w/e August 3rd~~Three years old!!! Celebrating with you

It is hard to believe that we have made it this far. What began as an experiment and hopeful solution has become a community gathering spot and oasis for good food. And, oh my!, the learning curve has been amazing. Before we opened three years ago in a food trailer next to a used car lot I had never worked in a restaurant kitchen. My total restaurant experience boiled down to 3 months as a lunch time waitress 39 years ago and less than 2 weeks in a buffet restaurant 3.5 years ago.

Fortunately I am a cook with a strong sense of curiosity and who is easily bored by the same old, same old. When we were writing up our game plan we were keenly aware of friends who had gone before us and knew how much a restaurant could steal your soul. We decided early that despite "normal practices" we would design this project around our realistic energy levels, without big monetary risks, and an ability to actually pay our bills. Some aspects have been more successful than others. As we've grown we've taken on higher commitments to staff pay, government regulations, rent and utilities. These have chipped away at the nice margins we worked with early on. 

Over the last three years we have kept our ears open and listened to what you told us you needed and wanted. Night time dinners all week were added in February of 2011. Shortly after that we added beer and wine. Then we expanded into the "annex" next door. Let me tell you what we have planned next. Many of the ideas have been simmering for a while. Amy adding some of her keen insight and the timing of a super seminar have escalated the time-frame.

First—we are adding tap beer to our serving options. Once we have a kegerator (the container that holds, chills and dispenses tap beer) in place we plan to add true craft beers.  Hopefully, this will happen before the end of summer.

Second—we plan to extend our beer and wine serving permit to allow us to serve on the patio outside. This requires us to fence off in a fairly substantial manner an area that makes it obvious you can't walk beyond it.We'll add a couple of benches so friends can sit and talk while enjoying their beverages outside.

Third—we plan to get a full liquor permit to serve not only beer and wine but spirits as well.

Fourth—This is where it begins to get more expensive—we plan to put in a full bar with several beer taps and full-service liquor options. It will be located in the area we now use to hide ourselves away between lunch and supper. The "propanels" will come down. (Propanels are the temporary gallery display sections currently used as walls and to display some of my quilts.) The bathroom door on the annex side will be moved to allow more direct access. A triple sink as well as a hand-sink will have to be installed. The back wall will house the liquors and glassware. New lighting will also be a part of things. A new, non-porous floor is required.

Fifth—Along the wall area where we currently hang some of my framed pieces we will add 2 10 ft long church pews and 4 48" tables, plus chairs with pendant lights hanging over each table.

Sixth—The display area inside the window of the annex will be removed. I'm not sure what will go in its place. Perhaps a long counter against the window for stool type seating.

Seventh—Paint and lights and fans. Using the "Live Water" quilt as inspiration we will paint the "annex" in colors of the sea. I want the whole theme of the annex to be water. Over the next few years water will become a major topic of political and philosophical discussion. I want our venue to be a natural place for such discussions and a place where water's vitality is keenly observed and respected.

Eighth—An awning. The cost of putting an awning across the whole front is pretty high—close to $4,000. But we feel it is crucial to comfort while dining outside as well as increasing our visibility, and even lowering our utility costs. Hopefully, we'll also be able to add some barn lights to shine down on our sign and light the awning from above. By the way, my vision has always been for this to be a sidewalk cafe. The fact that this vision is slow to occur doesn't daunt my vision. I just want to do what it takes to make dining outside in nice weather your first choice. In larger cities, dining al fresco is considered a rare treat.

How do we plan to make all this happen? You are a big part of the plan! Jon attended a seminar last week at OzSBI on crowdfunding.  It fits right in with our stance on sustainability and allows us to grow, providing the services and facilities you've requested, while keeping high risk out of the equation. We'll be putting together the whole campaign shortly and hope your enthusiasm will keep the flow going. Stay tuned for the details.

Another part of our Anniversary Celebration will be to have 2 musicians play for you this week on Friday night. Phil Orlikowski is a crowd favorite playing vintage tunes from the 60s and 70s on guitar. Yes, folks...that is vintage these days. Jon Lumsden will also join us and play his laid back jazz guitar from the Great American Songbook plus many of his original tunes.

