The S&S Takeout

Closing This Blog

2012-02-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

We are sorry to inform you that we will soon be closing our blog.

Speaking out here for what we believe in has brought too many repercussions for our family business and we can not afford anymore problems and still stay afloat.

Please follow us on Facebook to stay abreast of the latest developments in food!
The S&S on Facebook

GARBAGE

2012-02-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

We are proud of our garbage here at The S&S! Does that sound funny? It shouldn't - garbage is the beginning of the next growing cycle. What we do is this; we separate our recyclables and pay for them to be picked up. We are not required to do this but it is the right thing to do and so we do it even if there is a slightly higher cost. We know that single stream recycling ruins all paper, which is 40% or more of all landfill trash, so we will never use it as we believe in recycling all that we can. We are thrilled to know that Waste Pro, our dedicated & professional local recycler, really gets those recyclables to companies that reuse them in new products and so we help lessen our carbon footprint. Single stream recycling guarantees landfill waste and we know that stacking mountains of trash that leach into our environment is robbing our children of their good health and their planet. Our concerns about what has already leached into our precious Indian River Lagoon are based on science, not fear.

Next, we compost all the kitchen waste that we can. Invaluable in our ability to do this is Heathcote Botanical Garden, The Compost Gardener and all her wonderful volunteers. They compost our kitchen waste, use it to grow vegetables year round in Florida, and then donate the resulting produce to local food banks and soup kitchens. How? Go take a class and learn to do it yourself! Are you starting to see the beginning of the next growing cycle?! All of this effort reduces our actual landfill trash to so small an amount we produce less trash than many residential neighbors we have had.

In short, there is no "away" when you throw trash away. While it is easier not to think about it, it is an integral part of the closed system that is the earth. Our nation's farmers lose more and more topsoil every year - composting puts it back. Gas becomes more and more expensive and the political situation to get it is becoming unbearable - recycling uses the resources we have already pulled from the earth instead of going in to rip out more. As for landfill waste - we ever strive to reduce the load we put on the earth. We buy in bulk where we can, eschew unnecessary packaging or bags, and hope the day will come when a plasma arc trash zapper can be right here in St Lucie County. In the meantime, know that we will not stop doing the right thing by the earth and for all our children to save a few bucks. We ourselves will do with a bit less rather than compromise on the right thing to do. We hope you will too. For the children - for their future.

Scientists to discuss latest Indian River Lagoon research at Fort Pierce symposium

2012-02-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

We are THRILLED to hear about the symposium!
Check out the article:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2012/feb/03/scientists-to-discuss-latest-indian-river-lagoon/

Very concerned about this, though:
‎"prevalence of the Haplosporidian parasite Bonamia in bivalves," all in the lagoon. (That last one apparently has something to do with bad little critters that can get inside oysters.)

So very sad and so very true that both these entities are willing to make our children guinea pigs.

2012-02-01T12:14:00.002-05:00

CLOSED UNTIL TUESDAY 1/17/12

2012-01-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

CLOSED UNTIL TUESDAY 1/17/12

11th hour changes in our extended renovation project prevent

us from opening our business.

Thank you for understanding; we are currently homeless.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T11:59:00.002-05:00

‎"We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent upon its vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and, I will say, the love we give our fragile craft. We cannot maintain it half fortunate, half miserable, half confident, half despairing, half slave to the ancient enemies of man, half free in a liberation of resources undreamed of until this day. No craft, no crew can travel safely with such vast contradictions. On their resolution depends the survival of us all."

ADLAI STEVENSON, 1964

THURSDAY 12/22 & FRIDAY 12/23

2011-12-19T12:09:00.004-05:00

*Free Range Turkey Gravy $6/bowl $12/qt
*Mashed Potato(og) $5
*Bread & Country Sausage Stuffing $5
*Fresh Cranberry/Orange Relish $6/bowl
*Mashed Sweet Potato(og) Casserole with Dried Cranberry(og)/Pecan(og) Streusel $7
*Corn(og) Pudding $5
*Butternut Squash(og) Casserole $6
DESSERTS
*Apple Pie $15
*Pecan(og) Pie $20
*Pumpkin(og) Pie $15

Renovating Fools

2011-12-05T08:22:00.000-05:00

It does feel foolish to be in the middle of renovation during holiday season, but that's when the permit came through. We ask for your patience as we go through this trying period of overextension. It will be worth it in the long run, as the whole family will be closer to the restaurant and better able to help Chef prep ever more dishes. Meantime, we really are just happy to get through each and every day!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

We are thankful for the farmers that grow the food we eat and for the customers that support us by purchasing the food Chef cooks.

Everything but the Turkey!!! 11/22 & 11/23

2011-11-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

EVERYTHING BUT THE TURKEY!!!

**2LB Tin Par Baked - 10-20 minutes @350 degrees or 8oz

cup/16oz bowl**

-Free Range Turkey Gravy $3/cup $6/bowl

-Mashed Yukon Gold Potato(og) $5

-Southern Corn Pudding $5

-Multigrain Bread Stuffing w/ Country Sausage & Veggies $5

-Dried Cranberry(og)&Fresh Orange Relish $6/bowl

-Candied Yams w/ Pecan(og) Streusel $6

-Green Peas(og) w/ Onion(og) & Local Mushrooms $6

-Roasted Winter Squash(og) with Brown Sugar & Spices$6

-Sweet Potato(og) Casserole with Cran/Orange

Relish&Streusel $8

-Whole Apple Pie $16

-Whole Pumpkin(og) Pie $17

-Whole Pecan Pie $20

Construction

2011-11-07T06:54:00.000-05:00

We finally got our permit to start construction on our new pad! We will be living in an apartment much closer to the restaurant so the whole family can get more rest and so Chef can get more help with prep work. We had planned for all this to happen during the summer, but the best laid plans . . . .so, we will make the best of it. Meanwhile, please bear with us. We are greatly involved in the renovation project of our new home so we appreciate your patience with us in the meantime. Hopefully, by the New Year we should be settled in and able to serve you better.
THANKSGIVING
Once again this year we will offer all the side dishes and desserts you need the Tuesday & Wednesday before Thanksgiving. You just have to worry about the main course and then get the rest with us, par baked and ready to go. Have the time to enjoy your gathering!

A Week Without Us

2011-10-09T17:24:00.000-04:00

The S&S Takeout will be closed from Saturday 10/15 thru

Sunday 10/23 for numerous pre-season housekeeping chores.

This includes the work week of Monday 10/17 - Friday 10/21.

Reopening Monday 10/24/11 to serve you!

Wondering Why Us?

2011-10-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

It was a BEAUTIFUL day Saturday at the Downtown Fort Pierce Farmers Market! The local produce is starting to come in and the weather is changing to dreamy. Everyone I saw was happy to tread lighter on the plaza - just had to be asked. But what no one can figure out - if the market has to be moved off the plaza for marina construction, how come nothing else does? Clearly, we are also Fort Pierce residents and want what's best for our city. Heck - that's why the founding grant for the market was to help downtown! So, why hot asphalt/parking lot/dirty dumpster treatment for the state's 5th most popular market, the one that won 20th most popular in the country and NO ONE ELSE??!!

Food Security & Insecurity

2011-09-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

If you have not been following what has been happening to the Fort Pierce Farmers Market, please take a moment to read the following two articles from TC Palm:

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/sep/26/anthony-westbury-market-vendors-up-in-arms-about-f/

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/sep/28/anthony-westbury-market-story-keeps-changing/

The result is dire for local farmers especially. Many vendors are considering committing to other more stable market venues, as season is their entire annual income and can not risk their family's livelihood. It seems such a shame, having watched the dedication of the vendors over the years to growing what became the 5th most popular market in the state, to now see them scrambling to secure enough income to stay afloat. They committed to downtown Fort Pierce and grew something for everyone to be proud of; now they are thrown out with little notice and less regard. In fact, I was informed of the "temporary move due to marina construction" on Facebook before the people whose livelihood this decision affects! For local food, this is a very sad day indeed. Our hearts go out to our dedicated farmers.

We also must now reassess how to shop local. We will keep you updated as to where we end up having to travel to obtain regional produce, if that still remains possible.

We have only one question left, from our dispirited hearts:
Is the Farmers Market the only venue to be moved off the plaza or will Friday Fest & fishing tournaments also be moved off?

Fall is Florida Planting Time

2011-09-06T07:34:00.000-04:00

If we had a garden, we would be prepping our no-till beds and planning our garden. We will have to wait until our new digs are done but that does not stop you from taking any square foot of space and growing something. We always have herbs back of the restaurant - why not give it a try?!

In fact, we used cardboard to improve the pad loaned to us during our construction. After ripping out weeds so tall we almost lost the cat, Chef used the no till method for a decorative planter, too. He laid down many layers of cardboard and then mulch (NOT red cypress trees - certified sustainable, of course!) for a neat and weed free landscaping island. Good way to put cardboard back in the earth, neaten up our viewscape and improve the soil. Win/win/win!

Empower yourself - grow something edible!!!

CLOSED FRIDAY 8/12/11

2011-08-11T23:47:00.000-04:00

We sold our home this morning on short notice and are moving out in consideration of the new owners. We apologize for the inconvenience and will be back Monday 8/15 to serve you.

Why You Should Care About Garbage Disposal

2011-08-06T14:15:00.003-04:00

Fort Pierce residents & business owners:
We just saw a great video explaining the problem with garbage and what could be possible with new technology.
It takes 11 minutes to find out why you should care about garbage, and we think that you will by the end.
Please take the time to watch the following video as you ponder the pressing vote on a 15 year garbage contract.
That makes this a decision that we will all pay for, in our case, from now until our 5 year old is in college. It is VERY important!
http://tinyurl.com/c5bzey

Valued Customers:
We truly appreciate your patronage and support through the summer heat!
If there are any particular dishes you are craving, please let us know and we will try to accommodate. We intend to have our family relocated much closer to the restaurant by the fall, in the hope this will lead to more time for delicious projects.

New Neighbor!
Welcome! to "Rebecca's; Organic Hair & Bodycare"
144 N. Depot Drive
772-529-1811
Rebecca just had her grand opening August 1st and we are thrilled to have such a wonderful resource right next door! We love the quality and price of her haircuts, the organic and new method hair color systems she has studied, the delightful products she carries, along with numerous other salon treats.

Cheers to starting a green hub downtown!

