If this is the weather we get in payment for two days/four inches of rain, I'll take it. Last night was one of the more beautiful, with the sliver of moon peaking from the clouds now and then and the big dipper poised in between. Of course, a night like that wrecks havoc with our dinner business - especially this spring - but it's almost worth it.
Wednesday night was a little lackluster, which surprised me because the PF menu featured baby back ribs. The best news of the week is that lunches are back on track - hopefully our customers have come to the realization that #1 we are indeed open and #2 there are no traffic issues holding things up. It's been a relief to see the lunch business pick back up, after two very slow weeks. The truth is, you can't worry about the day to day fluctuations, because that would drive you crazy. Week to week, maybe, but mostly monthly is a more realistic picture to snap.
Anyway, back to the Wednesday menu. We started with a salad of Little Gem lettuce, dressed with a buttermilk feta dressing and house-smoked bacon.
(FYI - in these days of computer demons, most notably "HeartBleed", please know that I check any link I include in this blog with "Safe Web - Heartbleed Check", found here.)
The babyback ribs that followed were made by Jay, and were rubbed with a tasty sweet-salty-spicy rub before roasting. They were really good. Of course, all I got were the excess bones, mostly meat-free, that he discarded when he cut them for portioning, but it was all I needed. It was a rub I would like to use myself - wings come to my mind first. I'll try to get him to share.
Dessert was - surprise! - a mini ice cream sandwich:
Ha! If you didn't get one at Taste of the Town, now you had another chance! A gluten-free peanut butter cookie, sandwiched around some Kilby Cream vanilla.
Veal has been on the Specials list this week - here presented as "Tongue in Cheek", which was just that - veal tongue and cheek, plus some chicken and pork sausage, with a melt of mozzarella on top.
Judy liked it!
As Mandrell prepares to move up the line, he is getting some new experiences along the way. One of his new duties is to make the quiche. Let me know what you think next time you have it for lunch! Today he is working with Kevin on a soup - which eventually will be another of his responsibilities - and also beginning to train the applicant who may be taking over his spot on the line. A lot on his plate these days, but we think he is up to it. With two new employees on the lunch staff, there is alot of training going on, which can be a little stressful for all of the parties concerned, but hopefully the results will be a crew that works well together with confidence and without drama.
And it just occurred to me, that if today's try-out succeeds, Kevin will have only male cooks in his kitchen. As a matter of fact, Tiffany and the two Debbies will be the only women in the kitchen day and night. That is an absolute first, that I can recall, in his history as a chef-owner-operator, for him to have no women cooks. We'll see how it plays out...
A lot of seasonal events approaching, beginning tonight with the First Friday of May, which, if this evening is as lovely as last, will mean certain death for our dinner business... Next up is Mother's Day, but since we all know that everyday is Mother's Day, we celebrate that daily at Brooks Tavern. However, it is typically a very busy Sunday for the restaurant industry. After that, locally, is the Commencement of Washington Colllege Seniors, falling this year on May 17th, followed two weeks later by the world renowned Chestertown Tea Party. Plenty to keep us busy for the merry month of May! And in between we can cram in some gardening:
Someone left this little basket of herbs on the door handle to the mechanical room, which is next door to our loading dock. We think it was meant for us, even though it wasn't exactly at our door, but we're not really sure. And there was no note, no explanation within. Whoever left it, we will take good care of the little plants and see that they get potted in the loading dock garden. As soon as I get some more potting soil. We lost our rosemary - didn't everyone? - and I think the mint, which is surprising, but the tarragon is coming on strong and the hens and chickens made it through as well. Soon we hope we'll be cutting asparagus in our home garden.
My haiku for the week:
Spring bounty is late;
Still, bound to come to us soon.
We will be patient.
And on that note, peace out!
Post-script - the source of what we now recognize as a "May Basket", above, is a fan of ours who actually does know their way around a garden! Thank you so much Shari, we will do the plants justice!
Post-script - the source of what we now recognize as a "May Basket", above, is a fan of ours who actually does know their way around a garden! Thank you so much Shari, we will do the plants justice!
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