prices will return to their normal range and only a few will be displayed. I have also been asked about doing commissions. As we now have such a high caliber staff, I am more confident about having time to create new work. So if you are thinking this direction, let's talk.

I am truly looking forward to more time in my studio. I am extraordinarily grateful to my studio landlord for allowing me to retain my studio even while no work was happening. It has enabled me to keep my dream alive. Just being able to pop down for an hour without having to first dig stuff out and move things around really shortens the runway for a new project. I have a piece on the drawing board that will celebrate the local streams and fishes. It won't be quite as colorful in the jewel-tones as "Live Water" but I think it will be just as much fun to work on. What are your favorite local fishes? Crawfish? What plant life do you see in the stream beds? I look at the gravel bars and try to figure out how to depict them. Colors. Camouflage. Big fish, tiny fish. Swimming hole. Waterfalls. Light shining through the water. Hang on for the ride.

This week Jon Lumsden will play for us on Friday night. He plays a 7-string jazz guitar and most enjoys playing the Great American Songbook classics, as well as his own well-crafted tunes. As is usual for us, there is no cover charge, but your generous tips keep him in strings and motivation.

By the way, we'll have live music for the next few Friday nights, as well as the Renee Wood Big Band on Thursday night, Sept. 26th. The Friday night music lineup includes:

• Sept. 27th: Linda Stoffel & Dennis Crider (from Blackberry Winter)
• Oct. 4th: Bliss Hippy from the Rolla area
• Oct. 18th: Renee Wood Trio (with Tom Rowley on guitar)

Speaking of fish—trout! I'll make the seafood special this week using boneless whole rainbow trout. They will be coated with a layer of crushed almonds then baked and served with a Dijon mustard sauce. I'll team it up with a mixture of spinach, arugula, and mustard greens. We'll add in our new winter potatoes—red-skinned, mashed with peppadew peppers from South Africa and smoked gouda cheese. $15.99. I'd make a point of drinking a nice pinot grigio or chardonnay.

The Flavor Journey originates in Greece. I'll make a traditional Moussaka which is one of the most iconic Greek dishes. This is a casserole that starts with leg-of-lamb ground up, adds in eggplant, potatoes, bell peppers, onions all in a béchamel sauce (white cream) that is boosted with egg yolks, nutmeg and Greek yogurt. The whole shebang is layered and topped with a hefty layer of Parmesan and baked to perfection. This isn't low cal, but there are so many good veggies in it I think it balances out pretty well. We'll serve it with a Greek salad, spanikopita, and triangles of pita bread. $16.99. What a treat!

Lunches~~

Monday~ Greek salad sandwich~ made with hummus, cucumbers, red onion, roasted red peppers, feta, tomatoes, sprouts on ciabatta $6.99

Tuesday~ Shiso soba salad~ buckwheat soba noodles with sesame oil, fresh mushrooms, green onions, peanuts, fresh banana peppers, lime, poached chicken on a bed of chopped Romaine $7.99

Wednesday~Turkey Caesar sandwich~with side $.7.79

Thursday~ Grilled tilapia salad with arugula, Romaine, fresh mozzarella, heirloom Thessaloniki tomatoes, radish slices, micro-greens topped with a tilapia fillet and a curry vinaigrette. $7.79

Friday~ Reuben Sandwich~traditional corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. $7.99 with side.

Well, there you have it. I hope your week is glorious and provides you with the kinds of inspiration that make you glad to be alive and a part of this wonderful universe surrounding us. Take a moment to look a little closer. You'll be rewarded with greater understanding and awareness of your part in it all.

~~Susan

W/E September 13th Seasonal momentum

This time of year folks who are growing things are also frantically canning, pickling, freezing and scarfing. What looked like a few extra plants "just in case," now seem like a daunting task of preparation. It is a time when multiple generations gather together to get the job done, just as it was done 100 years ago. I grew up a city kid. I never knew the joys of canning, pickling or freezing. When Jon and I got together 43 years ago, his grandmother was still living in her home in Duncan, Oklahoma and she was still gardening and canning. It was the first time I had really ever eaten home canned food. I really didn't understand what all the thrill was. We always got our food at the grocery store and occasionally the farmers market. Now I "get" it. Now I wish I hadn't been such an ignorant snob who really only felt the home-canned foods were a leftover of a bygone era. While I still don't have a full appreciation of pickled produce, I at least understand and can give value to the efforts and rewards. Even though I was a member of 4H and cooked a lot, I never had occasion to can or pickle. We didn't have a garden and it never occurred to either my mother or me to buy a whole bushel of something at the farmers market and do something with it.  My time with 4H was spent sewing and "dog training."

