…And now we wait
Nora’s Table lovers, who have slurped our soup, gobbled our duck, panted feverishly over our gnocchi, and run their tongues across our dessert plates in earnest, have come to collect the names of our staff like fourth graders collected Willie Mays baseball cards in 1964. (Uh, we know one former fourth grader with a deep and abiding love of the Say Hey Kid, and she still adores him.)
So when we say Rainbow Trosper, our beloved sous chef and pastry chef, is gone (for at least a while) to give birth to her little girl, due to make an appearance sometime in the next few days, we know you will share both our happiness for Rainbow and Wes, and a bit of apprehension about the fate of the finest dessert one can have in the Gorge, made by the incomparable Miss Bow.
But this is what makes a good restaurant kitchen a thrilling creative endeavor. In the weeks before Rainbow took her maternity leave, we all had a long list of dishes (from crackers to hamburger buns to yes, dessert) that we learned at Rainbow’s pregnant feet. Good kitchens are like an excellent game of “Rumor.” You know how this parlor game is played, right? One whispers a secret in another player’s ear, who then whispers it in the next player’s ear, and so forth, until at the end of the line, the final player repeats out loud what he has just heard. “I have a new red hat,” has become, “I heard the cat caught a rat,” and everyone howls. So our job, in a kitchen, is to share our knowledge so that the red hat STAYS a red hat, even if it’s shared a hundred times.
And we are proud to report that we are muddling along pretty darn well (though Chef Kathy was a bit nervous turning out the Valentine’s Day desserts) in Rainbow’s absence. And now we wait for that precious, lucky little girl to arrive. Because who wouldn’t want to be the daughter of the finest cookie maker in two states? Consider us your official site for “Trosper Baby Watch.” We’ll keep you posted.
Saint Paddy’s Day comes early
Is it ever too early for the wearin’ of the green? We think not, so this Wednesday February 20, we take the magic flying shamrock to Ireland for our three-course international dinner, in which you can get three courses for $15. Here’s the menu:
- Mussles in Guinness and garlic, with soda bread, a favorite dish of The Brazen Head in Dublin, one of the oldest pubs in Ireland
- Mountain Shadow lamb stew with cabbage, carrots, potatoes and barley
- Irish trifle
Save March 10 for us and Phelps Creek
On March 10, we’re bringing a little woman power to your palette. Alexandrine Roy, Phelps Creek’ French wine maker, and Chef Kathy will be joining forces for dinner. The dinner will pair Phelps Creek wines, and some wines made in France by Alexandrine, together with early spring Gorge produce, Oregon Dungeness Crab and Jim Hanna’s incomparable Mountain Shadow lamb. We sold this dinner out last year, and it was really one of the highlights of the year for us at Nora’s. Phelps Creek wine club buyers can purchase tickets for $75, and non-members pay $85. Call us to reserve now. We’ll reveal the menu and wines next week.
Nora's Table 