8/1 Fort Pierce City Commission Meeting Agenda Item

2011-07-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

8/1 Ft Pierce Commission Meeting:

More from paid consultant about the 2 proposed

15 year trash contracts. Please compare apples

to apples!

for Fort Pierce Residents & Businesses

2011-07-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

Fort Pierce residents & businesses:
Garbage is big business and your choice should be heard!
Tell the city!
772-460-2200 ext 312

Contact the Fort Pierce Mayor & Commissioners:http://t.co/w2NTyBP

Deadline 8/1/11

2011-07-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

Fort Pierce residents & businesses:

The garbage vote is 8/1 & can CHANGE THE FUTURE.

Tell the city what you want! 772-460-2200 ext 312

RBenton@city-ftpierce.com

CommEddieBecht@Bechtlaw.com

RSessions@city-ftpierce.com

RAlexander@city-ftpierce.com

TPerona@city-ftpierce.com

Summer Doldroms

2011-07-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

The heat is on and the garden is out. We have come to the one season where it just won't grow in Florida, unless you have a cool shade house. Luckily, the one farmer we know that does will deliver, so we are taking a summer break from the farmers market as well. We hope to spend the time finding new and more local producers, as season had us too busy to track down every trail.

Great news for local food - the new Florida Cottage Food Act! Home cooked concoctions can now be sold at market, provided annual sales do not exceed $15,000. This is excellent news for anyone wanting to transition careers or test the marketability of a new product. We do hope some of our farmers have friends who do canning and preserving.

A very important vote lies before the City of Fort Pierce on August 1st, a vote about garbage. We hope that you will voice to them any way that you can what you want for your children's future.

HOPE

2011-07-10T11:10:00.002-04:00

"An ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpropitious the situation in which we demonstrate HOPE, the deeper that HOPE is. HOPE is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. It is also HOPE above all which gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do here and now." Vaclav Havel

Housekeeping

2011-06-12T18:58:00.000-04:00

Have been and will be addressing the long overdue task of serious bookkeeping.

Please go out and enjoy the last of spring before the real heat hits!

1 Year Anniversary

2011-05-22T08:48:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe, but we have been here a whole year already. May 20, 2010 we started our invitational week and May 27th marks one year of sales. We are so grateful to have become part of the community! We hope you have a chance to stop by this week and sign our guest book to mark the occasion; we are a bit sentimental. Our family life and our professional life revolve around that little restaurant.

In the meantime, we continue to strive towards a healthier food system and a greener local environment. There is a new grass fed beef vendor at the Ft Pierce Farmers' Market and we can't wait to try their stuff. One of our distributor's has brought on a new line of beef that has no antibiotics or added hormones; feedlotted, but better. We are aware that our middle path may offend extremist and purist thinkers, but baby steps toward a goal for all are better than giant strides only a prosperous individual can take, in our humble opinion. In other words - we wish with all our hearts that we could afford to bring you only local and grass fed and organic items at our modest prices, but our current food system is structured so that is impossible. We do the best that we can - while always pushing and looking for more - to bring the cleanest food to you we can at a price you can afford.

It is, as always, real food cooked from scratch on site by the loving hands of one Chef. We buy local first, organic wherever we can, and consider the environment in our every choice.
People, Planet, Profit
We live it every day and we thank you for the opportunity to do that!

Spring Has Sprung

2011-04-18T09:59:00.000-04:00

And sprung into high gear for us, ever since the article about us came out in our local paper! Perfect timing that we had hired RaeAnne - who is stellar, by the way. Chef is on all out turbo-cook to keep up! So pleased to be part of the community, and, hopefully, inspiring others to be conscious of their choices.

We have been really enjoying the abundant produce at the farmers market. To be fair to you, the retail customer, we do wait until closing, 12pm, before we go in and snap it all up. Be warned though - I have a large cart and I am not afraid to fill it up!

Due to the heat this spring, FL strawberries have come to an end. However, we did see at Nelson's this morning that FL peaches are out! They are still at "eat out of hand" price; you'll see cobbler when they are more cooking priced ;)

Our home garden is changing over as well. The chard is coming to an end, and we perhaps waited too long for the beets - they never sized up in the heat. But the tomatoes and eggplants are coming on strong, and the lettuce will be ready to cut again soon. Have we mentioned how much Chef loves stepping out the back door for fresh herbs from the restaurant garden?!

We are entranced by this video of how the French feed their students, and can not recommend it enough:
http://www.wimp.com/schoollunches/
On that delicious note, Au revoir!

Trying Out an Employee

2011-03-21T07:25:00.000-04:00

Yup, after 10 months of slogging it alone, we finally found someone who really might help. We hope you get a chance to meet Raeanne, a sharp young lady of many talents. Yes, this means you get to tip! We promised you when we had an employee you could, so now you can :)

We are 2 months away from our one year anniversary - wow! Hard to believe!

Always looking for great local/Fl/regional products, so remember to give us a shout out when you find something cool.

Lots of local product in the market this week; we are so glad. And our garden is kickin! We can not recommend the No Till method enough!!! Maximum output, minimum effort.

When the world is full of heartbreak, when all seems stacked against you, it is soul satisfying to feel that you are doing good just by going to work. Thank you all for giving us that feeling!

Our Own Sustainability

2011-02-28T07:17:00.000-05:00

With season here, we are getting a first hand lesson in sustainability. We keep our prices affordable, in part, by not having employees. That means we set up, work, then clean up. That means Chef preps the food, cooks the food, then cleans up and does dishes. And, eventually, I will have to turn in completed books to the accountant. The daily grind is taking up more time than we had anticipated, once you factor in time spent with our child. We have not been getting a lot of sleep. And while energy drinks and vitamins have kept us going so far, we know this pace is not sustainable in the long term. Hence, we have spent a lot of time lately planning a solution. Because if it is not sustainable, it is a stop gap measure that will eventually let you down.

We feel this way about our agricultural system. It is luxurious to have whatever we want whenever we want, but that will not be sustainable in the long run. The freezing winter we and Mexico have had already show a huge price increase in every venue that sells produce. With gas and demand going up, Murray's turkey was three times the price then when last we ordered. It is so important we encourage and develop local systems to meet our basic needs, so that we are not left at the vagaries of fate and politics, but captaining our own ship.

We are trying to learn from this and take this lesson to heart in every aspect of our lives - if it is not sustainable as it currently is, it is time to brainstorm a solution. And likely, it will come from outside the box of standard thinking!

Meanwhile, we continue to be amazed by the prolific production of our no till garden. We do water regularly, but that's it. No spraying, occasional weeding, and it is going like gangbusters! When you go outside your comfort zone, you often find something more wonderful than you could have even imagined. Go for it, people!

Must Everything Be Political?

2011-02-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

Some people were offended that we have come out in favor of NPR & PBS.

We apologize, we did not mean to offend.

We are simply in favor of our daughter being able to watch the children's educational programming.

We are in favor of clean food and against anyone who prevents it from reaching the people, regardless of their political affiliation. To that end, we have repeatedly posted our dismay with the current administration's choices in the Department of Agriculture.

We are in favor of unity and compromise, not divisiveness and ultimatums.

Tell Congress: Don't pull the plug on NPR and PBS!

2011-02-13T10:31:00.000-05:00

Tell Congress: Don't pull the plug on NPR and PBS!

We're only a few weeks into the 112th Congress, and Republicans are already attempting to pull the plug on public media.

In a budget proposal made public on Wednesday, House Republicans announced plans to zero out all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the nonprofit responsible for funding public media including NPR, PBS, Pacifica and more.

If the Republicans are successful, it would be a tremendous blow to the entire public interest media sector.

We cannot allow Republicans to destroy public media.

Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media!

Republicans are disingenuously claiming that they need to cut funding for public media because of budgetary constraints. But what they fail to highlight is that national public broadcasting is remarkably cost effective, providing local news and information, free of charge, for millions of viewers while only receiving about .0001% of the federal budget.¹

More to the point, it's nearly impossible to put a price tag on the actual value of public broadcasting.

Public media is one of the last bulwarks against the corporate media where the combination of consolidation and profit-motive has long since shifted the focused to infotainment rather than substantive news. In many rural and less affluent communities, broadcasters rely on federal funding to provide the only available high-quality news and public affairs programming.

Without public media, corporate media monopolies would increase their already large control of what we see on television, hear on the radio or read in the newspaper.

This outcome should deeply worry all of us. The increased accumulation and consolidation of corporate power is a threat to our democracy. And nowhere is this more evident than in our media.

At a time when media consolidation is shrinking the number of perspectives we have access to over the airwaves and when newsrooms are shrinking, we need more diversity in our media not less. And we simply cannot afford to lose what public media brings to the table.

Tell Congress: Fully fund NPR and defend public service media!

Conservatives have longed for any opportunity to defund NPR, PBS and other public media. And with Speaker Boehner wielding the gavel, it looks like they may finally get their wish.

Don't let Congress pull the plug on NPR and PBS! Tell them reject cuts to public broadcasting.

Click here or on the header at the top of the page to help!

Fruition

2011-01-31T07:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, the daily chores finally reveal themselves into something larger. It is easy to see only what needs doing and to forget how far we have come. Yesterday, while weeding and thinning and other garden chores dominated our attention, our neighbor came over to admire our garden. This is a big deal. Our neighbor is old school and has had a chuckle over our alternative ways. But our no till garden is producing - on our Farmers of the Week, this week! - when many others are defunct. Again, largely in part to Chef's ingenious method for protecting from frost. From now on, we will always plant near the dryer vent!

Season is here, and we see that y'all have been kind enough to tell your snowbird friends about us. We are flowing with our first season in business. Our favorite, by far, is to watch our regular customers explain things to "newbies." We like that this has come full circle.

Some very sad news in the world of organics - GM alfalfa has passed without any regulation whatsoever. Monsanto can do as they will. Our government does not respect our right to eat organic and refuses to put one concession in place to protect organic food from GM contamination. If all of us who felt strongly about what we eat were to stand up with one voice . . . meantime, big money wins again. Even MORE reason to support our local farmers! They are our lifeline! No farms, no food! For inspiration in these trying times, we turn to a family in LA who grow all they need, and then some, on one fifth of an acre:
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/radical-self-reliance-homesteading-outside-l-a/

Know Your Farmer - Palmetto Creek Farms

2011-01-24T06:46:00.001-05:00

We wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight one of our local producers; Palmetto Creek Farms.

