A Defining Moment

There are moments that define, change, and transform you~

I just had one of these moments. I am not claiming this moment to be alike to the birth of my sons, my wedding day or the death of my mother. I compare this moment to a defining paradigm shift, which I will never return.

As a business owner, now about to open our sixth door. I have always been under the opinion that our food can speak for itself and that customer service will come second, not as important as the food though. Tonight I was proved wrong and thus the paradigm shift. While in Marco Island my family and I visited a local restaurant. While the food was amazing and the service out of this world. I encountered one of the ruddiest hostess I have ever met. I was enraged by the way I was spoken to without just cause. My blood boiled. My family spent over 200 dollars in this restaurant and was abused by this woman.

At this moment came the change. I feel deep regret; sadness and embarrassment if anyone that has worked for me has ever treated anyone in this manner. This behavior is no longer expectable in my company. I promise from now on to take action on those who treat my customers with disrespect. And if this has happened in the past I apologize and wish that you would tell me now so I can buy you and your family a meal and express my deepest apologies.

Thank you, 

Jessica Wood

If it is broken fix it

As winter break approaches Fire & Water Restaurant Group prepares to open a new store UMelt, based on a concept we are proud to produce. Every sandwich was obsessed over. We have moved the chairs more times then I can count. We worked with a world renowned chef who cooked under Bobby Flay.  We listened and we learned. 

While we finish the final touches and prefect the menu, we will also muster the courage, to erase the menu at the Burger Shack and restructure the company. Not because the business is failing but because we can cook. We want our customers to experience this. So we pledge to  "make" the food we serve. When Burger Shack reopens the menu will highlight our ability to cook. The dressings will be homemade, the burgers will be hand packed and hand seasoned. Our sauces will be made with love and attention to detail.  We will also retrain our staff to cut down on wait time and remain true to our quick service concept.

There comes a moment in everyones life and every business that we must take stock of what works and what does not. From there it takes courage to fix what is broken. Because fear is a prison. 

Do we push to get open?? 

Push, drive, on to the next thing. Ben and I have always set goals pushed and pushed to achieve them, then one way or another met the goal set, high fived, filed the paperwork and moved on to the next. As I have grown older I want to slow this process down, look around and make sure that the push is worth the price. 

Umelt is the project I refer to, and the question is do we push to get open or do we wait, refine, and open when we are good and ready. I am reminded of my pregency with Eli, when I hit that last month, and all I wanted was him out!!! Out Out Out!!!  What sticks in my brain about those few shorts weeks is what a nurse told me: "yes you may want him out but he is not done cooking so let him stay in there you will never think about these few weeks again when you are holding a breatiful healhty little boy. But if you push for him to get out you will think about it for the rest of your life if he is born with a problem. The same can be said for business. We are pushing for revenue after opening our financial veins to this project and bleeding money. But we must wait these few weeks to deliver a healthy business  one that provides you with a maccorini pulled pork grilled cheese! 

Now that is worth waiting for!

Truth Justice and The American Way

The American Way is the belief that you can do anything you want as long as you want it enough, right? Or is it based on how much time you have? Or what you do with your time? And justice, the world is not full of justice.

Lately I have wondered what is my time worth and how does one measure self-worth in the framework of time? Over the last eight weeks I have given myself to an idea or a thought that played out in a six minute battle. I could have only done this if my family gave me time and others took time from their life and families for the same idea. Since I have been "out" and have given time towards business, family and others parts of my life, I have wondered what is my time worth. I don't collect a traditional paycheck and most of the things I do for the business are things that you can't clock in and out for. This is the same for my business partners. So if you can't clock in a out then and receive direct pay for what you do then you need to ask yourself what drives you and more importantly what do you want to do? Or spend your time doing. Because time is limited. 

This morning while thinking about my approaching 34th birthday, it occurred to me this will be my 9th birthday without my mother. Being that these nine years have gone in a blink of an eye I don't plan to waste any of my time. I have a desire to make whatever I am doing epic. Why do it if it is not epic, it seems like such a waste of time. I don't have a bucket list or anything to check off because real true death is horrible and sad and involves no list.

The point of this blog is that while seeking self-worth and measurement of what your time is worth I think it can only truly be measured by what you are doing with your time and what you produce. And in the end did you do something epic?

And as we head to the opening of UMELT, which will be an epic grilled cheese store, I love my job and I love my time.

