Dear Feastlings,
The last few days of the month unfailingly leave me addled- we’re scrambling to put away the crawfish we’ve just gotten in for Fat Tuesday, install New Refrigerator Number Two, send back the unacceptably rank-smelling sea bass that heretofore was going to be tonight’s dinner special, and get a catering job out the door. During the rest of the month, these various distractions are notable, but not insurmountable. When they arrive on the doorstep of an as-yet-unfinished new menu, however, they rattle my cage.
It’s the panic of impending deadline that inspires the majority of our menu items, but when the panic is beset by interspersed interruptions, that thread of creative inspiration dangles out of reach.
My hope is that writing this, despite the music and chatter pouring in from the kitchen, will clear my head enough that I can tweak those last few dishes in time to order in the necessary ingredients, get some recipes written and print the new menu. Mercifully, we have the strongest crew we’ve had in the kitchen in months, if not years, right now- thank you, kitchen people of Feast- so there’ll be no short supply of crawfish etouffee this coming Tuesday, so those of you having your foreheads smudged with ashes on Wednesday will be able to do so with a sated belly.
Cory is on top of his game as well, so we’re already prepared for this Saturday’s wine tasting.
Then we have a week after new menu day to pull it together for a wine dinner with Aaron Robertson of Aperture the following Wednesday,
and we’ll open on a Monday after that to serve you the beef we’ve been quietly corning for several weeks now. Our number is (520) 326-9363 if you’d care to make a reservation for any of these events- Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, the wine tasting or otherwise.
Thanks, everyone.
Love,
Doug