In celebration of our Anniversary, we are bringing in fresh caught Coho salmon from Alaska. They will arrive Tuesday morning after being out of the water for less than 24 hours. The cohos were caught off Beluga Point in the waters of the Cook Inlet via set net by a group of fishers that's been working that water for many generations. They use small skiffs (no more than 20 ft long), most of which do not have names since they're small, unmotorized boats. Using set nets, they pull in small amounts of fish at a time, and then each load their catch onto a tender (large motorized boat) that transports the fish back to the dock. I will cook the fillets to order and serve them with a rice pilaf and our lovely summer stir-fry. We'll make up our Sea Sauce to serve on the side. $16.99

The Flavor Journey this week comes from Argentina. I'll be serving Grilled Flank Steak (local grass fed beef) with a chimichurri sauce. The story of chimichurri is a bit convoluted.  According to Wikipedia— The Argentine gourmet Miguel Brascó claims that the word chimichurri originated when the British were captured after the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. The prisoners asked for condiment for their food mixing English, aboriginal and Spanish words. According to this story, che-mi-curry stands for "che mi salsa" (a rough translation is "hey, give me condiment") or "give me curry". The word then corrupted to chimichurri. The fact that prisoners could even ask for a condiment gives this little credence in my book.

Another theory for the name of the sauce comes from the Basque settlers that arrived in Argentina as early as the 19th century. According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as "a mixture of several things in no particular order". It is a sauce made from lots of parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and wine vinegar. Various things can be added like lemon juice, cilantro, paprika, cumin and thyme.

The flavor is somewhat similar to a pesto or pistou. We will serve the flank steak and chimichurri with grilled
onions as well as a saute of  fresh local zucchini, pasta and zucchini flowers. Quite a striking dish! $15.99

A third dining option this week will be the Pasta all' Amatriciana. I have finally practiced this enough to pronounce it without too much stumbling. It is a pasta served with Italian pancetta (Italian rolled ham), Pecorino cheese, oven-roasted local Juliet tomatoes, lots of parsley, fresh garlic and a bit of  red pepper flakes. It can be made as mild or spicy as you wish. Comes with a side salad for $14.99

Now lets talk about the lunches—
Monday~ Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad (cold version). Vegetarian, of course. It is Monday, after all. $6.99
Tuesday~ Black and Blue Hamburgers served on Pretzel Roll. Local grass fed 1/4 lb. beef burgers grilled to order and served with caramelized onions, blue cheese sauce, sprouts or lettuce and fresh local tomato. Served with side of Home Fries. $8.50
Wednesday~ Caesar Salad with garlic parmesan shrimp. $7.99
Thursday~ Thai Beef Salad with mint and cilantro $7.99
Friday~ Spiced tilapia with linguine $7.99

Special desserts this week~
Blueberry poke cake—a yellow cake which is then poked with a wooden spoon and a mixture of fresh blueberries, Bailey's Irish Cream, sugar and heavy cream are poured over the top while the cake is still warm. Served warm. $4 (early in week only). It has nothing to do with poke weed.

By request! The return of the Grilled Pound Cake with warm peach coulis, vanilla ice cream and Chantilly cream. $5 We did a version of this last summer and many customers have reminded me. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks to you, we have been able to continue to grow and expand. Your continued support, word of mouth promotion and personally directed enthusiasm have kept us moving forward. Without you A La Carte Cafe would wither and die. Come and be a part of great things to come. We are modeling our future based on your requests and input. In other words—you have a vested interest in what comes next. Stay tuned!

Have a lovely week! ~~Susan

The hope of rain.

My kids who live in the Tampa Bay area are laughing at the over-reaction to the Threat of Isaac. I'm not sure they even got any rain to speak of. We, however, might actually benefit from this slow moving storm as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico. With water temps just shy of bathwater, the energy is there to sustain it. We certainly could use the rain. 

Last week was the week that finally slowed down during the evenings...until Friday. Vinny's playing brought in a nice-sized crowd. We've added a staff member to the task of dessert delivery on Friday nights. It certainly sped up that operation. We welcome BJ to our team. He came on as lunch-time dishwasher and quickly showed he was multi-skilled, enthusiastic and a very nice fit. He jumped in grilling the pound cake for the peach desserts and did a very fine job. We sold more desserts Friday night than I think we ever had before. Yea, BJ! Now we need to keep up the excitement as we begin to transition from summer fruits and veggies to the fall ones.

