Starting October 1st, we will be closed for dinner Tuesday nights, and our week's hours will be as follows:

Monday  7am - 9pm

Tuesday  7am - 5pm

Wednesday  7am - 9pm

Thursday  7am - 10pm

Friday  7am - 10pm

Saturday  7am - 10pm

Sunday  7am - 9pm


We will offer specials as follows:

Monday - Half off selected bottles of wine

Wednesday - Mexican-themed dinner specials, and $1 off all bottled beer

Thursday - Free Wine Tasting!

Friday - Locals Appreciation Night - $1 off all bottled beer and wines by the glass

Saturday - Couples Night - three specials to choose from, including a bottle of wine, salad, two tapas items and dessert for one great price!

The Treehouse Bistro is now open seven nights for dinner! Sunday though Wednesday until nine, and Thursday through Saturday until ten!

OK, it has already been a memorable week, and here it is only Tuesday. But yesterday was the Empire wine show at the Hilton downtown, which usually means a lot of wine and somewhat hazy remembrances of the rest of the evening.
We participated in the "Sommelier's Challenge" before the show, which consisted of six Pinot Noirs. Drink, assess, and identify. I actually won, which meant a free bottle of Santa Barbara Pinot for me. After which, the presenter poured us another glass of Pinot (Domain Carneros), and then it was off to the show, where I would taste another 39 wines (according to my notes, which became increasingly difficult to read as I made my way through the room).
There were a few standouts, to be sure, including some lovely California Pinot Noirs, and a delicious dessert wine from Bonterra. The usual suspects, like Artemis, Stag's Leap and Caymus, wowed the palate, but their price point makes them difficult selections for our little shop. That does not mean we cannot taste them, when offered free samples.
Fortunately, we had started our afternoon at Firebelly Lounge, carbo-loading with absorbent fried foods and meat, so intoxication would not come too quickly. Alas, a Faddi and fries can only absorb so much alcohol, and my notes are not clear on some points of the evening. Nevertheless, a good time was had by all.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we had one hell of a weekend, thanks to Mr. Sunshine. We cranked out more than 260 plates between Thursday and Sunday, and Friday night had me working up front and cooking at the same time. No small feat, and I was exhausted by the time I got home. Saturday was no different, and mom was visiting, so she ran into town and we capped the night with a feast of wings and beer at the VIP table.
On the food front, I received a Facebook posting from a chef friend, noting that he had been nominated as one of the top chefs in Wilmington. I thought "how nice, I will go online and vote for him." Unfortunately for him, my name was also there, so I had to cast my ballot for little old me...it is on the Star-News website, starnewsonline.com. Don't know what it all means, but it is fun to think that there are that many people who like our food.
Speaking of which, we are about the only island restaurant participating in Wilmington Restaurant Week March 23-30, so we have two weeks to finalize our tapas menu and prepare for the onslaught.

That being said, I should go. So much to do, so little time. Come on down, the wine is fine!

Shawn

Boy, howdy, what a weekend! It is definitely true that nice weather begets good business. Nice temps brought a record January weekend to the Bistro, as each day was better than the last. Between Thursday and Sunday, we cranked out over 250 plates, and by Sunday we were running out of everything. Saturday night, it was just Amy, Joel and I, facing a full house. We managed to make it through, but when I woke up Sunday morning I was reminded that I was no longer 20!

Anyway, by Sunday afternoon I was exhausted, and the prospect of cooking dinner was not a welcomed thought. Fortunately, Amy was on the same page, the kids were away, and we decided to have a grown-up night out. We headed downtown to try out Manna, a new restaurant managed by our boy Billy, who was one of our original wine vendors from the day we opened. He came to us from Juice, and eventually moved to Tryon, and then back into the restaurant business.

And what an experience. Not just good, but food that made me want to become a better cook! I mean, every bite was a heavy sigh of deliciousness, and a nice wine list produced the Eberle Steinbeck Syrah. An old favorite, that winemaker Gary Eberle (who platted the Paso Robles designation) came into the shop to pour himself. Well, no, he talked, Billy did the pouring. But, a memorable experience, just the same.

After dinner, we decided on a nightcap, and headed down to Fortunate Glass on Front Street. We had a lovely Barbera from Scott Harvey, another winemaker who graced our shop, and some stuffed pepper and endive with goat cheese. Very nice! An interesting white caught out attention, and we thought we would buy it to take home. We had them open it so we could have a taste, and by the time we left we were essentially carrying an empty bag...

It was fun to act like adults, although it did catch up with us the next morning. After such a busy weekend, then a night out (didn't get to sleep until after 2 a.m.!), it took everything I had in me to get out of bed...to get a cup of coffee...at 12:30. Then it was back into bed for another hour or so. The day goes by quickly when you don't get out of bed until mid-afternoon!

