Sunday Recap

This week I learned that:

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade...

That I'm a locavore chef and making any lemonade is only possible when you have good, fresh, local, honest lemons...

Quiet

Today it felt as if time was moving slower.  I think that we had so much on our minds between opening a second place while keeping up with BLG that when the second place slipped away, it almost feels like we have nothing to do.  We were very busy on Friday, which meant there was a fair amount of work to be done today in order to be ready to do it again by tonight, but somehow it felt easy.  It seems like I don't have much to do tomorrow either even though a good deal of housework has backed up and we are expecting another busy night at the restaurant.  Maybe I will make some lemonade with my newly acquired illusion of extra time and can enjoy some summer like the "Average Joe".  Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts...

Unfortunate Turn of Events

We finally heard back from McCarthy Properties about the lease.  It turns out "that the potentially negative impacts of a restaurant , as you have now described it, on the residential component of the building outweigh its benefits to our overall business."  Interesting.  Apparently, we "have now described it" exactly the way we originally described it to them but it somehow seems different to them now.  This was how one of our last conversations via email ended:

"...Hello Elizabeth & Dan. We are all set to proceed and all are very enthused and all think the menu is a winner! Just what the block/neighborhood has been waiting for! A few details about the construction for you to consider and I will be in touch with you tomorrow..."  

Slightly hypocritical, just slightly.

This was sent on the 15th of July.  She did not get back to us until Friday the 22nd saying she would have their response to the lease negotiations on the 25th .  Then on the 25th we received an email saying the property management company was still working on the lease will have it by the 26th.  No response.  On the 28th we opened an email saying "Will email you this evening."  Of course we didn't received an email until today saying they did not want a restaurant in their space.

No one should be surprised to hear that I am more than a little annoyed with the McCarthy family right now.  Needless to say this was a display of poor professionalism.  First they rushed us into "committing to the space."  We did and put together a concept and informed them of our plan.  They loved the idea and so we proceeded.  Then after ok-ing the concept, they threw a curveball (right before were to start lease negotiations) by requiring an unnecessary hood which would raise our construction costs by $25,000 +.  We told them this would be a deal breaker and we could only proceed it they were ok with the hood we were set to install, which of course was completely up to code.  They ok-ed the hood and so we moved forward.  They were now on us to sign a lease.  Even though they kept changing their construction timeline and plan, we still managed to proceed promptly with our side of the lease negotiations.  Keep in mind all the while this back and forth was happening, we kept receiving emails with phrases like "optimistic the BLG's GRUB will soon be opening on Pleasant Street" and "enthused" and "extremely excited for a restaurant."  All to end like this.

At least for us the only thing we lost was time, energy and a temporary smile.  We have immediately turned our focus into looking for another location for our concept, if anybody knows of a good spot...

The Votes Are In

After reviewing all the polls, votes and emails about how often we should change the menu, we have decided to change the menu dependent on the market rather than by the month.  In the end the voting was close, but a majority of the voters asked that we change the menu a little less often.  I think this is good and bad, but I think that the good outweighs the bad.  It was a little stressful doing a complete overhaul of the menu each month and this years stressful growing season hasn't helped.  It think the change will allow us to develop dishes around our farm's offerings even more so than we already do, which is right in line with our concept and philosophy.  It is hard to say whether or not it will help with "the flops" and "the winners", at the least it will allow us to focus on what makes the dish "a flop" and maybe turn it around. 

Another small change to our menu is that we will be offering the a few of the bar menu items in The Market Tapas Bar.  We also added a few fun dishes like poutine, gougeres with bleu cheese and sauteed mushrooms with parsley.  I think we will keep adding dishes as The Market business picks up.  It should be a fun addition to the feel of BLG.

For those of you who voted against any change, don't worry.  Conceptually we aren't changing much.  We are still going to offer dishes that feature the local bounty at the peak of season, just now it will be a few dishes at a time rather than an entire change.  I think this is an overall good thing, I think our consistency will improve and we will only get better as time goes on.  If not, we will revisit this again.  Hopefully we are making the right decision.  I am pretty sure we are making the right decision.  When you give the customer a say, things usually work out well...

Genetically Modified Food

Today I overheard a someone say "...they are in the process of developing a genetically modified meat.  If they are successful, I would consider eating meat again because they are saying it would be completely sustainable."

