Spring? Really? W/e March 29, 2013

Well that last blast of winter sure came in with a bang. Thankfully, it thawed quickly and the subsequent blast skipped us entirely of the white stuff. I am now officially READY for spring to take its lead. Sheesh! Enough, already!

To celebrate I'll bring in some nice stems of forsythia for the tables. That should help perk things up.

We'll have a new sign hanging on the three-door cooler which will list the beers currently available along with pricing. We try to keep up with your preferences. Be sure to tell us if something you want is missing. We'll try to accommodate you.

We are encouraging you to try out some of our higher end wines. I am downloading some of the "shelf talking points." These are the blurbs the retail stores put on the shelves to give you more information about your choices. None of these wines are over $25, and the responses have been quite encouraging. Don't forget that on Winey Wednesday any wine purchase is 20% off.

Last week we introduced "double punch with friends." This promotion is designed to encourage you to bring in a new customer when you dine with us. For that you'll get a punch for both your meal and theirs. We need to boost our customer visits by about 30 per week to get things into a long-term viable range. We know you are the best resource for helping us get there. Thank you!

Many of have asked about the blue bottles on the tables. They are filled with  Kangen Water®, a healthy drinking water rich in minerals, purged of impurities, and ionized through electrolysis. Alkaline ionized Kangen Water® is an excellent choice for healthy hydration. Not only does it taste great and refreshing, but it also helps you avoid impurities. If you'd like to bring in some jugs to try it at home, just ask us to fill 'em up. You can sample it for free. There is a brochure with information available at the register. We have made  the decision to invest in this machine, as it allows us to wash our vegetables without them absorbing the chlorine that is in the city water. You may have noticed that our coffee, while still made as strongly, no longer has the acidic finish to the flavor. This is due to using a higher alkaline water.

We will begin to assemble the raised garden in back pretty soon. We are in need of used cinder blocks. If you have any, even a few, we'd appreciate it. Also we may use old tires to form a perimeter. If you have a few discards, we can find a sustainable use for them. We plan to plant herbs, edible flowers, heirloom vegetables and peppers.  I am thrilled to make this addition to our culinary experience and to turn an otherwise ugly plot into something beautiful.

The new meatless Mondays are taking off with a bang, and I couldn't be happier. Amy is leading the charge but Andrew and Vincent are right there with her. This week Drew and Vincent concocted a meatless taquito made with brown rice and portabella mushrooms. The rice is seasoned with cumin and pepitas and cooked with our in-house vegetable broth. To that mixture is added a sofrito of tomatoes, peppers, white wine vinegar and lime juice. All are rolled up in a harvest wheat tortilla and pan seared to crisp it up and hold the shape. Served with a side salad for $6.99. We can now also make smoothies and fresh carrot juice. These latter are available all week but must be asked for until we establish their permanent place on the menu. Have you TRIED fresh carrot juice? Yum! I may be offering free tastes this week. Be sure to ask.

Our bread machine is on the fritz and while that is the case we are having Jason make most of our sandwich breads. We are also substituting some commercially made sour dough and whole wheat. Please bear with us while we scramble over this hurdle.

In the past we have introduced various sandwiches which will have a strong following for a few weeks but then taper off. This season my plan is to make a different sandwich available for a week at a time. We'll rotate through the Bahn Mi, the Roman, Reuben, etc. This week is a California chicken club made with either bread or a tortilla wrap, wood-fired chicken, chipotle mayonnaise, feta, avocado slices, tomato and sprouts. If you wish, I could even do it as a lettuce wrap. You tell me. It'll be served with the usual seasonal sides. $7.59

I am introducing two more of the seasonal sides shortly. The first will be a Mediterranean farro salad and the other is a tabouli. Both offer a fresh flavor profile and will add a nice textural balance to any meal. The farro is an alternative grain suitable for those who are going gluten free.

This is the last week of Lent, and I am thrilled to present stuffed whole trout on the dinner menu. These are 10 oz BONELESS whole trout which I'll stuff and bake with a mixture of spinach, shitakes, fennel, and shallots which will have been softened in a white wine broth. This will be served on a bed of wild rice pilaf and accompanied by grilled fresh asparagus or seasonal stir-fry. My Sea Sauce will round out the plate. Served with salad at $14.99. I have a total of 16 servings for the week. If you are serious about having this, you need to have me reserve one for you with your dinner reservation.  Available Tuesday - Friday or until gone.

The meat Flavor journey is a stuffed pork loin. I'll stuff it with farro, a healthy alternative, gluten-free grain, as well as apples, shallots, fennel and parsley. It will be accompanied by spring red potatoes with fresh garlic and parsley with a reduction gravy as well as grilled fresh asparagus or our seasonal stir-fry. Served with a side salad for $13.99. Available Tuesday - Friday.

Next week.....drum roll please... roasted leg of lamb.

The soup this week will start with a vegetarian French onion soup. The onions were oven-roasted with olive oil instead of pan cooked with butter. They are still very tender and caramelized. Instead of a meat-based broth Amy used our in-house vegetable broth. Are you enjoying Amy's efforts at introducing more vegetarian fare? Be sure to tell her! We want her to SHINE!!!!!!

We have had a difficult time getting reviews on some of the various review sites. Perhaps you could share your viewpoint with the likes of Yelp.com, topix.com, yellowpages.com, yahoo.com, google.com, MissouriLife.com, foursquare.com or 417.com  We haven't gotten any bad reviews, just ones that are terribly out of date—like from the first 3 months we were open. It kills me that some of the local restaurants that don't offer fresh foods can get a higher review simply because people actually go to the sites. Please share your opinions. This will help our exposure. If you know a food critic, please tell them about us so we can get a published review. If we need to work on something, I need to know about it.

