It was about 10 years ago I remember sitting out on the deck of a house party with my then girlfriend and one of her friends. The question came up about what the most famous stutter song was. My answer was “Benny and the Jets.” Oddly enough, the so called “Bowie Fanatic” and guy with the Bowie wallpaper in his bathroom didn’t say “Changes.” That was actually my girlfriend’s friend’s answer. —”The guy I didn’t need to worry about.” Not long after that night, she and I broke up, eventually getting back together for another year. During our time apart, she and this friend dated. Changes became synonymous with him, and for a short period of time when I’d hear it on the radio all I could think of was him with that girl. It didn’t trigger me to the point of a mental breakdown like Bradley Cooper’s character in Silver Linings Playbook every time he heard “My Cherie Amour,” but it still gave me a feeling of defeat and unease. Childish, I know, but in my defense I was in my early 20’s and very much a child.
It’s been years now that I can enjoy listening to “Changes” and have completely detached any emotional discomfort once associated with this song.
As a chef, I’ve actually embraced change. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a chef or cook is not open to change. A common defense is “This is how I’ve always done it.” My response is “Have you considered that the way you’ve been doing it has always been wrong?”
Dungeness crab with lobster mushroom
Structure is necessary in the restaurant, but change is crucial for me in the creative process. Many guests have suggested keeping particular dishes on, stating it as my “signature dish.” Although I value having a menu item for guests to look forward to, in my mind, keeping a really really good dish on could potentially prevent me from creating a great one. I strongly feel that one month from today, I will be a much better chef than I am now. So although a dish may evolve, it was still created by the mind of that chef from the past.
The menu is experiencing a great shift as we make the full change into Fall, with November marking a change in our final savory course. For the first few months we have showcased organic chickens from Marion Acres and are excited to make the shift to duck.
We are also very excited to offer our vegan tasting menu during the week of November 14th-17th. During this time, we will only offer our fully plant-based menu. We’re happy to accommodate dietary preferences nightly, but like to dedicate a week every season to a vegan menu.
Dungeness crab with lobster mushroom