About The Team

When I was growing up, I dreamed of enlisting in the Marines.  When it came time for me to enlist, our family had a few changes in plans, so my enlisting had to be delayed.  In the meantime, I got a job working in a restaurant.  I started working as a dish washer and worked my way through the ranks to prep cook and line cook.  By then I was hooked!  I loved working in the restaurant and decided that’s the career I wanted for my life’s work.

 

That’s surprising because I remember taking a cooking class in school.  The teacher talked to me after class one day and told me that she didn’t think I was taking her class very seriously.  I told her not to be concerned because this would be the only cooking class I would ever need.  I had no interest in cooking and I was sure that’s the way I would always feel about cooking!  

 

I was wrong.

 

I learned cooking through experience not in a classroom.  And I formed some very deep feelings from the excellent chefs I have had the pleasure of working with.  One example that I bring with me yet today is that I only work in restaurants that have a garden.  I get inspiration from the garden.  

 

Many people use the phrase “from garden to table.”  I take that phrase one step further!  I visit the garden each day and identify the vegetables that are at peak freshness!  I pick them, prepare them, and add them to the daily menu on the blackboard to offer them to my guests all in the same the day.  One of my signature dishes was created from a walk in the garden.  I passed a fava plant and saw a snail on one of its leaves.  That soon became known as “Escargot with fava bean pesto.”

 

Another of my strong beliefs is to reduce waste as much as I can. I do that by using as much of the whole plant as I can.  I recently offered fresh grape juice popsicles for the children.  They were tasty and very well received.  After squeezing the juice out of the grapes, I dehydrated the pulp and skin of the grapes and created fresh grape powdered sugar to sprinkle on pancakes for a creative new treat!

 

I think The Cafe at The Inn is the perfect fit for me.  I have the best sources for fresh, seasonal food, a beautiful, fully equipped kitchen, and a talented staff dedicated to welcoming our guests.  They arrive as guests, enjoy our hospitality and become cherished members of our neighborhood community.