I am so happy to see that this person is willing to break their vegetarianism to enjoy genetically modified "meat."  If only scientists are "raising" our meat, I will happily never eat meat again....

Local Artichokes

The Kitchen Garden sent me some artichokes today called Imperial Star Artichokes.  Apparently you can grow them as an annual in New England.  They have really thick leaves and a slightly smaller heart with less choke to worry about.  If you have never had a fresh-picked artichoke, and are an artichoke enthusiast, you are missing out.  They are so intensely artichokey with a really nice sweetness, a sweetness I think gets lost when they have to travel so far.  I am not sure if they are selling them at their farmer's markets but definitely worth a trip if they are.  Here is the website of our favorite farm...

http://kitchengardenfarm.com/

No word yet

We were due to hear back about the lease today, but no dice. Maybe tomorrow..

Sunday Recap

This week I learned...

that commercial dishwashers and 100 degree days should not be mentioned in the same sentence...

that when it's hot out, some people don't think jokes are very funny...

that even a the smallest change can make a big difference...

that keeping secret restaurants secret is stressful...

that it seems every week I learn that patience is a virtue and that days off are important, now I just need to learn to practice what I preach...

Part Deux

Yesterday I broke the news and today I am going to fill you in on the process thus far.

First we found a location.  We have a lot of fun concepts for the Valley but location dictates the concept.  Certain concepts would only do well in very specific locations, at least that's how we feel.  So once we found a location that was appropriate for one of our ideas we were able to move to the next step.

Next was finding out if the space was actually available (it was), making sure the owner would allow a restaurant (they would),  and making sure the inside space would accommodate our needs (it did).

Then we had to do a little homework and find out permit wise what it would take to turn the space into a restaurant.  This was (is) very important.  We went down to the building department and spoke the commissioner about issues such as zoning, handicap accessibility and ventilation.  The zoning was not an issue.  We were told we would not need to convert the bathroom into a handicap accessible bathroom, but we have been down this road before.  When opening BLG, we went through the same process and were told that we did not have to update the bathroom.  A month or so before we were set to open, the commissioner (different than the current one) came in and told us we would have to bring the lavatory up to code.  We had already budgeted not to do so, so this was a big deal.  A $15,000 big deal to be exact.  Good thing we had a contingency fund.  This time we are forecasting the same circumstance and budgeting for it just in case.  Ventilation was something we didn't have to worry about when building out BLG because the space had a working hood and fire suppression system.  The new space does not.  What we have planned would not need a full grease hood and fire suppression system (type I), but new code states that we have to put in some sort of ventilation. Our concept would require at least a steam and condensation hood (type II).   There is a big price difference in price so we adapted the concept to fit a type II requirement.

After speaking with the building inspector, we needed to work out a business plan and be sure we could get together the appropriate funding.  The plan itself is a lot of paperwork, paperwork is something a chef doesn't appreciate.  I actually like certain parts of a writing a plan, conceptualizing a new restaurant is a lot of fun. It's the financials that I am not so fond of (except the equipment list, sending a chef to a restaurant supply store is like sending a child to a toy store).  We put together a solid plan and headed off to the bank.

Murphy's Law tried to rear it's ugly head early, the landlords talked things over with their property management group and decided they wanted a type I hood with suppression.  We had already set a budget and the bank was already in the process of granting a loan so this new development was, to say the least, unsatisfactory.  We weren't comfortable with going forward under this new condition without knowing exactly what it would cost.  We put a hold on the bank's progress and set out to get estimates.  For our space, a type I hood would cost about $28,000 (actually on the cheap side for something like this, hoods can easily end up in the hundreds of thousands of dollars).  A type II would cost about $8,000.  We were not prepared to up our investment $20,000 on top of the possibility of a handicap bathroom, so we had a meeting with the landlord to discuss the specifics of the menu and concept and why a type I hood would be unnecessary.   The buildings owners changed their mind and we are now in the process of negotiating a lease.


All of this occurred in a mere couple of weeks, all while we were busy with BLG.  This is why we felt the need to head down to NYC a few times.  Good food, fun nights and a clear mind are necessary before jumping off the "part deux" cliff...

Here's some news

I apologize for the lack of substance in some of my more recent posts.  Lately I have been forcing some posts because my mind is on something else.  Something we have been trying to keep secret.  Then I wondered why I couldn't, or shouldn't write about it.   I started this blog not only for a little fun but as a therapy of sorts.  A way to get a few things off my mind and possibly a way to sort through my thoughts.  Besides, there are a number of people who know already so why shouldn't I be talking about it on my "journal"? 

