Mute Monday is "LOCAL" in Cannon Beach, OR

Fried-eh?

Did you have a good week? Were you able talk to people? Email your friends? Watch your favorite television show? Eat real food? Sleep more than six hours? *sigh*

I didn't.

My week consisted of thirteen hour days producing over 1,000 displays (three different customers) with limited help and multiple temps. I'm happy to say we made our deadline(s) but it wasn't pretty. But honestly? Light manufacturing never is. Especially in the "New World" where every month is never the same or sane.

I still have a long list of things to do until Thanksgiving, but we made it through another "Holiday Hell Week" and for that I am grateful.

Because of the temps, we had to keep Coco locked in my office until the "second shift" started at 4:30:

Get back to work slacker and where's my ball?

With limited time for chasing the ball, she was equally sad about the long days. It's hard to explain to a ball-obsessed Coco why there is zero time available to even load the ball-tosser. But that gourmet dog food isn't free and either are organic dog treats, so even the office dog is expected to suck it up.

We had a series of temps beginning with "Typhoid Harry" who I replaced after he spent Tuesday spreading germs all over the shop. We got lucky with one who stood out amongst the "Box of Chocolate" people we typically get. She's young (25) an artist (love that) and is able to work with my biz partner and his "Mini Me" side kick who chew up temps like they really are chocolates. She's going to stay and that's great news for all of us. (Especially Coco, because New Temp likes to throw the ball for her.)

At one point during the week I was holding this and dreaming of the real thing:

Not the good kind. Unless you're cleaning displays

The award for "Really? You waited until November 6th to think about ordering 500 custom displays, cards and signs?" goes to this company. Recognize it? I think you may because as I was typing in over 300 addresses I noted there are locations all over the country.

If you see these, know this: I built every single one.

I shipped to: Atlanta (K9), the entire state of Florida (Aunty, LaDiva and Troll), Oklahoma (Pam), Texas (XL and 2$), New Mexico (Moi), Kansas City (Shamy), NC & SC (Fishy?) Las Vegas (Native Minnow) Savannah (Savannah) and Phoenix (Gnome).

Aside from having a USELESS marketing department, are they any good?

My plans for the weekend include more work, but on Sunday I leave for a brief trip to visit a friend in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The theme for Mute Monday is LOCAL and I may just be "Local" from that locale.

Whatever you have planned I hope it's fabulous.

xoxox

Culinary Challenge: FIRE AND SMOKE

Trust me when I say I had plans for this challenge. Plans that included dry ice and matches and maybe even some food.

But I'm in the middle of "Holiday Hell" this week which means everything that everybody ordered LATE needs to be in the stores by next Wednesday, or apparently the Retail World will collapse and it will be my fault.

Or something like that.

BUT, it occurred to me as I drove a Temp to her car (she's actually good and left her car in a bad neighborhood) that I did have something to contribute to the newest Culinary Challenge: A review.

WOODFIRE GRILL - Atlanta, GA

Executive Chef: Kevin Gillespie -Top Chef Las Vegas

The building is narrow and long, so when we arrived I thought it was a much more intimate and small restaurant.

It isn't. It's a large venue with many small areas which are very minimalistic. But not cold.

And it was a busy and bustling place even at our early arrival time of 6:00 p.m.

After ordering drinks we were brought a deconstructed Waldorf salad that I immediately took a (bad) cell phone picture of and sent to Shamu:

This little morsel made me want to learn how to cook.

We were brought three and when one of my dinner partners declined, I waited about a nano second before scooping it up. I guess I should have asked his wife is she wanted it, but great food trumps good manners. Right?

There are times when I truly wish I knew how to cook and had a better appreciation for food. I know I alarm and horrify Shamu at times when I tell her what I'm making for dinner. It was during the Blog Summit in February while watching both Shamu and Moi cook dinner that I realized food is art and I credit all of the Blog Foodies with my new found appreciation for great cooking.

I wouldn't have watched Top Chef if it wasn't for Shamu/Troll/Moi/K9/LaDiva/Buzz Kill and the only thing that would have made my dinner better,

is if you all could have been there with me.

Mostly to tell me what to order.

I tend to believe all high end restaurants with a small menu can produce exceptional food, but I look at the smaller touches that can often be overlooked/ignored by a Executive Chef/Owner as a way to cut costs.

The bread basket brought just moments after we ordered was from a local bakery and held some of the best I've had. No old breaksticks or sourdough to be found! The foccacia had a hint of lemon which was unexpected and excellent. The second bread was a nutty whole wheat that really didn't need butter. It was that good.

I am a huge coffee snob and have chastised many waiters for offering crap coffee after a wonderful meal. Mr. Boxer has been known to drop his napkin and hide under the table as I grill the poor waitperson about the roast/blend they serve.

Woodfire did not disappoint. Not only did they serve a local roaster, but the coffee was prepared in a french press at our table.

I was in heaven. (And awake until midnight because in my happiness forgot to order decaf.)

Sadly for dessert I could not/would not order the Banana Cake with brown sugar BACON butter cream, but my guest and I split the dark chocolate stuffed crepes. Needless to say, I did not worry about my sugar/alcohol ban during my dinner (or trip.)

The menus are below and yes, I took them with me. I pumped the waiter with questions regarding their now famous Chef and sadly, Kevin was not in the restaurant the night of our dinner (he was going to be there the next night.) Our Waiter said he's doing a lot of publicity for Top Chef but was still heavily involved in the menus and overall operation of his restaurant.

This was my first "famous" restaurant I loved it. And I hope Kevin wins.