Jim is our farmer there and he has made it his mission "to provide the best pork you will ever have on your fork." How? He, and his family owned operation, carefully selected the breed of pig through the painstaking and expensive process of trial and error. They crafted a custom feed to support the pigs' free range diet without overpowering it. They allow nature to do it's work, with minimal interference in respect to allowing sows to raise piglets, and the pigs to decide if it's time for a roll in the mud or a quick snooze in the comfy barn. And when their final day comes, the pigs have NO idea. Jim is so conscientious, that he runs them through the routine many times before hand. That means they never see it coming, they are completely relaxed, and it is over in one painless moment. Truly, this is stewardship - better for the meat physiologically, better for our hearts and minds, a kinder fate than many of us face. This level of care leaves us with no guilt over being carnivores! Chef has been very crafty at using the whole hog, which is a much more sustainable way to eat. Purchasing this way, we see how few ribs or bacon comes off one pig. We have spent our lives eating prime cuts alone, and that can only be sustained by CAFO's. Most of all, though, it is the most delicious pork we have ever tasted!

We are thrilled to support such a proud producer of perfect porcine product, in nearby Avon Park!

The S&S Kitchen Garden

2011-01-18T23:43:00.001-05:00

The frosts have hit Florida hard. We are sad to see some farms not even at market this past week. All the more important to buy the local crops that were salvaged! And to help ease the burden, we spent some time in the S&S garden this past weekend.

Everything is humming along nicely, with very little weed regrowth. The peas are flowering and need trellising; the carrot seedlings need thinning. Lettuce, beets, beans, rainbow chard, radishes . . . just adorable at this age! We found some transplants at Nelson's Market and added some winter vegetables to the frost bare parts: green cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli and collards. We are going to save the heat loving veggies for a bit later in the season after all this winter's chill.

It feels good inside us, too, to work in the sun with the breeze and the bugs. To see such direct result from our hands to our table, how much time and care are required, makes us value and appreciate each meal more. So much of our modern lives is brought to us through somebody else's labors; it is truly connecting to bring about our own direct result. And delicious! We hope you'll see S&S Kitchen Garden under Farmers of the Week very soon!

No Till Equals Less Work

2011-01-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

More frost, less crop. Our late circuit at the farmers market did not scrounge up as much, as the bulk of remaining crops were sold retail. Our farmers need your patronage now more than ever! So, how to fill in the gaps? Well as mentioned before, we are grateful that distribution of organic produce is available where we live. Honestly, though, we do purchase domestic conventional over international organic, where possible. For example, we choose premium California conventional garlic over organic Chinese garlic every time.

How else? Well, we are glad to report that our garden is doing quite nicely, considering. We have given it precious little attention (you may guess as to why!); daily morning watering and Chef's ingenious tarp/dryer vent hose McGyver-esque remedy for the frosts, and that's it. Finally, yesterday, we weeded and we are astounded at how much wonderful growth there has been with a minimum of effort. We see that the lasagna-mound no-till method is feeding the plants well, and there is surprisingly little insect damage considering we have not sprayed even once. Not to worry - when we do spray, it is neem oil. We are so well pleased with the results, we are trying to decide what else to grow in the rest of the space!

Rest assured, our customers will taste the fruits of our labors :)

Caught Our Own

2011-01-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

No food is better for you than wild food, having fed on what it was meant to eat. The state of Florida makes it very difficult to provide any wild game as a restaurant, but does protect the rights of the individual to do so. As an individual, you can have a butcher process your own venison, hog or turkey - we can not. But we still think that's the best way to eat!

In that vein, Chef took the progeny fishing yesterday and caught our dinner. That was a treat! Fish not even two hours out of the water, cooked up fresh. Now, let us work towards protecting our oceans and waterways, saving them from overfishing and pollution, so that our children's children can also enjoy the simple delight of fresh caught fish. Let us think twice before pouring chemicals in our house and on our yards that leach into the water table and ruin the quality of our waterways. Let us protect the natural treasures that abound here.

Here is a great example of how that can be done: outside Valencia, Spain there is a nature reserve that is also a farm, fish farm and water purifying system! It is a fantastic integration of many environmental protection systems that contributes positively to the community. It started with just a couple of people and a crazy idea and now it is Veta La Palma, a shining example of what is possible. And #59 on Saveur's top 100 for the year!

Here's to a new year filled with new possibilities - anything can happen!

After the Frost

2010-12-22T08:08:00.000-05:00

It could have been worse, is probably the best we can say. Certainly, the more tender crops have been damaged, but it could have been much worse. Did it affect us? Absolutely. We usually cruise the markets at the end and snap up what the retail customers did not get. These hard working farmers have spent a lot of time developing their weekly customers, and we don't want to buy it all out from underneath them as we buy in very large quantities. It's a system that works well for all, until there is a shortage of what is usually an abundant crop. Long story short - nothing left over for us this week. But we are glad there was still something for you and for the farmers to sell!

So, what do we do? Drop back and punt! Seriously, these are the moments we are grateful for food from elsewhere. We ordered from a distributor of organic produce. We feel the chemical free farming methods do help offset the transportation issue. Again, nothing is perfect, we simply strive to make the best choices we can. It also helps as next Saturday is Christmas and there will be no farmers markets that day. So, at least we are stocked up until New Year's Day market!

Holiday sides and desserts par-baked and ready for take out Thursday 12/23/10 and Friday 12/24/10!

Please note: Open 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday 12/24/10.

We will be closed Monday 12/27/10 & Friday 12/31/10.

Ingenuity

2010-12-17T09:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I just have have to brag on Chef and his creativity! With the frost coming, we finally had a garden in with transplants and seedlings. Plus, a lot of baby fruit trees around the property that we got at Heathcote's annual plant sale. What to do? Clearly, we covered all the freestanding plants, but what about the garden? Turns out a great solution was as close as our dryer! The garden is off our laundry room, so Chef covered it with a large tarp. Then he purchased some more dryer vent hose and ran it underneath the tarp. We did laundry every cold night and dried it. When we opened up the garden, after the threat of frost had passed, all was saved! It was warm underneath, there was condensation on the underside of the tarp, and there was even a large group of insects seeking refuge.

A word about laundry: yes, when we had more time on our hands we dried clothes on the line. In fact, we still do that on weekends. But, since opening the restaurant, we have precious little time at home. I'm embarrassed to tell you exactly how much time we spend working! So, since we have to use the dryer to keep ourselves in clothes, we at least put it to double use. And we hope that the greenness of our other choices helps offset the use of the dryer. Striving to do our best for all, consciously.

What Do You Want for the Holiday?!

2010-12-08T18:00:00.003-05:00

Proposed list of sides & desserts; looking for your feedback!!!
These will be offered Thursday 12/23/10 & Friday 12/24/10.

NOTE: Open 11:30 - 4:30 on Friday, 12/24/10.

Sausage/Bread Stuffing

Scalloped Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Cranberry & Streusel

Baked Cinnamon Apples in Pastry Crust

Sweet Corn Pudding

Pecan Pie

Chcoclate Silk Pie

Gingerbread Cookies

Planning

2010-12-03T09:02:00.001-05:00

We are planning for winter holiday already! We are very glad that the Thanksgiving sides and desserts were so well received. Thank you! Now, we want to make your life easier for the Christmas holiday, as well. However, the dishes are not so traditionally set. So tell us, what would you like?!

A word about parking; yes, the spots on Depot Drive say "2 Hour Parking." However, truth is, the city does not patrol it. Many people who work nearby park there. Just because the spots are full does NOT mean we are! If you can't find a space on Depot, hang the right at Orange Avenue and then just pull into the free parking garage. Go the north end, and it's just a quick hop across the railroad tracks to us.

This Sunday, December 5th, we will be enjoying the Fort Pierce Christmas parade and festival downtown. We hope to see you there!

Thanksgiving Day, 2010

2010-11-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans, and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them, too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.
-Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Thanksgiving Cometh!

2010-11-21T08:18:00.000-05:00

We love this uniquely American holiday - gratitude is so important! We want you to enjoy it too so we are going to make your lives easier: on Tuesday 11/23 and Wednesday 11/24 we will be offering the traditional side dishes and desserts. A full list will be posted on Facebook. This way, you only have to make the main course, giving you more time to enjoy the holiday.

NOTE: We will be closed Thursday 11/25 through Sunday 11/28, reopening on Monday 11/29. Please stock up before then. We will be enjoying the time off with our progeny and visiting family because that is what life is really all about!

Not a lot of Framers of the Week, you may have noticed. Well, the traditional dishes for the holiday do not jibe with our growing seasons. They are local up north, not here. We look forward to the day when we can celebrate a locavore holiday.

In the meantime, we did buy out all the garden transplants that Lost Meadow Farm had to offer the last few weeks. A late garden is better than none at all! And, we do dig the fact that even when we are growing the food it is still our farmer helping us grow the food! We have about half of our huge plot ready to no till garden and we can't wait to see the results. What inspired us to try this? All the volunteers we get in our compost pile! We will gladly keep you updated.

Right now, off to the Heathcote Botanical Garden annual plant sale. Culinary herbs for our pots behind the restaurant - here we come to get ya!!!

Why We Do the Things We Do

2010-11-14T08:27:00.000-05:00

Why do we work so hard (and trust me, we do) to bring you real food, made from scratch? Because we are what we eat! Because no one asked us if we wanted to be the guinea pigs for untested genetically modified foods! Because it tastes so good! We are dedicated to feeding you delicious food that nourishes body and soul.

Why don't we let customers in before 11:30 a.m.? We LOVE the enthusiasm, don't get us wrong, but we are in a bind on that one. First off, cooking food fresh each day means that although Chef gets in early, it's not going to be ready before 11:30. And a sad part of modern life is that if we were to let you in before our stated hours of operation, our insurance company would be dead against it. There are things we must do, that go against our sense of hospitality, that business regulations require us to do. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

Why don't we make that dish you like so much more frequently? Part of buying local and from farmers means that we can not have whatever we want whenever we want it. For example, we currently purchase a half hog from our beloved pork producer. It is the most delicious, most humane pork we have ever had and we are blessed to have such a wonderful product available to us. But we can not offer more pork until more pork is ready to be harvested. Also, we truly believe variety is the spice of life and creativity is the juice that keeps us young. So, take the opportunity to constantly try something new. Your brain's health and intelligence is determined by how many neural connections you have; you can only make more neural connections by learning something new; learn to enjoy new foods and get smarter, stay healthier longer!

To Market, To Market!

2010-10-31T08:45:00.000-04:00

The growers are back! Hopefully, you have noticed the longer list of Farmers of the Week on the website and the super freshness of the produce. Our weekends are now filled with marketing and we currently adore the lovely weather for it.

Some very exciting news, too: Deep Creek Ranch is now selling their wonderful grass fed beef at Vero Oceanside Farmers Market! Grass fed beef has superior nutritional content as well as being the way cattle were meant to eat, lighter on the earth and downright tasty. Knowing these ranchers, I am assured that the cattle lead a life beyond humane - probably more relaxing than ours. We are thrilled to have such a wonderful product so accessible to us.