Jon Lumsden will take a break from the register this Friday and grace us with a nice long set of his jazz guitar and vocals starting at 7pm. This is the first time he has played all summer as we have not been able to free him up to do so. As we seem to be generating a larger Friday night crowd we are going to implement a couple of organizational changes. The first is that if you wish to sit in the main dining room on Friday night you must make a reservation. Since we make no effort to turn over the tables, this will allow those who really want to see the performer first access. So far, there is still plenty of seating for drop-ins on Friday night, but it'll be in the second dining room. The second change is that on Friday nights you will be greeted at the door and taken to a table. This will allow us to realistically divide up the tables among our servers and create less confusion. Believe me, you will notice a difference.

I've had plenty of opportunities to speak with our customers when they visit for dinner during the week. For me it is a real treat to get to speak with you—the ones I am cooking for. Most of the time at lunch, all anyone sees of me is my butt. Well that is not quite true, but close enough. I am delighted when I get to meet new folks and get to the point of knowing to ask how the family is doing. I genuinely want to know if the food suited your desires. I, of course, hope to exceed your expectations. We may have had this bright idea to start a cafe that serves what people want to eat, while keeping the ingredients real, all the while expanding their palates. But it is you who allow it all to happen. It is you who gives us a direction on which we can focus. It is your word of mouth that is keeping this place not only alive, but growing. I must admit this is the toughest job I've ever had physically. But we are having a ball. Rick and I are loving collaborating on various dishes and menus. We have such a happy staff and it is pure joy to come to work each day. We know that what we are doing isn't for everyone. We acknowledge that our menu choices are somewhat capricious. But we are proud of the quality of food we are serving and having fun with the creative parts. I love following the harvest season to make menu decisions. While there are items I serve that are not always in season, I really make an effort to learn about the seasonal produce and innovative ways to present them. My personal mission is to broaden everyone's awareness of each other through their palates and gradually expand knowledge about various cultures so that perhaps we can all have a greater understanding and eventually peace. I never wrote that out before. Hmph.

Now the philosophising is over, let's get on with lunch~~

Tuesday~Both Pork Bahn Mi and Pulled Pork sandwiches are 50 cents off.

Wednesday~Rick is going to rock us with his Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich. Those chicken breasts are marinating for 24 hours in jerk seasonings to enliven that flavor. We'll stick to jalapenos rather than the usual habanero peppers for this dish. We'll serve it coconut rice and black beans. $7.50

Thursday~How about some mid-week pasta? Mostaccioli is a Greek casserole featuring lots of sweet Italian sausage, onions, tomatoes, pasta and cheese. We're serve it with a side salad for $7.50

Friday~South Indian-style Vegetable Curry. Served with jasmine rice. I've been reading a lot lately about the healing properties of certain herbs and spices. This one contains many of the most beneficial—cardamon, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne. It IS vegetarian so tell your vegetarian friends not to miss this. It is also wheat-free. Dang it, it's healthy, too. $7.50

The Flavor Journey this week is really close to home. I am really enjoying making fresh pasta each week. We are at the peak of season for fresh vegetables from the gardens. I am doing fresh pasta with grilled squashes, eggplant, peppers and onions with herb-poached chicken, feta and basil.  This is truly a celebration of the summer harvest—with side salad. $12.99

Seafood Entrée—Wednesday through Friday—Wild-caught pacific coho salmon steak with dill mayo sauce, tomato tart, and spaghetti squash with Indian spices—with side salad. $14.99

I hope you have a grand week. Thanks for being there.

~~Susan

Starting year 3- We've come a long way, Baby!

As we dive into year number three we are marveling at how far we've progressed. Were you even a customer when we first tried out our concept from the food trailer? At that time we struggled for several months before we ever hit a day where we served more than 30 meals. Last week we served 297 meals over 4 days. Yea!

Since so much of what we do is based on what you have told us you are looking for, I thought it might be worth sharing our current vision. First of all, my mission is to provide you with real foods made with real ingredients that are minimally processed. As much as we can we want to use fresh ingredients and make virtually all our dishes from scratch, thus avoiding the hidden ingredients causing so much trouble for many. Those hidden ingredients might be artifical sweeteners, gluten, MSG, preservatives and chemical colorings. To that end, we make our own dressings  and sandwich breads. We are currently having the French bread made for us to our specifications. But it has only 4 ingredients per the French regulations for "French bread"—flour, salt, yeast and water. We add no preservatives to our inhouse breads. We recently switched from using shredded mozzarella cheese on our pizzas to fresh mozzarella. This gives the pesto pizza a more upscale flavor profile while maintaining a "closer to source" ingredients list.

