8 Weeks and Counting...

We're beginning to get a little batty over here at the cafe (if you haven't been able to tell already). The reason why I say that is because as we head towards our impending closure of this location, having not yet secured a future home for our business, those that are still left working here are committing to working overtime and at full-speed. With that comes loopiness, exhaustion, and at times, dementia. Personally, I've pretty much stopped returning all phone calls and emails (sorry, Friends), I'm feeling considerably fragile and sentimental and I also laugh easily (this is both good and bad).

But as Kyle always says, "Full speed is the only speed worth going." And if we're being honest, it's our only option at this point.

Sometimes though, I think it's important to pause and take a breath. To try and let it all soak in.

The "it" in this case being that according to our lease agreement, tomorrow will be one of the last of eight Sunday brunch services we have left. You have no idea how crazy that is to type, let alone wrap my brain around. Especially when you consider that morale at the cafe has never been higher and that we are experiencing record sales.

I won't lie. Some crazy things are going on in my head; like the fact that it'll be incredibly disappointing when Oregon peach season rolls around and I won't be able to put a French toast special up on the board. In eight more weeks there won't even be a specials board anymore.

At least not for awhile. Mind boggling. For real.

As good as it is to try and grasp all of that, the reality stings. Which means that our moments of reflection on this topic are short. We just keep reminding ourselves that we have to chug along, move forward, and consequently throw ourselves fully in to, and enjoy, what little service we have left at 4823 N. Lombard St. But the impending loss is palpable. Not unlike an awareness of losing a loved one to a terminal disease. We all know it's coming. We're just soaking in these last fleeting moments.

I'm telling you all of this because it certainly helps to talk about it. I think it also helps Evan and I process the facts. You know, all that's happened the past nearly three years, and what we plan on doing differently in the future when it comes to doing business with others, and trusting said business with others.

That said, I wish to make this fact absolutely clear: WE HAVE NO REGRETS.

With every mistake a lesson was learned, and we're likely to make more in the future. We have enjoyed our stay on the Peninsula immensely and continue to pinch ourselves that we actually did it: we opened up the cafe we'd been dreaming about for years, at home, in our own neighborhood, and managed to do so pretty successfully too, I might add. And of course it goes without saying that we couldn't have accomplished any of it without you. Every.Single.One.Of.You. We are blessed. We know this much to be true (which is a lot).

We remain in awe of our employees, all seven of them, who are actually more like family at this point. Most have been with us since (almost) the beginning, and those that are "new" have adapted, and have been adopted by the rest of us. Despite having worked with these people daily for nearly the past three years, we continue to be impressed with their dedication and commitment to our cause. We cannot begin to thank them enough for their patience with us, as we literally had to learn how to become "bosses," as well as their professionalism in treating all of you like you were their neighbors, too. Hell, some of them even are.

Huh. I swear I had a point to this blog post. I believe I was actually going to tell you about tomorrow's brunch menu but I somehow got sidetracked. Well, here's a forewarning: that will probably happen a lot in the posts to follow in the coming weeks. Forgive us.

So, about tomorrow's service; we're running a similar brunch menu to last week's. However, tomorrow we'll feature a new pulled pork sandwich, inspired by one of our most popular and beloved egg-sandwiches of all-time: The Cookout. You may remember this one from past spring seasons. However, tomorrow's special Cookout will feature:

pulled pork*, fried egg, white cheddar, baked beans with house BBQ-Beer Sauce, and fried onions on Fleur de Lis Ciabatta, served with green-apple slaw and a pickle

It's a winner. In fact, I'm convinced pulled pork makes anything a winner. *That said, we will also have a vegetarian version of this sandwich because we're cool like that.

As we charge faithfully and feverishly toward an uncertain future, our passion and pleasure to serve food and drink to you lovely people remains as strong as ever. Know this: we will do our damndest to put ourselves in a position where we will be able to keep flipping our cafe sign to "open" each and every day.

P.S. Here's to a game six. GO BLAZERS!