December 31, 2008

So, I guess it is time again to blog. MY 2 blog fans (my sister & Laurel) keep reminding me that I have not blogged since 12/09/08, so here I go. Just like everyone else, my December has been very busy working 2 jobs, Christmas shopping, entertaining, etc etc. I am always amazed that the Holiday just whizzes by and here we are staring at a New Year.
Like everyone, I take the New Year's Eve opportunity to reflect on the previous year. Our year at the Restaurant started out with a bang. Bill Guilfoyle of the "Times Herald Record" voted us along with another restaurant #1 for 2007. This brought a great January for us, which is usually pretty dismal in this part of the country, because of the weather. It was amazing to me how many people read the restaurant reveiws and go out to see what it is all about for themselves. We had an amazing January. February and March were pretty much a blur to me, I had some health issues and had to be home for 8 weeks, but all is well with that.
The Restaurant business in Narrowsburg is very seasonal you look forward to summertime and them Holiday time. As we all know the economy took a dive this year and the restaurant business is directly affected by this. Summer was not as profitable as past summers and the last part of this year has not been like other 4th quarters. We know that it is affecting everybody and that gives us some comfort.
This morning we woke up to it snowing and hope that it does not scare people away from New Year's Eve festivities. This is a very busy night typically in our business and the last big bang before Eaglefest and Valentine's Day. There is a lot of preparation and excitement for us on New Year's Eve.
Now to 2009, can't believe it is here tomorrow. Gabby (our daughter) will turn 13 this year ugh!!! We will have a new regime at the White House and hopefully things will get better for all. This past week with Happy New Year greetings to our customers, I get a lot of "Things can only get better". I remind them that they are Healthy and able to enjoy a good meal. I think we all, even myself, get so caught up in money, while not having enough and watching it disappear in the market can be stressful, Money is not the most important thing.
I wish for all a very Happy New Year filled with Happiness, and Health. I see this sign everywhere "Live, Laugh & Love, maybe that should be our Mantra for 2009, because sometimes you just gotta Laugh......and play the cards that are dealt. Happy New Year to all.

December 9, 2008

It is Tuesday another much needed day off after our trip to NYC. What a wonderful time we had catering our party in the City. We ran into a lot of traffic stopped on the highway on our way, veered off the beaten path and Maggie the GPS died. Denise was on the cell phone with Justin to try and see how we could get around the mess we were in. Finally traffic started moving on Route 17 and we were on our way, yet a little behind schedule. But, we arrived at our destination in plenty of time to set up and deliver great food to the guests. Thank you to Michael & Susanna for allowing us to cater the birthday party. Chef Peter is not only a talented Chef, but can can pack, plan and pull it off without a hitch. The food was amazing, quail eggs with caviar, tuna tartare, chicken liver mousse, and asparagus,proscuitto wrapped in Filo just a few.
I was navigator on this trip, (not a good idea) and we got turned around coming out of the city. We were going South, should have gone north. I figured we would be in South Beach by Tuesday, but everyone else decided we should turn around. We finally arrived back in Narrowsburg around 2:30 in the morning sleepy and very cold. It was 12 degrees when we arrived. Needless to say no unpacking got done until Monday. We really enjoyed the opportunity to cater the party. We could not have done it without Denise & Caitlyn. Denise always works so very hard and worries with me.
It seems for us that when one event is finished it is time to start planning and thinking about the next. Peter is the one that it seems to fall on, I only control waitstaff and a menu for anything is beyond my expertise. Now it is time for Peter to get ready for finals @ Sullivan Community College, plan for New Year's Eve and put lights up at our house. I am responsible for Christmas shopping(how hard is that) and just making sure we have service staff to cover all shifts.
Basketball season has started for our daughter so that is something that we have to somehow fit into our crazy time constraints. Like anyone that has their own business, there seems to not be enough hours in the day, but we always manage to get things done.
We actually have most of the week of Christmas off, which we are looking for too. We have had many inquiries about Christmas Eve, which we are typically closed. It is very tempting to be open, but Family and Gabby are too important to us to be greedy so we are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hope all who read this blog are not letting Christmas Stress them out and are enjoying the season for what it is.
Everyone have a great week and enjoy the season, spend it with family and friends. On another note, Congratulation Charles & Lisa, it is about time you know.