But, as I said, I am no longer 20.
Back to the business of wine, this week's tasting will feature the wines of Ararat, with Esther manning the pouring station. Chardonnay, Petit Sirah, Merlot and Chianti are all on the agenda, and, as always, festivities begin at six. Don't forget, next week's tasting will feature pairings with The Fudgeboat.
In the meantime, we will continue putting out good food, so, if you are in the neighborhood...
Shawn

Yes, that most famous of "Hallmark Holidays," Valentine's Day, is almost upon us. To celebrate, we will be doing a special tasting on February 10, in conjunction with our friends at The Fudgeboat. Yes, we will once again pair wine and fudge, which went over extremely well the last time, with cars lined up all the way down the block, and at least three fire code violations inside!


Anyway, if you only make it to one wine tasting that week, make it this one!
Sunny weather brought a crowd to the beach this past weekend, and we were actually busy Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And the crowd dissipated on Sunday just in time for us to sit down and watch the Packers tame the Bears. Then it was home for hot wings and the AFC Championship game. Had to switch to beer for that one. Hey, it happens!
We are still seeing a lot of new faces in the restaurant, and one woman made the comment that "this is happy food." That, and the occasional "oh my god!" are awesome praise. Oh, and people tempted to lick their plates also makes us feel good about what we are doing.
Speaking of what we are doing, a new menu is poised to be released to the world, which will include our new tapas menu. We are excited to be adding some more "oh my god" items, including the meatballs, pastry-wrapped olives, chili-lime shrimp (our own version of shrimp cocktail), and spicy mussels, just to name a few. It will also include a little history of tapas...so stop asking!
Unfortunately, we didn't get enough response to our wine dinner to actually do it, which is a shame. Menu was awesome, but the wines, well, I hate to send them back. And, since I don't have a tremendous amount of willpower when it comes to wine, I talked Joel into opening up one of the Maude Pinot Noirs from New Zealand. Smoky and rich, like a big ol' glass of bacon! With strawberries.
And just as I wrote that, we hit the bonanza. First, the vendor from Juice came in with several bottles of deliciousness. Then Andrew, from Tryon (who will be doing tomorrow's tasting, by the way), came in with a couple whites and a couple reds. And now, as I type with one eye closed, we are waiting for Ethan, from Millennium, to come in...and god only knows how many wines he will be bringing with him...which makes me want to race to finish this, so I will still be capable of sending out the emails!
Tomorrow will feature a Pinot Grigio (just because we feel compelled to offer a white), and then a Montepulciano, a Cab and a Syrah. Holy crap! What a line-up!
Anyway, we did some food experimentation today. Teresa made a terrific stock for a soup I will make tomorrow with kale and some of our Spanish meatballs. Then, thanks to our friend at the Veggie Wagon, we have a homemade mustard around which we made a new sandwich. London broil, red onion and Swiss with this amazing, spicy whole grain mustard on Focaccia. "Prime Grind," we are calling it, and it is worth a taste!
OK, I need to sign off. There is wine on the way, and if I don't do this now, it simply won't happen. So, see you soon? Yes!
Shawn

A lot to talk about this week, so first things first. Next Monday, January 24, will be our first wine dinner. Reservations are required, and seating is limited, so if you want to take part, let me know ASAP.

Details? OK, here you go: we will offer a five course meal, with a wine paired with each course. Starting with a cream of garlic soup served with Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc, then moving to roasted fish with an olive tapanade, on top of mushroom risotto with Maude Pinot Noir, followed by lamb chops and dried fruit couscous with Raconteur Cabernet Sauvignon, then thinly sliced filet mignon with au jus and truffled mashed potatoes with West Cape Howe Cabernet Sauvignon, and, finally, molten lava cakes with Amaretto whipped cream and a dessert wine.
Yeah, sounds good, huh! And the wines are fantastic. The price for the dinner is $65/person. If we get a good response, we will do more.
OK, now, on to daily business. We were reminded, once again, what great people we have surrounding us this past weekend, when we were hit with an unexpected rush. Now, we already knew we had awesome customers/friends, since it was some of them who helped us build the kitchen. But Friday was the perfect storm.
We had two employees out, including our all-important dishwasher. But, given the previous Friday’s “crowd,” I figured Teresa and I would be just fine by ourselves. And, when I was staring at that one lovely couple by the window, I was sure I was correct. Fortunately, Amy stopped in for a glass of wine...which she never got to have.

No sooner had she sat down than two groups of four came in, three groups of two, and, well, the next thing I knew all of our tables were full, and there was even a couple sitting at the bar. The rush was on! And it would be on for about two solid hours. If Amy had not come in I would have been totally screwed.

