I Will Not Talk In Class! I Will Not Talk In Class!

Back in fourth grade at St. Anythony's Elementary School I had a memorable teacher, bless his soul, Mr. Lazor .  I liked him a lot, despite that fact I would often get into trouble.  His punishment for talking in class was to grab the dictionary and a tablet of paper and sit me outside the door of his classroom.  He’d flip open to a random page and have me start writing verbatim everything about each word until he came out to tell me to stop.  I’d like to think my vocabulary increased tenfold as a result of my outgoing ways. 

Now in class, I’m tasked with memorizing 150 drinks most of which  I’ll never make, drink, or serve.  Part of it feels like punishment as I’d rather be talking flavored bitters and exploring ryes.  That will be part two in my own classroom. 

As the test approaches, I’m doubtful of a pass from the instructor.  I know my earlier post eluded to my competitive nature BUT, the bulk (150+) of the drinks in my study guide are geared towards things like a Fuzzy Navel, Blow Job, Melon Ball, Banshee, and my new favorite… Adios Mother Fucker (happy to provide recipes upon request).  It has been implied that I could show up with a bottle of Crown Royal and receive a pass.  To be honest, I’d rather go buy myself a great bottle of something, invite some friends over and play bartender.  Stay tuned.

My Vantage Point This Week

Gives new meaning to sideways.  I can't figure out how to rotate this darn thing!

Let me get this out of the way first...  There is no booze on the premises.  I repeat, they are dummy bottles and we aren’t working with the real stuff.  Part of me was seriously bummed when I discovered this as I was hoping to taste my mistakes and successes.  It's part of learning after all.  On the flip side, the course would need to be a month long just to get all the work done if we were drinking too.

Bartending School has been interesting.  When I signed up for the week long class, I of course realized that Murray Stenson would not be the one teaching us the how-to of mixology.  That being said, I’m a little surprised that it is geared toward the lowest common denominator.   I feel like such a snob for saying that, but allow me to explain.  My knowledge base is naturally higher from working in the industry, ordering cocktails for myself, playing around at home, blah, blah, blah.  My counterparts have a) never worked in a restaurant or bar, b) are recovering drug/alcohol addicts (I kid you not), or c) entry level hospitality workers hoping to get a pay increase.  So the education offered is geared towards a much broader scope of bartending. 

While the cocktails I’m practicing are not ones I will ever serve in my own bar, I am learning helpful systems and interesting tid-bits.  These come to mind immediately:

·         Free Pours: this just means that I do not need to use a jigger to measure my pours any longer.  It’s super easy.  Just get a shot glass/jigger and count to four while filling it up.  You want to have the timing down to a four count as this will help in the other measurements.  1 shot = 1 ounce.  Therefore a one count equals a quarter ounce, two counts equals a half ounce, etc.  SO helpful. 

·         Speed Racks: GENIUS! You put your house pours right at your fingers.  The school has far more bottles than we’ll ever use but the premise works great.  You also keep the bottles in the same order every time so that you don’t even need to look at them when you grab ‘em.  They utilize Tequila, Scotch, Brandy, Whiskey, Gin, Vodka, Rum, Triple Sec.  There is even a little saying to help the bartenders remember the order: The Smartest Bartender Will Get Very Rich Tonight. 

·         Garnish! Before the class, I’d forget the straws, lime wedge, sugar rim, etc.  Not now!  It is both a functional aspect of the drink and visual aesthetic. 

·         Efficiency:  The knowledge of your own bar is paramount.  Know where everything is.  Keep it in the same place.  In only a few days working my station at school I barely need to look and just inherently know where things are kept.  Imagine a busy night and not knowing where everything is!

·         History of terms and drinks.  I’ll have some good fodder for a few postings on how certain drinks and other related industry terms came to be.  