December 1, 2008

So Thanksgiving has come and gone and we have a couple of days off. Thanksgiving was good for us at the restaurant. Afterwards we went to Peter's Mom's and had a great meal with our family. Christmas decorations are going up all over Narrowsburg and the season is beginning. Gabby is home from school today (first day of buck season in PA) so I thing we are going to decorate the house a little, she gets so excited about Christmas. It all seems to move so fast. Peter and I always look and each other and say can you believe it is "December" already.
This Sunday we will be going to NYC to cater a party. It is going to be a lot of hard work for us this week but we are very excited about it. We will see how it all goes, having to cart everything 2 hours away. Hopefully it will go off without a hitch. Peter is very good at planning and pulling everything together, I on the other hand just kind of wait for him to tell me what to do. Which he is very good at might I add!!!!!
Peter had been reminding me to mention in my blog that we had a wonderful Elk dinner a few weeks ago. Peter's cousin Linda and her siginificant other Gene, had us over when Gene got back from Montana with his elk. Cousin Ellen cooked a wondeful meal and we had a great time.
Happy shopping to all who are venturing out this week. Stop in for a wonderful meal after a long day of shopping you deserve to have someone else cook for you.

November 25, 2008

I woke up to about 4 or 5 inches of snow here and it is so beautiful looking at the window. The wonderful Damascus Township plows have already been through our road, at about 6:00am. That was a concern when we moved back here in the woods, Peter wanted to make sure we could get out, well we must be high on the list, because we will definitely get out today. School is delayed 2 hours, Gabby will be happy about that.
So today will probably be spent shoveling snow at the Restaurant and trying to somehow get the rest of the 2 cords of wood for home. We spent most of our day off yesterday moving wood to our house. Yesterday was also the first day of bear hunting season in PA. There were lots of gunshots , flourescent orange and camouflage around these parts. I always get a little chuckle this time of year here, especially because our kids are out of school the first day of buck season.(where else does that happen). Oh the country life!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!! We are open for Thanksgiving at the Restaurant, which is just a part of being in the business. You work holidays and weekends, when most other people are relaxing and just enjoying days off. But we don't grumble or complain because that is what we do. After we serve our customers their Thanksgiving meal we will go to Peter's mother's and join our family for dinner. Our family is very supportive and do not mind waiting for us to join them.
As I have said before in this blog, the Restaurant business is hard and demanding, but I have so much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful family, we are all healthy and we live in a country where we have the opportunity to have a business of our choice. So remember,with all the gloom and doom on the news, to count your blessings and be thankful for what you have. I am!!!!!!!

November 14, 2008

We are finally moved in to our little house in the woods and thank God for DSL. The first week we were tied to dial-up, what a nightmare. Remembering a time when there was only dial-up I do realize that I am spoiled, and that I do love technology. I try to keep our website up to date with menus, seasonal things, hours and anything else that seems to need posting. This all requires me to be at the computer for longer that I sometimes have, but I am trying to keep up.

We are now past the election and hope seems to be in our midst. We all hope that our new leaders will bring good things to our businesses, personal finances and our country in general. Unfortunately,the turnaround will not be instinct and only time will tell.

The restaurant business has been typical November restaurant in Narrowsburg. Those times when you are glad to have nights with 8 to 10 customers, rather than none at all. Businesses begin to cut back on hours, as we have, because it takes more to open some nights, than you would actually bring in. Our hour cuts allow us to be home a little more in the winter months, help Gabby with homework and just kind of repool our energies to get us through next summer. (which I can hardly wait already for).

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Peter is putting together the menu. We always have a hard time deciding what hours we should be open on that day. The first year we did early afternoon and last year we did dinner. Last year it seemed everyone came around 5:30, dining room full all at once. So we decided to go back to early 12:00pm to 4:00pm, that should accomodate all of those black Friday shoppers that get up at 4:30 to go shopping (crazy).

So please join us for Thanksgiving and also consider us for small Christmas parties. Tis the Season........

November 3, 2008

The Schott family is officially in their new home and it is chaos. Moving day 2 (Tuesday) was the first snowfall of the year. That was fun!!!! Not only is hi-speed a luxury here in the country but Dish Network seems to be right this minute. We have had 2 appointments with them so far and they have showed up for neither, it is infuriating. Not just not having TV but taking hours of mine and Peter's time waiting for them. Supposedly today is the day we will see. Now we move onto organizing and making our home comfy, that is the fun part.