Of course, we are always looking for more local products. Do you know of anyone who farms frogs? catfish? makes sausage? Tell us - we'd love to sell their product.

One other thing; we often get asked to post the specials earlier. We do the best we can. Why can't we do it sooner? For one thing, Chef is just one man. He does all the product cleaning and prep as well as every step of the cooking process. Everyday he strives to put out a bountiful selection, but can't know what all will get done until that morning comes. We are sometimes dependent upon deliveries and when they will show up, there is no way to know. Sourcing local is more work, so on top of the administrative duties I am often running around getting ingredients. For example, we are pleased as punch to say that now all the bread for our garlic bread comes from the Sunrise City Bakery & Cafe. It is easier to get bread that is made thousands of miles away trucked in on a regular basis, but we feel that freshness, quality and supporting our neighbors is worth the extra effort.

We are proud to offer a fresh, real food product made in house and sourced from as many local ingredients as possible at an astonishingly affordable price. This comes at the cost of some things not always being available. Takes getting used to, doesn't it? Processed non-food shipped from a world away is available at any moment you want, isn't it? You vote on your health as well as which food system gets rewarded with every dollar you spend. We are grateful to all of you who choose us, choose local, choose fresh, choose real, choose to steward the environment instead of pillage it!

Chef's Birthday

2010-10-18T07:20:00.000-04:00

Friday night we enjoyed a nightcap at On the Edge; what a view! What a lovely breeze! After that, sleeping in is great once in awhile. We did manage to leave the house before noon. We were very happy to see Pure Produce back at the Fort Pierce Farmers Market on Saturday. The growers are coming! The growers are coming!

We meandered up to Vero and had lunch at a wonderful restaurant that opened about the same time we did, Baci Trattoria. We were recommended and highly recommend the Eggs Benedicto Italiano - scrumptious! We sopped by Tea and Chi for some tea making supplies. We were thrilled to see that they also use Eco-Products. It is wonderful to see others committed to quality, professionalism and the environment.

Sunday was a family day for us at Lion Country Safari, Chef's choice for his birthday. It was a beautiful day, filled with laughter, free roaming animals, and very bad food. Tasted good, but not real, and it is very dramatic how the body can react when accustomed to clean food. It definitely reinforced that our choices are right for our bodies!

So, Chef's only other birthday wish is that we are looking for a little pick up truck. We need something economical, reliable, for marketing; not necessarily super pretty or tricked out. If you know of anyone selling something like this, give us a shout. We'd appreciate it. Meantime, we're off to give you a delicious day!

90 Days of Service

2010-10-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe that this past week marked 90 days of being in service to you. Certainly, we are more comfortable in the rhythm and running of the operation. It takes time to acclimate to a new routine, doesn't it? A lot of the changes we hope to inspire are mostly just changing a routine. It takes time, and can be bumpy; but, if it is for the right reason, it is well worth it. For our part, all the effort, perseverance, and learning has brought some unexpected changes. But mostly we are overwhelmed with gratitude to be of service to our community as much as we can be with what we do.

Some much welcomed change at the restaurant has come about. We have two benches out front for you to enjoy the lovely autumn weather. It does seem so appropriate to see benches alongside the train track. We are also very pleased to announce that our house iced tea is now exclusively from Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea grown in the United States of America! This is a huge step for local (regional, in this case, even!) as tea has traditionally racked up some serious frequent flyer miles getting to your table. Better yet, it is grown free of herbicides, pesticides and insecticides. At home we have enjoyed their breakfast blend tremendously and have rebelled against our previous choice of a cuppa English Breakfast. Ours is a very different type of tea party ;)

We have also expanded our offered beverages based on customer feedback. Thank you and we hope you like the additions! There have been some items out of stock recently, but you know we will persist. We have also added a couple of packaged snack foods that meet Michael Pollan's real food definition. Remember, we don't judge, we just serve. And each individual is responsible for their own moderation.

Local produce is just around the corner. We would like to take a moment to admire the fortitude of the producers who have the capability to supply year around. Huzzah! And a moment of gratitude for the return of fresh local produce, so imminent we can taste it. Mmmmm! We are a bit behind on our own garden, but have begun preparation. The Compost Gardener has convinced us to go no till and we are excited to begin the layering process. She is at the Fort Pierce farmers market every Saturday, when she is not teaching at Heathcote Botanical Gardening . We hope to see you there, supporting the local community first. We vote with every dollar we spend; more surely than when we are at the polls. Make your purchases count!

First Day Of Fall

2010-09-30T18:35:00.000-04:00

We don't care what the calendar says - today is the first day of delightful fall weather here in South Florida! We are eagerly awaiting our benches for out front so you can sit and soak up the sun. In the meantime, take out and go to the beach, a park, your backyard. Enjoy the beauty of the nature around us. Don't you think it's more fun to eat outside?

We are also terribly excited to see more local produce creeping into the farmers markets. Soon, our weekends will be filled with gathering ingredients. Feel free to let us know about any farmers, producers or local products you would like us to offer.

We are very pleased to announce that soon our tea will be exclusively Charleston Tea Plantation. It is the only tea grown in the United States. It is grown free of herbicides and pesticides, and is absolutely delicious! We find it without any bitterness or over strong tannic taste. When I asked them about it, the answer was, "Fresh makes all the difference!" We could not agree more!

If We Had A Hammer . . .

2010-09-19T08:59:00.000-04:00

And now we do! Our sincere gratitude goes out to the City of Fort Pierce for honoring us with a Mayor's Golden Hammer Award. We appreciate the recognition of the investment and - we hope - improvement we have made to downtown Fort Pierce. The city is also kind enough to be special ordering a sign we can put in our window, since there is nowhere we can "plant" one out front. We can't wait!

Looking ahead, we hope to be putting a couple of benches out front soon. We found a model made from 100% recycled plastic for the boards. Woo hoo! Hopefully, that will all come together in time for the cooler weather that we can feel is just around the corner.

Also just around the corner, Florida growing season. We can not lie, it has been nice to have weekends completely off with the heat index where it was. But soon, very soon, we will be marketing all weekend. Fort Pierce and Vero Oceanside markets on Saturdays, Stuart on Sundays. We are committed to Local First! And truly, it is a pleasure to know so many of our wonderful local farmers/producers and to enjoy the bounty our state has to offer. Hope to see you there!

Thanksgiving

2010-09-13T06:32:00.000-04:00

Seriously, we have been asked what we'll be doing for Thanksgiving so we came up with a plan. We will not be doing turkey. Honestly, we just don't have that kind of space. And, we have every confidence you can do just the turkey (or duck or Tofurkey or whatever) . . . because we will do everything else! The Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday we will offer non-holiday lunch items, but the deli case and even the beverage cooler will be stuffed with par-baked holiday side dishes: mashed potato, gravy, fresh cranberry/orange relish, sweet potato casserole (Chef does this streudel thing with cranberry that is delish!), green bean something, pumpkin pie, etc. Tell us what you'd like. They will be in aluminum foil containers (recyclable after a quick rinse), so you just take home and reheat. We will even be getting in sparkling apple cider for a festive beverage. Again, let us know what else you want. Won't your holiday be more grateful and enjoyable if you don't have to stress over so much cooking? We think so! So relax - we got you covered.

Changes

2010-09-05T09:23:00.000-04:00

First off, we are so grateful for the change in the weather and the long weekend! It gives us the time, and amenable humidity level, to take a breath and take stock of how far we have come. We have been open for three months of service to Fort Pierce and we could not have wished for a more positive response. We are pleased beyond words. The greatest compliment you could pay us is your recommendation, and we see that you have. Thank you!

We have changed our hours. We are open:
Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., All Food Discounted Daily 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
It is needed for Chef in the morning, administrative tasks, and we think better for people who work later hours. We hope this change causes you no undue inconvenience.

We have changed some suppliers. It is a true commitment to source commercially compostable or recyclable takeout containers. We have found that larger national companies with a local sales representative provide much better service than small web-based companies accessible only through email and phone. We like to root for the little guy, but not at the expense of having containers when we need them! We thank those of you who bore with us so gracefully as we learned this lesson.

We are refining our product and techniques. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We will always tell you the truth.

For example, truthfully; when we are trying to serve a line of customers at lunchtime as quickly as we humanly can, not the best time to come discuss anything other than ordering lunch. We doubt those people are reading this, but perhaps you could take our side on this should they bring it up? Thanks, because we unabashedly serve our customers first and foremost!

Distribution Woes

2010-08-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe how difficult it is to get people to sell you stuff! Really, it's not like we're asking for free stuff. Sorry, just frustrated. First off, we are temporarily using plastic containers (which can be recycled) because we are tired of our previous distributor not shipping when they said they would. But please - do not reheat the food in these! We don't want you eating BPA! We are replacing them with two other companies, but the greenware we use is a special order and takes a minimum of two weeks to come in. Aaaarrrgh . . .

And now, not one, but TWO food deliveries this week did not arrive. In both cases we did all we could, but someone, somewhere in the large companies we deal with was not on the same page we have always played from before. We must admit, dealing with small businesses is a much more pleasant experience. Of course mistakes still happen, but someone takes responsibility for it and tries to make it right. We do salute the drivers of our distributors - they are AWESOME! Despite being the lowest on the totem pole, they are the ones who go most out of their way to make it right - even when the problem was not theirs to begin with.

The moral is: we really appreciate our small local farmers! Dealing with them is always pleasant, often enlightening, and totally delicious! Can't wait for our growing season to start again . . .

Herb Garden

2010-08-02T06:55:00.000-04:00

We have said there is no Florida summer growing season, but for a few shadehouse growers. This is mostly true; we even get weekends off from marketing. But there is one type of growing still going on - our herb garden! Behind the restaurant used to be only parking lot; hot, dead and sterile. We fenced in around our back door and filled it with pots in which we have been growing herbs. Not only have we not had to purchase basil once (!), but there is a small oasis of life back there now. We have seen a variety of lizards, insects and, of course, weeds. There is a breath there now, instead of just heat rolling off the ground. It is a treat to get out there and get a little sun on our faces. Where there is water, there is life. We will keep growing, keep conserving water, keep cherishing life. Where can you grow a little something?!

We {Heart} Fort Pierce

2010-07-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

You lovely people have been so receptive - thank you!
We are thrilled at the positive response. Chef is a bit bashful at all the love ;)

We are trying to catch up on some paperwork, and there may be a bit of bad news on the horizon. We may have to raise our prices a bit. Honestly, no disrespect intended, our utility bill is way, way higher than we could have ever imagined. Especially considering all our green help; tankless water heater, natural gas equipment, very large awning over western facing facade, insulated attic space, etc.. We are going to try and wait until after the school year begins, in deference to these trying economic times. Honestly, we strive to keep our prices affordable, but we must pay back our angel investor in a timely fashion.

