Won't THIS be an interesting week?



9 days of no power = very cold

 It is visions of scenes like this that prompt me to tell you that if it is icy, we won't be there.

That's Mom at 80 trying to cope in the cold. If it truly looks like ice is heading our way—and so far it looks likely—we'll be heading to warmer parts to avoid having to be stuck in a house without power.

I do actually have a menu planned out for the week. But I am releasing it knowing that ice could prevent us opening for more than one day this week.

Weather Whimps? You betcha.

In the mean time, I'm delighted to tell you that things have been going extraordinarily well. We couldn't be more thrilled. You have no idea what a leap of faith this was for us to do. We've always been dreamers and forward thinkers. But the last few years have taken their toll. We have to look harder at opportunities and more thoroughly investigate the downsides. We never used to do that before. We were always full speed ahead. The learning curve is beginning to lose some steepness. There is a bit more prediciton to our plan and actions and we are getting some of the logistics worked out. Believe me, whenever you are experiencing any frustration due to our greeness in logistics, I am experiencing it three-fold. It can be painful. But we ARE getting things grooved in. If you were here last Friday night you saw some of that in action. Simply by adding table numbers to each table, we were able to get food properly served without incident—yeah we're green!!! We also worked it out so that each meal served was simply a matter of serving and not having to cook to order. The result? Almost no waiting—in fact most people were able to carry their trays right back to the table as soon as they paid. So we feel we are continuing to improve as we learn this crazy food service game.

We are really trying to listen to your preferenes, so please voice them when you come in. Tell us what we are getting right and PLEASE tell us what you feel needs attention. I am most grateful for the feedback. It is all too easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating a dish and forget who the audience is likely to be.

Bottom line— it is going quite well and we are loving what we are doing. We need to continue to grow and bring in more repeat customers. We are hearing from many that word of mouth is what brought them in. I LOVE that!!!

So here are this week's planned menues—

• Monday~Chicken mole soft tacos with black beans and side salad with jicama; $6.25  Soup~ Chicken corn chowder(the lighter version) cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99; Sandwich~ Chicken Pesto Sandwich (pesto, chicken, provolone cheese, avocado, sprouts with side of fresh fruit $6.25
• Tuesday~Italian tamales with side salad and garlic toast $6.25; Soup~Minestrone $3.49/cup $4.99/bowl; Sandwich~Chicken Pesto Sandwich (pesto, chicken, provolone cheese, avocado, sprouts with side of fresh fruit $6.25
• Wednesday~Chicken pot pie + side salad $6.25; Soup~Honey chili pumpkin squash cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99
• Thursday~Ham and asparagus quiche + side salad $6.25; beef and Italian sausage lasagna + side salad $6.25; Soup~Honey chili pumpkin squash cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99
• Friday~Chicken mushroom crepes with rice pilaf + side salad $6.25; French onion soup cup/$3.49 bowl/$4.99 plus lots more tapas at night

This Friday night will be a new concept for us. It will be open mic night. We'll give various local performers a chance to communicate with you and entertain you. This is a new experience and we honestly don't know quite what to expect.  We are excited to be a part of the community and we want to support our local musicians as we can—all part of local sustainability. If you know someone whose performance would work in our small cafe venue, please encourage them to come down and get on the list.

Update on Valentine's Day—we are NOT going to do it. We would rather wait until we can be a bit more organized and prepared. Plan now for NEXT year.

St. Patrick's Day— Plan now to enjoy traditional as well as decidely Irish fare. We will be serving up a very spcial Corned beef accompanied by potatoes and steamed cabbage and several other Irish surprises. March 17th, of course.

Earth Day Local Harvest Feast—April 29th (Friday) We'll be serving up locally raised and produced foods as a part of the Chefs' Collaborative—a national organization of chefs geared toward local sustainability.

Have a great week. We HOPE to see you despite what Mother Nature may throw at us.

Happy New Year!

My favorite action is "Start!" So starting the New Year is right up my alley. I've already started my new year's plan of simplify and reduce. Right now, anything that makes my life go a bit more smoothly is worth a second look. We are even looking for a part-time bookkeeper to keep us moving forward. If you can recommend one— please let us know. We already know about Lovely Mary Badiny—but does she even have time for one more client? We'll be checking!

We have had the pleasure of working with John Rapier while he was doing all the electrical work on the café remodel. I had met him many times over the years we've lived here but it was always in a social setting and we never got to spend much time conversing. Just about the time we were getting started on the café out of the trailer, John had closed his fresh seafood business in the wake of the Gulf oil spill. Quite a few people have told us what a wonderful chicken gumbo he made. Last week I got an email from another fan of his suggesting I get John to share that recipe so we could serve it in the café. John has generously agreed to do so. So starting on Monday I plan to serve John's Chicken Gumbo as this week's primary special. I have heard that John is a talented cook and look forward to feeding you a few of his key dishes.

The biggest news this week is the addition of Friday nights to the schedule. We are still kinda loose on the details, but the initial plan is to open Friday evening at 5pm. We'll have an appetizer portioned menu as well as serve one hefty full meal between 5 & 7 pm. Somewhere in there Jon will take over the stage and play a set or two of his original tunes as well as jazz standards. He plays a fine 7 string jazz guitar and, if I may say so myself, he is QUITE talented. We probably won't be open past 9pm— so don't dilly-dally getting there. After the first week, we'll probably have Jon MC and be the "opening act" while introducing you to more local, acoustic talent. We've already had several musicians tell us they want to perform in that space, so we look forward to getting to listen to some live music and getting to know you all in a less formal setting. (I know—lunch is hardly "formal" but it is FAST) Our hope is to have a place you can wind down after work and chill while knowing you are in a comfortable, happy space. We are applying immediately for a permit to allow you to BYOB beer and wine. Eventually, we will have a permit to sell, as well. Bruce and I are exploring tapas menu items and hope to take you on a few flavor journeys. It is all an experiment and we are counting on your feedback.

In fact this is the most important period for you to give us feedback. We want to be open when you are most likely to be there. We want to serve what you want to eat. So please take a few moments to comment on hours, dishes, music, etc.

Because I am so focused on this first Friday night's tapas menu, I haven't fully planned out specials this week beyond the gumbo. I know I'll add another item or two—so check out that "Flavor Journeys" board by the front door for updates.


I have also just ordered a couple of those paper red lanterns that hang outside of Sushi houses. My plan is to hang them by the door on the days we are serving sushi. That way, you'll know before you even get to the door that we have it available. Just to remind you, my plan is to serve sushi on Thursdays and Fridays.  I know it isn't QUITE so hard to get around here these days, but I'll try to please your palette in that regard as much as I can. Last week the Eel and Avocado was well received.

Bruce has been such a big help and we are grateful to have him around. Besides being a great friend, knowledgeable in restaurant management and a great cook, he is also a gifted photographer. You might have seen his floral portraits. Well, last week he took a few shots of the café as well as a shot of Jon and me.  I thought I'd share it with you.


Don't forget—if you are in a hurry, call in your order and we'll have it ready for pick-up or to eat in. The fastest items on our menu are the Tuscan Chicken Salad Sandwich- untoasted, the Guacamole Tacos, and any of our weekly specials. Keep that in mind if time gets tight.

That's it for this week. Hope we see you.
~~Susan