Just had the oatmeal. I love breakfast late at night. And I love our oatmeal. I picked up the bulk bag from the Marquette Food Co-op where I am an "owner"; organic, slow cook, just the way we like it.
We toss the big flakes of organic oatmeal into the boiling water with a dash of kosher salt, and set the timer. While that's simmering, we chop up the Michigan apples, toss them in with dried tart cherries from Shoreline Fruit in cherry country Michigan, and sprinkle some cinnamon. We'll toss in some pecan halves if you'd like. Now we serve it up with a big pat of butter on the plate beneath the bowl, a pitcher of milk (soy is available), and a jug of pure local maple syrup from Rock River Sugar Bush. We use syrup rather than brown sugar because it's local, and it's so darn good. It's a big bowl. You're full when you leave.
What pairs well with it? A big glass of DeBacker Family Dairy milk, poured from a glass jug, and a laptop signed into the WIFI.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Little Bit About Bread
We are grateful for the wonderful feedback we receive from visitors to the cafe' from distant places. Simple things get noticed: the homemade hot cocoa, the light fluffy crust~less cheesecake, the local ground beef.
At almost ten months into the business, we grow into forgetfulness about what is different about the food we serve at Rock River Cafe'. We forget to mention that we use only butter and olive oil to prepare your food. We forget that people actually are unaware of those other products that may show up in a #10 can and be used to paint corporate toast in most dining choices. Then something jars our memory.
We currently feature local bread baked in three locations within about a half hour of the cafe. The bakers use quality ingredients, local employees, and create breads unique to this area. Lake Superior Wild Sourdough from Huron Mountain Bread Company rises with yeast airborne on the southern shore of Lake Superior. It's a local ingredient one wouldn't expect. We also serve "Limpu", a traditional local bread loved by Finns and Swedes alike, crafted with rye meal in the Trenary Toast bakery just down the road. Our kid friendly bread is the Amish White, baked with care from high quality Sir Galahad Flour at Sweet Dreams Bakery. Toast for breakfast? It will be painted with pure butter, and served with preserves cooked on our stove with a low sugar recipe, soft, with no pectin. We also have a beautiful marble rye, 7 grain, and Italian to choose from.
In the evening, we package those breads into one very special place, using loads of pure vanilla, and then douse it with a sweet buttery whiskey sauce...
At almost ten months into the business, we grow into forgetfulness about what is different about the food we serve at Rock River Cafe'. We forget to mention that we use only butter and olive oil to prepare your food. We forget that people actually are unaware of those other products that may show up in a #10 can and be used to paint corporate toast in most dining choices. Then something jars our memory.
We currently feature local bread baked in three locations within about a half hour of the cafe. The bakers use quality ingredients, local employees, and create breads unique to this area. Lake Superior Wild Sourdough from Huron Mountain Bread Company rises with yeast airborne on the southern shore of Lake Superior. It's a local ingredient one wouldn't expect. We also serve "Limpu", a traditional local bread loved by Finns and Swedes alike, crafted with rye meal in the Trenary Toast bakery just down the road. Our kid friendly bread is the Amish White, baked with care from high quality Sir Galahad Flour at Sweet Dreams Bakery. Toast for breakfast? It will be painted with pure butter, and served with preserves cooked on our stove with a low sugar recipe, soft, with no pectin. We also have a beautiful marble rye, 7 grain, and Italian to choose from.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Whew!
What just happened?
After five months of running around the woods herding cats (or opening a new business rather), all the cats are still not in order.
We have learned a lot along the way about sourcing local ingredients and the increased complexity that decision necessarily stirs into the daily operation of the business. We haven't been perfect on many accounts, but the intent to get it right over the long haul has not left our grasp.
I am incredibly grateful to our opening staff. Wow! What a ride of menu changes, ingredient changes, process changes, and of course the usual unpredictability of service industry customer demand and flow.
I am incredibly grateful for the positive response we have received for our efforts, and for the feedback which will help us hone our service.
We are now moving into a new phase again as the leaves turn and the faces in the door shift.
Our current hours are Tuesday ~ Saturday 7am till 8 pm; Sunday 11am ~ 7pm
Join us for cocoa and strong WIFI!
After five months of running around the woods herding cats (or opening a new business rather), all the cats are still not in order.
We have learned a lot along the way about sourcing local ingredients and the increased complexity that decision necessarily stirs into the daily operation of the business. We haven't been perfect on many accounts, but the intent to get it right over the long haul has not left our grasp.
I am incredibly grateful to our opening staff. Wow! What a ride of menu changes, ingredient changes, process changes, and of course the usual unpredictability of service industry customer demand and flow.
I am incredibly grateful for the positive response we have received for our efforts, and for the feedback which will help us hone our service.
