Once in a while, I sit and dream. Or stand and dream. Well, maybe I slump into the couch with children yelling all around me and climbing up my pants and try to think happy thoughts.
My heterosexual life partner aka my bestie is having her second baby in a few days. We have not had a chance to hang out without our children in tow for a LONG time, so we made plans to meet at a local Mexican restaurant. We had a great time, not talking about our kids at all (which, to be honest, is freaking amazing for moms-about-town). And, being pregnant, she did not mind ordering an $11 piece of pie for dessert. And I, still lactating, did not mind doing the same. Nor did I mind bringing half of it home only to be consumed within 30 minutes: "I'll MAKE IT FIT!!"
Being in that amazing diner, where one woman makes everything from scratch every day, makes me want to open my own restaurant. I love cooking. I like to think that I am reasonably good at it. My kids disagree, but what do they know...they like eating candy from those gross quarter-dispensing machines. Point made. My favourite job while in university was working at a bistro on weekends. I had to wake up at 5:30 am to get there on time, I worked like a mule, no breaks, sweat on my brow, and loved every minute. That's saying a lot because if there is anything I do NOT like, it's mules.
I often think of WHAT kind of restaurant I could reasonably run: my cooking is quite eclectic, although I have definite roots in the grand old Baba tradition of butter, lard, and bacon. Organic butter? Even better. Having a husband that has to work at weight maintenance means that I also can cook quite healthy meals, but if it were up to me, hot dogs would always be sautéed with onions in lard, served on a grilled bun with cheese.
So here is where you come in: if you have eaten at Chez Sarah* before and heard I was opening a diner, what would you look forward to eating there? Is there anything I make that makes your tummy quiver with excitement?** I would not be in a position to open a diner now, but it may be a pipe dream that I hang on to for a while until a decision day really comes.
*If you have not eaten my food before, maybe tell me what kind of restaurant YOU would run...
**And please don't say Kraft Dinner. I may have to kick some ass.
Not having enjoyed a bowl of your killer mac and cheese, but believing in it just the same-- seek inspiration from Portland and bring streeteats to the Peace! Baba's food cart could share the lardlove with less overhead and financial risk and more flexibility--and who could resist the smell of fried bacon wafting from the streetcorner? Who!?!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-money/cash-flow/food-trucks-ride-cool-factor/article2206741/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/travel-united-states/united-other-destinations/portland-city-of-the-future/article2246480/
Interesting. Although, my food truck would have to have chains for the winter!
ReplyDeleteI would never want to open a restaurant... I do NOT like to cook! A friend and I have thought about a tea shop, but a real tea shop requires food too... maybe she could do the food part and I could do the tea part!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not generally a foodie anyway (that's one area I do NOT fit in with my in-laws! ;) But I do like your mac n' cheese recipe! I have adapted it to our tastes (ie, hardly any onion!) and my boys love it since they now can't even have Kraft dinner. :) So thanks for that!