Friday, August 23, 2013

The Weekly Report...

...on Friday again. 

It was seriously Burger Mania last night.  Over 45 burgers sold.  And it was a boisterous crowd, with a 30 minute wait at the door.  We sat customers until ten after eight, and it was probably close to 9 before the last order went out of the kitchen.  Late for us.  Unlike Tuesday night, when we had the doors locked and the lights out at 8:00 and home by 8:45.  Two extremes, from about as slow as a weeknight dinner service can get to the busiest.  Keeps us on our toes!

Wednesday was more of a normal night, featuring an excellent prix-fixe menu and few interesting specials. 

For the starter, Jay made toast out of the brioche bread we use for sandwiches, to act as the base for sliced tomato and the mozzarella roll.  It was put in the oven to let the cheese melt a bit and then served on a little bed of greens with some balsamic vinaigrette.  Had to be tasty.  And I heard it was...

Main course: a cod cake with lemon caper glaze.  Kevin was quick to emphasize that this was not a "Baltimore coddie".  No potatoes except the ones on the side.  This was basically a crab cake made with cod.  Served alongside Arnold Farm corn and Redman's green beans, with the aforementioned mashed, it was a plate to savor.  I think you could put that lemon caper glaze on anything and it would be savored!

Dessert brought out the peaches - which are fairly ubiquitous on the dessert menu right now, from pie to panna cotta - this time on angel food cake. 

Stewed with a little sugar, it makes a nice light summer time sweet as the finale.  Over all I would say it was a successful menu, and we had a nice crowd in to enjoy it.  I personally had way too much fun, which is not unusual on a night where a lot of local regulars provide the entertainment.  

One such group was this foursome.  The Holletts and the Tysons dine out together often, but Wednesday night was a special occasion.  The Holletts were celebrating 60 years of wedded bliss and the Tysons their own 55.  Reverend Hollett is 90 years old!  Who would have guessed that??  He was the minister at Emmanuel Church during the late sixties, when I was at confirmation age.  Mr. Tyson was the church organist, where he can still be found often enough to the current day.  The Tysons are both retired from teaching careers; Mr. Tyson was my Algebra teacher in 11th grade, and he was tough.  You either learned in his class or you got out.  He was one of the better ones.  

Anyway, I had a long chat with the celebrants, talking about the past and the future, everyone giving everyone else a pleasantly hard time. My job, chatting up the guests, right?!


Another special guest, in for lunch this week, was recently-turned-one Baby Hayley, in with Mom Jenn and a friend.  What a cutie.  We all took turns carrying her around the dining room, into the kitchen and even into the office next door.  The smile never left her face!

We've been serving some very good specials at lunch this week, including various salad combinations with corn and avocado.  Abby put together a stuffed pepper that was very popular as well:
 
Dinner specials have featured porchetta, from the recent 106 pound pig delivered by Kim last Friday, and several arrangements of St. Brigid's Farm veal, including the one last night with shoulder and shrimp:

The fish got a little fancy yesterday.  Kevin rolled the fillets of fluke around roasted zucchini, tomato and red pepper.  It was a beautiful presentation, one of the ones where the customer insists it is too pretty to eat.  And then of course, it's gone.


I am having a very hard time believing that the summer is coming to a close.  School starts next week, meaning I'll lose my daytime hosts to academia.  The weather forecast indicates that we've had our last heat wave.  Next thing you know there will be pumpkins and apples on the menu.  Of course, that also means oysters aka oyster fritter, so it's not all bad.  Still, it's been a "different" summer this year and I am not really satisfied.  I need more.  

Probably have to wait a year for that...

Peace out!


 

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