Laissex le bon temps roulee!!! Let the good times roll!

What the heck. Mardi Gras isn't until the 12th but we're just gonna make it Mardi Gras all week. Be prepared to eat Cajun.

The skunks have announced that spring is just around the corner!!!! I counted over a dozen roadkill just between Thayer and West Plains this weekend. So take a strong whiff and just KNOW spring will be here really soon.

Jon's 60th birthday is Friday and he has requested time off from his hosting duties in order to do a set or two of his style jazz on the 7-string guitar. Those of you who have heard him play—it has been awhile since he sang solo for us—know his style is laid back with a touch of swing. You'll hear some of his original tunes as well as his renditions of classic Cole Porter, etc. I get to hear him play all the time at home, but it is still a treat for me to hear him on stage. There is no cover charge, but I know Jon would love it if you put something in the tip jar and claimed one of his CDs. He'll start playing around 6:15 and play 2 sets. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear his sweet voice and mellow jazz guitar. Call for reservations, please.

The Valentine's dinner on Thursday, February 14th is just next week. If you haven't made your reservations yet, let me see what I can do to entice you—think aphrodisiacs.  First course~~oyster shooter with vodka, cocktail sauce and lime in a chili powder-rimmed glass; Appetizer course ~~3 fresh oysters on the half shell with fresh rémoulade sauce or if you prefer I can do them Rockefeller style (cooked with spinach and bacon); Salad course~~Spinach and arugula, strawberry, marinated fig, pomegranate and frosted walnut salad with sesame dressing (our spinach dressing); Seafood course~~ curried mussels on a bed of jasmine rice; Meat course~~medium rare sirloin roast of beef served with creamy horseradish sauce, piped potatoes, and sugar snap peas. Dessert course~~raspberry chocolate tira misu. Cost is $28 per person. The regular dinner menu will also be available, as we will be open for regular dinner service. As always, beer and wine will be available as well as, perhaps, some champagne or asti spumante.

Now to the Filipino dinner aka Flavor Excursion. First of all, only about 3 places are left. So if you aren't sure I have your reservation, check in with me. My weekend just got completely away from me. So, no, I don't have the complete menu finished. It'll have 5-6 courses plus wine paired with each course except one. That one will have a traditional non-alcoholic beverage. If you have some semblance of traditional Filipino attire—wear it. Heck, if you are feeling tropical, go with that.We certainly will be. I have exotic flowers on my shopping list as well as the banana leaves. By late February we'll be on the cusp of springtime in the Ozarks. Reminder: date= Saturday Feb 23rd. 6 pm; cost = $60 pp, which includes wines.

Let me introduce you to one of our new staff. The "kid" just turned 21 and is a breath of fresh air and enthusiasm. Drew is tall, has longish blonde hair and enough energy to carry me into the next century. He comes with a passion for cooking as well as a couple of semesters of culinary training. Like me, he is extremely curious about cuisine and has embraced all the new flavors we have thrust upon him. I hope you'll make him feel welcome. His lovely South Carolina accent is as warm as he is. Welcome, Drew!!!

Now to this week's menu~ Laissex le bom temps roulee!!!

~~Lunches~~

Tuesday~~Creole shrimp and sweet potato grits with a side salad. $7.99. I made this a few weeks ago to rave reviews with the promise to bring it back this week. Here you go.
Wednesday~~Chicken and sausage gumbo with side salad $7.75
Thursday~~Red beans and rice with sausage and side salad $7.75
Friday~~Crawfish boil! Get out the newspapers! Crawfish, potatoes, and corn on the cob. $8.50

~~Dinners~~

Flavor journey~~Chicken and andouille sausage jambalaya $12.99 with soup or salad. Traditionally made with chicken thighs, good andouille sausage, lots of fresh flavors including garlic, onions, basil, thyme, ham, pepper, parsley. All mixed together and served over a bed of long grain rice. Oh baby!!! So good. Available all week.

Seafood entrée~~Shrimp etouffee (pronounced Eh' too fay) with soup or salad $14.99 I'll start with a medium-colored roux (flour and oil) to which I'll add the holy trinity (onions, bell pepper and celery) plus garlic and tomatoes. Lots of good Creole seasoning and a hefty helping of gulf shrimp served over a bed of long-grain rice. Ooooo-Wheeee!!!! Available all week.