We are now moving into a new phase again as the leaves turn and the faces in the door shift.
Our current hours are Tuesday ~ Saturday 7am till 8 pm; Sunday 11am ~ 7pm
Join us for cocoa and strong WIFI!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Still Chaos!
We are still plucking things out of the chaos and attempting to put them into place. It's been a couple of months, and it's time to really stuff it all into place and operate.
It's interesting to note that as time passes, original thoughts give way to better thoughts, and I'm then grateful that time passed. The ceiling has grown two feet in time. That wouldn't have happened on the schedule we proposed. But now the "wild river" blue climbs another foot, the tops of the windows swim in it, and the "shearling" white comes a foot down to greet it gracefully from the distant ceiling. The dirty drop is history. And the historic ceiling is now, gracefully proud.
Today: a lot of equipment is sitting askew in the kitchen and dining room; most of it arrived this past weekend. As the bakery case was staring the front door in the face after all of the door trim was removed, I found myself calling out to a stranger across the street for help. I'm driven; no time for pleasantries. Then the trim of the bakery case itself was removed, and I watched, entire body tied in knots as the glass face of the bakery case crept through the doorway begrudgingly, heavily.
There is much to do, less to do than before, and always more to do than we thought.
It's interesting to note that as time passes, original thoughts give way to better thoughts, and I'm then grateful that time passed. The ceiling has grown two feet in time. That wouldn't have happened on the schedule we proposed. But now the "wild river" blue climbs another foot, the tops of the windows swim in it, and the "shearling" white comes a foot down to greet it gracefully from the distant ceiling. The dirty drop is history. And the historic ceiling is now, gracefully proud.
Today: a lot of equipment is sitting askew in the kitchen and dining room; most of it arrived this past weekend. As the bakery case was staring the front door in the face after all of the door trim was removed, I found myself calling out to a stranger across the street for help. I'm driven; no time for pleasantries. Then the trim of the bakery case itself was removed, and I watched, entire body tied in knots as the glass face of the bakery case crept through the doorway begrudgingly, heavily.
There is much to do, less to do than before, and always more to do than we thought.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Menu
The menu is almost done and includes some interesting fair for young and old. It's been a process of sourcing, pricing, market research, designing a theme, determining facilital constraints, etc.. Not an easy task for a historically "front-of-the-house" kind of person as I am.
The fun is in the kids' menu. They can order grilled peanut butter and banana or maybe"Toad in the Hole". I'm looking forward to the stocking of the shelves and testing the menu in the kitchen. It will be another whole process in and of itself.
The menu will be posted as soon as it's absolutely certain. We all can't wait!
The fun is in the kids' menu. They can order grilled peanut butter and banana or maybe"Toad in the Hole". I'm looking forward to the stocking of the shelves and testing the menu in the kitchen. It will be another whole process in and of itself.
The menu will be posted as soon as it's absolutely certain. We all can't wait!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Organizing Chaos
Sitting down with the menu last night, I was noticing how the theme of the Cafe' was developing without a great deal of effort on my part. There is always that fear that my past experiences will appear to be copied into this present situation. I have learned a lot and been forever changed by the places I have worked at in the past. In reverence, it's appropriate to reflect the impact those experiences have had on me. In respect, it's appropriate to never appear to be using someone else's ideas. This has been worrisome to say the least. The logo I loved the most had a letter f in it that reminded me of a place I'd been.
The menu has begun to speak its own language now. It is developing its own personality. I'm grateful for this "expression of local cuisine".
The menu has begun to speak its own language now. It is developing its own personality. I'm grateful for this "expression of local cuisine".
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Creating Chaos
As with any new project, there is the idea, the gathering and reorganizing of materials, followed by the completion. In the middle of that process is the chaos. In the middle of the chaos comes new information and new ideas unanticipated within the original thought. In this chaos is where the Rock River Cafe' lives right now.
The process hasn't been completely different from pregnancy. There was the belief that something would be born, and the knowledge that something could go wrong before birth. There was the nameless stage where it was hard to predict the impending personality well enough to name it. There was the false sense of knowing... the moment when you think you are in control, quickly followed by the moment that reminds you that you're never in control.
We are still nesting. The cafe' hasn't been born yet. It hasn't begun to develop that personality that goes beyond its creators yet. We'll keep you posted.
The process hasn't been completely different from pregnancy. There was the belief that something would be born, and the knowledge that something could go wrong before birth. There was the nameless stage where it was hard to predict the impending personality well enough to name it. There was the false sense of knowing... the moment when you think you are in control, quickly followed by the moment that reminds you that you're never in control.
We are still nesting. The cafe' hasn't been born yet. It hasn't begun to develop that personality that goes beyond its creators yet. We'll keep you posted.
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