Here you go...we are in the process of opening a new restaurant.  I don't want to divulge to much information right now, just in case it doesn't happen.  All I will say for now is that are in the very early stages of the process, we are working out our finances and just sbegan negotiating a lease.  There are still numerous variables that may sway our decision to proceed, but for now things are looking good. 

If we decide to go ahead, I will take you through what it takes to open a restaurant in Northampton...candidly.  I will keep you posted on the progress leading up to our decision and "leak" any information I can until everything is official.  Needless to say we are super excited, very anxious and sleeplessly nervous.  All over again.  One thing we are NOT is in a hurry.  We have a source of income this time, so unlike opening the BLG, we can afford patience.  We are also much more confident than we were with BLG.  You will not believe how much weight is off your shoulders when you can move forward confidently in a process like this.

Well, it feels good to put it out there.  Wish us luck...

Lemon Cukes

Not really sure why, but I am craving a lemon cucumber right now.  Maybe it's because it's 199 degrees outside and after working in a slightly warm kitchen all day, then biking a few miles home, I am craving something refreshing.  Next time you're at the farmer's market on a hot day, get yourself a few lemon cukes and snack as you shop.  Delicious...

Salt

Americans love to worry and obsess about health related things.  Most of these issues are unfortunately blown out of proportion and we end up making dietary changes for no warranted reason.  The issues that do require attention end up going through the media like a game of telephone and end up in our ear a far cry form the distorted truth.  What the hell am I rambling on about?   This time it's salt.  We are all aware that salt is bad...but is it?  I don't think it is and I have been pretty vocal about it over the years.   I strongly believe most of us are misinformed about the role that salt plays in our diet.  The fact of the matter is that salt effects different people in different ways.  Here is an interesting article someone sent me today, that way you don't have to take an over-seasoning chef's word for it...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt

Lobster Rolls!

Today at the farmer's market we served lobster rolls again.  Last time I made 30 and we sold out around 5:00 pm, this time I made 70 and we sold out by 4:00pm.  Granted, I sent out a notice to our mailing list but that is a lot of rolls.  Ten minutes after I sent out the notice, the phone wouldn't stop ringing and email requests started pouring in.

Then I received an email from a regular asking me to put it on our menu.  What a great idea.  Starting on Friday we are adding lobster rolls to our bar menu.   Hopefully we will be able to keep up with the demand...

If Your Ever In New York

First off, I owe you an apology. I missed yesterday's post and so I promise next Sunday's post will be an extra good 'recap'.

The only excuse I have for missing my post is that we were in New York. Yes, we went to the city again and we had a great time, as always. We have a few spots (for food of course) that we always like to hit when we make it down, and I thought I'd share a few with you.

-Pizza is a must. Lombardi's is great but a bit touristy. Joe's is perfect if you are just looking for a slice to munch on in the small park right next door.

-Lunch always at Piccola Cucina on Prince, a newer spot for us. Delicious homemade pastas, great wine list, a few small tables out front and the best part is everything on the menu is just 10 bucks at lunch. Can't go wrong with that.

-Tapas at Boqueria on Spring. A glass of rose sangria, maybe a Reuda. Always the Shisito peppers, yesterday had fried fresh baby eels that were fantastic.

-I can't say enough about Peasant on Elizabeth St.  A perfect name for delightful and satisfying food.

-The best bagels in NYC may just be from the Cupping Room on West Broadway.  Freshly made...enough said.

That should do you for your next trip...

Back again...

I just finished a good shift at work and packed a light suitcase because I am headed back to New York.  My wife has a wedding shower to go to and I unselfishly offered a ride.  If I am driving her to the train station I might as well drive her in to the city, and if I drive her into the city I might as well get some lunch...then a nap...then some cocktails and dinner...see some friends...any excuse is a good excuse in my book!

