It's our 6th summer, and it's amazing how things can constantly be adapted and improved every year. Our terrace is a great outdoor dining space, covered with a big green awning and large screen "windows"...now it is equipped with special sun shades and it should be cooler and more comfortable during the early evening hours. Yeah technology!!
We've always wanted to have a Chez Nous postcard and this year a local artist and old friend, Diane Firtell, showed us her new 3D montage style artwork. She has created a piece featuring the front of our little restaurant and printed it onto postcards...ta dah! Thank you Diane!!
Published on Saturday, October 24, 2009 Booking Frustration
Tonight is the perfect example of the ridiculousness of trying to book tables in the "off season" here! Though the restaurant opens at 5 pm, noone wants to dine, essentially, until 7:30 and 8 pm...So all of our lovely staff will be ready and waiting at 5 pm, stand around until 7 when a few folks will deign to come in early, and then start running like crazy! You're between a rock and a hard place to try to negotiate folks to come earlier this time of year. In the busy season we try to assert ourselves a bit more, because if someone doesn't agree to come at a particular time, someone else will call to take the table. This time of year it's not obvious...we don't want to make people feel unwelcome or risk them deciding to go somewhere else at the time they want to dine. What can you do? Take them all and hope that their service isn't too terrible....so frustrating!!
Published on Saturday, October 24, 2009 Wine Dinner
Last March, we took visiting French sister and brother-in-law to a wine tasting in Northampton, MA, to give them a chance to see a bit of what we do, and to taste American wines. Many of the wines at this particular tasting were disappointing. However, we headed into a portico and --voila -- there was the rep from Duckhorn Wines! We stood in front of this table for probably a half-hour, completely captivated by him and his fantastic wines. Sylvie and Philippe were completely blown away by these California gems. And the rep, Frank, was quite taken with their enthusiasm...in an unguarded moment he agreed to come to Chez Nous and do a wine dinner! I have been courting him ever since, and so far it looks like it was a good idea: the restaurant is already half full for the wine dinner and I expect more to come. There is always such a fantastic atmosphere at the wine dinners. It doesn't just have to do with the fact that we get to make our very best dishes for these menus, though that certainly helps. I think it has more to do with that magical transformation that occurs to the spirit when a wine and a food are well-matched: it awakens all of your senses in the pleasantest possible way and creates a general feeling of well-being and good will. By the end of the night, everyone is smiling, slightly drunk, of course, but just generally happy and enjoying life. It's always a beautiful thing to watch...
Last night was the first night of our Live Jazz Fridays during the month of October. It's always so cool how the atmosphere in the restaurant is completely changed by the live musician, in this case, Mark Kross, a Jazz keyboardist. It definately makes the place feel so much more festive and warm. He sang a bit, as well, which was really great: a song in French! We're lucky I guess with the three different dining rooms; up until a certain point, folks can choose if they want to be in another room, away from the music. I think that most people want to be with the music, though. It really makes it feel like a special night. Thanks, Mark!
Published on Friday, October 02, 2009 Whiffenpoofs
We've had a guest coming here who's kind of like our guardian angel since we've opened. I guess every small business must have a person like this who seems to be particularly looking out for them. I swear, I've had the feeling on some Thursday nights in January when the restaurant was completely empty, that he just grabbed his wife and said "Let's go down to Chez Nous and make sure that they have some customers tonight!" and shown up for dinner like that. He and his wife have dined here nearly alone on more than one occasion.
Last night, however, they decided to bring a gang: the whole group of Whiffenpoofs from his Yale college class, who were having a special reunion. It was a great experience for us to see these incredible gentleman -- still the best of friends for over 50 years -- breaking out into song throughout the course of their meal. The entire restaurant was charmed. This institution of a capella singing (foreign to our foreign employees and to Franck -- what better way to discover it?) is just so charming and captivating. We all had an amazing night. Merci!
It's always hectic to change the menu: run out of the old items, which we are completely tired of making, re-read the new menu a thousand times and still see mistakes after it's printed, redo the website and the computer ordering system...we love how it feels to see the new season's ingredients coming in: all the squashes, the Swiss Chard, the wild mushrooms. Yum. This weekend is always an exciting one in Lee: Founders Weekend with the Taste of Lee on Friday nights. Hundreds of chicken drumsticks are going to be transformed into Coq au Vin and consumed by people walking up and down Main Street along with treats from all of the other local eating establishments. A great spirit lingers in the air and you see the whole town out having a blast. Don't miss it!
Published on Friday, September 11, 2009 End of Summer
We're back from 4 days off for recuperation and "staff appreciation"! Hopefully they've enjoyed it as much as I have. We've got a week and a bit to finish off the fall menu and two parties this weekend in our private dining room, so not too much time to rest.