What Wasn’t Meant To Be

One of my earlier posts reported on a space that we had submitted an LOI for.  Well the love affair must come to an end because we didn’t get it.  I’m not going to lie, this stung.  More like a bee sting vs. a jellyfish sting but there is a twinge of pain nonetheless.  The space had SO much going for it but at the end of the day, there are so many things that need to be in alignment.  The blessing and curse to this process is that we may never know why we didn’t get it, I can only speculate.  Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter.  We had been awaiting a “phase one” report that is basically an environmental site assessment.  Back in the 40’s or 50’s the property used to be a gas station and the EPA findings had the potential to be a hot mess.  As they say, “On to the next!”

Our primary area of interest in Phinney Ridge/Greenwood which rumor has it the two are merging to become Phinney Wood.  We would like an 1800-2200 square foot building with outdoor seating potential.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Penny Profiler #2

Peanut butter and jelly.  Steak and frites.  Macaroni and cheese.  Potatoes and gravy.  Certain things belong together and Val Markus and Craig Serbousek are no different.  Part wine maven, part food guru, and much, much more they offer a slice of balance and joy to Ballard and beyond.  Val’s wine knowledge and portfolio are impressive to say the least (http://vineyardbrands.com/).  Her spunk, fervor and grace are SO infectious.   Craig’s soft spoken, humorous, and attentive nature makes me melt.  Craig has left his mark on Queen Anne with his two restaurants Crow and Betty.  Both are worthy destinations and local institutions!  (http://www.eatatcrow.com/ and http://www.eatatbetty.com/.

Their significant penny donation is appreciated.  Their friendship is treasured.

TASTE This!

Taste at the Seattle Art Museum is one of Seattle’s hidden treasures. Open for Sunday brunch, weekly lunch, happy hour and dinner, they feature almost exclusively local foods, highlight neighboring breweries and wineries, and have a mean cocktail/spirit program to boot!

They were crazy enough to bring me on board as extra help during the Gauguin exhibit that runs through April 29^th, 2012.  Please consider coming down to see this amazing show: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/

I have missed the front lines and to be surrounded by patient guests and a humble team feels amazing.  My training is drawing to an end and while I feel comfortable on the floor, it is clear that I have been out of practice and my rusty joints needed a little movement. 

The workings of a restaurant are no different than a big Broadway play.  There are countless things happening before the doors ever open.  When they do, you have the team behind the curtain, the actors on stage, the musicians, etc.  Seen, hidden, they are all crucial components to the bigger picture.  It is pretty magical to see it work well.

Come in, request my section or heckle me from a far.  It is always great to see familiar faces when I am getting my ass handed to me on a platter.  

Back to School for Jen!

My outlooks on life and business ownership are quite similar: I aim to amass as much information and experience as possible.  I’m comfortable in the classroom, where ever that may be. 

This month I am embarking on a weeklong class of bartending 101.  My knowledge up to this point has been enough to entertain friends and give me confidence when ordering out.  Considering my recent endeavor to actually own a bar, I realized it was time to raise my own.

I have received glances of skepticism when mentioning this class time. I cannot argue that applied knowledge is a preferred method for comprehension.  However, when attending seminars, classes, lectures, whatever, I always say to myself… “If I can walk away with one new idea, one new way of thinking about someone/something, one new way of doing something better, it was all worth it.”

Check back to see my updates on how I make it through. I wonder if they give us grades or if it’s a pass/fail system? Truth be told, I am a little competitive.  

Penny Profiler #1

Meet Danielle Custer.  Our paths crossed about eight years ago with mutual friends intersecting at every turn.  In Seattle the degrees of separation seem smaller than normal and ridiculously tighter in hospitality circles.  Danielle is a creative and determined force that has a special way of making everyone feel at ease… both with her cooking and personality. She has opened restaurants in Dallas and Seattle and in recent years left her foodie mark as the Director of Taste at SAM.  She is now about to join the food truck circle with her very own “Monte Cristo” later this spring.  Learn more at: 

http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/nosh-pit/more-details-on-monte-cristo-seattles-cheesy-new-food-truck-january-2012/

The day I announced my penny project, Danielle delivered a glass milk jar overflowing with pennies that evening.  And so it grows.  

ahy-den-ti-tee

Creating the identity for a business reminds me of when I was a child learning phonetics.  We were little investigators decoding letter by letter, word by word.  You sound it out feeling a rhythmic sing-song like pattern.  Letters associated with pictures, joining A for apple, B for balloon, C for cat and so on.  Now fast forward and here I sit working at playing the same association game.  Phonetics and our visual identity work to blend patterns creating a much bigger picture. 

