Last week was quite the whirlwind!  I'm on the board of a national chef's organization called Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.  Our Executive Director got a call from the White House last week announcing a call for chefs to attend the kickoff of a new program of Michelle Obama which is an initiative to pair chefs and schools: Chefs Move to Schools.

 

I already have a wonderful connection with Isaac Dickson Elementary School here and so, after a quick phone call to Susan Shillcock, my favorite teacher over there, I was signed up and pumped!

 

I go up there in a couple of weeks and hope to come back filled with information about our First Lady's wishes.  I think Asheville is a great place to do this and I'm excited to be a part from the very beginning.

 

Oh joy oh joy!  Henry is getting better!!!

 

He and his lovely parents were in town for a tiny bit this weekend.  They are redoing their kitchen, getting ready for their return to our town.  Henry's cell counts are doing well and, sometime in the middle of June, this sweet family will pack up their things and will come home. 

 

I got to be omelet babe last weekend for a graduation celebration.  Deb got all my ingredients together for me and left me this little love note.

 

Here are our dinners for the week. Order by noon and we'll have your dinner ready to pick up by 3. We are open until 8 now which makes it easy for you to dawdle if you like. Feel free to stay right here with us if you like. We'll reheat your meal and stay out of your way.

 

 

Monday May 24

Chicken Schnitzel 11.25

 

Tuesday May 25

* Seared Tilapia with Lemon Ginger Butter 11.50

 

Wednesday May 26

Bone-in Roast Chicken with Fried Green Tomatoes 11.25

 

Thursday May 27

Classic Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatoes 11.00

 

Friday May 28 *

Hickory Nut Gap Pork Chop with Grilled Asparagus 12.50

 

* these are gluten free

 (though it is important to know that

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.

 

 

This week's casserole is:

 

Wednesday, May 26

Eggplant Parmesan

Full: 42.00

Half: 21.00

 

We make Lasagna every Friday. Here's this Friday's offering:

 

Friday, May 21

Spinach and Artichoke

Full: 38.00

Half: 19.00

 

 

 

We're graced with more local brilliance this week.  Hilary Dirlam (pictured) and Rhonda Gouge will fill The Garden Room with mountain music: guitar, mandolin, banjo, singing.  And here's what the Blue Ridge Heritage folks have to say about Rhonda:

 

"Since her birth in McDowell County in 1955, Rhonda Gouge has lived in Mitchell County, and she has played guitar since she was a young girl. "I was exposed to music through my mom and her family," she says. Rhonda's mother was an expert shape-note singer and could play piano by ear. Her brothers and sisters were also musical. Rhonda became fascinated with the guitar while watching Arthur Smith and Fred Kirby perform on the Arthur Smith Show from WBTV in Charlotte, the one television channel her family's antenna would receive."

 

We have kids and more kids coming here for lunch these days.  and no, we don't have a special kid's menu, since the moms tell us that our food is great just as it is.

 

 

May 22, 2010

 

Hey there.

 

Once again I am sitting down to this note well past noon. Where DOES the time go?

 

I’ve had a hard time staying grounded this week, thinking about traveling to Washington, DC soon. I really am going up and coming back very quickly. I am going to be a part of an audience but it is still exciting to think about. I mean, I’ve looked through those gates plenty of times. It’s fun to think about going through them, visiting the garden, seeing the bees, hearing Michelle Obama’s plant for connecting chefs and schools.

 

It really has been a full week for me, scurrying around doing this and that. By yesterday, filled to overfull, I went home and absolutely collapsed on my bed – right in the middle of the afternoon. My pup wondered what was going on, but she settled in next to me and we snoozed for about 2 hours before I dragged myself up and out to dinner (with Emily, Adam, and Henry!)

 

I keep thinking that things are going to slow down, but really I don’t know where I am getting that idea. And really, they just keep getting more and more full of good things. I’ll take it! I’ve spent plenty enough time with worry or concern or fear. This, this energy and excitement feels very good and is just fine with me.

 

It will be a fine week here with wonderful music on Thursday and all kinds of good food and nice weather. We hop into our busiest time this coming weekend with more graduations and weddings and events. Zip zip!

 

Hold onto NEXT Tuesday too. We’re going to be visited by The Dustbusters, an old-time band from Brooklyn, NY. Word is getting out about our “listening room” and these folks contacted me to come play here. At the end of June we’ll be visited by another old-time band – from Nashville. Yee ha! Roots, Folks, and World music indeed. The musicians, including the jazz trio from Paris who were here this past week, tell me that the room has a “good vibe.” I agree and it’s nice that so many folks want to play here.

 

Whew! I think I’ll wrap this up and go home to my bees and my dog.

 

Hayden, my assistant, and I are working on making stripes!  This is such a fun thing to do.  My shop windows are filling up, once again, with stripes of all kinds.