With trying to get phone (1 day late), appliance deliveries (2 hours late), and television (1 week late) the subject of customer service should be addressed. I said to one person I was screaming at on the phone, that it is ridiculous for me to have to beg for them to take my money. In the Restaurant business it is immediate customer service and if you don't treat each customer as if they were the only at that moment, you don't get a second chance, they might never come back. I, being dining room manager, worry each time I think that a customer has waited to long, didn't like their meal or is just dissatisfied about something. It doesn't seem to be true with the services I have been trying to acquire, I am just another account that they have to deal with and if I opt not to use their services, so be it. Also, living in the country you don't have a whole lot of choices they have a monopoly on such things as phone etc.

All that being said I love my new little cabin in the woods and we move into November. For us that means getting ready for Thanksgiving at the restaurant. We have decided to serve from 12:00 to 4:00. The first year we were open for Thanksgiving we did these hours and the 2nd year we did the dinner hour, and everyone ate early. Peter does a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, it is usually Prix Fixe and includes traditional turkey and the trimmings. And with the hours that we are serving maybe the Schott family can sit down and have Thanksgiving dinner afterward, we have a lot to be Thankful for.

October 27,2009

I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks, wasn't sure anyone was actually reading it. Today I got an email from a first time customer, that my blog was actually being read. So, I thought maybe I should stick with it. Monday and Tuesday of these week are moving days for the Schott household, a lot to do. But over the years we have moved a lot and I think I have it down to a science, we'll see.
This weekend was not a great weekend for the restaurant business in Narrowsburg, New York, but typically this time of the year isn't. Politics, economy and nasty weather always has an effect on how many people are in the dining room. Saturday was a rainy nasty day and if I hadn't had to be anywhere I would have been home. Sunday brunch is a new thing for us and as with any new offering it will take a little time. Peter has created a wonderful menu for brunch and it will be a hit once people start discovering it.
I have been reading a lot about restaurants in this economic climate and the possiblities of offering a economy friendly menu. We have discussed this at length and are considering doing this at our restaurant, maybe on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We toss it around and try to figure how to do it and stay true to what we do, which is upscale, casual fine dining. Food cost always must come into play when considering something like this, because face it we are in the business to make money. But I will say that Peter is the best at making a menu work for our benefit. So look for us to do something special beginning sometime in November.
So as I said earlier, today is moving day, which means high speed internet may not be something I have for a while. That is one of the downsides of living in the country. It will be hard to blog with dial up, but we'll see what happens. Remeber comments and emails are always welcome from my blog reader's. Have a great week and come see us at the Restaurant if you get a chance.

October 5.2008

Another week in the Restaurant business has come to an end, actually it ends today, because tomorrow is a much needed day off for the "Schott" family. I guess I knew that eventually my blog would become a place to explain or vent about some things that bother me about the restaurant business.
It seems that everyone(our loyal customers) worry about us and surviving in this market, area and winter months in general. When talking to one such customer last evening, the mention of "Some people say these are NYC prices",(not his opinion just what some people say) not the first time I have heard that. As I told him, we are OK, and intend to keep doing what we are doing. but will be reducing our hours of operation for the winter.
I do need to address the "NYC Prices" statement. We, as any other entrepreneur are in this business to make money, wouldn't make sense to do anything else. But, we are also passionate about each person having a quality meal, great service and just an all around good experience at our restaurant. I guess I just want everyone to know that Restaurant 15 Main is a labor of love, not just a business.
We are a restaurant that uses lots of local products (which don't come cheap) and each dish is made to order, sometimes with Chef Peter being the only one in the kitchen. We could reduce our prices and serve frozen, fried, etc like many other restaurants in Sullivan County and surrounding area. That was never what we wanted to be when we decided to come to this area and follow our dream. We would love for everyone to come to our restaurant but we know that some people just do not appreciate what we have to offer. The reality is that our menu would be priced double in NYC, we will do a tasting menu for $45.00 to $50.00, can't get that in the city. We are not Granmercy, Bouloud or Thomas Keller, but we are as passionate and pure as any of those places. I hope that our service, food quality and pricing is always at it's best, but nothing is perfect.
To all reading this blog, know that we appreciate each and every customer that walks through our doors.

