Summer's end: autumn's return

This week marks the equinox when the days and nights are equally long. Hard to believe those excruciatingly hot days are finally behind us. And finally we are getting some rain. The mums are happy and the herbs, as well. We'll have the doors open and the AC off. Last week was a record week in several ways. We had three "highest evers" in one week. Tuesday and Thursday had highest ever lunches. Friday was a highest ever full day. I just love hearing the sound of happy chatter on those days.  The sound of the slapping wood screen door brings back memories of childhood—memories of running around barefoot all summer.

We took my Mom to see "The Help" on Sunday. What an exquisitely written story. Having grown up in the South, I was young enough to be at the tail end of the period of this kind of treatment. While I know there were those attitudes around me, I gratefully, never witnessed it myself. I am delighted to see the movie made and even more proud that West Plains' Glass Sword cinema has had it running for 3 weeks. Hopefully, it has been a financial success for them, but as a social-justice-type person, I am just thrilled to see a message, as such, getting out. Hats off!!!!!

The change in weather has ushered in a new season of soups. Bruce kicked things off twice last week with his famous French Onion Soup and followed it up with a three cheese Italian soup. The TINY bit I got to taste was terrific. It disappeared REAL fast.

I am looking forward to the first pomegranates of the season as well as the first winter squashes. We have had several requests for a winter squash soup so it will be in the line up as soon as I see them available. My white chicken chili will be making a comeback later this week. Today I have lentil soup made with farmer produced sausage that has no nitrates. Full of lentils, carrots, garlic and onion, it is one of the most flavorful soups and filling, too.

Monday I have a very tasty shrimp poblano quiche—Mexican, seafood, eggs and cheese all wrapped up in one dish. There are lots of shrimp in it. $6.50 with fruit or potato salad/$8.00 with a side salad.

Tuesday Bruce steps up with his hand-built tamales. This time he tackles gumbo. Phil Wages brought in some lovely okra and that will be the star in that dish. Chicken gumbo tamales with dirty rice. Should be an interesting flavor combination. So far his experiments in tamales have produced some fine results. Go Bruce! Go! $6.50

Wednesday Enchiladas Cremosas de Pollo—translates to creamy chicken enchiladas. Rick Bayless of Frontera fame in Chicago has shared this recipe and I love it. I'm pretty sure you will, too. I'll serve it with a fennel-apple slaw and Spanish rice. Reminder: If you see a special on the list you want, call in that morning and we'll save you a serving. I only make 8-10 servings of each special, so they go fast.
$6.50

Thursday Bruce will take over the pizza game with sweet Italian sausage pizzas topped with fresh tomatoes, onions and cheese. They'll be served with a side salad. $7

Friday lunch will be Curried turkey and couscous salad with dried cranberries. This will be a hearty salad that will fill you up quite well. Served with a cranberry nut muffin. $6.50

Friday night this week brings the return of the Renee Wood Trio. They play swinging jazz on saxophone, guitar and drums. We often fill the house when they join us, so reservations are strongly advised.
The seafood entree~Bruce will marinate tuna in red miso and then sear it. It'll be served with wakame salad and a sushi roll. $12
The meat entree~ Lemon Moroccan chicken with couscous. Served with a chunky cucumber/ feta  salad $12
The vegetarian entree~Roasted root veggies with grilled polenta. Served with a veggie-loaded salad. $10

It should be a good week for dining al fresco if the rain holds off during lunch-time. I look forward to hearing the door slap as you join us. Welcome in the fall with us. See ya~~

~~Susan

The BEST weather for dining al fresco

This is the week I've been waiting for. Although, I'll have to say I was surprised to find it this early in September. How does that work? Instant change in the jet stream? Why isn't it more gradual—like the slightly later sunrise and slightly earlier sunset? Anyway—it should be perfect for adding the extra sensory elements of dining outside. With 4 new tables and chairs we should be able to accommodate most of you that wish to dine there.

