Showing Off

I closed again this Saturday and though I did not make the special, I had a friend come in that I have been waiting...let's just say a very long time to cook for. She brought in her boyfriend (she's like a little sister to me) and as soon as they sat down I was able to present them with a Williamette Valley Pinot Noir (it's moderately priced in the 70's on our menu). I next jumped back into the kitchen to begin preparing an amuse for them, because I just couldn't help myself...maybe it was the Red Bull???

My first amuse for them consisted of a iron cast seared scallop over jicama & carrot salad, tossed in a tarragon vinaigrette. I put a little port ginger glaze with it for the sauce and the scallop had the tiniest bit of this orange endive compote I love to use from time to time. Sounds like a lot huh???

OK, sometimes the Mad Chef can get a little technical, I'm sorry, like I said I couldn't help myself. I promise it wasn't more then 3-4 bites on the plate...it's an amuse after all. My second amuse...if there is such a thing, consisted of a cauliflower mash with roasted baby root veges (patty pan squash, baby zucchini and baby carrots) topped with a piece of grilled shrimp and sauced with a pesto butter sauce. Again 3-4 bites on a plate, gotta keep it small because I still needed these people to actually eat a meal following this. I believe they enjoyed themselves, whether it was because of the second bottle that was passed to them or my cooking...all that matters is that once this couple left they wanted to tell people how it was. Hopefully the stories will be good ones.

330 covers tonight, smooth as a babies butt, with the exception to the one guest in the dining room who returned a side of vegetables because a piece of the cauliflower was an "awkward" green. Yes, that is the word that they used, and the Mad Chef did not hesitate to go and explain what carnival cauliflower is. Dining in a restaurant is supposed to be an "experience," whether great, mediocre, or even poor from time to time...it's is still an experience. Well, it's supposed to be, and that's also part of my job too.

First test run on the chili tomorrow!!!