W/E October 12th Fall REALLY arrives

What a difference a week makes when it comes to seasonal weather. Suddenly, the cooler weather has arrived and with it lower humidity. We may actually be able to have the doors open at the cafe this week. After an enormous electric bill last month, we'll be welcoming a more natural feel. Thankfully this was a moderate summer. If you like dining al fresco, this may be your best week of the year for it.

This weather motivates me to get out the soup recipes. Amy has jumped in with her choice for the week. She'll create a roasted red pepper soup. This time of year we get in lots of gorgeous red peppers. They are quite sweet—NOT HOT.  I'm thinking next week we'll get into the butternut squash....

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Stroll on the Square last Friday night. Despite having a limited menu, it was still fairly crazy. But a good time was had. We thoroughly enjoyed Bliss Hippy's entertainment. They were a bright new sound and delightful. This week, by special request, Jon Lumsden will play his laid back jazz. He's been adding a few more tunes to his repertoire, and that new guitar of his is luscious.

I am fighting my restless urges to travel but hope to get to St. Louis next week to catch Quilt National at the St. Louis University Museum of Art. It has been 4 years since I got to see this biannual exhibition, and it is the most stellar and prestigious of the art quilt exhibitions in the country. We are fortunate to have the entire exhibition displayed in St. Louis. After it leaves there in late October, it will be split into three traveling exhibitions and travel for 2 years. I usually enter but so far, always get the rejection letter. I think I've entered five times now. They even have a prize each year for the person who entered the most times before getting accepted. I hope to be in the running for this prize someday.

When we did the Artwalk in September, I was unable to chat with folks who came in to see my work as I was desperately needed in the kitchen. Last Friday I was more able to visit and share my art with viewers. It was a lovely experience. I had nearly forgotten how much it means to be able to share that part of me, complete with the hidden art, the stories behind each piece and my simple techniques. It is who I AM. While I love creating the food and ambiance of the cafe, who I AM is the fiber artist....just as Jon, while being a terrific host, is really all about his music.  

My dinner entrées this week will revisit earlier favorites. The seafood will be Red Snapper Vera Cruz. We'll grill lovely 8 oz fillets and top them with a south of the equator sauce made from tomatoes, olives, shallots, capers, raisins, and herbs.   I'll pair it with our autumnal potatoes and stir-fry. Many places make the accompanying vegetables an afterthought. Not so, here. The red-skinned potatoes are mashed with a bit of cream and butter; then chopped Peppadew peppers and smoked Gouda cheese are blended in to make them pretty stellar. The autumnal stir-fry changes every week. We've been adding in everything from okra to shitaki mushrooms to eggplant and squashes. I love that this evolves as the ingredients become available. $16.99

My Flavor Journey revisits Argentina with the Argentinian Grilled Flank Steak with chimichurri sauce. Last time we served this, I got tons of comments from happy diners. We'll pair it with polenta with roasted red peppers and mushrooms. I'll also feature Mary Badiny's organic eggplants in an eggplant casserole. Ahh Fall! $15.99

The lunches this week will show much diversity and creativity. You won't want to miss a single day. I know. We make it hard. Amy just keeps digging into her bag of tricks and pulling out gems, and I am constantly inspired to try something new. Join us for this ongoing adventure.

Monday~ Lemony pasta with goat cheese and spinach  $7.29
Tuesday~ Spicy salmon sushi roll, calamari/cucumber/seaweed salad  $7.79
Wednesday~ Roast Dijon chicken and vegetables over potatoes  $7.79
Thursday~ Chicken sesame noodle salad  $7.79
Friday~ Cuban pork sandwich with side  $7.79

We know it is a busy time of year. We hope you keep your meals here a priority. You know that what we make here is made of good ingredients, using the simplest preparations, and is generally much healthier than you might find otherwise in town. This takes commitment on our part and is not the easiest way to make it work. We count on you to create the energy that keeps us going. Thank you for doing your part.  Have a lovely week.

~~Susan and the gang

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

Developments

After reviewing how long it looks like the tavern license is likely to take we decided to jump into the dinner game a bit earlier. So, starting Tuesday January 31st we will serve dinner 4 nights a week. Here's the general game plan—we will close out Mondays (sorry gang we only have SO much energy) and be open for both lunch and dinner Tuesday —Friday. Initially, we will probably close between meal services. After we get that darn license we will probably remain open from 11a.m—8p.m. I say probably because you are the ones who will eventually dictate that.