Our "signature flavor profile" comes largely from the meats we wood-fire. We are simply grilling the boneless chicken breasts, tilapia, corn and trout on a slow wood fire. We are still using up some of the wood from our 200-year-old oak that died 4 years ago. Needless to say, it was a big tree. Each week Jon and I prep and cook the meats to give them their distinctive flavor.

We are always trying to source what we can locally. As other chefs in the area have discovered, that is easier said than done. I am delighted with the relationship we have with Maranatha Farm for our largely organic produce. Mary and Skip consistently provide tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and the summer veggies like eggplant, cucumbers and squashes. When her supplies run low we can often get what we need from the local "fruit stand" where much of the produce is regionally grown. When it comes to eggs we love using local free-range eggs. Our second choice, while it comes from our purveyor, is still free-range, antibiotic-free brown eggs from a collective of Amish farms mid-state.

I wish our meat choices were so readily locally sourced. While we do use local grass-fed lamb for our gyros, the hurdles we have to jump through are onerous. We have to set an appointment with a state inspector to be at the processor when the lamb is slaughtered in order to have it inspected and legal for restaurant use. There are only one or two processing plants in the southern part of the state that even have access to inspectors. Being closer to a larger city would make this easier. We recently lost our elk provider as they were tired of the hassles they had to jump through in order to get their meat to market. They had to use a USDA inspector and had to have their entire herd trailered out of state to Illinois in order to be processed. It kinda defeats the whole purpose of local sourcing to have to haul the meat first out of the area and then bring it back in. We'll continue to seek more optimal solutions for our meats.

We are really having some fun with our desserts these days. During the warmer months I prefer to offer choices that follow the fruit seasons and are somewhat light. We are often making our own ice creams and using only wholesome ingredients to do so.  You won't find high-fructose corn syrup in our ice creams or in-house cakes and pies.  Lately we have been grilling our in-house pound cake and serving it with freshly grilled fruit and ice cream.

One of my biggest personal missions is to expand the palates of our customers. While the largest demographic to our customer base is people who are well-traveled, many who have grown up locally simply have not been exposed to a wide range of flavor offerings. I see it as my personal duty to remedy that. While I was traveling the country doing art festivals and before that, living in various parts of the country, I had the opportunity to experience a wide range of flavors. I am personally  quite fond of fish and seafood as well as various ethnic fare. I love to do fresh-ingredient based Latino cuisines and never tire of experimenting with new foods. So far that has been a winning combination that you have embraced. It works out well for me, as I get bored easily with "same old- same old." Our most common comment from first timers is, "I can't make up my mind; everything sounds good." Many have suggested a dart board for making choices. We have found, however, that most people find a few things they love and tend to stick to those. Nevertheless, I still create new dishes that I hope will lure you onto a new flavor profile. My "Flavor Journeys" are created with that in mind.

At this point in our lives, we find it is imperative to keep a high level of fun in what we do. With four 14 hour days, our nearly 60-year-old bodies are working harder physically than ever before. We are joyful that we get to work with such a happy team. Generally speaking, our policy is that if it isn't fun, fix it! We've managed to attract a team of happy, people-oriented and eager staff. They make what we do not only fun but have made those long days much easier. With school starting next week we'll have some shifting occuring, but our goals still will include a team of this caliber.

Did you notice we finally got new signage out front? Gone is the yellow banner with the wrong days and hours. Our new sign is simply large painted wooden letters spelling out the cafe name. Understated, yet visible. Our next major expense will be a new awning to cover the front of the main dining room. We're still a couple of months away from being able to make that happen. But on sunny days and rainy ones you'll be very glad to have the additional covering. Hopefully, it will encourage more folks to enjoy dining al fresco.