Thank you very much for taking the time to fill out the survey cards. Your answers are most helpful. This week I want to know your favorite soups. Also, what is your favorite way to enjoy okra? I'll also be asking how long it took your order to be delivered. We want to know. You need us to know.

Your input is needed on a broader level, as well. We discovered that we had been reviewed on yelp.com. Overall, the reviewer loved the food but said they had waited over 30 minutes for their food. Really? That is outside my perception of delivery, even on a very busy day. We'd love to have you review our cafe. Tell folks what you love and what you hunger for. If we need a heads up to fix something—we'd prefer you tell us—but also understand that you might wish to tell the world via the review. That's OK. We just would like to see more input.

One reviewer mentioned that 2 items she wanted to order, we were out of. I have a comment on that. Generally speaking, except for the specials (which we only do in small batches,) we try to keep everything available. The exception overall would be the appetizers. The reason for that is that we don't sell a whole lot of them and making larger batches would be inviting spoilage. So we kind of rotate them through. We will be smoking catfish again soon, but are out of it right now. Also, appetizers are the kind of item that we like to change up a bit, seasonally. I am in search of interesting options with edamame and want to play with goat cheeses, too. That is another of our survey questions—when are you likely to choose an appetizer and what are your favorites?

Recently we have developed a strong following for the stir-fried veggies and brown rice. I love preparing this simple, tasty dish. But it demands a full focus and I can't multi-task while making it like I can other menu items. Therefore, we are letting folks know that orders for that may take longer—not because it takes longer to prepare—but because I can only pay attention to that dish while working on it. It is prepared totally to order. I think it is worth the wait. But we just want you to understand what is happening.

Good news on the beer/wine/liquor license front. Today I finished the 2009 income tax paperwork. I expect to finish the 2010 within the next week. So far, we don't owe any additional money and that will keep things moving forward. Progress! It feels very good.

Bruce is grabbing the reins more this week. Tuesday he is delivering another of his hand-built tamales. Cue-ing off the popularity of cashew chicken, he is pairing poached chicken with cashews and cashew sauce. I usually enjoy his creativity in cooking and look forward to not only tasting this one, but also seeing how it is received. It has the hallmarks of a winner $6.50.

Midweek (Wednesday) he is offering a California club sandwich in a pita. $6.50 He tells me this has been a customer favorite in other locales. Sounds good to me.

Thursday I am going "smoked" on the pizzas.  This one is definitely on the "gourmet" end of things. I make the crust and season it with garlic and oregano. That base is topped with basil pesto, smoked oysters (sustainable and no extra ingredients), smoked shrimp, fire-roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  I'm salivating already. Served with a side salad for $7.00

Friday lunch will feature chicken Marsala over noodles. I've been wanting to do this dish for a while. The cooler weather makes it more inviting. There will probably be about 10 servings—so get yours reserved if you want it. $6.50

Speaking of cooler weather... I am making chicken noodle soup with Amish noodles this week. Whenever the weather is coolish, we'll have soup of some sort. I love soup weather. $3.49/cup, $4.99/ bowl, $5.49/ 16oz. or $2.50/ cup or $3.50/bowl when served with a lunch entrée.

You might remember that we moved Open Mic Night back a week and this Friday is it. Hear our eclectic mix of performers and visit with friends. The meals should be pretty nice, too.
The seafood entree will be paella. I'll make every effort to find ALL the appropriate ingredients. I already have the shrimp, squid, and octopus, plus yellow rice and side salad. I'm looking forward to preparing this lovely entree. If you like seafood, don't miss this. At $12 it is a real deal.

Bruce is handling the meat entree by doing Bombay Pork Curry. It, too, will be served over rice. Bruce has a very nice hand when it comes to curry. $12

The vegetarian entree will be eggplant cannelloni. Fresh local eggplant sauteed and rolled around goat cheese and baked with a freshly made marinara sauce. Served with a side salad. $10

Have a glorious week and enjoy the weather.
~~Susan