To that end, our apologies to those who find themselves waiting during our PM Discount. Chef goes to fetch our offspring, and I do my best to be speedy. It has been suggested that we need help. There are 2 reasons our prices for local, organic and premium quality food are so low:
1. Takeout limits our monthly expenses and
2. No Employees!
I kid you not.
We may add on a part-time employee come season, but hopefully, no more than that. Prices would need to rise exponentially were we to add staff. Check out Whole Foods pricing or Greenwise Publix, if you don't believe us. So please understand, that is why we don't answer the phone. That is why we appreciate your patience when there are no seats or a bit of a wait. Not to be trying, but to bring real quality food to you at a price you can afford. Else, what good is it?!

One last reminder - summertime is NOT a growing season in Florida, except for the very few places that have a shadehouse. And even those often struggle to supply their longtime retail customers and can not produce enough to supply us as well. So, we turn to organics. We try for regional first, but that is not always an option. But we choose the higher priced garlic from CA, for example, over the cheaper garlic available from China. To make up for our higher food cost, not to harp, we have no staff. This means a lot of extra work for Chef & I, but it is our dedication and your positive response that keeps us going.

Long Titles & Cutlery

2010-07-20T06:22:00.000-04:00

Folks, we have taken some flak for the long titles on our menu (Happy Tails Ranch Bison, Palmetto Creek Farms Pork, Deep Creek Ranch Bison). Well, too bad! We are PROUD of our local farmers and their wonderful products! We have great empathy for how hard they work, what a struggle it is to be a small producer in the state of Florida, and how fresh and absolutely delicious the fruit of their labor is. So, read more!

Also, we know some of you don't like the wooden cutlery. Pity, 'cause it is just so dang cool that it gets composted. Along with our kitchen waste, it all gets broken down back to the earth at our very own Heathcote Botanical Gardens. May we suggest an alternative? Put some of your silverware in a plastic bag and bring it with you. The earth thanks you!

30 Days of Service

2010-07-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

We are very grateful for the reception we have received and thank you for your support! Group hug! ;)

While we are blessed here in Florida with two growing seasons, summertime is not one of them. Our Farmers of the Week are dwindling down. We wish them a wonderful summer break, although we know the vast majority work year round to keep is in local food. Our gratitude goes out to these hardworking and committed people!

Chef is really starting to get into the groove now. He was off from cooking for the months of construction and is now feeling the creativity flowing. But please remember, if there is a dish you'd like to see, let us know. We appreciate the input.

Admission: I don't always get that sign out on the sidewalk. Sometimes, we are forced to do battle with equipment, service providers, and late deliveries. No excuses, just sayin' COME ON IN! It's cooler inside anyway and we're always glad to see you. We got some eye popping new colors for the big board to make it easier to view the days goodies. The food is ready Monday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and we look forward to serving you!

We Are Blogged About

2010-07-08T00:05:00.000-04:00

Very kind words about us from someone we admire and respect; Fort Pierce's own Compost Gardener!
Check it out:
http://manuredepot.com/friends-ss-takeout/

Long Weekend

2010-07-05T17:32:00.000-04:00

We hope you too got to enjoy a long - and safe - holiday weekend. I caught up on rest and quality time with the offspring. Chef has been busy around the house. He never stops!

We also hope that you have been enjoying the selections at the restaurant lately. Please feel free to let us know what you'd like to see on the menu; Chef can make near anything. We are very pleased to see that more often than not, specials don't run out until between 5pm and 6pm, the ideal for fresh food cooked daily.

We are sad to say that people have not come in when they see a line. We have gotten much faster and believe no one has been kept waiting more than five minutes or so. If you really hate to wait, between 2pm and 4pm is the slowest time. Also, we are there past 6pm. In fact, I don't usually start putting food away until 6:15pm. We appreciate the effort you make to get to us, so if it's a few minutes late, come on in! We want to serve you!

Summertime

2010-06-27T07:21:00.000-04:00

Signs of summer: US1 is driveable, Sunrise Blvd. is downright quiet, lots of folk getting out of town. We don't blame you. But for those of us staying, don't cook! Come rock our 4:30-6:00pm discount daily!

Chef is getting a feel for how much to cook so that we run out between 5pm and 6pm, which is the ideal. We know it is frustrating to try and call us; we're sorry. We have no staff. That is how we can offer such great pricing on top quality, local, and organic food. Also, it is why you can taste the love - Chef does EVERYTHING with that food himself. We heard that cooks for Buddhist temples are advised to "treat the ingredients as if they were your own eyes." We like that! But you can not pay someone to feel that way. And it keeps us awful busy, so we don't get to the phone much. Even on Facebook page, we are usually in & out quick as a flash. So please, just come on by!

We are very pleased to announce that we have grass fed beef from Deep Creek Ranch in DeLand. It was in the canneloni on Friday - what do y'all think?! That Palmetto Creek Farms pork has been divine. Also, we are thrilled to have Happy Tails Ranch bison back in production. We are especially grateful for our local (as in Florida) meat producers in summer, when produce slows to a trickle in the heat. And a big Yummy! goes out to Gruwell Apiary, right here in Fort Pierce, for year round production of local raw honey.

I am off to fill out some paperwork; we are up for the first Snail of Approval to be offered by our local chapter of Slow Foods! What an honor!

NOTE: We will be closed Monday, July 5th.

Happy Summer Solstice!

2010-06-21T14:39:00.000-04:00

It is the longest day of the year, and we have never been so glad for our insulated and updated air conditioned space. Hot out there, folks. Too hot for you to cook ;) Besides, we are thrilled to say we have Happy Tails Ranch Bison (Okeechobee) and Palmetto Creek Farms (Avon Park) Free Range Pork in the house! Certified humane is good; knowing your farmer, priceless. And we can tell you these animals lived a great life with some really good people. So you can enjoy guilt free.

Hoping you come on in so you can have a delicious day!

Our First Full Week of Service

2010-06-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

What a blessing, thank you! Certainly, we will get to know you and what you like better, but we could not be more grateful for the reception you have provided. Exciting news; we may be looking at some pasture raised pork later this week. And, dare I say it, pasture fed beef around the 17th. We are also working to try new distributors, to find the best choices of what's available.

We are getting faster and smoother, we hope, and feel we could not provide the same value if we had employees. If you hate to wait, between 2pm and 4pm is often quiet time. I'll be trying to update the specials; trying to keep up with Chef! Let's face it, there are often going to be "Surprise Specials" that Chef just cooked up unannounced, because he can, that only the folk that come in will know about. I can not claim to keep up with the man. There, I've said it publicly!

Also needing to be said publicly: There is NO TIPPING at The S&S Takeout! We own it; please buy more food or a t-shirt. Come in more often. Save up and cater your next party.

There were many times in our lives where a cup of soup and a piece of bread helped tremendously, and we are so glad to see that others feel the same. Our menu is designed to be flexible. Of course, sometimes we go a little crazy with the baked goods. But we do honestly feel that food made from real food ingredients is intrinsically healthier, and that natural things are wholesome. Each individual is in charge of their own moderation ;)

Just Glad To Be Here

2010-06-07T06:46:00.000-04:00

Whew! We are overwhelmed by the reception we have received! We appreciate your response, and are just tickled that you like real food as much as we do.

We have about a week of operation now, and we are still streamlining the process. Chef is trying different recipes, to see what y'all like best and I am still hunting down producers and vendors. Our bison source is temporarily offline, but we are hoping that comes back online very soon. We are looking forward to some grass fed beef from Deland around the 20th. If you know of someone in Florida who is a farmer/producer, please let them know about us!

One point: There is NO tipping at The S&S! We own it; don't tip, save up and buy more food. Or, a t shirt! Should we get to the point where we need employees, you can tip. We should mention here that our prices are where they are because we have no staff. Also, we put the specials on our outgoing phone message, because there is just no way to get to the phone. Don't you hate it when you are in the store waiting and they are talking to a customer who only called?! Messages are not usually returned until end of day. Just come on in - it's ready to go!

If Twitter and/or Facebook are disallowed on your computer, join our email list and we'll send you the daily specials. Send email to: info@snstakeout.com. For those of you who signed up in the shop, I had a handful of addresses come back. Please email! It is very hard to keep up with Chef, who is always cooking something up in the kitchen, so the only way to know for sure what we have is to COME ON IN!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T13:09:00.000-04:00

So many have unselfishly given their lives, so many lost.

We offer our gratitude and our silence.

Too Busy To Blog

2010-05-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

Holy cow, you guys are awesome! We are so pleased with the welcome we have received and the patience you have shown as we strive to streamline everything. Know we are implementing your feedback and are just delighted to serve you. We will be closed for the holiday on Monday, but we will update you with our progress. be safe, have fun, and have a delicious day!

Getting Better All the Time

2010-05-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

Our walls look much better with something on them. They are not completely dressed yet, but looking good all the same.

We are working up a set of regular soups. For example, Monday will always be chicken. Chef went in last night to start the stock. We will announce later what the final concoction is.

We are thrilled to be donating our compost to Heathcote Botanical Gardens and to The Compost Gardener (see Links)! Instead of clogging up a landfill, where our kitchen scraps will not break down without air and water, they go to enriching the soil, and to worms that enrich the soil. And, occasionally, they go to pigs that belong to a friend. The pigs went nuts for our high quality scraps!

A word about our take out containers and disposable plates: sadly, it all goes in the trash, except the hot beverage and soup lids (which can be recycled in Co-Mingled). After much research, my interpretation is that it actually wastes less resources to do it this way than to purchase new petroleum based plastics and recycle them. Ideally, we can inspire a commercial composting facility for our community, and then ALL of our disposables would be re-used instead of wasted. Currently, no paper product that is food soiled/grease stained can be recycled.

In the meantime, we do the best we can. If anyone knows of products that are even easier on the earth and still affordable, feel free to notify us. Our goal is to give you the highest quality and healthiest food that Chef can make, while keeping it affordable enough for you to enjoy regularly. Many of our decisions are based on just that.

Decisions, Decisions

2010-05-22T23:22:00.000-04:00

It has been a wonderful first few days! We are constantly plotting and planning, streamlining and improving. A few menu decisions: we will try to always keep cucumber/dill/onion salad in the case. We will have one set of repeating soups; every Monday is chicken, every Friday is conch chowder, etc. Still working that one up. Send us an email (info@snstakeout.com) if you want to be heard, or post on our Facebook wall. Now that all chef's equipment is functioning, we are going to kick it up a notch next week. Yup, Chef puts out yummy food even with a handicap or two!