September 29,2008

September is coming to a close so quickly, I really don't know where it went. This is transition month for Restaurant 15 main. It is sooo busy July & August and then kids go back to school, vacations are over and Narrowsburg becomes very quiet. The state of the economy, wall street and gas prices also seem to affect our industry. The restaurant business is humbling at times and very exciting other times. Considering all the outside factors September was an Ok business month for us.
Winter is right around the corner, I don't care for winters here, but what I do love is the community feeling. When power lines are discussed people band together and try to fight them. When gas drilling is a threat to our natural resources, their are committees formed and commnuties react. That is what makes Sullivan County a unique place to live in this crazy world.
Being a small restaurant and being in a small town has also meant that we have been blessed with regular customers who we consider very good friends. We have been a part of marriages, babies, illnesses, divorces and wishing people well on their way to a new place. We celebrate with them, worry about them and miss them when they move away.
Now we move into October, leaves will be changing and the area becomes bright with color and crispness is in the air. The restaurant business will be buzzing with peepers (people who come to the area for fall foliage) and we will start to see people that stay away in the summer. Peter, Gabby & I may be moving into a cabin in the woods,( I mean woods). We will welcome the Petersheim baby into the world soon. I will be having another birthday (eke). And Hazel & Mike will be celebrating their one year anniversary - congratulations to them.

Delaware River Food and Wine Festival "Foodie Fare"

This has been an exciting and busy week for us. Peter is teaching 2 days a week, Gabby has school everyday and I work another job 2 days a week. When you add a "Foodie Fare" to all that, things can get really hectic. Long days and long nights just trying to prepare and take care of business as usual. Even though this is slower time for us at the Restaurant, preparation and daily issues do not seem to wane.

The Delaware River Food and Wine Festival was an event put together by "The Weiler Foundation" to benefit Monroe County Meals on Wheels. We were invited to participate at its inception in February of 2008. This is the first annual event and we thought it would be a wonderful thing to be a part of. It was held on Saturday September 20, 2008 @ the Shawnee Golf Resort in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. It was held on the lawn and we could not have asked for any more perfect weather. It was a wonderful event and Chef Peter won some awards for his, Socca Pancake, with late summer Ratatouille and goat Cheese.

My sister-n-law Jen and I worked on marketing literature for many nights trying to get it all done. I could not have gotten it done without her and the end product was perfection. Peter worked on preparing his dish, in between cooking for customers , and it was also perfection. Things were packed up and we were off to Shawnee @ 8:00am Saturday morning. Because Peter is so organized, the setup of our cooking and serving area took only about 20 minutes. We plated for pictures, we plated for participants and we plated for judges.
Peter had to leave around 3:00 to get back to the restaurant for dinner so Caitlin took over the grill and she did a great job.

At the restaurant Patty was overseeing Bonnie & Kristen prep (until Peter got there) and they did a fabulous job. Denise & Tish (our waitresses), get the dining room set for dinner. They could do the job with their eyes closed since they have been there from day we opened, and we are so happy to have them both. So even though we were in Stroudsburg all day dinner still happens and Peter does it well.

This sort of event is what I love about being in the restaurant business. Talking with other foodies, whether it is owner, chef or wine purveyor, it is always interesting. To see other dishes and what other restaurants are doing. Winning the awards validates us and reminds us why we are doing what we are doing.

We would like to thank Fallsdale Farm for donating the goat cheese, everyone loved it. We would also like to thank The Weiler Foundation for allowing us to participate in such a wonderful event. I hope that we will be at the event next year and that all of our fans will join us.

September in Sullivan County New York

I was complaining to a friend last night, at dinner, about something in his blog. His response "Get Your Own blog" , So I did. I have been thinking it might be fun to blog about the restaurant business in Sullivan County, NY for quite some time. I tried to get Peter (chef) to do it, but as you all know, "He doesn't have time".

For those of you who do not know, Restaurant 15 Main, I will give you a little background. Peter and I moved here three years ago to open a restaurant. We live in Damascus, PA and the restaurant is located in Narrowsburg, NY just a few miles across the river. We have a 12 year old daughter that goes to the same school her father went to when he was 12. We are a small restaurant, 46 seats, and menu changes frequently based on local product availability. Not everything that we use is local, but is as much as possible. Peter makes almost everything we serve from scratch (sometimes even pasta).

The past 2 1/2 years we have been in business have seemed like an uphill climb, as I am sure most businesses do. In this area, the summers are great and the winters can be down right dismal. We have made a lot of great relationships along the way. I think we probably have also made some enemies, but not intentionally. We are just trying to make a living doing what Peter loves to do, "Give people a meal that is memorable".

So here we go a blogging. This should be great fun.