Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Soups of Next Week November 4th

Soups of next week

Monday
Potato Garlic
Tuesday
Tomato Sherry Soup
Wednesday
Green Chile Chicken Stew
Thursday
Carrot Ginger Soup
Friday
Clam Chowder
Saturday
Clam Chowder (because one day just ain't enough)
Sunday
Chipotle Corn Stew

Monday, October 29, 2007

Wine Dinner #1 and news

Howdy folks, it's the end of my 3rd week and I have a few things to announce.

For sure, I am going to do a wine dinner on November 10th, but I've got a wild hair to do one this Saturday the 3rd if I have enough interest and I can get the wines paired...Menu is at the bottom of the email.

Email me back with interest. Probably be @ 6 or 7 pm, depending on popularity.

I can't face doing a fall/winter menu, so I am calling this a farewell to warm weather (I hope) menu. The November 10th menu will follow later in the week. I am leaning towards some bigger flavors including but not limited to Lamb, squash, risotto, and maybe some truffle.

Also, if I have an interest, I can bring in AWESOME fresh oysters. Let me know (I would need to order them on Monday to get them for the weekend).

Look for fresh steamed clams and/or mussels this weekend in the restaurant!

Wine Dinner November 3rd

Farewell to Warm Weather (forecast calls for a high of 65)

Trio of appetizers

Mango Tuna 'Ceviche'
Spicy Dungeness Crab Salad
Smoked Trout with Dill Crème Fraiche

Ginger Chicken Consomme with Lime Sorbet

Seared Red Snapper with white wine, new potatoes and bell peppers

Dessert TBA


Jay Wulf
The Greenside Cafe
IT ALWAYS TASTES BETTER ON THE GREENSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!
greenside@gofoods.net
jaybob@cybermesa.com
www. gofoods.net

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

What's next

After having done this for other people for so many years, it is very rewarding to kill myself for myself

I went from very physically exhausting 10 hour days of construction straight into physically exhausting 14 hour days cooking. I opened the doors with only about 2 days in the kitchen since January. I am now ready to look at the menu and our style of service and determine what changes need to be done.

I believe we have already been attended by a food writer of some sort who we served a bad bowl of mac and cheese to, but recovered with a tasty steak quesadilla. I know this, because she left her notes? Any takers?

Menu -

http://www.gofoods.net/Greenside_Menu.pdf

I don't feel compelled to open for breakfast during the week. Anyone out there think differently?

I do feel compelled to offer breakfast when I do open at 11am

Salads are now bigger and filled with more protien and the price will go up eventually.

Tuna appetizer will go away, everyone that orders it loves it. Too bad they only order it every other day

I will be training the cooks constantly...it never ceases to amaze me the lengths people will go to 'help me out' with my food cost, presentation, prep time and of course quality, just to do something half assed.

I want to get them trained up, so I can start working on specails and some desserts! I have a very diverse menu, but I am afraid people will get sick of it pretty quick.

SERVICE -

Many comments about disliking the counter service.

Literally, I have about 6 people on the floor that are over 19, you have to be over 19 to serve beer and wine. I think counter service is here to stay ( with the exception of some wine dinners! )

More later when I actually get to work on the menu some!

J

Finishing up Construction

Construction went fairly uneventfully after the flood. General inspection delays (very small in retrospect) small hood crisis and our first visit by the EMT's.


With all the waving of sawzalls, one handed circular sawing on the top rung of a 12 foot ladder, this doozy of a cut happened while trying to change out the cover of a flourescent light fixture. An incorrectly installed light fixture (existing B.T.W.). worst cut I have ever seen. 15 stitches and missed everything that could have screwed his hand up.

If you don't know, just act like you do.


Then call Ted!


Thanks for all the help Dad.



T-Minus 2 days...


Todd and Cash, awesome board chalking team.


Welcome to The Greenside Cafe!




Monday, October 15, 2007

Construction Update and Flood

Finishing up a nice relaxing 12 hour day with a pint and a feeling that I have neglected my blog.

I have recipes to laminate, things to clean, but what the hey...where did I leave off.

I think I left off with the flood?

We finished the tile...



Most of the finish work was done...


We even had a nice meal prepared over a catering stove...lingine and clam sauce.


I have lots of pictures of the damage, but suffice it to say, restaurant was this full of water, EVERYWHERE!

It's the tan line there, about an inch and a half over 3600 sq ft, the landlord gave me the impression that the storage tank was about 12,000 gallons short.

The landlord, being an environmentally conscience fellow, had installed a very cool grey water system that would be used to supply the toilets for the shopping center. It hadn't been connected, but there was a 'quick' disconnect fitting installed, so that it could be hooked up when the time was right. The fittings were aluminum, the rest of the plumbing was brass, and when the two are combined a reaction happens that results in very rapid corrosion. I don't know any of this, I've just been told.

It burst after only being 2 years old. It blasted through my back wall in a stream that was 15 ft high hitting the opposite wall about 30 ft away...did I mention that all this happened about 2am?

Thankfully Jamie from Sandia Crust was going to Telluride for the weekend and was pulling a late night doing prep for his staff before he left. I didn't have my phone in the house (it's by my bed now) but when I did check my phone, I had 4 panicked messages from Jamie, "Jay, oh my god, I don't know what to say man, there's water pouring out of your front door, I'll call you again and hopefully you'll wake up." "Jay, it's going into China Best, all of your furniture is getting soaked and it's absolutely pouring out your restaurant." "....all I can hear is the sound of water moving at a high velocity and Jamie grunting in the background...." "Dude, I just turned off the big lever in the back, but I am really sorry, your place is absolutely full of water!"

I got about 10 seconds through the first message before I was tearing down the road listening to the rest of the messages, getting a little more panicked every second.

Two things I am happy about...

I am opening a restaurant and not a furniture store. Restaurants are kinda designed to handle water

It wasn't my fault!!!

More later.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

OPEN

Ya, pretty quiet opening...NOT!

Been crazy, pictures to follow.

J