Interesting Food TV

There are two and a half food channels on tv but I feel like there is only a handful of shows on them worth watching.  In fact, I think about 90% of them are the exact same show with a different host.  Bravo, how many people intentionally eating odd or disgustingly large things can you fit into a day?  Food Network and The Cooking Channel (basically the same channel) show a white noise of "housewife how-to's" during the day and at night show a lot of their own "celebrity chefs" telling you how good something the ate was.  Don't get me wrong, there are very interesting and fun shows but they are too few and far between.  I cam e across this on Chris Cosentino's Blog and I wish that someone would have picked it up.  I think it is a very interesting concept, could be very educational and would have the appropriate "shock value" that Bravo seems to be looking for.  I should give warning this may be a little hard to watch...

http://www.offalgood.com/videos/my-rejected-tv-pilot-chef-unleashed

By the way, Chris Cosentino is one of the good guys and I highly recommend his restaurant.

A good joke

I read this today and couldn't stop laughing:

"Once, during prohibition, I was forced to live on nothing but food and water."
-W.C. Fields

Another one bites the dust

We just finished another cooking class at Different Drummer's Kitchen. I really enjoy doing these classes. I can't quite put my finger on it but I want to say it's because of the intimacy. At the restaurant I am in the kitchen all the time, only occasionally do I make it out to the dinning room and the conversation is usually forced. I used to be in the front of house and sometimes I think I miss that. People are fun, especially when you can relate about something. Teaching these classes is a perfect mix of both. If only I could design a restaurant concept around this...

Romanticizing the Seasons

We were at the farmer's market today hanging out with the farmers and picking up some goods for the restaurant and the home, when I found myself in an interesting conversation with Russell from Park Hill Orchard about berries.  We were sad to find out that the summer berry season is quickly coming to a close.  It was very interesting to find out he was as surprised as I was. 

I think that we often romanticize growing seasons, we like to remember them being longer than they actually are.  Berries are a perfect example.  We all seem to remember entire summers of eating strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  The unfortunate truth is that we only get to enjoy them for a matter of weeks.  We can probably attribute a lot of this nostalgia to the fact that we are fairly young into the farm to table movement and most of this memory is associated with eating what the supermarkets told us was "in season."  I don't think this is a bad thing.  There is something to be said for the excitement of the season and the joy of berry gluttony.

It doesn't matter how short the season is, I always want to remember the summer as fishing, eating berries, grilling and swimming...

Pan Bagnat

We had some tuna scraps left over from our Sustainable Seafood Dinner (which went very well) and that means Nicoise tuna sandwiches, or Pan Bagnats for the next few days.  My second favorite summer sandwich...right behind a BLT.  I like to use seared albacore tuna, tropea onions, confit tomatoes, black olives, anchovy, capers, hard-boiled egg, and fresh lettuce.  Now the trick is to gently fold everything together with some aioli and red wine vinaigrette, stuff it into a day old baguette, wrap it well, and let it sit overnight.  Then have it for lunch, or better yet, plan a picnic with someone special.  Be sure to pack a chilled bottle of rose and life is perfect....

Sunday Recap

What did I learn this week...

that I need to call my family more often.

that I really enjoy putting on wine dinners.

that those boring surveys sometimes make differences.

that focus can easily be lost and sometimes the best way to get it back is to relax.

that good food always comes from a staff that cares.

that my wife is more than my wife now and when she is sick and can't come to work, life sucks.

that when my mind is on other things my blog suffers...that will change this week...

Surveys and Polls

Today we put out a few surveys regarding how often we change our menu.  I am interested to see how the results stack up and to see if we might have to reformat our concept a bit.  We would never stray from our ideals as a restaurant, but we may change how often or in what manner we change the menu each month.  It is a little nerve racking and I am not sure why.  Chances are that nothing will happen, I think the nerves are in the chance that it might...

Finally

Finally, July's menu is complete.  Kinks are worked out and the menu "feels" like us.  Now I just have to get my act together for the Sustainable Seafood Wine Dinner.  This should be a wonderful dinner as long as we cross our t's and dot our i's.  We are a little short handed in both the kitchen and the front of house and this is one of our larger dinners at eight courses, one small problem can snowball into a a major one very quickly.  I have nothing but the utmost confidence in being able to pull off this dinner.  When it's all said and done, these dinners are fun for us and when we are having fun work is easy...

July Struggles

I am having serious problems with this month's menu.  We are currently serving July's menu, but tomorrow it will undergo another major change.   Take into account the issues at hand from yesterday's post, the farms having a rough time with the beginning of this season, and my personal OCD and perfectionism and you have a sub-par menu...at least by my standards.  I think the new July menu will reflect our restaurants "personality" a little more.  While a menu like this bears an unsettling stress, it is what makes working in our kitchen fun.  We are constantly problem solving and looking to enhance a dish until it feels and tastes just right.  Here's to tomorrow...

