Goodbye 2007

Only 1 day left in 2007-- and what a year it's been! We started out the year winning Runner-Up in the Arkansas Times Readers' Choice Awards for Best New Restaurant, and we have been featured several times in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Arkansas Times, as well as in other local and regional magazines. Chef Jason made appearances on all of the morning shows, and he had the opportunity to work with Chef Messnier, the former White House Pastry Chef, at the Arkansas Literary Festival.

Along with the great press, we also negotiated for a large part of 2007 on our move to Argenta, finally signing the lease in November.

Our business has been steadily growing, with some months as much as 40% over the previous year, and ending the year with our sales up 25% overall.

We welcomed our new Catering Director Veronica Jones, who has taken over the reigns and promises even more growth in the upcoming year. We also welcomed our new Sous Chef Austin, whose exceptional background has raised the bar even higher. If you have noticed our desserts and pastries in the past couple of months, then you know what I mean.

In our personal lives, Chef Jason and I started homeschooling our daughters in June, and what a great move that was. We're all so blessed to learn daily from each other. And, in October we learned that we have a new baby on the way, slated to join the clan June 6. Never a dull moment around the Morell house!

All of us at Starving Artist Cafe' would like to wish you a healthy, blessed new year as we say goodbye to 2007 and hello to 2008. We thank you for your continued support as we change and grow, and we also welcome your comments and suggestions.

Cheers!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours-- it's been a family-filled Christmas Day for us. Annaliese and Sophia got up early and played all day long, and we got to spend time with almost all of our family members. It's been a while since we've been able to do that!

We hope you and yours had a peace-filled and wonderful Christmas, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support.

Cheers!

"Tales from the South" Release Party Monday, December 17th

It's here! Join us Monday, December 17th at 6:30pm for our Tales from the South: Volume II release party. Most of the contributing authors will be there signing books, and we'll have books for sale. The kitchen will be closed, the bar open.

They make great Christmas gifts!

Cheers!

Twelve Days till Christmas

Only twelve days-- yikes! We're rolling right along, and with the caterings this past week we might have a record month. Woo Hoo!

You may have noticed, or maybe you haven't-- but we have some big news! We have a new member of Starving Artist Cafe' on the way: s/he is due to arrive on or around June 6, 2008. It's a new baby, and I've started showing (I'm 4 months along now). We're very excited!

We have another big week ahead, we'll be open for lunch Christmas Eve (Monday the 24th), and then we'll be closed on Christmas Day.

Hope to see you soon--

Cheers!

Another Week, Another Dollar

Well, another week has passed, and our heads are still spinning! One of my new year's resolutions will be to post more often on this BLOG. But until January, I can't make any promises, as this is the busiest month of the year : )

We've just posted our New Year's Eve Menus: be sure to reserve early, as we'll sell out like we did the last two years. It's going to be quite an evening!

Our Director of Catering Veronica Jones is doing a great job of taking over and helping us build and expand our catering department. Be sure and call Veronica for all of your catering needs: 372-7976.

Hope to see you soon--

Cheers!

Monday, Monday

It's the beginning our December, our craziest month of the year. We ended November with a bang, with a great week and our best Wine Dinner yet. We're working on our December Wine Dinner and should have the details posted in a couple of days for that-- should be a great one, too.

Art sales are up (finally!) after several slow months, and we expect to sell quite a bit incredible local art as the holidays approach. This stuff is not made in China! Support your local artists and give a unique, incredible gift.

Koz has scheduled a new Children's Art Class to start in January. These classes are for 5-7 year olds, and run for 4 Saturday mornings from 10am-11am. Cost is $40, and classes are limited to 5 children. My daughters love these classes, and the children's artwork is displayed in the cafe'.

We are dressing up the cafe' with holiday decorations; the children decorated the little Christmas tree in the front window, and we're adding decorations a little at a time (when we can remember to : ).

Hope to see you soon--

Cheers!

A Thankful Weekend

What a weekend. We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house Thursday, and since we are lucky enough to have a chef in the family, I can say that it was phenomenal. Friday we did a catering and then headed down to Jason's farm in Gilette, AR, where Annaliese (our 6-year-old) went deer hunting and duck hunting for the first time with her father. She was ecstatic and very proud.

We are reopening Monday morning for the busiest time of year for us. This week our wine dinner is sold out (Wednesday), and we are going full-steam-ahead with our catering efforts.

Hope to see you soon--

Cheers!