I am currently designing the dinner menu. It will include many of your favorites plus regular entrée type dishes. We have worked out an alliance with a local grocer to have access to fresh, never frozen seafood weekly. We also will add wait staff to take your orders and provide your table service. In other words, we will be like most other restaurants instead of the hybrid we've been cobbling together for Friday nights. You will no longer be limited to three entrées. Live music will continue on Friday nights and Thursday will allow for Open Mic. Tuesday and Wednesday we will have our usual light background jazz.

We have been hearing for a year now how we need to be open at night to expand our customer base. The trick has been doing it without wearing ourselves out. We THINK we have a grasp on how to make it work and I know there will be a learning curve. I expect it will actually be much easier for me in that I won't be rushing to get all the meals ready at once for Friday nights.

We are also working to expand our marketing through social media and the first benefit of that for you will be to give you a "buy one, get one free" dinner. This only applies to dinners and only in the month of February. This way you can give us a try and save money at the same time. It will be available to those who receive our weekly email updates. So if you haven't signed up, please do so. Also, if you will "like" us on our Facebook page you will know when we offer these great deals. Sometimes they may include free desserts or reward you for bringing in new customers. We are very aware that you are our greatest asset for marketing. We would not be here today had it not been for your warm response and willingness to help spread the word. Thank you.

Before I get into the flavor journeys this week, let me remind you that Jon Lumsden will be the  music this Friday night—with a new twist. Jon has just joined forces with guitarist Greg Kwalume, who will join him on lead guitar this Friday! They've just begun to work on some tunes together, including learning some new songs. Their gentle laid-back jazzy style will carry you along. The mellow 7-string rythym guitar creates a warm foundation, and Jon's sweet vocal tones will take you on a very gentle journey through the Great American Songbook. His own tunes shine a quiet light into his soul. You'll enjoy the ride. Reservations strongly encouraged.

Here's information about this week's Flavor Journeys—

• All Week~ Winter Salad will be on sale; 50 cents off @ $5.99. Made with spinach or arugula, red onion slivers, chunks of tomato, red grapefruit, avocado and feta cheese and topped with pomegranate and almonds. Honey mustard dressing made to accompany.
• Soups~ we'll start the week off with French Onion—the soup that made Bruce famous; I'll add in Creamy Bisque of Roasted Garnet Yams made from organic Garnet Yams—like a sweet potato but sweeter and creamier; Bruce will finish the week with Beef and Vegatable soup.
• Desserts~We'll start off with White Chocolate Cheesecake. I plan to make a Carrot Cake and a gluten free Walnut/ Blueberry Tart.
• Monday~Pimento Cheese Quesadillas. A crowd favorite made in-house with fire roasted red peppers, cheddar, cream cheese plus a touch of jalapeno and spices. Served with trio of sides~salsa, sour cream and guacamole plus tortilla chips. $6.75
• Tuesday~Bruce's tamales go Italian with chicken florentine~ that translates to chicken and spinach filled tamales with a spinach sauce and mushroom risotto. $6.75
• Wednesday~Herbed crepes with wood-fired chicken in a tarragon cream sauce with mushrooms, broccoli and shredded parmesan. Served with a side salad. $6.75
• Thursday~Molletes Pizzas. In Mexico they are made on small rolls. We'll use a pizza blank as a base. I'll add black bean frijoles, grilled onions and peppers plus a few jalapenos and top with monterey jack cheese. All this gets melty and gooey in the broiler. Accompanied by a side salad. $7.00
• Friday~Wood-fired Elk Burgers. They are back by popular demand. Served cooked-to-order on a Roman bun with melted gruyere and sauteed mushrooms and onions. Accompanied by spicy oven roasted potatoes. $8.00
• Remember: The new dinners don't start until January 31st. This week is the usual Friday format.
• Seafood Entrée~Pan-seared, wild-caught Pacific salmon with an Asian-influenced sauce and mango salsa served with sesame sautéed noodles. Starts with a side salad  $13
• Meat Entrée~Chicken O'Brien. Grilled chicken topped with basil, sun-dried tomatoes and Fontina cheese. Served over buttered noodles. Starts with  side salad  $13
• Vegetarian Entrée~Stir-fried broccoli, onions and shitaki mushrooms in a teri-yaki sauce served over sesame sautéed noodles. Starts with a side salad. $11
• If you prefer not to eat one of the above entree offerings on Friday night, you may call in before 1pm Friday and request one of our signature salads. The servings will be larger with more meat and be accompanied by a biscuit. The cost is $10.     

