New Menu for Spring

The best thing about life is how many things change and yet remain the same. I have always heard that the only thing constant is change. I believe this is true.
Our daughter Casey is home from college. Our daughter Jaeda just returned to college. Each of them feel so good when they come home and have mentioned how funny it is that nothing is different. They feel comfortable right away. That is very funny since the house is in uproar most of the time when they are home. It feels very changed to me just having that many hair care products in my bathroom. I love having the girls home. When they are gone, I am the only girl in a house full of men. Not bad, just different. When the girls are home toenails get painted and I am not the only one who likes a clean bathroom.
Now we get to talk about the changes at the restaurant. April 30, May 1-2 is Spring Unveiling. We love this event! I love art and all that encompasses. Artist come to Cannon Beach to show off their new work. Visitors flood the town to see what is new and find what speaks to them. I believe that the food Bill creates is every bit as much art and a painting or sculpture. This is a good time to let him spread his menus out and create some new tastes. We don't do this often since our customers often want what they loved last time. This is the year to learn to love something new. Thai influence, Vegan dishes, lighter dining and always lots of flavor. We have to say good bye to a few fish that have priced themselves out of our market. We get to try the lovely Orzo infused monkfish. I have a newer organic, gluten free, no refined sugar, dairy free dessert that has met with rave reviews. Our gluten free cooking has expanded to include four desserts and chowder....yes chowder. You have to let us know in advance but it is delicious. I love change!!! I hope you will too. See you soon!

Almost Spring

I have been told that I am one of the world's worst bloggers. I think that, while I am a slacker, world's worst is a touch ambitious. I am a better talker than I am a writer. That said...life is great. We have passed through the worst of the winter and are quite looking forward to
Spring. This weekend kicks off the festivities with Savor Cannon Beach. This should be a fun event and one that many people will look forward to in the future.
The annual Cannon Beach Children's Center Wine Walk is Saturday March 13th. We are kicking off our weekend with a Winemaker's Dinner on Friday the 12th at 7:30. We will have Warren Gilstrap of Gilstrap Brothers Winery. Bill has matched seven food courses with six of their wonderful wines. He has had a great time mixing and matching. Fresh wild salmon, succulent lamb, Italian meats and delights from his Greek heritage. We will finish with a refreshing Mango Tequila Lime Cheesecake. Purchase your ticket now. $95.00 Saturday Wine Walk will also feature Gilstrap Brothers wines.
The following week begins Spring Break for many parts of the Northwest. I love it when our guests return "en masse". Winter is a nice time to take it a bit slower but popularity is nice too. I hope our weather is as nice as the winter has been. We have had a lions share of beautiful days. Breathe... it is good for the soul.

Winter Musings

Well I may never become a famous blogger since I forget to blog. We had a wonderful holiday with so many of our long time regular customers and wonderful new people coming by and sharing good times. Now we are full into January. January is probably the slowest month of the year. We get busy updating wine and dessert menus and thinking about the coming year. Some nights are busy and some are very slow. You never know what might happen. We are featuring our Monday night Greek night and our Wednesday night pasta night. These are such nice middle of the winter treats. Greek night is so much fun. We have Greeks that come in and love the flavors of their childhood and folks who have never tasted Greek food that fall in love. "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those that are Greek and those that want to be Greek". I think this is true. Come on in on Mondays through February and find out which you are. Pasta night is on Wednesday. We feature five different pasta dishes. You may have one or a combination of up to all five. What is better than pasta. My favorite was the Lemon Ravioli served a couple of weeks ago. I love lemon!

Things to be thankful for

It is early in the morning and I have just finished baking pies, stuffing and custard. It is quiet and clean and I am contemplating the things I am thankful for. I love our customers. We are booked to the max and I am sure with the frenetic pace of the day I may reach a point that I am not conveying all the love I feel. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It is about the food and we are about the food so it is a match made in heaven. It is also about gratitude and we have more than a fair share of things to be grateful for. I am grateful for this country and all that it entails. I am extremely grateful to live in the best place on the planet. I am grateful to get to work with my lovely family. I am grateful for a heart to feel, a voice to speak, a place to be and people to be with. I am looking forward to the people today that choose to spend their holiday with us. There are many reasons to go out to eat on this day. We as a culture have moved away from the huge family gatherings that were a part of my childhood. Turkeys come in a bag or from the big marketplace stores. Pies are frozen and potatoes come in a box. I am not criticizing anyone for what they do but here at JP's we do it the old fashioned way. Potatoes are peeled, Pies are made from scratch, cranberry sauce is made from fresh berries and lots of fresh, natural turkey. I think it was best said by three gentlemen who have been coming for years. They said Grandmothers all over are feeling sad and threatened because a guy that looks like Bill can outcook them. I am grateful for Bill. Happy Thanksgiving Diana

Stormy Weather and Thanksgiving

Oh my goodness!! I can't believe it has been over a month since I have been here. I have no excuse. Tonight is the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. Creative energy is flowing and tons of people are in town. Our good friend Cathy Speer and two of our daughters are performing in our private dining room. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving. We will be serving dinner from 2 p.m. until 8p.m. Bill makes everything from scratch right down to the cranberry sauce. I bake custard and pumpkin pies and my version of my mom's stuffing. Many of the same people come every year and we look so forward to it. I can smell the sage as I write. Some of the things I am thankful for are my family, the wonderful guests we have in the restaurant and my good husband. I love living at the coast. I have to admit that we work harder than I like but I like the work so it all balances out. Take a walk today and think of the things you are grateful for. Chances are... I am thinking of you.

Fall is here!

It is official....fall is here. The leaves are starting to turn, the air is crisp and we still love the Oregon coast. Wind, rain, sun, clouds...it mattereth not. Not to breeze past October but we are getting ready for November.
November 6th and 7th brings Stormy Weather Arts Festival. We will have live music in the Vineyard. Cathy Speer, Danita and Jaeda (our lovely daughters) will be performing between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. It is always fun to listen and watch. We look forward to it every year. There is so much going on in town. Check out the Cannon Beach Chamber website for a list of the artists.
November also brings back our specialty nights. On Mondays we serve Greek combination plates in addition to our regular menu. On Wednesday we have pasta specials. It shakes thing up a bit and gives us something to look forward to as the weather cools and darkness falls. Nothing takes the chill out of a dark night like rich Kota Kapalma or Soudzukakia. Marinated chicken skewers served with meat filled Dolmathes and flaky Spanakopita. My mouth is watering as I write. Come back soon. Diana

The very best people in the world

I would be very remiss if I didn't say something about the firestorm that has been surrounding us the last couple of weeks. We had a reviewer write an article about us. He is new to the reviewing business and apparently has some personal problems. He was supposed to do a food review for our local paper. What he did was a sarcastic, angry, untrue rant that seemed to be a personal vendetta against Bill (our chef). We have not read the review at the insistence of our kids and employees. That really does not matter. He said more about himself than he did about us.
What is important is the outpouring of love, encouragement and support from our community and our customers. There have been letters to the editor, phone calls to the publisher, personal visits and notes from other restaurants, hotels, locals and many many others. Everyone wanted to tell us how much they love and support us. We have felt so upheld and appreciated. I admit, I cried the first day but not one sad tear since then. There have, however, been many many tears of joy. Thank you all. You are the best!!!