I am so glad you are along for the ride. We are having a ball and look forward to sharing much of the fun with you. Thank you for letting us know how we are doing and what your preferences are. We actually listen! Have a lovely week as we approach the end of the cold stuff.

~~Susan

Hitting the Floor Running

Sometimes the faster you go, the behinder you get. That seems to be the case right now. I hit Monday morning with all sorts of good intentions. I'm looking at getting extra desserts done, an extra soup to offer another choice, etc. We still are working on the paperwork for the Tavern License. It is done in 2 steps with the first one being the step that gets the city's permission before you can even apply for the state one. That should happen this week. With that in hand, I can then apply for the state permit. The only thing I've ever done that had such a long runway was applying for Quilt National. Since I have yet to ever have a quilt accepted by Quilt National (yeah yeah, I know—an oversight on their part) I have a bit of a wary side in this regards. Unlike Quilt National, which typically has 3400 entries for a coveted few 63 slots, the Tavern Permit doesn't have as tight a quota system. But there are still pages of rules, and all sorts of preliminary steps—like measuring the distance between our front door and the nearest school or church. For us this would be the Student Union Building on campus. Must be 300+ feet. While I am glad that there is oversight, I am amazed at the sheer number of hoops and hurdles presented. At least I finally know the accurate name for the permit—tevern permit. I've been calling it a beer and wine license. Nope. That only allows one to sell those items for consumption off premises. We want to sell beer and wine for consumption on premises. We also have to sell much, much more food in ration to the beer and wine. Otherwise we could only sell beer. See? Hoops.

The catering is picking up. That is great. We've developed some more appetizer types of offerings that can be presented by the platterful. Among those are bacon-wrapped, cheese stuffed jalapenos, garlic shrimp on individual canapés, sushi rolls. By the end of the week we'll have another batch of smoked catfish dip. The weather is currently intervening on that. I have the catfish brined and Jon will smoke it within the next 24 hours. We hope you might be thinking of including one of our platters at your company holiday party or personal open house. Please remember to give us 24 hours advance notice so we have everything we need. Unlike larger operations that have corporate support, we shop on a smaller scale and buy what we know we need. We also shop more often so our ingredients are fresh.

A few of you have taken advantage of my offer to add arugula to your salads. I do this by request only and there is no additional charge for it. To me, arugula adds a nice bright note to my salads. Building a salad is much like building a fragrance or painting an image. There is a background or bottom note—the darker greens. Then you add a wide balance of flavors or in the case of fragrances, the mid-range scents. These are the most prominent or dominant flavors. Then you have the top note. This is the one that adds the extra sparkle, extra interest or complexity. In a salad, that could be a tangy cheese or pomegranate, or something that is still light yet flavorful. Nuts might also be a part of that—especially if they have been toasted and seasoned. 

I am delighted that we have a wider access to fresh greens during the winter months. As counter-intuitive as that sounds, it is because the local greens are raised in a greenhouse. During the warmer months valuable crop space is given to more space demanding crops like squashes or tomatoes. I am making a concerted effort to make our side salads more complex and tasty. your feedback is wanted—so speak up!!

Time to get on with this week's menu—
Soups~ we'll start the week with a big batch of French onion soup. I'll add white chicken chili Tuesday or Wednesday.
Monday~Shrimp and grits plus side salad. That'll warm you to your toes. $6.50
Tuesday~Pulled pork tamales with Colorado sauce plus buttered cumin rice. This the the most traditional of Bruce's tamales. I've had the pork braising all day Sunday in prep. It has smelled SOOO good. $6.50
Wednesday~Kapusta with salad. This is Bruce's stew that features spare ribs and cabbage. It has a very loyal following. $6.50
Thursday~ Roasted mushroom and chicken crepes with a tarragon cream sauce—as requested.With side salad. $6.50
Friday~ Tuscan chicken salad sandwiches. Fifty cents off.

Remember~ no Friday night dinners until January.
Have a great week.
~~Susan