It's Nice to Reconnect

When I walk through the dining room and talk to our guests, many of them introduce me to their friend or friends who are visiting from points near and far, who tell me how much they enjoy coming here. Because of the excitement of getting together with someone you haven't seen in a while, much of our work is already done- you're prone to have a good time anyway, all we need to do is provide a nice setting and good food, drinks, and service.

I've always been a big believer in the idea that if you're in a room at a proper temperature (understanding that the "proper" temperature is one at which half the people are complaining that it's too hot and the other half that it's too cold...), with appropriate music at the correct volume, with proper lighting, nice decor that blends rather than occupies your attention, etc. that you'll be comfortable and happy without even realizing it. I preach this to the front of the house staff, and tend to go around a few times during the course of service and make adjustments if they're too busy. 

Why is all that important? Because the food and wine taste better when you're in a happy, relaxed state of mind. The service seems better, and the time goes faster. There are so many things in our evening that we can't control, like having ten or twelve tables all order within ten minutes, lots of special orders, or a server getting triple sat on a busy Friday, that we do our best to compensate by proving a nice environment. 

It's in that nice environment that you and your friends can all sit around a dinner table, maybe share a bottle of wine and some appetizers, catch up on your stories, and enjoy a nice dinner. Before you know it, you're drinking coffee and picking through the last few crumbs of your dessert. You leave happy and feeling that connection once again. In this day of technology and social media, there really is no substitute for real "face time."

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Simple, elegant, French classics. Hand-selected, affordable wines, refreshing cocktails, and gracious service

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These are our dogs Arnold (L) and Hannah (R) relaxing on the sofa. Whenever we've adopted a dog from a rescue or humane society, the people there kind of make a big deal about what kind of dog food we feed our dogs, but then in the next breath, they crouch down and excitedly tell the dog how lucky they are to be going home to live with two chefs and how good they're going to eat. So, a lot of people swear that you shouldn't feed dogs anything but dog food, more often than not whatever brand they feed their dogs. Well, I've never been able to not share whatever I'm eating with my best furry friend and companion, so the dogs I've lived with with over the years have grown very fond of pizza, cheese and crackers, peanut butter toast, pancakes, and of course, ice cream. When Angela moved in, she started cooking dinner, never less than about six portions worth (she's Italian), and the dogs dining world expanded exponentially.

Now, we still give them their Iams kibble in the morning and split a can of Merrick's at night, but that's augmented by other delicious things. We've got an agreement that whatever they catch in the yard is theirs if they can eat it before Angela finds out. We know what not to give them, but other than that, they pretty much get some of whatever we have and love it.

Arnold was a street dog when he was a young puppy, and he tends to cache his treats in a couple spots, or takes them outdoors to enjoy slowly, al fresco. Hannah actually has a discerning palate and likes salad and vegetables along with her proteins. She eats everything right away and with gusto.

They're both in great health; Hannah is 10-11 years old and Arnold is around 4. So although there are lots of different views on how to feed your dogs, this is just our two cents for whatever it's worth. Dogs aren't people, but they certainly can smell and taste good food, and Angela and I believe they really enjoy it. As long as we don't overdo it, and balance it out with actual food that's made for their nutritional requirements, we feel perfectly comfortable sharing our dinners with them. They are, after all, family. -m.

Have you ever considered that or is it just me? One reason I've been told is that using mirrors as a decorative element can make a room seem larger, and that's certainly true. Mirrors can also bring more light into a space through reflection. I also think there might be another, slightly more practical reason...

Many people don't like to sit with their back toward a room. Could be they like to watch the interactions of other customers, or it could be that they don't like the idea of someone coming up behind them and surprising them. Maybe the bartender is facing the back wall mixing drinks or ringing in a bill, and he needs to see if a customer or server is standing at the bar with an order in hand.

There are lots of good reasons to have mirrors behind a bar, or in the dining room. If properly positioned, they can make it much easier for staff to see what's going on, and provide better service. When we refurbished the bar a couple years ago, I felt it was important to hang mirrors behind it, mostly because it's a longstanding bistro tradition but also for the other reasons mentioned earlier.

In the big scheme of things, does it matter? Depends on whether or not you like knowing more about restaurants and are curious about them. There'll never be a pop quiz or anything like that, it's just that I enjoy sharing little things with you every once in a while and I like hearing what your thoughts on the subject might be. It's how I learn more, and I always like to learn. Any design people out there?

 Tuesdays and Wednesdays on bottles up to and including $60. If that's not enough great news for you, we're extending Happy Hour service to the patio as long as the weather's nice!

Do you ever look at a picture and think "Damn, that makes me hungry!"? Paella is a beautiful dish that hails from the town of Valencia, slightly south and east of Madrid, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Rice, saffron, vegetables, and fresh seafood are the basics; I like a little chorizo, too. It's amazingly good and very healthy for you. Wash it down with some Albariño and you'll be ready to run with the bulls in no time!

You can see her in one of "The French Chef" episodes ("Spinach Twins") where she and Julia are in France, making things with, you guessed it, spinach. Simone was known as an extremely knowledgeable but somewhat curmudgeony lady who had some issues with Julia but remained lifelong friends with her outside of the book-writing business. Since Julia received a lions share of the credit for the books, the other two, French, authors may have been a little put off, though they may not have considered the possibility that their book would't have gotten any attention at all if not for her tireless work promoting it. She was born July 7th, and is considered, along with Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, to be one of the most influential people in popularizing French food in America.

Spain or France? Both are terrific, of course, but there are differences. Cava is built for everyday enjoyment, while Champagne is a little more celebratory. If given a blind taste test between a $50 Cava and a Champagne of the same price, I'd bet most people would say they prefer the Cava. I do. Of course, once you arrive at a certain price, probably around $125, you're talking about a very special Cava and an average Champagne. Go beyond that, and then the Champagne gets the nod. Basically, different grapes, different terroir, similar method. Either way, you're going to be drinking something very delicious!

Every once in a while, I'm asked where we source our rainbow trout from. Since it's fairly local (about an hour's drive to Palmyra) some think it's Rushing Waters. There was a time when I did get trout from them, in fact, when I was working in Delafield I'd drive over once in a while and pick them up, but by the time we opened in Bay View, they were so much more expensive than the beautiful and impeccably fresh fish from Idaho, the cost I'd need to pass on just wasn't justifiable. I still get Idaho trout; farm-raised and still slimy (a very good thing for trout) from Seafood Merchants, and it's been a steady seller for the last sixteen years. Enjoy one next time you're here!

We've been getting inquiries and even a couple bookings for special dinners, so if you're interested, give us a call or send us an email and we can answer your questions and maybe even get you in the book! Whether it's a one-off menu created with wine selections especially for you or a group of friends and family to order off our regular menu, or even a luncheon, we'd love to talk about it! 

Got a Rehearsal Dinner, Birthday, Promotion, or Special Occasion?

Let us know what we can do for you. We can accomodate medium (40-80) or smaller (10-40) groups, larger groups at certain times, create special menus, pair wines, pretty much anything within reason- just no glitter on Angela's carpet, please! Talk to Frank and he'll get you all set up.

OPENING HOURS

Tues - Sat: 5:00 to 9:00pm

Sun - Mon: closed

Happy Hour Tuesday-Friday

Patio is Open (Weather permitting)