Here are this week's lunch specials—
Monday~ Portabella Taquito with side salad $6.99
Tuesday~ California Club Sandwich with side $7.59 Available all week. See notes above for description.
Wednesday~ Wood-fired chicken crepes with broccoli and smoked gouda plus side salad $7.99
Thursday~ Stuffed cabbage rolls plus stewed tomatoes and side salad. $7.99
Friday~ Wood-fired salmon tacos with pineapple salsa and cilantro lime slaw plus side $7.99

Seafood entrée~ Stuffed whole boneless trout over rice pilaf with asparagus or stir-fry and side salad. $14.99

Flavor journey~ Stuffed pork loin (farro, apples, fennel, shallots, parsley) plus spring red potatoes with garlic and parsley and grilled asparagus or seasonal stir-fry. $13.99

Desserts~ Chess pie, baklava, plus something chocolatey...hmmm. Ideas? Share them!

I hope you and your family are able to enjoy the last relics of winter while watching spring begin to unfold at last. We cherish your friendships as well as your business. Thank you for sharing your friends and family with us. Have a joyous week!

~~Susan








  

Reasons to smile! W/e March 23rd

I'm glad we had that little burst of full-on spring before this week of chilly weather. It was enough to re-charge my engines. Well nearly. On Monday I face the last of my dental surgeries— the pulling of all my remaining teeth and the installation of my full dentures. It is not something I look forward to, however, the resulting pretty smile, ability to chew again and the reduced mouth pain will be welcome. I keep telling myself that.  By the time you read this, it will likely be over. Amy and Drew are manning the fort on Monday anyway but I will take Tuesday off for myself, as well. That means Amy and Drew and Vincent will be behind the counter Monday and Tuesday lunch and we will be closed Tuesday night.

Thank you for all the support for the fish dishes the last few weeks. You have blown me away. I know that lots of you have given up some meat for Lent but the level at which it has been supported is unprecedented. Now the question is—was it for Lent or because you like good fish dishes? I will say that I have seen more marketing geared toward Lent this year than I have ever noticed before. This week's fish fare is Cioppino—that lovely Italian fish stew with lots of seafood cooked right in. For those with shellfish allergies, you'll have to skip this one as it has shrimp, scallops, octopus, calamari, clams and crab in addition to the rock fish and cod I'll add. This will be available Wednesday — Friday evenings.

As I continue my reading of materials revealing the condition of the food industry, I am happy I didn't decide to become a food chemist when career choices were presented. The latest, by Michael Moss, shows the degree to which the food industry is geared toward seeking your bliss point and its utter lack of interest in your health or the consumption of FOOD. He discusses the fact that thirty years ago more than half of the 60,000 products now in your grocery store did not exist. They are produced in labs with chemists and engineers and are specifically designed to grab your developed liking for fats, sugars and salt. How much of the finished product addresses your actual food intake needs is not part of the issue to them. It is all about bliss-point, mouth feel, satiation and market share. That book is entitled Salt, Sugar, Fat—how the food giants hooked us. I encourage you to pick up a copy. It will reinforce your appreciation for the choices we have made in our cafe.

I am happy to tell you that very, very little prepared foods go into what we create here. Most of any recipe is made from the basic ingredients. The exceptions are hot sauces, and a few condiments. Even for those, however, I shop to make sure that we don't introduce MSG or extreme salts and sugars. Oh yeah, we do use ready-made tortilla chips and potato chips.  But for the most part, you can be certain that the foods you get here are based on sane recipes that your ancestors might have handed down. Unlike many places, we are not looking for ingredients that are packaged for a long shelf life or worse, refrigerator-life, once cooked. We have to throw things out occasionally. It means keeping a close eye on how much we make, making things more often, and sniffing everything. I do this every time I use something for the first time that day. It has just become standard procedure. That fact you might see me sniffing is a good thing. I am watching out for you.

The "kids" are having a blast working on new vegetarian fare. We have brought in a juicer so we can start juicing and doing smoothies. There is nothing quite like a glass of freshly juiced carrot juice. If you notice my color changing to a bit more orange tone, let me know. I COULD drink too much of that stuff. If you have smoothie recipes you want us to produce, please share them with us. We have fresh kale and spinach from Maranatha Farm and are incorporating them into various green drinks. This is in an experimental stage, so I don't know what the long-term outcome will be. But we are committed to producing the healthiest foods you'll find within 100 miles while staying the tastiest, as well. This week's Monday lunch vegetarian fare is Ireland's Colcannon. Actually it is vegan. Made from organic purple potatoes, fresh young kale and shitake mushrooms as well as rice milk, this dish is both filling and flavorful. All the ingredients except the rice-milk are locally grown or organic.  Actually, I bet the rice milk IS organic. Way to go Amy, Drew and Vincent!

But we need more customers. We have tried various local media and so far our customers have been the best source for new life. With that in mind we'd like to acknowledge that and tell you that if you bring in a new customer, you get a punch on your card for your food as well as that of the new customer. The customer gets his punch and you get double. Pretty sweet, huh? It might not seem like a big deal, but it puts the rewards back on those who are helping and doesn't present a cash outlay on the front end like many advertising methods require. In no time at all you'll have a full card and you can spend it when you are a bit short on cash. We have at least 2 customers who regularly give their full cards to folks who have never tried us. Just a thought. With as few as 30 more customers a week we can move into a more sustainable level. You have helped us get where we are today. Perhaps you can help us get to this next level. Thank you in advance!

Music this week during Friday night dinner will feature our own Jon Lumsden. He'll be playing a set of laid-back jazz on his 7-string guitar featuring tunes from the "Great American Songbook" and some of his originals. He last played here in early February and was warmly received. Reservations are encouraged.

Reminder~~ 20% off all wine on Winey Wednesdays!!!