Today was a grand time at the farmers market! I'm the one pulling the red Radio Flyer groaning under the vegetable load. The crowds are gone, but Fort Pierce is a year round market. Just beautiful, too. The rest of the day has been devoted to Quickbooks. 'Nuff said.

Tomorrow morning we are off to the beach, to remind us how lucky we are to live here. Then, it's off to primp and preen the dining room a bit more. We hope to remedy the naked walls!

Our First Guests

2010-05-20T22:45:00.000-04:00

We are overwhelmed with all the excitement of our first day. We have been deeply touched by the well wishes, that people enjoyed it, and grateful for their patience while we sort out a smooth running system. Always know that we want your feedback. We promise to always be honest in our response; we are here for you. Meantime, we will keep trying recipes to find out what you like, what you don't. We are still establishing relationships with a wide array of suppliers, to bring you more choices. Please feel free to stop by for an invitation to our By Invitation Only days, if you do not already have one. No matter when you can come by, we look forward to serving you!

Fully Licensed to Cook & Serve!!!

2010-05-17T16:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, we've been planning this moment since October. Hard to sum up the tumult of emotions. Mostly, Chef is just plum tickled to be cooking vast amounts of delicious food again! We are still puttering around the shop and detailing things. Wednesday morning we will be hosting a small breakfast for the movers and shakers in sustainable food for the Treasure Coast. And then Thursday, this very Thursday, our dear Facebook fans will be the first to be invited in to sample our wares.

Not to worry, we will be scampering around town with invitations over the next few days. Our By Invitation Only days will probably run through next Wednesday; we will certainly let you know the day of our grand opening. Stop on by; we'll get you on the list!

We {Heart} Fort Pierce

2010-05-13T14:50:00.000-04:00

We have the bumper sticker, and we really mean it! We have passed our city inspections and look forward to our state inspection Monday. We must take a moment to thank everyone we have had the pleasure of dealing with at city hall. In our experience, everyone has been straightforward, prompt, and professional. Not so common these days. Thanks, Fort Pierce! We really look forward to serving you soon!

Slowly But Surely

2010-05-11T11:12:00.001-04:00

We are drawing closer to actually being able to open. Whew! Our storefront is beautiful, missing only the window lettering. We have the front nearly complete, if you want to peek through the windows. Tomorrow we have some very big local inspections coming up. Should that go well, we have only to receive our coolers and be inspected by the state. Then, we will be off and running with our By Invitation Only Days!

Today we found a couple of old glass cabinet panels framed in wood at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. We're thinking, nifty picture frame and recycling at the same time. Got any old wood sash windows? Other funky ways to hang our stuff? You would earn yourself a VIP pass to all our free tastings. We're just saying . . .

We would like to send a very big thank you out to Chef Jeff McKinney and the Orchid Island Club for the phenomenal Farmer and Chef Summit we attended yesterday. It was a wonderful and tasty way to meet, greet, learn, share and be inspired. Kudos on the wildly creative dishes and for getting us to totally dig pickled beets! So many people worked so hard to make the event, and we thank them all and congratulate them on a job well done. Y'all are being the change we wish to see in the world!

Gratitude

2010-05-06T09:20:00.001-04:00

We would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped us bring this venture to light. Our families and friends have been so supportive, despite our temporary insanity. So many people have worked hard, in less than ideal situations, to keep the project moving forward, and we appreciate them as well. What keeps us persevering in the face of frustrating and unexpected delays is this help, the support from you who believe in what we are doing, and our conviction in our chosen path. We are working hard to make it worth the wait!

Practicing Patience

2010-05-04T22:11:00.001-04:00

We are remaining calm in the face of adversity. Some delays have cropped up on the construction side, and we certainly will not compromise on safety. So, alas, we will be opening Wednesday, May 12th, at the earliest. Of course, we will keep you updated. And please know we are working as hard as possible to serve you in the very near future. We're barely bothering with sleep!

This Is It

2010-05-03T07:11:00.000-04:00

This is a big week. The rest of our equipment comes today! The finish work should all be completed this week (please oh please oh please!). With a lot of luck, all our licenses will go through as scheduled. If, and only if, all goes as planned, we will start our 'By Invitation Only' days Monday, May 10th. No one wants to be open more than us, people; but that's a lot of ifs and shoulds.

Didn't get your VIP pass to all our 'By Invitation Only' days? It's not too late. For donations to the cause, we are stuffing you silly. Still looking for: frames (or a clever way to hang our wonderful propaganda), large cookware and utensils, silverware for 10 (for the monthly dinner, see Contact Us tab on website), kitchen gadgets and surely we've forgotten some other things.

Fan us on Facebook, we'll be having a tasting just for our FB fans. Meantime, know we are working as hard as humanly possible to bring DELICIOUS real food to Fort Pierce!

Things Are Progressing

2010-04-30T22:43:00.002-04:00

Too slowly for our tastes, but things are progressing. Today we painted chairs, baseboard, and the storefront, among a myriad of other things. Chef has done wonders with our lovely green glass tiles! We are putting on all the finishing touches, stocking up on supplies, gearing up for the big inspections. And we spend a lot of time talking about what we'll be serving up!

We will be there to support Fort Pierce when Amtrack comes to town, tomorrow at noon. If you're there too, stop on by for a sneak peek.

Last but not least, Main Street Fort Pierce wrote about us in their current issue of Main Street Focus!
http://www.mainstreetfortpierce.org/focus.htm

Bring the Railroad Back to Ft Pierce

2010-04-29T13:49:00.002-04:00

All Aboard! City of Fort Pierce Welcomes Amtrak
Florida East Coast Miami – Jacksonville Inspection Trip

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, 12:15 p.m., a northbound Amtrak passenger train will stop in Downtown Fort Pierce on the Florida East Coast Rail System. The 5-minute stop will allow for boarding and detraining on the east side of the Avenue A rail crossing.

Local public officials, Amtrak representatives, Rail America staff and interested parties will travel the 326 mile route on the inspection trip of the 8 proposed stations.

The one-way passenger service event to St. Augustine is being coordinated by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council in conjunction with Amtrak officials. The joint rail trip is to explore opportunities for partnerships with the State of Florida and the Florida East Coast Railway for the development of intercity passenger rail corridor service between Jacksonville and Miami Florida.

The public is invited to come to the 5-minute ‘whistle stop’ and show their support to Amtrak and State officials for a station in Fort Pierce. A special ‘surprise’ appearance from Fort Pierce’s past will accompany the train’s arrival in Downtown Fort Pierce.

Stormy Monday

2010-04-26T09:02:00.002-04:00

Some equipment had been scheduled for delivery today; cancelled due to bad weather. Safety first, people. But the front half of the restaurant is tiled and grouted and oh so lovely. Chef especially likes the name of the grout color - Buttercream. Two of his favorite things. Good thing we found local, non-gmo dairy products!

Chef has been painting like mad but is delighted to have a such bright, beautiful kitchen to work in. Traditionally, commercial kitchens are cramped afterthoughts, thrown together with zero regard for aesthetics. Our chef will have a space of peace and beauty,so that he can cook your food with care and love. 'Cause that's the secret ingredient that makes his food so good - love. He loves to create delicious food.

Please take a look around our newly expanded website. Please get back to us with any comments or suggestions. We really want to know what you think. And take your sunshine with you today!

Manic Monday

2010-04-20T09:06:00.001-04:00

We got a lot done yesterday, people. Feels good. We went for our 5 year renewal for our Food Safety Manager Certificate. We can not stress this enough - WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Single most effective tool against germs. Our instructor made an excellent point; when you use hand sanitizer, where do all those "killed" germs go? They're just sitting on your hands in a pile of goop. Wash your hands to rinse them clean.

We also went to pick out the awning skirt for our super nifty poly roof. Found one that matches our colors and the city's requirements. Can't wait to up the shade ante a bit! The roof makes a huge difference with our western exposure; 12 inches of awning skirt will lower our energy usage even more.

Last, but hardly least, we got insulation in our attic. We got dry blown fiberglass. I know, I know; I was hesitant at first, too. But it is recycled fiberglass, it is NOT treated with caustic chemicals like the batting kind, and any moisture that might just happen to permeate our oh-so-precarious roof will not pool and mold, as it would with blown cellulose. We can not always make the ideal choice, but we strive to make the best one available to us.

Available to all of us right now is a plethora of Florida grown produce! If you have not been to your farmers market, local fruit stand or nearest u-pick, now is the time. Prices and quality are excellent, so stock up. Any extras, blanche and freeze. We hope to have our Links Page up soon, to assist you in finding your nearest local grower. Meantime, have a delicious day!

Continuing Construction

2010-04-18T13:15:00.001-04:00

Cosmetic changes are so much fun, aren't they? Chef has been painting and the results are wonderful. Doors have been installed and painted. Tile is going in - so lovely! We will be using Armstrong clean room tiles for our dropped ceilings; the cleaner the better, as far as we're concerned. We support Armstrong's efforts in the recycling arena.

We had a great experience with D&B Tile Distributors in Port St. Lucie, FL. Chef can finally have quarry tile in the kitchen that is NOT red - woo hoo! Lovely grout colors, as well. We applaud their voluntary dropping of tiles with silica salt and their embracing of green products.

Super abundant times at Florida farmers markets, thanks to the late frost. Exciting that the season will be running longer! We'll be testing a fresh strawberry tart recipe later. Somebody's got too! We hope you are relishing your weekend.

http://www.dbtile.com/

Florida Food Freedom Act

2010-04-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/aa/aa-26feb2010.htm

Florida residents, here is your chance to change the way we eat. We are way behind the curve on local fresh food because we need to change the legislation; now there is a way to do just that! Follow the link, contact your senators, write a letter to the paper, start a petition, tell everyone you know. Change can NOT happen without YOU!!!

Website Is Up!

2010-04-09T16:01:00.000-04:00

Holy cow, we love MJP Design for getting our website up! It is absolutely gorgeous, if we may say so ourselves. Only the home page works for now, but it is a glorious tease of what is to come. Check it out and let us know what you think!

www.snstakeout.com

We Have Walls

2010-04-06T14:41:00.000-04:00

The walls make all the difference. Now the beauty and flow is starting to show. Chef only sees that the hood is up and is very anxious to cook in vast quantities again. We will be painting later this week - zero voc primer and paint, of course!