Gift Cards are Here

Our new Gift Card program arrived Monday, so we're ready to go! What could be better than a Starving Artist Cafe' Gift Card, good for the best food and art in the state?? Any amount can be purchased, and customers may add value to the card anytime.

You can order in person, by phone, or by email, and we'll be happy to mail it for you in a festive holiday card.

Cheers!

Closed Thanksgiving Weekend

We're going to close for the whole Thanksgiving weekend, as 1) we think most people will not come downtown to eat and 2) our staff may stage a coup d'état.

We are doing a catering on Friday afternoon, so if you need some catering, please call us asap so we can take care of it for you. Jason and the girls and I will be leaving town Friday night to head to Gilette in southeast Arkansas, hopefully for some R and R (and perhaps bring home some venison).

We'll reopen Monday morning.

Cheers!

Holiday Fever

I was trying to wait until after Thanksgiving, but holiday fever has taken over. So, we're jumping on the bandwagon and offering our Holiday Gift Baskets! You can order a pre-filled basket ($25 - $75), or choose your own items for custom basket and price. Gifts include original artwork by Arkansas artists, delicious delectables by Chef Jason, gift cards, books, and other unique gifts you won't find anywhere else.

Check out our website for details, or call Paula: 372-7976.

Happy Shopping!

What Do You Think??

We were closed last year on Friday and Saturday nights after Thanksgiving. Do you think we should open this year on the weekend after Thanksgiving? Do you go out to dinner Friday and/or Saturday nights? If so, would you come downtown to our cafe'?

Please let us know!

Cheers!

Welcome, Veronica!

There's a new smiling face in the cafe'. Veronica Jones is our new Director of Catering, and we're thrilled she has joined us. She was with Sonny Williams Steak Room for the past 7 years, and now she's brought her expertise to direct all of our catering sales and coordination.

You'll see her at lunch -- she's the one with the beautiful smile -- so be sure and say hi and welcome her to our ever-expanding team.

Cheers!

Monday, Monday

It's Monday! We had a good weekend; we had quite a few out-of-towners in for dinner, so it seems the hotels are finally recommending us to their guests. Thanks, whomever you are!

We are gearing up for our biggest month of the year, December. We have several private parties booked, but we have quite a few dates open. Do you need a space for your party? You won't have to setup, serve, or clean- we'll do it all for you. It's the best deal in town, from hors doeuvres parties to full seated dinners, and it will be talked about for years. Office party, family parties, friends get togethers: call Veronica to book your event now!

Have a great week--

Cheers!

Thanksgiving Delectables

I just posted our Thanksgiving Delectables offerings-- wow your family and friends with Chef Jason's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Fresh-Baked Focaccia Bread (makes an excellent stuffing), Sauteed Vegetables, and Balsamic Vinaigrette. If you want to take the credit, we promise not to tell : )

Order by phone (372-7976) or online: Thanksgiving 2007

Cheers!

Don't Forget to Vote!

It's that time again-- time to vote for the Arkansas Times Readers' Choice Awards. Ballots are in the current issue of the Times, as well as the upcoming issue that will come out this Thursday. We are also featured as one of the restaurants in the upcoming Restaurant Issue this Thursday, and we really appreciate your vote. Last year we were voted one of the Best New Restaurants; this year we're in the running for Best Overall, Best Seafood, Most Romantic, and any other categories you want to vote us in.

Thanks for your support!!

Cheers!

It's Official!

After almost a year of negotiations, we signed our lease in Argenta! Things should start moving fast now-- we are shooting for next summer as our moving date. We really, really appreciate your support and comments-- what do you think about our move?

Cheers!

Trick or Treat

Who is that server-- a famous painter? Musician? Writer? We have some fun in store for Halloween. Our staff will be dressed up as famous artists-- guess who the artists are, and you'll be entered into the drawing for Lunch for Two. Wednesday only.

We had a rocking Tuesday; let's do it again today.

Cheers!

Another Exciting Week Coming Up

Okay, okay, I'm not good at this blogging thing. I'm almost a week between posts-- I'll try to do better. : )

We had a decent weekend. Sales were up for dinner, and about 50% of our clientel were out-of-towners. Art sales are starting to pick up, too, and we've gotten several new pieces in as well. Koz has his miniatures, Kelly Moore has quite a few new pieces, and we have 2 new artists' works.

The Arkansas Times Readers' Choice Awards ballots are coming out this Thursday, and we appreciate your vote. We won as one of the Best New Restaurants last year; let's see if we can win Best Overall this year!

See our article in the Democrat-Gazette on Friday, and in AY Magazine that comes out Thursday.