I've got more to say but I better hold off until next time. Here's this week's menu info~~

Seafood dinner~~It is Coho season! As sockeye salmon season fades each year, Alaskan fishermen prepare their nets to target Coho, or silver salmon. Near Kenai lies Beluga Point, a peninsula jutting out into the cool waters of Cook Inlet where many people’s favorite wild salmon is now landing. Coho’s latin name, Oncorhynchus kisutch comes from the Greek roots onkos (hook) and rynchos (nose), alluding to their striking jaw hook that males develop during spawning season. Born in the river of their parent’s birth, coho fry remain in streams for over a year, moving seaward the following spring, returning to spawn when they are three years old. They are being harvested on Tuesday and shipped overnight to be served beginning Wednesday evening. I'll simply filet the large loins and bake them to order, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with a roasted red pepper coulis. I am committed to not over-cooking the salmon unless specifically requested. Medium rare to medium is my norm. We'll serve it with an eggplant casserole, and your choice of twice-baked potato or a fresh stir-fry of onions, squash and peppers, a side salad and my "sea sauce." $17.49 While I expect we'll have plenty, it never hurts to have us reserve a portion for you.

Flavor Journey~~I am nearly as excited to be serving this as the seafood. Rick and I are making  black pasta from scratch. The colorant comes from natural squid ink which adds a bit of an iodine flavor to the pasta. It is not an intense flavor, but it sure is stunning on the plate. Pure black! I don't know of any other restaurants within 100 miles that make their own pasta—much less squid-ink pasta. We'll top it with our wood-fired chicken and a Rosy gorgonzola sauce. I know gorgonzola has a strong flavor profile (bleu cheese), but I bet that the fresh tomatoes (the rosy part of the sauce) will tone things down enough to make it worth giving it a try—even if you aren't sure about the bleu cheese part. $12.99

Now the lunches~~
Tuesday~ Bahn Mi sandwiches—either pork or chicken. These Asian-based sandwiches have gotten lots of new followers. We marinate the meats in ginger, garlic and other Asian seasonings then grill them. The French bread is toasted, topped with a srarichi mayonnaise, freshly pickled cucumbers and carrots, sprouts and cilantro. 50 cents off at $6.49; served with a side.

Wednesday~ Rick's day to shine again. We are doing a beef dip sandwich. First we are slow cooking pot roast. Then we'll pile it on a French baguette, top it with mushrooms and Swiss cheese and provide an au jus to dip it in. If you don't know—au jus is the juice the beef was cooked in.  $6.99 with side.

Thursday~Grouper cheek poboy. This is probably the last of our grouper cheeks. We saute them in butter, salt and pepper and serve it on a toasted French baguette with "sea sauce," slivered lettuce and tomato. Served with a side item  $8.50

Friday~ You've been begging for it. The return and, nearly last chance, to experience our elk burgers. We start them with a wood-fire on the smoker to give them the smokey essence, then finish them to order on the griddle. We'll serve them on ciabatta rolls with grilled onions, melted Muenster cheese and an in-house blueberry chipotle BBQ sauce. Served with Cajun home fries.  $7.50 You won't find more gourmet than this! If you are serious about wanting this for lunch, I recommend you call in before Friday to have us reserve one for you.

I know things are about to get crazy as school starts next week. We love that we are a part of your lives and look forward to seeing you and hearing about the updates. Thank you for sharing us with your friends and family. We are especially proud as you bring in your visitors so they can experience our take on Ozarks fare. We are keenly aware that we would not still be here were it not for your continued support and encouragement. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!!!! Have a joyous and happy week.

~~Susan and Jon

Autumn colors

Last week was nothing short of delightful. We were all able to enjoy glorious weather and the variety of colors being presented. Jon and I actually took a walk in the woods for the first time in weeks. Since it was at Grand Gulf I wasn't afraid of getting shot by happy hunters.

We chose to be closed last Friday night. My mother has had yet another mini-stroke. Cat scan showed no changes since last year, so I guess it was minor but it wore her out and me, as well. We know it is not good to confuse our customers with days being closed unexpectedly, but our priorities remain that Mom comes first. It has been that way for 5 years and I don't plan to change that. Happily, she will now be able to get some physical therapy which should help bring back the loss of control she is experiencing on her right side. I see her daily in her new digs at the Manor where she is quite content. I am sorry if it messed with your plans. We do plan to be open all week, this week. On Friday we have Dustin and Rick, aka Chief Wahoo and the Electric Tonic. Their renditions of Irish folk tunes and sweet sound are a joy to behold. If you were at the performance of Blackberry Winter last week, you got a preview. I encourage you to join us for their music. You won't be disappointed.