We would like to take a moment to shout out about Richard's Paint. Manufactured in Rockledge, Florida it is very well suited for our sub-tropical climate. They have a gorgeous selection, even historic colors, and we find that their prices put the big boys to shame. We are pleased to get their products through The Paint House, right here in Fort Pierce. For our purposes, we consider Florida "local." So, give the national chains a break, support our local economy and get a great deal on a superior product! Check out their link under People We Admire and tell the gang at The Paint House that The S&S sent you. Then go make something pretty!

Go get outside!

2010-04-03T17:07:00.000-04:00

It's a glorious day out there! Great time at the market; love prepping for holiday dinners. We'll be grilling some marinated lamb and lovin' the local veggies. Plus strawberry something for dessert. People, it is Strawberry Superbonanza in Florida right now! We'll be buying a flat or two next week for freezing.

In the meantime, we hope that this spring season finds you healthy, happy and hearty of appetite!

1st Round Inspections Passed

2010-03-30T09:59:00.000-04:00

All together people; deep sigh! Passed plumbing, mechanical and electric primary inspections. Before us: hood installation, roofing (there's a funny story, should you ever woo us with tequila), drywall, floors, insulation, ceiling, lights, painting, stucco, equipment installation and quite possibly a very large poly roof and canvas skirt for shade out front. Not necessarily in that order, and that's just the fun stuff.

We look forward to serving you soon! Have a delicious day!

Pushing The Envelope

2010-03-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

The place is going to be beautiful, people. We have found some very pretty deals on overages and order errors. Sweet! We are working with local craftsmen to use salvaged material we could NEVER have afforded new. Kudos to the hard working people of St. Lucie County who still take the time to do the right thing, even when it's not the easiest choice.

Chef is playing with recipes at home. Chocoholics, we are pleased to announce that after grueling tests we have perfected the brownie recipe. He is also experimenting with de-glutenizing recipes. Got any tips or recipes? Email us! Got any homecooked memories nobody makes for you anymore? Email us!
thesands.corporate@gmail.com

Those of you who follow us on Facebook know that our Facebook Fans will be in like Flynn on our By Invitation Only Days before our grand opening. All we ask in return is your honest opinion. We would like to up the ante. Got something we could use? Kitchen equipment, tools, utensils? Large serving pieces or cookware? 10 chairs? 500 square feet of quarry tile? Seriously, for your donation of recycled goods to The S&S we would bestow upon you a much coveted VIP Pass; good for ALL our By Invitation Only Days (the length therein to be determined at a later date). Our very good friend and family physician, Denise Punger (People We Admire), currently holds the only one.

Meantime, there are a million things to do before Saturday's Slow Food event at Varri Green Farm in Okeechobee, FL. We are so excited! Please go their website (People We Admire) to see the flyer for the event. And have a delicious day!

Gratitude

2010-03-19T10:23:00.002-04:00

We would like to take a moment to thank Denise Punger. The cabinets and counter tops that she allowed us to salvage from her property are just the right size to go in the shop. We are very pleased that these beautiful things will get a new life and that we do not have to use more resources to serve you. We are proud that our family physician and friend takes the time to think of the environment, despite her very hectic schedule. Cheers!

Really Starting to Look Like Something Now

2010-03-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

We have missed you, people. We are not lollygagging, just crazy busy. We are SO excited about the work with Localecopia and GreenPathsFlorida. It's looking good for the Treasure Coast as the Florida Food Policy Council's sustainable food demonstration region. It's not too late to send a statement of interest in participation to info@greenpathsflorida.org for any individual/group/company/non-profit that you know.

We hope to see you Saturday March 27th at Varri Green Farms for the Slow Food Dinner. We are putting our check in the mail today. The S&S Takeout is donating a few copies of "Food, Inc." for doorprizes.

We are also THRILLED to report that Waste-Pro is all about recycling and that The S&S thinks this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Physically, walls are going up. Check our Facebook page (The S&S) later today for updated photos. We are waiting on inspections for plumbing, electrical and whatnot. A thing of beauty, people - the tankless water heater went in yesterday. So, so lovely. Available in residential as well as commercial sizes, it is available for purchase and installation by FPUA (Fort Pierce Utilities Authority). And, thanks to Hayek Construction, we will be going to a St. Patrick's Day "green" party at Ceramic Matrix (www.ceramicmatrix.com) in Vero tomorrow to shop for tile. How cool is that?!

Now, we must dash and order our undersink greasetrap, faucet aerators, dual flush lever for the toilet and other sundry fun items. Also still researching vendors with natural products. Oh yes - the website IS under construction and is looking fabulous.

We look forward to serving you real food, responsibly.

It's Not Too Late!

2010-03-08T10:42:00.000-05:00

What does local food mean to you? What would you like to see? For example, we just read in "Saveur" (Jan/Feb 2010, "The Saveur 100") that there is an organisation outside of Boston, Cape Ann Fresh Catch, that is community-supported fishing. Like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's), just fish! People, we have fish here. Would you pay to have a steady supply of locally caught fish? No? What would you LIKE to see?

In April, the Florida Food Policy Council will select the demonstration region for sustainable food in Florida. To us, there is no better choice than the Treasure Coast (Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee Counties). GreenPathsFlorida.org is here to represent - tell 'em what we got, people! Get the farmers you love to write in. Get that crazy idea out there. Volunteer to help realize what you've always dreamed could never happen. 'Cause it won't without YOU!

Email: info@GreenPathsFlorida.org

What are we doing? We were very impressed with Saturday's Western Lands Study; lots of good information on various plans that have worked for other areas. We enjoyed Little Ag Land at the St Lucie County Fair yesterday, and mentioned buying local when we got quoted in today's paper. We are considering an awning across the storefront; it would save so much energy in the long run, as we are western exposure. Worth the challenge of changing now. Deep sigh and jump in. Also, we are working very hard to promote the Treasure Coast and are talking to everyone we know and a lot of people we don't. The longer the list of interested parties, the better a candidate we become!

We look forward to serving you soon.

What YOU can do to make the Treasure Coast a sustainable star in Forida!

2010-03-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

Bigger Than A Breadbox?

We are growing an environmentally, socially & economically sustainable food system for Martin, St. Lucie & Okeechobee counties: delicous, affordable, bountiful, healthy, culturally-diverse, ecologically-sane, locally-grown & prepared fruits, veggies, herbs, poultry, seafood & value-added products that sustain our families, our neighborhoods, our livelihoods & our planet.

Just imagine what we can grow...

- A network of beautiful community gardens producing inexpensive heart-healthy food for residents of all ages

- Locally-grown organic produce in our schools, food banks & Meals on Wheels deliveries

- Microenterprise sales of backyard herbs, fruits & veggies

- Chez Panisse-style restaurants bringing money into our communities

- Workshops on growing, cooking, canning, freezing & even foraging your own organic food

- Seed and plant exchanges, including tropical vegetables and fruits from the homelands of our immigrant communities

- Shared kitchens, cooking & distribution for busy families, farms & food-product manufacturers

- New skills and opportunities for students, displaced workers & bored retirees

- Chickens, eggs, bison, seafood & other yummy protein sustainably raised, harvested & processed here in a thriving, job-producing green industry

Bigger Than a Breadbox is being managed by Green Paths, a new non-profit bringing people together to create (and celebrate) sustainable lives, livelihoods & communities. Check us out at: www.greenpathsflorida.org or call (772) 288-3171. But truly, the Breadbox belongs to ALL of us, and we need your help to fill it up.

What are you hungry for?

We Want YOU!

This Friday and Saturday (5th or 6th of March), any time between 7:30am and 8:30pm. Drop in at 505 SE Flamingo Avenue in Stuart, Florida, near the corner of Monterey Road & East Ocean Boulevard OR call (772) 288-3171 OR email info@greenpathsflorida.org

To help answer 3 questions:

1. What could an environmentally, socially & economically sustainable food system look like for Martin, St. Lucie & Okeechobee counties?

2. What food-related ideas, resources & projects are already alive in our communities that might benefit from networking & collaboration?

3. What individuals, businesses & organizations do you know that might want to help by contributing their ideas & growing something really fantastic?

Opportunities Right Now

We really need your input to help persuade the Florida Food Policy Council to select our region as the statewide demonstration project for growing a sustainable food system, before their April 2010 meeting. We also need committed partners for a promising March 2010 grant opportunity to establish community gardens to bring healthy food to low income, minority, immigrant and underserved populations.

The Big Picture

Our goal is to transform the Treasure Coast into a Green Mecca of healthy, environmentally-friendly, high quality-of-life, economically robust living for everyone in our communities. Why should the West Coast get to have all of the fun?

Dinner Postponed

2010-02-23T10:45:00.001-05:00

Bad news, people; the Slow Food Dinner at Varri Green Farm has been postponed until 3/27 for a variety of reasons. So, please go to www.varrigreenfarm.com and check out the updated flyer. To see us there, send in your check post haste (so they can cover the cost of food) and then bring an appetite out to Okeechobee on Saturday March 27th!

Our roof is as nebulous as our ozone layer, but, thankfully, much easier to repair. The bright side is that we are in a position to shore up the, er, historic nature of the building. Walls should go in any time now. Chef is co-ordinating and demolishing away.

We would like to add one more thing: in a room of 100 people, let's say 1 is pro-local and 1 is pro-organic. Does it not make more sense for these 2 to speak with the other 98 instead of spending the whole time arguing with each other?! Just a thought, people.

Have a delicious day!

Construction Crawls On

2010-02-19T18:37:00.000-05:00

Plumbing is in, concrete poured, gas piping going in and prepping for the insulation. It will be recycled cellulose, blown in between the roof and sub ceiling. We feel so techincal, throwing around terms like that. Construction is, of course, slower than we would like but we are pleased progress is ever forward.

Meantime, we have been researching suppliers. We are thrilled to say that we will be serving pasture fed bison from Okeechobee's Happy Tails Ranch. Chef has been experimenting and the results are delicious. Bison chili is a sure thing. Also, Crazy Hart Ranch in Fellsmere will be supplying us with pasture raised chicken. We are truly blessed to have local producers fighting an uphill battle so that we can eat meat raised the natural way; grass fed meat being so much more nutritious and healthy for us. Not to mention tasty!

Of note: there will be a Slow Food Dinner at Varri Green Farms (http://www.varrigreenfarm.com/) on February 27th. We can not wait! We hope to see you there.

The website is also under construction. We had a preview and it will be beautiful. Our admiration for Matt Perez (http://www.mjpdesign.net/) knows no bounds. Once again, though, can't be done soon enough for us.

We are hoping to open our doors by April. Meantime, people, know that we are working hard for the opportunity to serve you.