But there was still the back of the house to worry about. Dishes were piling up, and we were beginning to run out of stuff. Teresa could not crank out food AND wash dishes. When all seemed hopeless, in walked Max and April, our friends from The Veggie Wagon. Heavily involved in the Farmers Market, we had made friends with them through our mutual admiration of good, fresh food.

“What can I do?” Max asked, clearly seeing our distressed situation. Well, half-jokingly, I said “you might have to wash dishes.” And the next thing I knew, he and his wife were elbow deep in the sink, pushing tray after tray through the dishwasher. Before long, we were caught up, the crowd dissipated, and we exhaled.
But it was the profound statement Max made afterward, sipping on a nice Bordeaux...that he loved what we were doing, and wanted to see us succeed, and that he was willing to help any way he could to insure that success.
It is moments like that which help remind me why I am doing this. The stress, the difficult winter months, the long hours, the slavery to the shop...all seem worth it when you get that kind of validation.

Speaking of friends, some others came by with a bottle of Domaine Serene Evansted Reserve (the Cabernet of Pinot Noir), and we also did a vertical of Saddleback Cabs, from 2003 to 2006. Wow! Not your traditional football game fare, but, hey, this is the playoffs!

Anyway, we had a good weekend, and I am anxious for good weather. It clearly makes a difference. On Monday, we hosted a private birthday party, serving 20 people for a nice surprise to the birthday girl. It was a good use of a night we would otherwise be closed.
This week’s wine tasting will be poured by Ethan, featuring the wines of Millennium Beverage, including a really nice Petite Verdot, and a crazy good Syrah. Check it out.

I am also thinking of doing a special Valentine’s Day dinner, if there are enough people interested in us staying open.
All right, that’s enough for now. You know the drill.

Shawn

Stuff me with wine, please...


Ah, I love a holiday that celebrates gluttony, where it is perfectly acceptable to eat until you have to lie on the floor, where it is OK to drink your breakfast and lunch, and the best wine with dinner is "what's open?"

Or maybe that's just me...

Anyway, the Island's holiday season officially began Friday, with the "Light Up" ceremony at Carolina Beach Lake. It really gets rolling this Friday, with the Christmas Parade, which, coincidentally, starts right next to The Treehouse. It will be chilly, the heaters will be on the deck, hot chocolate with be flowing, and there will be plenty of wine open...so, if you are thinking about watching the festivities...

We have had a busy month, especially last week, which was more like summer than winter. The day after Thanksgiving, I made more lattes than three Starbucks, and cooked both lunch and dinner, cranking out 74 plates. I started work at 6:30 in the morning, and did not sit down until almost 10:30 that night. I am getting too old for that!

But I am not complaining.

Speaking of wine, our new glass list has received an awesome response, featuring a Merlot and Cab from Napa, that are outstanding for the price, a dirty, dirty little Chianti that is so naughty it needs a spanking, an Italian Pinot Noir and a lovely Zinfandel from Northern California. Good stuff, thanks to our friend Jeremy from Country Vintner.

The Thanksgiving holiday always deprives us of a wine tasting, although I did make up for it at home. I started the day with mimosas, then moved to Bogle's Phantom, drank a couple other things I can't remember, then opened some Pinot Noir to drink with the turkey. Dinner was accentuated by the fact that my mom is here, so my turkey was made better by the stuffing and gravy I have eaten since I was a child, and Amy modernized the meal with a chipotle cranberry sauce that brought the whole meal together. I also converted Julia Child's classic baguette recipe to rolls, which were crispy on the outside and dense and delicious on the inside.

Back at The Treehouse, I broke up the holiday monotony with a carne asada quesadilla, and did Juevos Rancheros for brunch, accompanied by a fantastic roasted tomatillo salsa. I don't want to brag, but that salsa is one of the most delicious condiments I have ever made...OK, I want to brag...that salsa is the most delicious condiments I have ever made! Of course, it is a tad spicy, but the sweetness of the tomatillos cuts through that heat.

Don't know what I will make this weekend, but isn't that the fun?

Our new guy, Andrew, from Tryon, will be conducting this week's tasting, so we will try to make up for the week off last Thursday. I know a lot of you haven't been in a while, so you might want to go ahead and make plans to be here this week.

We also changed our hours, converting to a winter schedule. Since we are working a lot of the hours ourselves, we thought we might try to work in personal lives as well. Unreasonable, I know, but there it is. We are now open Monday through Wednesday from 7a.m. to 3p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 7a.m. to 10p.m., and Sunday from 7a.m. to 4 p.m. So get here early...

OK, that is probably enough for now. The holidays are upon us, and it is the season traditionally associated with food and drink, so, well, you know what to do...