As we start this new year we are made very aware of just how fortunate we have been to share your business, your warmth, encouragement and support. We strongly feel that you are what shapes what we become. We not only enjoy your input, we relish it and rely upon it. Thank you~~

~~Susan

More celebrating!

Whew! Last week was brutal, wasn't it? I am so glad the end of the week cooled off a bit or we would have had a tiny week. Nobody seemed to want to go anywhere. We are trying to figure out ways to out-produce the weird weather. Since it can hit anytime of year—storms, frigid cold, extreme heat—we want to find ways to nullify its impact. Most restaurant owners would just "wait it out." We think we are more creative than that. So we are coming up with a "come in spite of the weather special." Tell us what it would take to get you to come in to the cafe despite extreme heat, frigid cold or soggy wetness. We'll design our special around your wishes—TIME TO SPEAK UP!

This week's entertainment will be Jon Lumsden. I am so tickled to see he is building a local following who appreciate the laid-back jazz Jon produces. Yeah, I know I'm prejudiced. I get to hear him every day. But his sound is so rich and mellow. He is always adding to his songlist—mostly tunes from the Great American Songbook. Does that term leave you wondering? It is a collection of tunes from the first half of the 20th century composed mostly for Broadway, the movies or the popular crooners of the day. Jon's style allows the beauty of the tunes to come through and his rich, liquid voice adds a depth that only a live perfomance can capture. Enjoy his sound while dining on our freshly prepared dinner entrees. Remember, everyone dining with us this Friday evening will get a free copy of Jon's CD-a $10 value! If you like a mellow, bluesy-jazzy sound, you'll really enjoy his CD!
We are still feeling a bit giddy when we realize we have successfully survived our first year in the restaurant business. This is a typically, highly volatile business with no guarantee of success. We credit our success largely on providing what you really want to eat. You have generously shared your desires and we've strived to keep up. So far—so good.

For the first time, we are raising our prices—slightly. Overall, the average is 25 cents per entree. Hopefully, it isn't enough to scare you off, but is enough to help keep up with utilities and some recently increased costs. I know we aren't the cheapest lunch in town. But insisting on fresh ingredients, as local as possible, can sometimes cost a bit more than packaged ingredients. Plus the money spent is kept in the local economy helping to sustain the gardeners and protein providers.

Interest in FRESH seafood is gaining momentum. As I mentioned last week we have access to fresh- from-the-boat seafood from several docks around the country. The trick is that each dock has a 25lb minimum. This week the Coho salmon return to Seldovia Point, accessible only by air or sea across Kachemak Bay from Homer on the Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.  I am planning on placing an order for 25lbs. on Monday for a Thursday delivery. These wild-caught Cohos will be shipped via Fed-Ex Air Express less than 24 hours out of the water. So that will be the featured seafood this week. If you treasure fresh-caught wild seafood like I do, you'll be delighted with Friday night's menu. Plan now to be there and get your reservation in early! 505-0302

The tomatoes are at their very best right now. I hope you have noticed how incredibly deep red and juicy they are in our salads and on the sandwiches. I get a thrill every time I slice one. Mary and Skip Badiny are bringing them in to us and we could not be happier!

Here are the lunches this week—
Monday~Veggie quiche. This has tons of fresh local produce in it—spinach, onion, garlic, red pepper, zucchini, corn plus mozzarella and farm fresh eggs. Served with seasonal side—that could include fresh fruit, Italian potato salad, heirloom cucumber salad. $6.50
Tuesday~ Pulled pork tamales with colorado sauce (red sauce) and Spanish rice. $6.50
Also all week, after Monday—Columbia Restaurant's 1905 Salad features turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato, Kalamata olives, Romano cheese on Romaine base; finished with a lemon/worchesterchire based dressing. $6.50
Wednesday~Ginger chicken lettuce wraps; cool refreshing yet filling. With seasonal side. $6.50
Thursday~Pesto Pizza with fresh local tomatoes, local banana (mild) peppers, local shitakes, red onion, and mozzarella. We make our own pesto using local organic basil. Served with side salad or fruit. $6.75
Friday~ lunch will also be very special as I will make sashimi from that fresh wild caught Alaskan Coho Salmon. It will be served over a bed of sushi rice and garnished with pickled ginger and lemon. Wasabi and soy sauce accompany.   My taste buds are primed and ready to launch!!! Talk about anticipation!!!! Side or cucumber salad included in the $7. price tag.