Where do we begin?

• ·         Naming our business
• ·         Recognizing the attributes that solidify the personality, spirit, and values of our establishment
• ·         Who are we serving?
• ·         Finding the best possible location
• ·         Develop a  logo that synchronizes everything

We have recently started the creative process with the lovely and talented Ms. Claire Parkin.  Strategizing our visual identity has been a welcome and demanding practice.  Claire is an interpreter that takes our lofty visions and regurgitates them into something that is artistic, meaningful and tangible.  At the core, we want our visual identity to be in alignment with everything else.  We are business owners that embody “what you see is what you get”.  We want the branding to reflect just that.

Part of the homework Claire gave us was to complete a creative brief to get out some of the crazy ideas in our head on to paper. I am providing, with her permission, the areas we explored in hopes this will help your existing/future creative projects:

·         

•       Overview: (project information, goals, measurable objectives)
• ·         Deliverables Needed: (copy, design, printed materials, website, and/or mailing?)
• ·         Target Audiences: (who they are---age, gender, income, geography, lifestyle)
• ·         Market Position: (evaluation of company’s service relative to competition)
• ·         Tone and Images: (funny and casual or formal, what time/imagery will be most affective, specific visual goals)
• ·         Message: (What’s the context of the specific message in relation to the business plan? Where possible, include information to be shown in the designed item e.g. taglines, body text, imagery, etc.)
• ·         Features, Benefits & Value: (prioritize top features of business, facts about the service, its value to target audiences. What’s the one sentence that summarizes its unique value? Other key points?)
• ·         Objectives: (what do you want to achieve? Make objectives specific and measurable)
• ·         Budget & Schedule: keep in mind 4 steps---consultation (research & strategy), creation (concept & design development), production (artwork & print procurement), and delivery (file handover)

·          Side bar: Pinterst.com is a wonderful new website that allows users to create and manage an online theme-based image collection (reminds me of the collage boards on my office walls) and with social photo sharing technology you can “connect to everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”

One day soon, you’ll see postings of our future logo.  I’m so excited I can barely stand it.

LOI?

One of my all-time favorite board games is Balderdash.  It is a classic bluffing game with a variety of categories containing unbelievable but true statements about people, words, movies, laws and of course my favorite… initials.  

Learning all there is to know about business ownership is daunting, to say the least.  It might be fun to compile a list of all the acronyms we come across and make up our own definitions.

Well the big one on our plate at the moment is LOI.  While I’m tempted to bluff and come up with a phony answer to entertain you, I’ll take the serious route.

LOI or Letter of Intent according to dictionary.com it is a letter indicating that the writer has the serious intention of doing something, such as signing a contract in the circumstances specified.  It does not constitute either a promise or a contract.

What does it mean for us?  Every time we find a property of interest, we work with our commercial realtor to create a document outlining our offer for lease terms, defining the nature of our business, stipulating permitting requirements, etc.  Then, the landlord reviews it.   They might come back with other negotiating terms, they may have selected another business, or our business might not be what they want for their space.

Over the last year I have been in countless “potential” spaces.   Because of the various factors I mentioned above, I’ve tempered my enthusiasm with a note of cynicism.  While we’ve recently submitted an LOI on a space we love… it is too early to tell.  Stay tuned.

Put in your two cents... or more

And we’re off!  My office is a giant collage of ideas, images and menus.  One of the coolest ideas that I recently came across was this penny floor: http://revolverindy.com/about-us/the-shop-penny-floor/

So I put out an APB to my friends and family inviting them to save up the little copper coins.  Recognizing that we’re mostly a credit/debit card society, it could take awhile to hit our goal.  Depending on how many we receive the collection could make up the floor, a walkway, part of the bar, or a wall feature. 

Sitting in the middle of my table rests a large vessel to collect the coins.  If all goes well, I’ll need to reload this as she brims (pun intended).