Lunch specials~

Monday~ Colcannon- Ireland's famous veggie stew made with purple potatoes, local kale and shitake mushrooms. Served with optional fried egg on top. $7.99 with side salad.
Tuesday~ Reuben Panini with side. $7.99
Wednesday~ Vernal Equinox (Spring) Salad~Bed of spinach/ arugula, strawberries, walnuts, avocado, snow peas, feta, red onion, sprouts and wood-fired chicken. Spinach dressing (sesame oil flavor base) . Will usually be $7.59. This week $7.29
Thursday~ Cous-cous chicken salad with almonds, craisins, celery, snow peas, feta, fennel fronds, wood-fired chicken, olive oil, sesame oil on a bed of Romaine. $7.79
Friday~ Classic tuna casserole made with our own mushroom sauce, plus side salad. $7.99

Please note: We'll be closed Tuesday NIGHT; no dinners until Wednesday!!!

The Flavor journey this week is ginger soy marinated chicken thighs with lots of local Asian veggies like purple osaka, kale, snow peas, bok choy, red peppers, scallions and dusted, if desired, with Japanese Tagarashi spices.Served with white rice and choice of soup or salad. $12.99

The seafood as mentioned earlier is Cioppino at $14.99. The Italian seafood stew, served with a side salad and warm bread.

Soup~Start the week with Vegetarian Miso soup then Quinoa Corn Chowder with Aji Costeno (fresh chili/ tomato topping) from Wednesday on.

Hope you make it a smile-worthy week. I'll be wearing my new one!

Warm spring wishes~~

Susan

Catapulting into the next season—W/E March 16th

Did you feel it? Each time we go through the "time change" I feel like I have been physically thrust into the upcoming season. Suddenly it is lighter longer in the evening. My mind seems to skip the fact that I am now also back to getting up in the dark. Soon we'll be leaving the windows cracked for fresh air and even with my deafness, I can hear the birds start their morning racket. Suddenly I am looking more urgently for the clues that spring is on the fast-track. Those forsythias are bound to bloom this week with the warm weather forecast. I'm never in a hurry to see the Stellar magnolias bloom as they often bloom one week too early and lose every blossom overnight to a late frost. But I am ready to get plants in the ground. Actually, for me these days it is more a matter of plants in the pots.

We have been given permission by the owner of the building next door to use the previously wasted space behind our cafe as a raised garden. We'll concentrate on fresh herbs and peppers and a few flowers we can use in the cafe—both for decoration and for eating. We need about 100 cinder blocks and a goodly amount of  decent topsoil. If you have either to contribute, we'd love it. We can even trade for food for a larger volume. I have wanted to be able to expand our fresh pickings and this will enable us to do so. I  find it humorous that restaurants with their own gardens are suddenly a big trend. One of my personal favorite restaurants in Nashville, TN, the Mad Platter, has had their own garden for over a decade. While there are many vegetables and produce varieties available via Maranatha Farm and Willow Mountain Mushroom, being able to grow some of the more colorful varieties seems like a nice option. I am drawn to some of the more obscure varieties of beets and radishes and carrots that offer bizarre color combinations. Asking a volume grower to commit to providing them for us when we use such small volumes isn't viable for anyone.
If you are growing some of the bizarre veggies for your own use and have more seed than you can use, please consider sharing them with us. We have several staff members who are avid gardeners and they will get put to good use. You might even see the results on your plate or table. It just can't get fresher than that.

The Meatless Monday Specials are off to a good start. Just to clarify—we still offer our full menu on Mondays; we just also offer a vegan or vegetarian dish as the special. The big news that might otherwise be missed is that we are now open Mondays for lunch!!! Thanks to the fact we have a gung-ho staff with energy, we can turn the Monday operation fully over to them. Aah! That means I can still have Monday to finish the cafe laundry, plan the menu and ordering, write this blog and take an afternoon nap. Drew and Amy are scheming daily on what we'll offer next. The special this week is a  Portabella Steak Sandwich. It looks very much like a Philly cheese sandwich, but made with portabella mushrooms (locally grown from Willow Mountain Mushroom) and a vegan "cheese sauce." We purchased some nice hoagie buns on which to serve them. Go, Amy, go!!! Drew has been researching smoothies. We've had a few requests for them over the years we've been open but have never committed to making them. We even have a Champion juicer. So we CAN make really good smoothies. If you have personal favorites you'd like to see made available, please let Amy or Drew know. Many folks are discovering the benefits of a raw food diet as well as just the delightful flavors and energy a good smoothie can provide. We're experimenting with berries, soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk. Speak up and help us design the new portion of our menu.  We remember that we are here first to serve you what you need and want. Anything else is just to keep us entertained.

We have music again this week after several weeks of silence. The Renée Wood Trio will perform Friday night. They'll do primarily jazz but with St. Patrick's Day fast approaching I am hoping we can get a penny whistle tune or two out of Renée, as well.

We are at a point that we need input from you regarding music. The options we are considering are whether to bring in the caliber of entertainment that demands a cover charge or to be satisfied with musicians who are content to rely on tips and a free dinner. We have been fortunate to attract a pretty good cadre of musicians but we need more. We really are not wanting to expand beyond the jazz genre as we are the only venue within an hour's drive that offers such. We are looking at possibly not charging a cover charge for those who arrive early enough to eat but don't wish to stay for the music. That translates to having the music start later- like at 7 pm. Then it would mean staying open later. If we did that, what would we serve later? Just tapas past 8 pm?  Possibly. You tell us. You have the answers.

And speaking of St. Patrick's Day, we are going to have corned beef, oven roasted potatoes and steamed cabbage all week as the dinner Flavor Journey. Since we will not be open on the 17th I figured there was no reason to limit the special to that one day. We'll first braise, then bake the corned beef  in order to assure it is very tender but flavorful. The potatoes will be the red-skinned ones, seasoned and roasted with garlic, onions, and  carrots. The cabbage will get a quick steam so as not to be soggy—I hate soggy cabbage. Served with soup or salad $13.99

Spring break is in full swing this week with the kids off of school. All week we'll offer half-price kid-sized or full-sized quesadillas for school-aged kids brought in for lunch. We are assuming that the adults with them will order a lunch as well. We don't mind a bit of racket. They can't be louder than the teachers when they get together. We love the sound of happy chatter at lunch. Maybe it will be warm enough we can hear the sound of the screen door slapping, too.

