Re-organization

Because we have already asked much of the space in our little store, the products on the shelves have gotten pretty comfortable having unlikely neighbors. They protested for a while, but then I think they realized they had more in common than they originally thought, given the proper context. Take, for instance, our fishing worms, which are now nestled cozily next to the wine tools and the picnic baskets.

Worms and wine seem like an odd juxtaposition at first. But add to that mix a pole and a spot next to the river, and suddenly they're all part of a relaxing afternoon picnic.

Of course, it took a good while to coax those worms into feeling at home with their new lofty status, as they had previously lived atop the trash can. The change took some getting used to, to be sure.

This week, our kitchen adjusted to change as we made rearrangements to accommodate our newest piece of equipment--a seven-feet-long freezer for dispensing hand-dipped ice cream.

A few weeks ago, Homeland Creamery (a local dairy in Julian, NC--just past Liberty) offered us the use of a giant ice cream freezer so we could bring hand-dipped cones to our community in time for summer. You might think this addition would be fairly simple, but in a gas station-grocery-wine store-cafe, it's a fair challenge to become an ice cream shop to boot. We got to work rearranging our ovens, moving our bakery, squishing our cigarettes even closer to the window, and amputating our counter to fit the eighteen-bin freezer into our already cramped quarters. Our friend Dobbs (the guy who put the five stars on our gas station window) built a cabinet, chopped off our counter, and excavated our safe to prepare room for the new freezer. Sherry, our baker, graciously found new places for muffins and scones when she came in to bake at 3 a.m. and noticed a gaping hole where the bakery counter had been only hours before.

Yesterday, the guys from Homeland hauled in the hulking freezer, and we delighted in getting it cool enough to host the big vats of fresh ice cream that were on their way. But some of the items in the kitchen were a bit ruffled by the move. The bread case lost its home and has been temporarily relegated to a second-class status behind the counter, taking the cookies with it. The to-go containers have been made refugees after the loss of their storage shelves during the counter removal. And the pizza boxes are currently teetering precariously atop the cooling rack, constantly risking calamity. That's to say nothing of the garbanzo beans, the saran wrap, or the measuring cups.

But we're adjusting, and I'm keeping the worms in mind as we figure out how to operate efficiently in our changed space. When we lose an old context for what we do every day--even if we just rearrange things a bit--we sometimes feel out of sorts until we can create comfy grooves in our new spaces. Today, after a lot of finding other spots for old stuff, I found my new context. The brownies have found a home directly above the vanilla ice cream in the freezer, and the bowls now sit nearby.

Add to that mix a spoon and a spot on the patio next to Carter's fountain, and suddenly they're all part of a delicious afternoon snack.

This weekend, we'll be doing a repeat (with menu variations) of our special dinner menu, in honor of the Paperhand Puppet Intervention show "The Hungry Ghost." Shows are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and tickets are $15 each--available at the door. Shows begin at 8 p.m.; dinner's from 5 'till we close at 9.

I can't help sharing a moment with you that helps illustrate what Jeff and company are doing in the kitchen of this little store--a feat beyond what the place ever hoped to see, I'm amused to tell you.

Last Friday night, during what turned out to be a rare quiet moment during the weekend, I breezed around the corner in the kitchen to find Jeff at the prep sink teaching Chris to filet a flounder. Chris is working on a culinary arts certificate, so he's been soaking up every bit of practice he can get when he's working in the kitchen. After his week of class, Chris returned to the store today beaming about his most recent classroom experience. His class has been working on butchering, and his instructor taught a lesson--as fate would have it--on fileting flounder. Chris was confident, having just practiced this skill, and demonstrated such filet-ing proficiency that other students in the class asked him for help. The instructor even called him to the side at the end of the class, and said, "Chris, this is excellent work. You have mastered a classic style of filet that's not often used anymore." A smiling Chris replied to his teacher, "Well, thank you, sir. I learned to do it at the gas station where I work."

Thanks to all of you for making this moment--and your local gas station slash gourmet eatery--possible.

We have steel head trout on the menu this weekend in place of the flounder, along with local Wagyu steak filets, scallops, duck confit, and other delights--menu attached.

I've made a chocolate pecan tart and sweet potato pie for dessert. Saturday we'll have local chevre cheesecake with local strawberry sauce, barring any tricks by the temperamental oven.

Cameron




Weekend Dinner Menu
5-9 P.M. Friday and Saturday, 5-8 P.M. Sunday
February 6-8

Shrimp Chowder
cup for 4—, bowl for 5—

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
cup for 4—, bowl for 5—

Crispy Pork Belly
Apple cider glaze, garlic mashed potatoes, garlic and shallot green beans
12—

Pan-seared Duck Breast Salad
local goat cheese, currants, grilled onions, balsamic glaze
10—

Steel Head Trout
sweet potato hash, asparagus
14 —

6 oz. Wagyu Sirloin Steak
sautéed spinach, duck fat fried potatoes
14—

Kurobuta Pork Chop
Portobello mushroom gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts
14—

Eggplant Parmesan
mixed greens salad
8—

Wild Caught Sea Scallops (after 6 p.m. Friday)
risotto cake, asparagus
16—

Lamb Shank
white bean ragout, sautéed greens
12—

Plate of Mussels
roasted garlic and tomato broth, grilled baguette
8—

Dessert:
Local Sweet Potato Pie, Chocolate Pecan Tart, Local Chevre Cheesecake
4—