We are meeting this Wednesday to sign our lease for Argenta-- keep your fingers crossed all works out well.

Wednesday is Halloween! Our staff will dress up as artists-- see if you can pick out who is who!

Cheers!

Fall is Here

Well, it appears to be official; fall is here! That's good for our electricity bill, as our 1980 air conditioners can finally take a break-- that is, at least until we have to turn on the heaters and the gas bill shoots through the roof. Ah, the joys of business ownership.

We heard yesterday that we will be one of the restaurants featured in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette next Friday (November 3) for our dinner Prix Fixe. And, the Arkansas Times' Readers' Choice Awards is coming up in the first two weeks of November, so don't forget to cast your ballots. We won in the "Best New Restaurant" category last year-- we hope to win "Best Overall" this year. Thanks for your support!

I get asked daily when we are moving to Argenta, NLR. At this point, it looks like next summer (2008), but that's not set in stone yet. All of the powers that be are moving slower than expected at this point, so we are just waiting patiently for it all to fall into place. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as all of the details are ironed out.

We're gearing up for our wine dinner tomorrow night (Wednesday). We are about half-full, so call today and reserve your table. It's going to be our best yet.

Hope to see you in for warm food and drinks this week as the temperatures drop--

Cheers!

What a Week

Well, it's been over a week since I've posted. We've been doing some major multi-tasking and juggling. We have done three private parties and the Race for the Cure Brunch, along with our regular lunches and dinners-- and all I can say is thank goodness for Sous Chef Austin. He rocks.

This upcoming week we have our October Wine Dinner, and another private party, and hopefully more caterings. BTW: We're coming into the holiday season, so now's the time to book your holiday parties with us, as we're starting to fill up. Call Paula or Todd: 372-7976.

We are going to be featured in the November issue of AY Magazine, and rumor has it we'll have a review in the Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette soon, too. Nothing like a little free press to get the people in : )

Hope to see you soon--

Cheers!

New Sous Chef

It's official; we have a new Sous Chef, Austin. This means I (Paula) am no longer slaving away in the kitchen with Chef Jason. It was fun while it lasted, but I'm glad to get out of the heat and back on focusing on the front-of-the-house. And, of course Chef Jason is excited that he is no longer going to have to do the work of 2 people for days on end.

Sous Chef Austin has a great background and excellent skills, and we're thrilled that he has joined our team. Say hi to him next time you're in, and enjoy the new sanity at the cafe' (at least while it lasts!).

Cheers!

Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Forty!

This is it: the big 4-0! Today is Paula's 40th birthday, so be sure and rib her a little when you see her for being soooooo old.

Here's to you, old girl: Happy Birthday!

Cheers!

Where Ya At?

It's been quite slow at the restaurant the past couple of weekends; where ya at? Don't forget about us for the best dinner experience in town: incredible food, excellent prices, amazing atmosphere, friendly service.

I hear a lot that people don't come down at dinner because of the parking. Don't let that stop you. The parking lot across the street from us is free after 6pm. It's better parking than the parking at the grocery store.

We're all taking a much-needed break today, our only day closed. We hope to see you this week.

Cheers!

We're Cool

It's official; the air conditioner is fixed. It's cooler now than it has been all summer. Now if Mother Nature would just follow course...

If you're heading to the Symphony, Weekend Theatre, or other downtown venue this weekend, be sure to call us for a reservation. We specialize in pre-show dinners, and we'll make sure you get to the show on time without rushing you.

Cheers!

We're Up and Running (sort of)

Good news-- the electricity is back on. The electrician did his magic, and then Entergy installed a new meter. But, alas, when everything came back on, the one thing that didn't was the #@^*! air conditioner. We have struggled with that old thing for 2 years, and it decided that it was not going to start back up. We've been asking for months for the landlords to replace it, but they won't. So...... the a/c guys will be here this morning at 8am to fix it. If all goes well, we'll be cool (as cool as we can get) by 9am.

We need to make up our lost revenue, so please come in for lunch or dinner. We need all the support we can get.

Cheers!

When it Rains, it Pours

Well, our electricity is out, so we can't open for lunch today. The electrician says he'll be out this afternoon-- keep your fingers crossed. This is the first day since we opened almost 2 years ago that we had to close.

We all wanted a day off, but not like this! I think I'll take a nap...

Cheers!

October is Here!

Ah, the joys of fall.

