BOAT STREET KITCHEN
New NEWS from the KITCHEN – November 2006
The
Boat Street Cafe, open only for dinner and Sunday brunch, occupies the
North side of our new space and the Boat Street Kitchen, open everyday for lunch
and private evening parties, occupies the South side of the space.
The courtyard is shared between them.
Well, it's difficult to believe. We've just celebrated our first anniversary at 3131 Western Avenue and we still like it as much as ever. Our space is beautiful. The press has been kind to us. Our customers have been kind to us. Our staff has been kind to us. And, our garden plants have survived. True the leaks aren't quite fixed yet and we have the usual Boat Street problems but basically all is well and we are looking forward to another year as seasoned owners.
Renee has received enduring kudos for her delicious food and the Boat Street Kitchen, by proximity, tags along. Of course, we have delicious food too. Come and try it.
Brunch has been reinstituted and is now going strong with many of our old items still featured on our new menu. Eggs benedict, baked eggs, scones, and strata, have survived. And, a few new classics have been added such as our Rustic Cornmeal Custard Cake with Maple Syrup and Sausage. It's so yummy that I eat it every week. Of course, I particularly like gritty textures.
At the old Boat Street, our poached eggs were ghost shaped as a byproduct of cooking them in a large deep pot. Having different pots, we now produce clasically shaped eggs which, strangely enough, has proved to be, not a good thing. It seems that many old patrons are still attached to the ghost shaped eggs we used to make. Oh well, now that we've reformed we can't un-reform. We'll try to develop some other idiosyncratic features to compensate.
Hurrah! Today we will begin making Holiday Decorations. It's fun as being closed for two days gives us enough time to do it without being rushed. I'm pushing for bunnies and snowflakes that remind me of children's books featuring animal parties on icy starlit nights under a dark spruce tree. Everyone else claims that bunnies are only for Easter. They are opting for snowmen and stars. We'll see. I think the determining factor will be our ability to craft the items out of cookies and paper. Right now in agreement on the Eiffel Towers and Snowflakes. But, I'm not giving up on Bunnies. My daughter Anling and friend Aya will cut trees, and we're all decorating molasses cookies.
As for food, right now some of the things I like best on our menu are the house made jams, the perennial Mac & Cheese, Kale Gratin, and Brisket, when we have it. I would also plump for the Brillat Savarin plate but after our private catering events I always eat all of the remaining Brillat Savarin rind. I've pretty much done for Brillat Savarin and especially for rind. If you're not a rind afficianado, try it. It's got a great texture..
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Enjoy your food and company and try to share it. Not many people in the world have as much as we do.