Did you hear about Winey Wednesdays? No, we are not wanting to hear your mid-week whines. We are simply offering 20% off all wines on Wednesdays—by the glass or bottle. We have been making an effort to learn about more about wine offerings and have begun to amass a few options in the $15-25/ bottle range. I am having to navigate new waters as I try to locate marketing information we can share with you on these upscale wines. The purpose of this deal is to boost mid-week dinner service. Do you and your girlfriends like to get together over a bottle of wine or two? This is a good place and time to do so. You can enjoy your wine with a full dinner or even just appetizers/tapas. Tell us what you are looking for. We'll have a specially created appetizer each Wednesday evening—this week Asian shrimp pot-stickers.

I have brought in a new variety of fish this week. It is wild-caught Pacific Rockfish. Some places market it as Pacific Seabass, some as Rock cod and others even try to call it snapper. It is a small, firm white-fleshed fish with a mild flavor. I'll use it two ways this week. The first will be at dinner, the seafood entrée— Rockfish with Tomatoes, Capers, Lemon, Artichoke and Fennel. The fish itself will be pan seared until no longer transparent. The accompanying veggies will all be sautéed and fresh except the artichokes. We'll serve it with a cous-cous pilaf, stir-fried Asian veggies and a soup or salad. $14.99

The second way we'll serve it will be at lunch on Friday. For that lunch we'll make Rockfish Ceviche. Ceviche, pronounced see vee' cheh, is made by marinating the flesh in citrus juices. The acid in the marinade transforms the flesh into a "cooked" state. Just like heat changes the texture and color of fish, so do the citrus juices. This will be the perfect dish to celebrate the warmest day yet this spring. If you like a fresh tasting, light fish this is your best bet. It'll have lots of fresh crunchy veggies and be served more as a salad. $8.25

So here are this week's lunch specials~~

Monday~ Vegan portabella steak sandwiches~ think Philly steak sandwich but with no meat or dairy. $7.99 with side.
Tuesday~ Reuben Sandwiches with side $7.99 Actually we'll have them all week. Kids' quesadillas half-price all week with adult lunch order! Also, the Solstice Salad is featured all week at $7.25.   Next week we move onto the Spring Equinox Salad. So, get it while you can.
Wednesday~ Corn waffles with wood-fired chicken in an ancho cream and cheese sauce plus sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms . This is a very flavorful dish that has had rave reviews in the past. I think it has been more than a year since I served it. $7.99
Thursday~ Chicken Pad Thai. Simple, clean, tasty, loved. $7.99
Friday~ Rockfish Ceviche: citrus marinated, wild-caught rockfish with a crisp salad base. $8.25

Soup~ Lemon chicken rice--a classic Greek soup.
Desserts~ Baklava early in week; Lemon chess pie later in week.

Seafood Entrée~ Rockfish with Tomatoes, Capers, Lemon, Artichoke and Fennel, cous-cous pilaf, stir-fried Asian veggies, soup or salad $14.99
Flavor Journey~ Corned beef with oven roasted red skinned potatoes, steamed cabbage; soup or salad. $13.99

If you have not been in lately you have missed a lot of fun. We are gearing up for the warmer weather and know you'll end your hibernation soon. We'll be ready for you. It looks like we'll have even more local sourcing for many ingredients this summer. We're expanding music, wine, and beer options. We have a gung-ho team that is quite excited to serve you, and the energy is palpable. Don't wait. We need to see you this week! I hope you have a joyous week full of new discoveries of spring.

~~Susan

Changing lives—pursuit of happiness vs. meaning W/E 3/09/13

I just read a fascinating article in the back the The Week magazine that addressed the subject of pursuing happiness versus pursuing meaning. It was thought provoking. I have long understood that happiness is self-generated and have been able to find happiness in virtually anything I put my energies into. Before the economy tanked in 07-08, I was happily being a full-time fiber artist. I was scratching my own creative itch and getting lots of positive feedback. I was happy and it felt good. However, I wasn't really making a difference in people's lives. I could, perhaps, give them something visual that brought about happy feelings or made them feel good about gifting something, but the results were more self-serving than not. Even when I taught, an effort that was more with the intent of creating another income avenue than a calling to teach, I didn't feel I was changing lives.

Enter À La Carte Café. Our initial intention was to replace, in fast order, the lost income and create a steady stream of cash flow to allow us to survive. Neither of us felt that the runway of going back to school for a new skill while in our mid-fifties would pay off in the time-frame we were addressing. Jon had some restaurant management experience going back to his teenage years. He also has terrific people skills and a pretty strong understanding of marketing. I brought a high level of curiosity and a fascination with cooking good food. My professional food training is nil. I have a voracious appetite to learn, especially in the realm of food and was bored silly with the food options locally offered. We both have a high work ethic and are self-starters. What we lack in financial skills we hope we make up in pure gumption.

When we began in the food trailer, a gift from my mother, we were happy that what we offered was well received by those who discovered us. Fortunately, word spread and I made every effort to keep every new customer we gained—both by keeping the quality high and by reaching out via this blog. We listened to what was wanted and have pursued solutions for those wants. Years ago, we often mentioned to friends that what this town needed was a restaurant that served really fresh, locally sourced, quality foods. Virtually without exception, the response we got was, "Yeah, but nobody around here would be willing to pay for and support that effort." Well we went that direction anyway and I am happy to report that our friends were WRONG. You have been very supportive—sharing us with your friends and family, often coming in more than one time per week, and giving us updates on what you are still looking for and reports of when we missed our mark. You are vested. That means you have a stake in our success and we want to acknowledge that. You care how we are doing because you want us to be able to keep doing it so you can enjoy the benefits of good eating. A very nice synergy.