October is the month 2 years ago that we started working on what would become Starving Artist Cafe'. The space had been a Mexican restaurant before we took it over, and we had major, major work to do (to say the least!). Everything you see in the cafe' was built by hand, including the bars (built by Jo Wiggins, with the mosaics created by 3,4, and 5 year old children), and the wainscoting along the west wall are doors from a farmhouse on Chef Jason's farm in Gilette in southeast Arkansas. If you've noticed the chandelier above the bar (I don't know how you could miss it!), it was an attic find, and we've been told it's from the 1930's.

It's been a crazy couple of years, and I'm sure there's more to come. This time of year brings back lots of memories for us. Hope it brings back good ones for you, too.

Cheers!

Taking Applications for Sous Chef

You won't want to miss this opportunity!!

We are taking applications for a Sous Chef. Must be experienced, preferably with a culinary degree, creative, hardworking, and personable. Must be willing to learn and be ready to take over the ropes. Excellent working conditions and hours. We are growing and expanding, so there's future growth opportunity with our company. See additional information and apply on our website: Sous Chef

TGIS

Thank God it's Saturday! We've made it through yet another week short-handed; one more night to go. We not only had a very busy week, we also did a catering for 175 people Friday night, as well as several other caterings during the week. You'd think Jason and I were in our twenties and not pushing forty. It's all in a day's work!

October is right around the corner, and we have lots of things coming up, including new artists, special shows, a new catering director, our "Night in Germany" wine dinner, and other exciting events. Hope to see you soon.

Cheers!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Happy Tuesday! Well, it's become a trend: Sous Chef Ryan is out, so it's me and Jason in the kichen again. Thank goodness for Annaliese (she's prepping the pickles right now).

Last night's Open Mic night was excellent-- readers included Janice Krasselt Tatter, Harding Stedler, and James Marsh. We are hosting the Open Mic nights the fourth Monday of each month. You can join our mailing list for weekly newsletters that detail what is happening and what is coming up.

While the rain makes it gloomy, my yard can certainly use it, so it's a mixed blessing today. Then again, isn't everything a mixed blessing??

Cheers!

It's Monday (all day)

We thought Sous Chef Ryan would be back today, but alas, he is not. So it's just Chef Jason and me in the kitchen again today. Good thing we get along well :)

You will also see our girls (Annaliese, 5 1/2, and Sophia, 3 1/2) in the cafe', helping out in both the front and back of the house. They take their work very seriously, and they are very proud to be helping us in the restaurant. Annaliese has learned how to use her knife to cut vegetables, and both girls have learned how to make bread in the morning. We homeschool the girls, and what better place to learn than here.

Here's to the start of a great week. Cheers!

Busy Weekend

It's Sunday afternoon, our only day off, and we're relaxing after a busy week. With Sous Chef Ryan out all week, Chef Jason worked double-duty, so he's pretty worn out. Paula helped out in the kitchen all week, and Chef Sarah came in Friday night for three hours (we couldn't have done it without her!).

We had a busy Friday night, and Stephanie Fox's music entertained everyone. Saturday night was fairly busy, too-- even with the Razorback game. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

We'll relax, recuperate, and recharge for our week ahead. Hope you can do the same. See you soon.

Cheers!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

It was an interesting day yesterday with Sous Chef Ryan out. Chef Jason pulled it off (as usual), and I was some help in the kitchen, although certainly not enough. With my recent foot surgery I'm not up to par, but I can still make a good salad. It's on again today-- I'll be in the kitchen with Chef Jason, so say hi if you get a chance.

Koz had to cancel his lunch painting demonstration, so we won't have an artist. And we're starting to fill up for our wine dinner next Wednesday, so be sure to reserve your spot.

Bon Appetit!

Jeff Nelson Confirms Next Week's Wine Dinner

I just spoke with Jeff Nelson, and he is excited about hosting our wine dinner next Wednesday night. Jeff is a Sommelier and was the host of our June wine dinner. He's back by popular demand.

Seating is very limited: Reservations Only. Call 372-7976 for availability and to reserve your spot now. Menu Here

September 19, 2007

You may notice a face missing at the cafe' the next couple of days: our Sous Chef Ryan was in a car wreck Monday night and will be out the rest of the week. Please join us in wishing him a speedy and healthy recovery.

I (Paula) will be stepping into the back of the house to help Chef Jason. If I'm too busy to chat, please drop me an email: catering@starvingartistcafe.net

Bon Appetit!

Welcome!

It's finally here-- our new blog that will have news of what is happening at the cafe', around town, and beyond. We'd love to hear from you! Tell us what you like, what we can do better, and what you'd like to see us do or offer. Cheers!