One of my favorite cookbook resources is Cook's Illustrated. It is the magazine version of the America's Test Kitchen. Going way beyond simply presenting recipes that taste good, they also go into the scientific and mechanical reasons why certain methods work better than others. Had I not gone immediately from teenager to Mom I would have probably wound up being an oceanographer. So it appeals to my scientific side. I've been gobbling up my copy of the 2010 "best of" cookbook and enjoying the newest issue of the mag. They get read cover to cover. Some of my recent offerings have come from those sources and the reviews have generally been quite good. It encourages me to try more dishes. Yeah.

The soups this week are old favorites. All week I'll offer Chicken Tortilla soup and later in the week Bruce will do another round of his French onion soup. That recipe uses 10 pounds of yellow onions cooked for most of a day. If you wonder how it gets so rich—now you know.  

I love getting the fall vegetables and roasting them in the oven. The flavors are so intense. On Monday I'll serve them with grilled pork chops. As a side option you can have a regular side salad or a spinach salad. $6.50

Tuesday Bruce will bring back his cashew chicken tamales. This innovative version of his tamales were a terrific hit a few weeks ago. All the flavors you expect, wrapped in a corn masa blanket and topped with the traditional cashew sauce. He usually makes 11 servings and last week we were sold out entirely by 11:30. So if you want some, either show up early or call in to reserve! $6.50

A few weeks ago I made creamy chicken enchiladas. They, too, disappeared before most got a chance to eat them. That time an office called and bought out the "whole enchilada." Hee-hee. I'll make them again on Wednesday. This time I promise to reserve the batch for the rest of the world. The recipe is based on one from Rick Bayless who owns Frontera in Chicago. It is very rich, very creamy and extraordinarily tasty yet not too heavy. Again—call in to reserve. $6.50

Thursday I'll do my pizzas. This time I'll have thick applewood smoked bacon, local shitake mushrooms, grilled onions and roasted red peppers piled on top of my fresh pesto base. I have a new, regionally-produced, Mozzarella we'll be trying. Most of the Mozzarella I have seen has been a low-moisture, skim milk version. This whole milk version promises to have a richer flavor. It costs us more in ingredients. Tell us if you think it is worth the difference. I'll serve them with a side salad. All week you can request spinach as your side salad, if you wish. As usual, the cost is $7.00.
   
Friday I'll do a massive club salad featuring oven roasted turkey, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, red onion, chopped hard boiled egg, roasted red peppers; all served on a bed of Romaine. It will be paired with a fresh sour-dough roll. $6.50

And now for the dinner entrées~
Seafood~ Jon will wood-fire the wild-caught Pacific salmon filets and I'll finish them in-house. If you had that lovely seafood sauce I served with the Cojo salmon a few weeks ago, you'll get the chance to enjoy it again. The recipe for the sauce (which will be served on the side) came from a long-time defunct restaurant in Austin called the Garden Café. It is simply soy sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne and I add a bit of horseradish to the mix. But it is the perfect accompaniment to the salmon. I'll stir-fry a bunch of those fall veggies and we'll serve a side salad to get you started. $12.

Meat~ I'll do a pork Marsala over egg noodles with a side salad. Marsala is a unique fortified wine that, when added to the mushroom sauce adds a richness that makes the tongue dance. The chicken version I did a few weeks ago disappeared at lunch rather quickly. I expect the pork to be popular, as well. I'll make some sweet potato biscuits to go with the fall theme. $12.

Veggie~ I'll finally get to make the deep-dish fall veggie quiche. I don't believe in whimpy quiches. Look for all manner of late summer and fall veggies to load up the pastry. The seasoning will lean toward the Italian flavorings of oregano, garlic, marjarom and thyme. Roasted potatoes and sweet potato biscuits will accompany as well as a starter side salad. $10.

We love having you join us for both lunch and dinner. When you bring in your family and friends we couldn't be more proud. Thank you for sharing your time, friends and support that keeps us rolling. This time last year we were still trying to figure out what would be next when the cold weather hit. You helped make this happen and are keeping us going. Thank you...and keep coming!!!

Have a terrific week!
~~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