A part of me is seeking happiness by making dishes of which I am personally fond. Like a bored home cook, I really need the variety of creating a wide selection of flavors. I've told many of you that if I had to simply make the same foods each week like most restaurants, I'd be looking for a fast way out. That is still the case. However, I now find a much higher level of satisfaction in the response I get from folks who eat with us. I am delighted when a customer takes a moment to come back to the counter on their way out to tell me they especially liked what they'd eaten. Because we try to source locally, we are able to help keep several small businesses alive. I like to think that our foods are producing a higher output in productivity in our customers because they are not sleepy-faced from eating fast food at lunch. We are listening to what you want in your dining choices—more gluten-free, more low carb, less animal protein, more local sourcing—while still wanting foods that can satisfy and even become comfort foods. Every week someone makes a point of telling me that we have changed the way they eat; that we give them a place to really look forward to eating at. While I am delighted to be part of that I find it sad that there are so few options in this region. That is simply sad.

Another part of this business is working with staff. As an entrepreneur, I am more aware of what I don't like from a boss. There is a REASON I have been self employed most of my life. Over the last 2.5 years we have had the pleasure of working with several talented folks. Most were able to do the job without complaint, but a few have stood out in their ability to get the customer viewpoint and had a strong willingness to exceed customer expectations. Because I tend to approach most of my activities from an artist-first viewpoint, I am first looking for the self-satisfaction of creativity or a newly learned skill. I am forever grateful to my father for instilling in me a never-satisfied sense of curiosity. For me, I think that a key to job satisfaction is being allowed to be creative within the confines of what is needed and wanted. Being allowed to find my own solutions, if needed, and not being penalized for minor failures gives me the confidence to grow and learn. These are aspects I try to keep in for our staff. I am happy to report that this seems to be working as we have a staff that has quickly become a real team, who are very much interested in exceeding customer expectations and who will move heaven and earth to make things go right. They constantly delight me with their solutions and I no longer feel like I am the single source of long-term creativity. My warmest thanks to Amy, Drew and the newest, Vincent, for their kitchen creations and to Ashley and Jourdyne for their intentions in keeping our customers happy and informed.

Here's an example from just last week of how this all comes full circle— I had created a dish of cod cooked in packets with a wild mushroom sauce. One of our most loyal customers enjoyed it but suggested that serving it in foil gave it a bit too much of a backyard BBQ feel. I agreed. Now it was time to find a solution. First, I looked at previous solutions, including parchment. Since I had already par-cooked several of the servings I was not anxious to start over completely. I knew we had some banana leaves left from the Filipino dinner but could not figure out how to make them work. I gave the challenge to Amy. Like me, she fiddled around with ways to fold them but they were too brittle and kept tearing along the vein lines. She tried microwaving them but after softening up initially they became brittle very quickly. Then she hit upon the solution of blanching the leaves. This worked beautifully and shortly thereafter she had these marvelous little scoop-looking  boats to hold the finished dish. I really had not expected a quick solution to be found and was thrilled to see what she had created. She enjoyed the exploration and our customers enjoyed the unusual presentation.

Jon's additional special skill is his music. It is his "forever passion." He is in charge of setting up the Friday night music. We are still trying to figure out a way to bring you jazz on a weekly basis that satisfies the need for good quality, makes it worthwhile for the musician and is cost effective for everyone involved—you, us and the musician. We are surveying actively for a solution to this quandary and invite your input. Should we start the music later and charge a $4-5 cover charge and stay open later? Only bring in musicians that are willing to play for food and tips? We want your solutions. Please jump in.

This week I have given free-rein to Amy to create a strong vegetarian/vegan presence on our menu. As of Monday this week we are now open for lunches all week. Amy is creating "Meatless Monday" dishes for the Monday daily special. She is also bringing her several years of vegan cooking skills to creating vegan salad dressings and upping our vegan food presence. I have never lived in a town that didn't have at least one restaurant that catered to those who were seeking healthy food options and especially served the vegetarian community.  Usually they were attached to a local health-food store. There simply is nothing like that here.

While we will continue to bring you the foods we have taught you to expect, we will also be looking for ways to serve the vegan and vegetarian community and thus a larger audience. We already enjoy the reputation for having the healthiest food around, but we want to be able to expand beyond that point. We expect to stumble a time or two while making this leap. But we also know that we have a most loyal customer base who are forgiving as long as they know we truly care and are continuing to try and grow as individuals and as a company. Thank you for giving us the room to make this growth happen and the courage to know that filling a need can be very satisfying.


Now about those specials~~

Introducing Winey Wednesdays! Every Wednesday we'll offer 20% off every glass or bottle of wine. We are beginning to bring in a wider range of quality wines in various price ranges with the most expensive running to around $25/ bottle. We'll be sharing the rating/ flavor profiles with you so you can make an informed decision. Learning about wines is a never-ending journey; one we have just begun. Why not make mid-week a more interesting day?