Listening to the customer

Lately we have been getting more and more requests to keep menu items on just a hair longer. There have been enough to warrant our attention. We are contemplating changes dishes when product runs out versus the monthly changing menu. We have been conducting some surveys and hopefully this will give us a clear answer to the problem. This is one time I can agree with both sides and will be fine with whatever decision we come to...

Back to Business

Today we made it back from New York just in time to pick up our dogs, eat some lunch (we gluttonously brought back pizza, banh mis and bagels) and head in to work.  While its always nice to be back the restaurant, I found myself working with a sluggish, despondent attitude.  I missed New York.  No, I miss New York. 

When we lived in New York we were at a time in our lives when we were trying to get our careers of the ground.  I was managing for a large restaurant group to pay the bills and "moonlighting" at Daniel to absorb culinary knowledge for the new route my profession was taking.  My wife was working as a project director at the Waldorf Astoria, fresh out of Cornell's hospitality management program.  Plain and simply we burnt ourselves out.  I was working more hours than I do now.  In the beginning of the week I would be up at 8:00am and off to the kitchen of Daniel to slave away and soak in everything culinary.  I usually made it home around midnight, only to kiss my Beth goodnight and to quietly eat my dinner while she slept.  During the latter part of the week I would be bouncing around from restaurant to restaurant for NYCRG, making sure this and that was bring done properly.  I usually went in around 4:00 pm and would tip toe back into the apartment around 5:00 am, almost in time to kiss my Beth goodbye as she left to work.  I was mentally stressed, physically stressed, emotionally stressed.  We both were and so was our relationship.  The only logical thing to do at the time was leave New York.

Now Beth and I are at a very different point in our lives and I think we both feel the same way about New York.  Thankfully we are close enough to drive and we occasionally get a break to head down.  I could see myself living down there again, but for now it's back to business as usual...

Still on Vacation...

Happy Fourth of July...Happy birthday to our nation and my brother.   I had a wonderful day that started with handmade bagels, then we relaxed in the sun (and shade) on the Hudson,  a slice of my favorite pizza, lunch at the pig (more touristy than it used to be), FIFA and a nap, drinks on the deck at the Grand, tapas and sangria at our favorite tapas bar, outdoor showing of Easy Rider at Bryant Park, sushi at one of our favorites, crabs and shrimp at Blue Ribbon, a short walk around the block and not a thought about work...ok, I lied about the 'thought about work' comment but everything else was right as the rain...

Sunday recap

Today I am going to recap the day:

-Woke up early, left Northampton.

-car almost overheats on highway. It was fresh out of the shop and apparently they did not refill coolant.

-Purchase coolant from gas station off highway while engine cools, open it in parking lot and notice seal is broken. Make an attempt to return/exchange it and employee refuses to do so. We end up having to call the owner to do so (who was extremely polite) only to be told off by the attendant for doing so.

-Roll onto NYC, find a shaded parking spot right next to the hotel.

-Enjoy a much needed and perfect lunch at a nice little Italian restaurant.

-Return to hotel to find we have been upgraded to a suite because the cable wasn't working...thanks Soho Grand.

-Work out.

-Dinner at Dos Caminos, not as good as we remembered but still an great time.

-Cigar

-Ice cream cone from Emack & Bolios...miss that place.

-Back to the suite for a movie and some sleep.

Perfect? Maybe not for everyone. For me, yes...

Vacation

I am officially on vacation. Everytime I burn out I end up in NYC and this time is no different. I can't wait to be "home"...

Pot de Creme

I am not a sweet lover, but I will never turn away a good dessert. Tonight I had our pot de creme made with dark chocolate and caramel topped with sea salt. Wow is it good, small but very decadent and extremely satisfying. Here is a simplified chocolate pdc recipe:

1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C heavy cream
6 oz dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
1 T sugar
1 t vanilla

-in heavy bottomed saucepan, gently heat milk, cream, sugar and chocolate. Be sure to stir frequently so the chocolate doesn't burn.
-while mixture is heating, mix yolks and vanilla
-once chocolate is melted, temper yolks and gently stir back into saucepan
-stir constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour into coffee cups and let cool

Enjoy...