Come on in!

Holy moly! If you weren’t here last week, you definitely missed something. If you aren’t here this week, well, don’t blame me for what goes on at the Bistro!

I will get to last week in a minute, but first, I need to mention that this Sunday, July 5, 2 The Ninez return to The Grind (yes, I know, don’t get confused…it’s all the same place, we just call it a lot of different things!) to play their bluesy, soulful mix of awesome music. Anyone who has seen these two play will definitely want to come back and celebrate their independence from boredom with us. I believe they will play 7-9pm, so come have a bite to eat, drink some wine, and hear some amazing sounds.

Also next month, national recording artist Julie Gribble returns to The Grind to play her original songs for our customers. She played here last year, after a gig at The Boardwalk, and sounded fantastic. Same thing this year, she will play The Boardwalk, and then come to our shop for a 9:30-11 performance. So, it will be a post wine-tasting music extravaganza that you will not want to miss.

That’s right, all this is happening right here in CB, at 2 Wine Guys’ Treehouse Bistro at The Grind…or something like that. Anyway, you signed the book, so you know where we are.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Thursday, we had a great crowd at the wine tasting, and we rolled out food for the first time. The flatbreads and paninis went over well but the antipasti platters and cheese plates were the biggest hits with the wine-drinking crowd.

Earlier in the day, Steve, from Millennium Beverage came into the kitchen and demanded a sandwich. I tried to tell him we weren’t open yet, but he saw the prep table, he saw the food, and he refused to take no for an answer, so we made him a sandwich. And then Liza from Mutual came in, but she asked nicely, so we made her a sandwich, too. Well, once we started making sandwiches, other people wanted them too, so, we were open for business.

Friday, Dave returned to play, and we were happy to have him back. He played both piano and acoustic guitar, and when some customers came in late he plugged his guitar back in and played a few extra songs for the newcomers.

Saturday, The Elected Officials played and absolutely rocked the full house we had. People ate, drank, and were definitely merry. Lou admitted, somewhat begrudgingly, that they had actually rehearsed, and it showed. These guys get a little tighter every time they play. Although, I don’t know how many musicians we can actually fit in our place, but they looked like freakin Earth, Wind and Fire they had so many people up there playing. I lost count at one point, because the band wrapped around the corner, there were so many of them.

Jeremy, from Country Vintner, brought his lovely lady and their incredibly well-behaved little man (although he did barf on Shell) in for sandwiches, and other vendors threatened to come but never showed. Jeremy had come in the day before with seven different wines, which, as you know, we always appreciate.

Anyway, the kitchen is open every day now. The menu is limited, but the food is awesome! And I’m not just saying that because it’s us, I am saying it because it is absolutely the truth. And, if you don’t believe me? Well, come on down and taste for yourself. Come on, I dare you. Prove me wrong. Seriously.

I did cut the end of my finger off the first day, demonstrating that the new knives are very, very sharp. So sharp, in fact, it cut through my fingernail like it was butter. But, what the hell, I’ve got nine more, right? So, I got that out of the way the first day, and I had already cut myself on the slicer, so the only thing left is for me to burn myself, and then I will have completed the kitchen trifecta.

The only thing out of the gate that wasn’t perfect was my Finnerty’s Flatbread. It didn’t quite translate from the home oven to the commercial kitchen the way I had wanted, so I had to work on it for a couple days. But, after a few tweaks, I believe I nailed it, and am now proud to put those puppies out.

This Thursday, Lee, from Ocean South (formerly of Country Vintner), will be here to taste everyone on some wines. Don’t know what he is bringing yet, but, like Nancy Drew, I love a good mystery…especially when there is wine involved. He has never done a tasting here (well, not with the general public anyway), so it should be interesting.

So, there you have it. The Treehouse Bistro is now open, we are in the middle of the season, and it is high time for you to come on down and see the 2 Wine Guys @ The Grind and let us pour you a glass!

Shawn

Post Date: 06/28/2009