Lunch~

Monday~Quinoa mac and cheese. While not vegan, this dish has the high flavor and protein that quinoa can lend plus lots of healthy goodness. Served with a side salad--with the new vegan dressing option of "Vegan Ranch" . $7.99  
Tuesday~Grilled Reuben Sandwiches with side $7.99
Wednesday~Chicken mole enchiladas with Spanish rice $7.99
Thursday~Chicken pot pie with side salad $7.99
Friday~Crab and shrimp quesadilla with Monterey jack cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed peppers plus all the fixin's $8.25

Dinner~

Seafood~Mexican Fish Stew. Wednesday- Friday. We've had requests for more authentic Mexican dishes. From award-winning cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman, here is an authentic Mexican fish stew that utilizes firm white neutral-flavored fish—we'll use cod. There are no shellfish in this so those who have allergies are safe. The flavors include tomatoes, garlic, onions, white wine, peppers, carrots, parsley, cilantro all cooked to a rich broth. The fish is added late so as not to get too mushy or tough. We'll serve it with our crusty rustic bread plus a side salad. Good to warm you from the insides. $13.99

Flavor Journey~Tuesday - Friday. Greek baked chicken! Baked Coleman NaturalTM chicken breast stuffed with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. Seasoned with lemon oil and oregano. Accompanied by oven roasted organic purple potatoes (high in anti-oxidants) seasoned with fresh rosemary, oregano, garlic and lemon oil plus stir-fried bok-choy and arugula. Served with soup/ salad. $13.99

Soup~ Starting out with a fresh vegetable soup made from scratch with our in-house broth.
Dessert~ Fresh berry turnovers with lemon icing and vanilla ice cream $4

Taking time to enjoy the change of seasons

Well, it is official. Spring has definitely begun in the Ozarks.The fruit trees have arrived in the Wal-Mart and feed store parking lots. Soon to follow will be the big bales of peat moss and then the flats of early veggies like cabbage, onions, spinach and kale. Can you feel the energy building? Just like the trees and flowers, it seems we allow the excitement to build to that crescendo that marks the first truly warm weekend. We are still a few weeks away from that explosion but the path has been laid out and the kernel of excitement planted.

Last weekend we had the Filipino Flavor Excursion. Twenty lucky folks were taken for a dining adventure that included 10 courses, 5 wines and lots of new flavor combinations. I have written a full report that you can read separately, if you wish. I haven't uploaded it to the website yet, but I will. The next Flavor Excursion is planned for a weekend in June and will feature the foods of Morocco. I have already begun preserving the lemons and searching for an appropriate tent-like solution.

Starting NEXT week we will be open for lunch on Mondays. Amy and Drew will be manning the cafe along with Vincent. Amy, who has a strong background in vegetarian fare, will begin introducing Meatless Monday specials. If you know a few vegetarians, this might be a good time to invite them to join you for lunch. The full regular lunch menu will be available as usual, it is just that the special will be vegetarian and often even vegan. I am excited about this expansion as it will broaden our exposure to an new audience plus it doesn't involve more work on my part. Yippee!!!!

I am excited that we suddenly have access to a wider seafood selection. Though frozen, these fish options are much more readily available and don't require a 25-30 pound minimum purchase in order to access. I'll still be keeping my eye on the sourcing, quality, additives and sustainability. We'll still bring in fresh seafood on a fairly regular basis but we can keep other fish more available for weekly consumption. I'll always designate the fresh as being fresh from the boats. This week for dinner, we will have 8 oz cod baked in packets with wild mushroom sauce and bok-choy with snow peas and garlic. $13.99. Available Wed- Fri.

Lamb, anyone? While exploring dishes for the Filipino dinner I found a recipe for a Malaysian lamb dish~~ Vindaloo Lamb. It combines flavors of Portugal, China and the Islands- such is the melange of Malaysia. It has chilis, ginger, shallots, garlic, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds plus vinegar in the braise. {My reference is a book entitled A Spoonful of Ginger, and it credits cumin seed with removing impurities from the blood and increasing milk production while nursing. It goes on to say that if you have a skin rash you can boil 3 tablespoons of cumin seeds with 1 cup of water and add it to bath water for relief. You can get bulk cumin seeds at Meadowbrook Health Foods and likely at JB's Healthmart, as well.} Back to dinner...we'll have the lamb and serve it with rice and bok-choy stir-fried with snow peas and garlic. Available From Tues.- Fri $14.99.

Here's this week's lunch specials~~

All week~ Winter Solstice Salad ~ Spinach, arugula, red onion, feta, red grapefruit sections, orange sections, pomegranate, almonds, avocado, and chicken with an orange vinaigrette. Usually $7.59- this week $7.25

Tuesday~ Teri-yaki chicken with jasmine rice, stir-fried bok-choy, snow peas, swiss chard and garlic plus cup of miso soup $7.99
Wednesday~ Sirloin steak salad ~~ Romaine, arugula, feta, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber topped with slices of medium rare sirloin steak and our oriental sesame dressing $7.99
Thursday~ Chicken mole tacos on corn tortillas with guac, salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips $7.99
Friday~ Crab and Avocado Salad with Japanese Dressing $7.99

All right, Kids! I am ready to dive into the week. Let's make it a happy one! Thanks for being along for the ride.

~~Susan

W/E February 23 Picking up speed

As the momentum of spring is picking up speed, so is our business. It is a fun ride. With Amy and Drew in place the creativity is no longer solely on my shoulders, and the result is far less draining on me personally. I like that. In fact, I have always wanted this to be more of a collaborative effort than a one-man show. Yes, it is nice to get the individual feedback, but it is just as nice to tell you that the dish you are raving about was created by Amy or Drew. They make up the core of our team, and I feel pretty certain they are going to be able to take us to the next level—whatever that should be. At this point we are focusing our expansion on generating more regular customers for the weekday dinners. These are hours I am already working and would like to see a stronger return on my time.

We are also gearing ourselves to be able to do some nice, small-to-medium scale catering. I have no interest in competing for tight-budget, high-volume luncheons that strip everything to the bare bones and require the use of low-end ingredients in order to meet the budget. I prefer to stick to what we are good at—good quality food made from real, preferably local ingredients, presented in ways that are healthy and enticing. Over the last few months we have done several small-to-medium sized parties and events ranging from baby showers to wedding receptions to retirement parties. Most were held here at the cafe. I am proud to say they all went quite well.

One aspect of catering I really enjoy is meeting with the customer to learn about the event itself, the people involved and designing a menu to meet those needs and budget. I am very comfortable discussing budgets, dietary restraints and decorative options. Recently, we expanded our resources and reference materials to include some floral design. If you have been in within the last week, you have seen some of Amy's work with the roses and orchids on the tables. This week we will really test our floral design skills when we do the flowers for the Filipino Dinner on Saturday. I have ordered all sorts of tropical flowers, and we plan some rather tall, lighted tablescapes. Watch for it!

