The forecasters were predicting 6-12" of snow last night.  I puffed out my chest and said, "I'll believe it when I see it!"  (oops.)

 

It really did happen and we're closed today (Saturday.)

Everything is cancelled.  Everything is closed, except for the grocery stores, and we're going to try again for next week. 

 

Well, we had to call this dinner off last night since the snow was coming down.  BUT, we've decided to try it again this coming Friday.  SO, if you want to come, give us a call.  Great food, fabulous wine, mid-winter camaraderie.  What else do you need?

 

Here's the menu:

 

We’ll have hors d’oeuvres (“Antipasti”), a First Course, a Pasta Course (“Primi”), A Main Course (“Secondi”), and a traditional Tuscan finish too (“Dolce”). The cost will be $55.00 (+ tax) per person which will include recipes, the demonstration, all the food (of course!)

 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the FIVE special Tuscan wines to go with it all.

 

As they say, “Buon divertimento” (“have fun!”)

 

Call 252-1500 to save your spots.

 

No surprise, we changed the date for this one too.  Good news is - you can still come!  This coming Saturday, February 6. 

 

 

Class will start at 10 and will last until 12 or so.  The cost is $35, which will cover the cost of one big kid/little kid duo.

 

We're going to make a few things - including (but not limited to) these:

 

Savory Cheesy Pastries

Mini pizzas

Carrot Curls with Ranch Dip

Banana Boats

Pineapple Turnovers

Sparkling Fruit Punch

 

Dinners come with a freshly-made green salad, salad dressing of the day, and made-right-here bread of the day. We take reservations until noon or so. Orders are ready by 3.

 

Feel free to stay here with us, listening to music and visiting with your friends. I can't think of a nicer place to linger and we're now open until 8, you know.

 

Please order by phone (252-1500) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

Dinners for this week are:

 

Monday February 1

*Rosemary Chicken w/ Beans and Potatoes Niçoise 11.25

 

Tuesday February 2

Cumin-lime Flank Steak with Fried Plantain Tostones 12.75

 

Wednesday February 3

Hanoi Fried Fish with Stir-fried Greens 11.95

 

Thursday February 4

Classic Chicken Croquettes 11

 

Friday February 5

Savory Meatballs with Roasted Root Vegetables 11

 

We make a special casserole each week.

 

Order by noon or so. Order a half if you have around 4 folks. If you have a bigger group, or you just like leftovers, order a full-sized one.

 

Then come pick up between 3:00 and 8:00. (Or bring a gang and enjoy your dinner right here. We do have beer and wine by the glass, you know.)

 

Please order by phone (252-1500) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

Wednesday, February 3

Chicken Paprikash with Egg Noodles

Full: 46

Half: 23

 

Here's a look at our sweet cafe, all full of happy listeners.  Jenna Lindbo was here last week and she filled the joint!  (If I knew how, I'd offer to produce a CD for her.  I think she's fabulous!)

 

This week we have a return engagement of Will Straughan (and friends).  He also has a captivating sound, plays the heck out of all sorts of instruments, and has a collection of friends who blend right in.

 

Yup, Noel, here in the office, suggested we start making a second casserole each week.  Seemed like a good idea, at least during the winter.  Lasagna is popular, so we're going to offer two different Lasagnas every Friday for awhile.

 

This week we're making:

Traditional Beef Lasagna

Full: 45

Half: 22.50

 

AND

 

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

Full: 38

Half: 19

 

Yikes!

 

There is so much going on I forgot to mention a new series of cooking classes....

 

We'll have a short series of classes in February. The first one is going to be Wednesday, February 10. 6-8pm. Cost is $35.00 which includes recipes, demonstrations, tastes of everything, and a glass of wine too.

 

The topic for the first one will be Mardi Gras delights: Cajun soups, Jambalaya, Gumbo, that sort of thing. Give a call if you'd like to come. Mardi Gras is on the 16th so this'll get you ready. (We'll serve King Cupcakes at this class - if you get the baby hidden in one, your next class will be free.)

 

January 30, 2010

 

Hi there,

 

I’m the only one here at work. We decided to be closed, since we had a snow storm last night. But all my files and all my pictures and all my work is here – at work, so I braved the snow and came on in.

 

It’s hard to believe it’s almost February. January is one of the hardest months around here usually, though this year, for some reason, things perked along nicely.

 

I’d like to tell you a bit of a story this morning. It happened earlier this week and still is with me. It might always be with me.

 

Andy is a fellow works here at lunchtime cleaning tables and sweeping. I originally met him at Jubilee, the place I go to on Sunday mornings – my spiritual home. Andy sometimes helps Howard conduct the service, and it is a beautiful thing to watch. Over the years, Andy has been doing more and more, and now, if he is there, he does almost the entire service next to Howard, leading prayers, singing, dancing, that sort of thing.

 

Earlier this year, Andy’s mother asked me if we could use a bus boy, since Andy needed something to do a couple of days a week. I should say that Andy has Down Syndrome. As it turned out, we had an opening so Andy started working with us.

 

At first, being shy, he did not say much and, frankly, he can be hard to understand. He is very expressive, but not always such a clear speaker. I’m getting better at understanding him and he, to be sure, is getting better at speaking to me.

 

As I said, January is a tough time for me. After the hubbub of December, the letdown of January can really clobber me. And let’s be honest, last year was a hugely challenging one, not just for me but for anyone who runs a business – or, for that matter, for anyone. Everyone has been affected by the “economic downturn” and it can be hard to be in a position of responsibility, with staff and vendors to pay and not enough coming in to take care of the obligations.

 

Historically I have looked, sometimes frantically, for someone to comfort me. I’ve even gone so far as to say to someone (more often than I'd like to admit) , "Look, just say it’s going to be okay, okay?” And then the person would say, “It IS going to be okay. You KNOW that, right?” And that would settle me down for a minute or so. But that comfort, not surprisingly, was fleeting. I’ve gotten better at looking inside and finding solace within. And I’m S – L – O – W –L –Y getting to the point where I can trust that we’ll weather this particular storm (whatever it is.) It has been some time since I’ve tried to put comforting words in someone else’s mouth, knowing that I won’t really believe them anyway.

 

So earlier this week I was actually feeling pretty good. For a January we’ve been nicely busy. The summer looks great (yay) with a lot of weddings and big events in the hopper. The café has been full and these new evening music events seem to be gaining momentum.  We are doing okay and I am feeling guardedly optimistic.  The bills will get paid.  The work will keep coming in.  We will figure it out.

 

So I was sitting in my chair at my desk and Andy came into the office, saying, in his own way, “Laurey…” He came right the room, came around my desk, stepped over the piles of things in his way, came right next to my chair and took my head and held it to his chest.

He patted my hair.

He really just held me there.  For a pretty long time.

And then, in his own Andy way, he said,

“Don’t worry Laurey. It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

 

Blew my mind.

Still does.

Monsieur Henri made a guest appearance here yesterday.  Adam and Emily (his parents) snuck away from the doctors and the hospital and snuck into town for the weekend.  A second bone marrow transplant is on the schedule for March (prayers are accepted!) and so, in this break, they came for some French Toast and hugs.