Down the rabbit hole

For the last 5 weeks I feel like a little white rabbit has been calling me Maryann and threatening me with the power of a over bearing power hunger queen whom I am doomed to meet. Yes this may have something to do with the Muay Thai fight training I have been undergoing for the past five weeks and the reality that I will be stepping in the ring for the ultimate physical and mental test besides childbirth. But in truth it is more then just intense physical activity. It is the commitment to a mission and the clarity it has brought me in all aspects of my life that drives me to make this post. 

A constant through this training has been "then you do it" it reminds me of a truth Ben and I lived under for the last 12 years as small business owners. We have dedicated ourselves to a mission, a concept, an idea, a dream, a wish, we have written it down, set deadlines and seen each of these dreams through to the ring if you let me keep the metaphor going. Knowing full well in each of these ventures we have chosen the path with risk and hard work. 

And now I look toward my favorite business mission, the one started by Wildwood. To provided our customers with the best service and food we are capable of. It has become so very clear over the last couple of weeks that our core team has gown stronger and more capable and that makes me proud and ready to head into our launch party ready to rock. Here is the menu of what we will be serving and sampling at our launch party. Come, have a 'wild' time, and be a part of our mission. 

 Launch party epic menu

California B.L.T.-cheddar crisp w/ garden tomato jam, Blackbird Farm bacon, avocado aioli, & micro greens

 Son’s Steak N’ Potato-Potato crisp w/ Son’s Whiskey marinated Blackbird steak, blue cheese crumble, red onion marmalade, balsamic glaze & chives

Mini pork tacos pickled red onion & cabbage w/ goat cheese

Grilled Sweetberry Farm peach with ricotta, honey lemon dressing, & mint

Grilled Veggie Toast w/ arugula Pesto, red onion marmalade, goat cheese & basil oil

Fried Matunuck oyster with crème fraiche and apples

Mini local fish tacos w/ West coast slaw

Wild Grilled Cheese Triangles-Melted Gruyere, sliced Sweet Berry Farm apples, caramelized onions & truffle oil

Sons of Liberty carmel and ice cream

Blackbird Pork Chops

Chef Jonathan's take on Blackbirds Pork Chops

Pan-Seared Maple-Brined Pork Chop from Blackbird Farm with Sauteed Swiss Chard from Red Horse Farm & Rosemary Roasted Peaches from Narrow Lane Orchard

Maple Brine for Pork Chops:

will brine up to 6 chops

6 cups cold water

2/3 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil.

Once at a boil, turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt & maple syrup have dissolved

Allow the brine to cool, then put the brine in a container large enough for the chops to be added and still covered by the brine

Add the chops

Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours

To cook the chops:

Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry (do not rinse)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin) in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat

Cook the chops until browned, about 3 minutes per side

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chops until they are firm to the touch, and an instant read meat thermometer inserted through the side and into the center of one reads 145 degrees, 8-15 minutes

Remove the chops from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes

Serve and await the compliments of your friends & family at your amazing Chef-ness!!!

blackbird farm

"But he isn't wearing anything at all" -The Emperor's New Clothes

Naked truth through the eyes of a child 

For the last month I have seen the world through the eyes of a child. A paradigm shift in all aspects of my life has occurred. I invite those who don't believe people, marriages, and friendships can evolve and grow to have the experiences and conversations I have had over the last month. 

Over the last couple of weeks Wildwood has been challenged as a company. My family as well as myself have also found challenge and opportunity coupled with huge amounts of joy. Some of these we have accepted with open arms, some needed a return to our value system followed by truthful conversations. And some (personal challenges) still need a large bucket of bravery. ( I am now accepting donations) 

One of these awaking experiences I have had, was yesterday while touring Blackbird Farm. The Wildwood Team, piled into the car and headed to Smithfield RI. A quote from their promotional material: "Our goal at Blackbird Farm is to produce beef with consistently juicy, tender, flavorful meat" 

Blackbird allowed us to tour their farm without reservation. There were no closed doors, curtains or secret spaces. Just open farm land kissed by the sun and feed by the rain. I know about hormones and antibiotics and the role they play in modern cattle raising, I also have some very strong views about the use of such chemicals on our food community, but what really struck me is the simple fact that they won't allow the use of injestable insecticides to keep the flies off the cows. This attention to detail and loyalty to a value system will change the way I eat meat. I would rather pay a higher price for meat then to pay a price latter with my health.  

I encourage you to tour a farm and find out where food comes from, I promise you it is not grown in the isles of your grocery store.

Check our Blackbird on the web:

http://blackbirdfarmri.com/