Speaking of the Filipino Dinner... we had an unexpected cancellation, plus I accidently counted someone twice. So we have 4 openings I'd really like to fill. Our being able to do these special dinners with any regularity means we need to fully fill our tables. I am quite excited about the menu and though I realize the cost at $60 is pricey, I know you will be getting a full value. This cost includes 4 wines that are served with various courses. The menu itself is 8 courses, 9 -10 if you count each entrée. You will go home feeling like you have been transported to a different part of the planet. I plan to share not only the foods of the Philippines with you but some of the culture and history.You'll gain some understanding that can lead to a broader picture of where you fit in this universe. No. I won't be addressing philosophy... just broadening your horizon. Please call early in the week to fill those spots. If you have not already paid for your slot, please do so ASAP. Thanks.

You know we are always searching for ways to offer you foods that better support your health. We are very excited about our latest acquisition: a high-tech water machine that provides healthy drinking water rich in minerals, purged of impurities, and ionized through electrolysis. You'll find blue bottles of our new water on your table, so you can refill your water glasses at your meals. If you'd like to learn more about this water and the benefits it can provide, you can visit www.water-4-life.net or ask Jon for more information. Bottoms up!

~This week's dinner specials~

Mardi Gras slipped by and suddenly we are in Lent. This will give us an opportunity to bring out some vegetarian or at least meatless dishes. I'll begin this week by making 2 seafood entrées for dinner. The first one is breakfast at dinner: Smoked salmon 3-egg omelette. I'll make this using the local free-range eggs we get from an Amish farm near Seymour. The omelette will be filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, grilled shallots, capers, fresh dill and fresh tomatoes. It will be served with potato pancakes accompanied by sour cream and applesauce, as well as our bread and a small spinach salad.  $11.99

The second seafood option at dinner will be Mahi-mahi lettuce wraps. You'll get 2. They will be filled with the mahi plus pineapple confetti rice and accompanied by Caribbean Kim Chee and my Sea Sauce. We wood-fired the mahi-mahi this weekend so the flavor profile is somewhat smokey. The Caribbean Kim Chee is worth a comment. It is made from napa cabbage, sweet red peppers, green mango, garlic, carrots, pineapple, cilantro, ginger, scallions, sriracha (rooster sauce), sesame oil and salt. The whole shebang is allowed to marinate while the salt draws out the flavors and begins to break down the fruits and vegetables. When the juice is drained off, the result is a nicely crispy refreshing salad. We offered it first last week with the mahi-mahi dinner, and it was very well received. I look forward to sharing it with you and developing a few more Caribbean Kim Chee fans.  $12.99

Our third dinner entrée this week will be the crowd favorite of beef Mostaccioli. This baked Italian pasta dish is full of Italian-seasoned ground beef, penne pasta, marinara, ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. I'll serve it with a side salad and our bread with pesto sauce.  $10.99

Now here are the lunch specials~~

Tuesday~ Grilled Reuben Sandwiches~Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island Dressing on Jason McLaughlin's rye bread with side  $7.75
Wednesday~ Potato pancakes, sour cream, applesauce and turkey sausage  $7.75
Thursday~ Bagels (Jason's locally made) with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers and sliced vine-ripened tomatoes, plus side  $7.99
Friday~ Crab and avocado salad with Japanese dressing. If you know me, you know I never use fake crab- EVER. Sooo delish!  $7.99

Soup this week~ Kapusta This is a Polish pork, cabbage and potato soup that is really filling. We start with country style ribs, fresh cabbage and our own pork broth. Yum!

The desserts this week will start with a chocolate cheesecake. Don't know where we are going after that. Probably something fruity.

I hope you can enjoy the hint of spring in the air. Notice that the tips of the tree branches are starting to fatten up and flocks of robins are hunting worms. Surely they are signs of warmth soon to follow. We'll get a nasty blast of winter mid-week, but by noticing these "sure signs" perhaps you can maintain an air of hope to carry you through. Have fun this week. We are!

~~Susan

W/E February 16th. Happy year of the snake

Thank you to everyone who made the effort to join us on Friday night last week. It was Jon's 60th birthday and he was performing. When he is playing and singing you are seeing him in his "zone" and experiencing his passion. You were an attentive audience and that is the biggest payoff for him. Thank you.

I finally have the Filipino Flavor Excursion dinner menu somewhat finalized. There may have to be last minute modifications based on ingredient availability, but I already have most of it. I have now sent the menu to my wine guy and he is working with his experts to pair up 4 wines to accompany the courses. We still have 4 slots as of this writing. The cost is $60/pp and includes the wines. It'll be happening on Saturday February 23rd at 6 pm.

Amuse bouche~fresh summer roll with nuoc cham dipping suace

Appetizer~ Chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce

Soup~Chicken soup with coconut

Salad~ Green papaya salad 

Seafood~ Filipino paella-shrimp, mussels, octopus, calamari, mahi-mahi

Fresh Fruit~ papaya, mango, kiwi and lychee with Salabat ginger tea

Meat course~ Pork adobo with rice noodles

Dessert course~Cashew custard in meringue

The Valentine's dinner is this week. We will be open regular hours and the full dinner menu will be available. However, I have put together a special Valentine's dinner available in limited quantity. The oysters are a variety called Fanny Bay and are being flown in from the Pacific northwest coast. Fanny Bay Oysters are found in the nutrient rich waters of Baynes Sound on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, BC. The flavor profile description is medium salty and firm texture with a pronounced cucumber and fruity finish. When you make reservations you may select your time frame. The cost for the special dinner is $28/pp. Here's that special aphrodisiac menu~

Oyster shooter~chili rimmed glass, fresh oyster, vodka, cocktail sauce, lime

*

Oysters on the half shell with fresh remoulade 

or Oysters Rockefeller- cooked on the half-shell with bacon and bread crumbs

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Spinach and arugula salad with feta, strawberries, marinated figs, pomegranates 

and walnuts topped with our sweet sesame dressing

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Mussels in a light curry sauce over freshly made black squid pasta

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Palate cleanser~cucumber ice cream

*

Roasted garlic-studded beef sirloin roast with creamy horseradish sauce and duchess potatoes

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Raspberry tira misu or chocolate cheesecake

We hope to have some Asti and champagne available as well as our usual lineup of wines. 