This last week one of our long-time customers brought in some lovely pickles. Amy jumped on them. She LOVES pickles of any kind. I think I need a primer on pickle appreciation. Bruce used to make several kinds of refrigerator pickles and our customers seemed to enjoy them. While I enjoy the fresh pickles made with rice vinegar—like the cucumbers and carrots on the Bahn Mi sandwiches, the more garlicky, heavily seasoned ones pass my tongue, grip my lymph nodes and pucker my lips without striking a level of high enjoyment. Is it that I am missing an understanding of them? Perhaps if I was introduced to them earlier, with more comprehension of content.... Educate me, please. I know they are a healthy food.

Last week was simply CRAZY. The Downtown Business Association, now affiliated with the Main Street Promotions Committee and headed up by Anita Parrett-King, did an amazing job of getting a crowd up for the first monthly Stroll. I'm embarrassed to say I totally underestimated their effectiveness and we got swamped Friday night. I THOUGHT I'd be able to hang out at the reception for my artquilt exhibition. Wrong! I was cooking, and cooking, and we ran out of food. Duh! For next month's First Friday Artwalk we'll change things up a bit, present a limited menu that can be handled with limited staff and served quickly, reservations will be encouraged and I'll be able to visit with people who take the time and effort to see what we have to exhibit.

We'll be bringing in out-of-town talent from Rolla—Bliss Hippy—to keep you entertained on October 4th. Bliss Hippy is a "psychedelic folk" band with folk, rock, and bluegrass influences, playing mainly original songs that range from inspirational to down right irreverent. Offering Bliss with an attitude for over 20 years. They have a strong following up in their neck of the woods, so mark this one on your calendar!

I love that the first Artwalk was a success. The community deserves to have a regular function such as this to give a reason to get together outside of sports or church or school. In every place I have ever lived, monthly artwalks were the norm and a favored reason to gather. I am thrilled to see it happening here. A few years ago I was the featured artist at a gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ... in January. I was delighted and surprised to see it was well attended as were all the restaurants, boutiques and galleries in the art district. No weather wimps up there! Hopefully, this will evolve into a year-round event and the venues can present artists, foods and entertainment to keep everyone realizing they are missing out on what's happening if they sit one out. For too long the artists who live in this area—and there are many—have had to show their wares outside the region to sell their work. Perhaps by allowing  friendlier, educationally oriented opportunities to see art, an audience will be built that has an appreciation of, demand for, and a budget for art. For me to show so many of my works in a professional manner, along with materials that documented my career—I  really did have a thriving career as an artist before the cafe—and being able to have educational "parts" and tools to explain my methods, opens the door to build that audience. We will leave my display up until the next First Friday Artwalk. Please remember that all my art is 20% off for the first time ever. The reason for the "sale" is to finance our expansion, which will add a taproom to feature local and regional craft beers.  The more pieces that sell, the faster the expansion.

This Friday evening, Gordon Johnston returns singing and playing classic folk/rock tunes and originals on keyboard. Gordon always gets great comments from our customers when he plays, so plan on joining us!

We WERE going to start soups this week. But as it will be the hottest week all summer, we'll wait. I have a strong line-up of soups poised for your enjoyment. Cue the taste buds.

The dinner entrées this week are both European. The Flavor Journey is French. It is roasted pork loin with a Sauce Chasseur, or hunter's sauce. It is a brown sauce made with wild mushrooms, white wine, shallots, garlic, brandy, fresh parsley and tarragon, butter and demi glace. Demi glace is a classic French ingredient made by reducing a meat stock multiple times to gain richness. The pork loin, topped with the sauce chasseur, will be joined by mashed potatoes seasoned with peppadew peppers and gouda cheese. Peppadew peppers are a South African pepper that seems like a cross between a tomato and pepper but, of course, is not. It is mild. Also, I'll add  green beans cooked with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil as a second side.  It'll be delicious. $15.99

The seafood entrée is Italian. It is Cacciucco—pronounced, I think, as kat jook' oh. It is a dish native to western coastal towns of Tuscany and Liguria, especially Livorno.  It is a fish stew made with many different fish. In fact, traditionally it is made with at least as many fish and seafoods as there are c's in the name. The primary flavor profiles include red wine, a mirepoix of celery, onions and carrots, fresh herbs, tomatoes and a fish broth. A layer of fried bread lines the bowl, the seafood is laid on top and the broth is poured over all. Magnifico! Comes with a side salad. $15.99