Friday dinners~
A: seafood—Fresh, flown-in wild-caught Alaskan Coho Salmon. We'll wood-fire it to give it a light smoky flavor and then finish in the oven. It'll be served with an Arkansas rice pilaf. Your meal will start with light salad. $15.
B: meat—Spaghetti Carbonara. This classic pasta includes lots of bacon, egg, garlic, onion, parmesan cheese. It'll be served with garlic bread and a side salad. $11
C: vegetarian—Vegetarian sushi; three different vegetarian sushi rolls plus cucumber salad and oven baked eggroll. $10.

We hope you are enjoying this ride as much as we are. Your continued support and enthusiasm are the energy that keeps us going. You inspire us to take bigger steps and go up steeper hills. Thanks for being there. You give us courage.

~~Susan

Plate juggling!

I've got a feeling the next 2 weeks are going to be C-R-A-Z-Y! First of all, we hit a new level of delivery with last Friday being our busiest lunch ever. Then, this weekend I put together our first major food order with a distributor. In order to store all this huge order, we have added a new refrigerator, too. Well, new to us. We were so grateful. The local individuals we bought it from even helped deliver it!!! What a blessing!

I'll be switching out some of my quilts over the next week. With National Audio Theater Festival attendees visiting with us daily for breakfast, I figured I may as well use this opportunity to expose my work to a new non-regional audience.The room next door will house some of my more scantilly clad quilts. Naked Quilting— yikes!

Food-wise I am thrilled to see red peppers, tomatoes and various herbs in greater abundance. I've even harvested a few from the pots out front. Now if we can just get some berries to make it to the market.

I have made and now have available some fresh Strawberry Chipotle Jam. The sweetness of strawberries with the warm finish of the chipotle. Great and unexpected on toast or biscuit, but wonderful on pork or chicken. It'll be featured this week on the Friday night menu. $4 for 4oz. $7 for 8oz.

Jon has been working on some new material and is looking forward to playing for you Friday night. If you like your dinner entertainment a bit laid back, Jon is the guy for you. His mellow rich voice and sweet guitar are so easy on the ears. He plays his own material as well as covers the Great American Songbook. We have a busy lineup for the next several weeks. This may be the last chance Jon gets to play before late summer. Don't miss him. Call for reservations 505-0302.

A change of plans: Last week we mentioned that we'd planned on being open Saturday during the Old Time Music Festival.  Since the last time I attended the festival, the venue has been moved to down near or in the Civic Center. We had anticipated the festival being around the Square as in previous years and wanted to introduce our food to a new audience.  The long walk in the hot sun is not likely to lure diners this far. So we are NOT going to be open that day. Sorry 'bout that!

A note regarding the quantities of  specials~ I usually get to make about 8 of any specially prepared menu item. Bruce usually has 10-11 servings of tamales available. That is based pretty much entirely by how much a recipe can make. When I make quiches I make 2 and each serves 6. If you see a special or "flavor journey" that you really want, it is a good idea to call early in the day...or even the day before, to reserve an order for you. We really do want you to get to eat what you want and are happy to set one aside.

We are excited to have been able to provide the food for several staff meetings lately. It is our easiest area for expansion and we hope it continues. If you have a lunch-time staff meeting coming up, call us and discuss your options. We'll make it really easy for you—and you get a healthy, real-food meal.

I am keeping this edition pretty short. So much to get done.
Monday~Crab and chipotle onion quesadillas with chips and salsa $6.25
Tuesday~Vietnamese Tamales~Wood-fired chicken and fresh mint stuffed tamales with a red curry sauce and pineapple salsa; served with Vietnamese fried rice $6.25
Wednesday~Pesto pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; served with side of fruit or Italian potato salad $6.25
Thursday~Spinach salad~ fifty cents off $4.49
Friday~Lunch:Chicken Roman sandwich; served with chips~fifty cents off $6.49
Dinner:A) Grilled pork chops with strawberry/chipotle sauce with fresh squash casserole and garlic parsley potatoes $10.B) Pasta Verde—Penne pasta with spring veggies in a light cream sauce with small vegetarian antipasto salad $10 C) Pan-seared Pacific wild-caught salmon, small anitpasto salad and garlic/parsley red potatoes $12.

As always—we are most grateful for your continued support. Thanks for being here. Have a terrific week! We'll be spinning those plates!