We've begun planting some of our fresh herbs and sprouts. The pea sprouts will be the first to come out and hopefully you'll see signs of them on your plates soon. I love how spring is a slow build up of energy here. It is palpable. Even before the bales of soil go out in the feed stores' parking lots, plans are bring made for seed swaps and discussions fill the air over which varieties to plant. Now, more than ever, avoiding seed in your food plot that has been genetically modified is a big topic. GMOs are creeping into our diets more insidiously than a runaway kudzu. It is hard to believe you actually have to seek out seeds that have not been modified to work with "round-up". We prefer to buy our produce from folks who are paying attention to these issues and support their choices. During the winter months we buy much of the produce that goes into the stir-fries from Maranatha Farm. Mary and Skip Badiny are committed to growing organically and we love what they bring us. They also produce much of our summer tomatoes, herbs and fresh veggies.  

We get our mushrooms locally from Willow Mountain Mushrooms—buttons, portabellas, and shitakes and occasionally oyster mushrooms. Our eggs are from an Amish farm in the Seymour area. They are free range, antibiotic-free and very tasty. I often find double yolkers. If you know anyone raising Aracana chickens please tell them I'd like to buy eggs from them. They come in with shells already a lovely greenish blue—almost the color of our walls. I just love peeling them for the spinach salad. We now have staff that are ardent gardeners themselves and the peelings and produce trash that doesn't make it into our weekly veggie broth goes home with them for their compost heaps.

One of our newest additions to the staff is Amy. She comes with an impressive experience history that includes several years of working in a vegetarian restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. She also spent time in a cafe much like ours where the quality of the food was a high priority and visiting with customers an important part of her job. We are excited to have her as a part of our collaborative team. She brings a fresh level of passion and excitement to the game. We plan on starting to open for Monday lunches around the beginning of March and Meatless Monday lunch specials will be her personal contribution. Watch for it.

More and more we seem to be becoming something of a community hub. We are proud of that and want you to know that if you have a group that likes to meet casually on a weekly or monthly basis, we are happy to host it. We currently often have knitters meeting about 10 am in the annex on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Even though we are not open for business, our tables are available for a quiet meeting space. Did you know we also have free WiFi? Our password is LunchBunch. All one word with the L and the B capitalized. 

If you want get our weekly blog with the upcoming menu specials, be sure to sign up with your email address at the counter. Alternatively, you can find us on Facebook—A La Carte Cafe WP. If you liked our food please tell the world via Facebook or one of the rating sites like Yelp.com. We always are seeking your feedback, good or bad. We listen and try to keep up with your desires and preferences. We know we can't please everyone—but we wish to be more inclusive than not. Our commitment is to producing fresh real food from scratch using as much local sourcing as possible. We let the food speak for itself and thus far have grown almost entirely via word of mouth. Now in our third year, we have an ad in the Buzz to help build the midweek dinner "regulars." Please continue to share us with your family and friends. The comment we most frequently hear from newcomers is "This is here in West Plains? I feel like I'm eating at a place I'd only find in a big city." Thank you. My personal creative mission is to expand your palate by presenting a variety of foods not generally found in the local dining establishments. This might translate to using a wider variety of vegetables in your salads or stir-fries, or acquainting you with the foods from a foreign cuisine. Sometimes we just flat out get experimental. It is all about having fun and really enjoying your meal-time. In this fast-paced world we invite you to take a few moments to breathe, visit with friends and family and enjoy the flavors passing over your tongue. 

Now to this week's lunch and dinner specials~~

~~Lunches~~

Tuesday~ Crab and pimento cheese quesadilla with all the fixings-sr cream, guacamole, salsa, chips $7.99

Wednesday~1905 salad—Adapted from the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, FL—Romaine, Swiss cheese, turkey, tomatoes, Romano cheese, Kalamata olives and the 1905 dressing which has strong lemon and Worchestershire flavorings.**customer favorite heads up!$7.75

Thursday~Valentine's Day~De-constructed chicken pot pie—crepes with creamy chicken filling plus a variety of fresh mixed veggies and a side salad.$7.99

Friday~Swiss Chard, fennel, bacon and muenster cheese quiche with a side salad $7.99  

~~Dinners~~

Flavor journey~~Lemon chicken pasta plus soup or salad. Made with fresh lemon juice,olive oil, capers, fennel sprigs and garlic plus linguine. $12.99 Available all week.

Seafood~~ Available Wednesday through Friday~~ Havana Mahi-mahi $19  Papaya and mango Mojito glaze, Caribbean kimchee, served with a citrus and arugula salad, pencil asparagus, and jasmine rice. You asked for good seafood...

Also available Wed- Fri or until gone—Flown in fresh from the Pacific northwest! Fanny Bay oysters on the half shell. Half dozen $16, dozen $24.

As you can see, we are starting to have some real fun. I love having the additional collaborative energy. I've always wanted to have this be more than the sum of its parts. There is some serious synergy starting to happen. I am really tickled to get to share a bit of our creativity via the Flavor Excursion. Thank you for the amazing level of support you have shared with us. It keeps us motivated and excited about what comes next.

Hope this week is a grand one for you.  Don't forget to take care of your Honey!

~~Susan