In addition to the carrot cake for dessert I have a nectarine clafoutis. It is something like a custard made with lots of eggs, fresh fruit, honey and flour. It originates in France and a wonderful way to highlight a specific fruit. Pretty simple but oh, so delicious. $5/ with vanilla ice cream

Lunch specials~~

Monday~ Vegetarian biscuits and gravy. $6.99
Tuesday~ Balsamic chicken and mushrooms over noodles $7.99
Wednesday~ Hash brown casserole made with bacon $7.49
Thursday~ Spicy shrimp with curry sauce, snap peas and jasmine rice $8.29
Friday~Tequila lime chicken tacos $7.59

This should be the week that things begin to pick back up. I hope so. We are ready to meet your needs and serve you. Tuesday evenings are still pretty quiet. So if you have a hankering to see us on a Tuesday evening, I encourage you to call ahead. If things are really dead, we're gone by 7:00 pm. But we don't WANT to be.
We look forward to seeing you and your friends and family. Have a super, late summer week. Absorb all that hot weather now. It may be all you get.

Warm wishes—
Susan

W/E September 7th~~ We've got hoopla!

There is a lot of buzz this week as the monthly First Friday Artwalk is rekindled. Several locations Downtown are participating and we are among them. We have a flier by the front door listing all the locations and participants. We hope you'll take part in this effort to share quality art with lots of friends and family. When we have lived in other cities, the monthly Artwalks were looked forward to with enthusiasm and planned as a great opportunity to meet with friends, amble and dine. The Artwalks were considered an important part of the ambiance of living in that area and contributed to the quality of life.

In the last few weeks we have shared with you our expansion plans and how we hope to finance them by making my quilts available for purchase and even reducing the original prices through September. I had hoped to hang ALL of my available work in the cafe but, alas, there isn't that much room. So we'll rotate things over the next few weeks. I have brought back pieces from some galleries to bring depth to my display and you'll see pieces you've not seen previously. I've even put up my lighting to highlight the work. A few notebooks with thumbnail images and pricing will be available by Friday night. Assuming that a few pieces sell, we'll be able to move into the next phase which is acquiring the equipment to store and dispense regional draft beers. We are excited and look forward to sharing this expanded ability to deliver with you and your friends.

The local harvests are beginning to wind down. Last week we were inundated with basil. I think 5 different people brought us basil. Green beans were high on the list as well as tons of tomatoes, squashes and cucumbers. Drew processed much of the basil into pesto which we have frozen for future use. Some of it just  got wasted as we simply didn't have time to get it all done. It is that time of year where you should probably lock your vehicle as you may wind up with a back seat full of zucchini and tomatoes, if you don't.

Specials this week will be kept fairly simple so as to allow enough time to get the annex prepared for the Artwalk. Amy has been her usual outstanding self and has tasty lunch specials planned. We'll wait until next week to re-introduce soups to our menu.

Chicken piccata with pan simmered patty-pan squash will be the Flavor Journey. Usually, if made in Italy it would be made with veal. I find that veal is rather hard to find around here and the chicken makes a nice choice.Chicken piccata's flavor profile features lemon, parsley and a touch of capers. $13.99

Seafood will be pan-seared tilapia with a lemon caper sauce. Almost like the chicken piccata but with tilapia. I have grown to love the mild flavor of tilapia and will serve it with our summer stir-fry. $13.99

Now here are the lunch specials~~
Tuesday~ Solstice Salad. This salad takes the most advantage of our current abundance of fresh local heirloom tomatoes. The basil that wasn't processed is sliced very thinly and scattered over the top. We'll add in fresh mozzarella and wood-fired chicken. The recommended dressing is balsamic vinaigrette.
Wednesday~Guacamole Club Sandwich:Turkey,bacon,guacamole,lettuce, chipotle mayo, red onions, choice of bread plus side $7.79
Thursday~Pork bahn mi sandwich ~ Asian marinated pork thinly sliced served on a French roll with srirachi mayonnaise dressing, fresh pickled cucumbers and carrots, sprouts plus side. $7.79 
Friday~Southwest Tuna Melt~ Tuna salad, Jalapeno cream cheese, Cheddar on grilled sourdough plus side $7.79

We look forward to seeing you this week. Thank you for going along for the ride.

~~Susan