Construction Begins

2010-02-09T10:59:00.002-05:00

Ground was broken at the site yesterday. First in, the plumbers. People, you will have a gorgeous handicap-accesible bathroom right up front, complete with dual-flush toilet, faucet aerator, tankless natural gas powered waterheater, and a decor you can advertise in. Here's the plan: we intend to decoupage every square inch with articles related to local food, organics, whole food vs. processed food, environmentalism, recycling - basically, anything we are doing. Feel free to submit any related article you would like to see posted, and we will credit all appropiate submissions as "Submitted by:". We know we are not alone! Please mail submissions to The S&S Takeout, 148 N. Depot Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34950 or feel free to email: " thesands.corporate@gmail.com"

We have been greatly enjoying our outings to the various farmers markets. Now is the best season for local variety, despite the year's hard frost. The closest listing of local markets we could find was in a Palm Beach paper - go figure. Geting out there and supporting our local farmers is a great way to provide palate as well as economic stimulus! If after you have perused the following link you know of something we don't, we implore you to notify us.
www.pbpulse.com/events/2009/12/02/greenmarkets-in-palm-beach-county-treasure-coast/

Permitted

2010-02-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

We officially have our permit! Hard to believe it is actually here, after three months of diligence. We are breathing deeply and grilling our happiness tonight. Our best guess is about two months until opening, but we accept that there are many things beyond our control. This we have learned recently.

Meantime, we are actively seeking out suppliers and connecting with people like Localecopia and Slow Food (see People We Admire) to promote the local food cause. Where it can not be local, we will look for organic, all natutral, non GMO alternatives. But it is not always easy. Chef and I hardly eat out anymore. The majority of places we have tried use so many pre-fabricated ingredients that the preservatives and colorings and chemicals make us ill. We can promise you that we will seek out the best food ingredients to make our homemade soups and specials!

Almost Permitted

2010-01-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the efforts of many people, we have every reason to believe a permit is forthcoming in a matter of days. Presumptious of us to post, we know, but we are very happy with the open and valid dialogue with the city and pleased as punch with our progress. Up 'til now it's been, "Plans and papers and permits - oh my!" Now we take a deep breath and sigh.

And off to the next phase. Chef is very talented at construction and is currently dedicated to green research. He will be on the job as sweat equity and as Green Miser; reducer and repurposer extradonaire. So, he is boning up on the latest green innovations. We will both be attending the "Let There Be Light: LED Lighting and Sustainable Lighting for Interiors" seminar put on by the Corporate & Community Training Institute at Indian River State College (http://www.cctiirsc.com/). I have enjoyed this wonderful local resource, as well as the Florida Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College (http://www.floridasbdc.org/). Both organisations are invaluable tools for the local business community. I am grateful to both and using this time before opening to attend every seminar that I can.

Historic Preservation Officer Approved

2010-01-25T07:59:00.000-05:00

We received approval for our storefront design in the historic district of downtown Fort Pierce, Florida. We would like to thank Leslie Olsen for being so wonderful to work with and the best deal at City Hall ($10 application fee)! We would also like to thank Matthew Perez, our designer, for working so hard to come up with a simple and pleasing design that reflects the best balance of old and new we could have hoped for. Historically, people ate closer to home; so, we are more than just a pretty storefront, we are preservationists. We hope that by bringing local food back to Fort Pierce, we can help to preserve what is left of St. Lucie county agricultural land. More than 50% of it has been lost to development since 1992, and now more than ever, our farmers, ranchers and growers need our local commerce. Ever onward, people, ever onward. Now, we just need a permit from the city and construction will begin!

State Approved

2010-01-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

Our plans have come back approved from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels & Restaurants! We are overjoyed and off to share the good news with the city.

We hope you will check out our People We Admire links. They move the cause forward. Soon to come, Local Businesses We Love. We hope it will serve as a resource for the people of St. Lucie County, Florida.

Still ongoing is our research into how much local product we will be able to sell. Just because something is produced here, doesn't mean it can be sold here. We will have to investigate thoroughly how much regulation there is barring small operator conditions. Have no fear, people, we will persevere.

Gratitude

2010-01-18T08:37:00.000-05:00

We are still digesting all that we learned at the St Lucie County Western Lands Study; as well as researching the resulting questions and exciting options.

Meanwhile, we are actively grateful for the generosity and the "I Can Recycle!" attitude of our good friend, Dr. Denise Punger. When confronted with a mountain of construction salvage, she determined that it would be recycled and not landfilled. Knowing Chef was super handy and would gladly repurpose all that he could, she took time away from her many obligations to make it available to us. Her generosity has already improved our ecosystem, our house and soon, The S&S. Thank You, Denise!

If you have something you don't need, odds are more likely that someone else could use it then that it must be thrown away. Try http://www.freecycle.org/ to find it a useful home. Or under Free on http://www.craigslist.org/. Locally, construction salvage/overage can be donated to Habitat For Humaity's Restore in Fort Pierce. We cruise the area's many Goodwill, Salvation Army and non-profit second hand stores; these are excellent donation options when considering pitching something. No doubt, we all have a connection to a school, hospital, group, library, church that could use or sell our donation for a good purpose. Rehoming your unused stuff is good for the earth and your local community.

News From the Food Show

2010-01-14T08:31:00.001-05:00

"Your beef is antibiotic free?'
"Oh yes."
"The cattle never gets a shot?"
"Well, they all get one of antibiotic and steroids when they're born, but that's it."

"Is your product GMO free?"
"Ha, ha! No."

20% of the professional product representatives that we talked to knew what a GMO was. However, the percentage of GMO free food is much lower. That's why we want to make so much of our own product.

Now, we did find a domestic cheese company that stated it is synthetic bovine growth hormone free, but I will research that more before I print their name. Also, a tortilla company (delicious!) that claims they are GMO free. I seriously doubt that last one as they purchase corn from Con-Agra, but I suppose it is possible. More research.

The great news is that Cheney Brothers has their own line of organic produce and herbs which is produced locally. You go, Cheney! Also, there are many interesting options in the take out containers/silver/cups that we were previously unaware of. So, well worth the trip.

Today we are off to St. Lucie County Western Lands Study in the hopes of persuading ranchers to produce local pastured meat. There are more public forums open to county residents, so go to www.stlucieco.gov/growth and then get out there and tell them you want to buy local. Good for our community, good for the earth.

Signed, Sealed & Delivered!

2010-01-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday afternoon, we are completely submitted to the City of Fort Pierce. WOO HOO!!! We truly appreciate the help, time and kindness of so many people at city hall to get us to this point. Also, we'd like to thank Chauncey's Glass, Sign Matrix and the folks at FPUA for going above and beyond to get us all the needed information. And a very big thank you (and unlooked for hug) goes out to Charles Hayek of AWM Construction, for being there whenever needed and for keeping projected costs within budget. Also, our architect, John Ahern, for being so accesible, accomodating and talented. Part of our mission with this project is to bring the community together, by choosing to purchase locally. It's already happening and we're not even open yet. Fort Pierce - you rock!

Cheney Brothers, Inc. Food Show

2010-01-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I luv ya, tomorrow! Off to Kissimmee tomorrow to attend our local distributor's biannual food show. Great timing. Cheney Brothers is based in Del Ray; truly local (within 100 miles). They carry a Green Balance line of eco-minded products, including some listed by the Green Restaurant Association. This tickles us pink because we are striving to be one of a handful of restaurants in Florida listed with the GRA (http://www.dinegreen.com/). Chef personally respects Cheney's committment to excellence.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, our rep had never heard of a GMO. There are many products we will not be able to purchase locally and we are proud to support a wonderful company like Cheney Brothers; however, we assume the responsibility of finding out exactly what is in every ingredient we buy and where it is produced and how it is produced. So we are off to the frigid north tomorrow armed with smiles, a large pad for copious notes, multiple pens and an investigative instinct aimed at the jugular! This is the perfect opportunity for us to get information directly from the suppliers, or at the least, motivate them to find out for themselves. For those without answers to our questions, we will research all the way to the producers, if need be.

We'd like to take a moment to beg everyone to see "Food, Inc." It's available on NetFlix. If you know us, we have a copy and would be glad to show it to you anytime. You are what you eat; do you know what you're eating?!

Half Way To Submittal

2010-01-09T16:18:00.000-05:00

Wednesday we sent off our plans and application to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Now we wait an average of six weeks. We're hoping for better than average.

We also met with the city this week and they were kind enough to take a prelimanry look at what we have and suggest a few additional items so that we can fast track it. We shall submit on Monday. So close, people, so close we can taste it.

Meantime, Chef has been keeping busy repurposing salvaged lumber from the site. Our daughter has a new custom made bed. We've had some lovely fires during this frosty Florida winter. A friend has some pieces for a class project. Rumor has it, it will become a trebuchet!

Keeping us warm this winter is the generosity of friends to The S&S. Materials and equipment have been thoughtfully given to the green cuisine cause and we are pleased as punch to thank the kind and thoughtful individuals responsible. Good karma, coming back at ya!

Plans for 2010

2010-01-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

We have the architectual plans! So worth the excruciating wait. We strove for simple and functional, pleasing and pragmatic. Beautifully done, Jack! And, of course, we are looking for every green option we can find. Have we mentioned the tankless water heater? The denim insulation? The zero VOC paint made regionally in Florida and for Florida climates? The low E green impact glass? We will post details as the journey continues, but for now we are ready to submit to the city and the state . . . and then wait for an average of six weeks to get permission to build. As soon as we finish the paperwork we will be focusing our thoughts on a very light workload for all reviewers and that they shall set a new record for speed of approval. That and research. Did a little recon at the Greenwise Publix in West Palm Beach. That place is glorious and gave us some product names to look into. We also welcome any eco construction tips.

Meantime, for us, we are grateful that 2010 comes with the opportunity to do what we believe in. We hope that this year comes with some glorious fulfillment for you people. Into the breach!

De Plans! De Plans!

2009-12-31T10:16:00.000-05:00

Meeting our beloved, talented, wonderful, and oh so appreciated architect in one hour to pick up the plans!

Happy New Year!

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

2009-12-30T09:04:00.001-05:00

Patience has never been our strong suit. Working crazy hard, persisting when good sense would have you quit, committment to perfection - these we do. But waiting . . . aargh. Waiting for the exciting new phone to charge. Waiting for bids to come back from sub-contractors (you'd never know some people were hurtin' for business). Waiting for the architect. That's the big one. Once we submit, it is an average of 6 weeks to get permission to build. But we can not submit without plans, which we do not have. So, let us all send completion and closure thoughts to our talented and pokey architect, whom we are trying desperately to still have positive thoughts about!