2010 Top 10 Stumpjackings

I did another end-of-year Top 10 list for last year (2010) but never posted it. Let's get it up here now before 2011 closes!

Here are the Stumpjack Top 10 "big things" of last year:

10. Mixing up the space. It's amazing how much impact "rearranging the furniture" can have on one's attitude and even on business. We're constantly thinking about how we might make the space both more attractive and more efficient, daydreaming about new lighting arrangements or different tables or floor tiles. If we could go back in time to when we were first working on the Stumpjack space the counter, seating and kitchen locations would be quite different than where they are now. But it is what it is and, as such, we're limited in what we can do.  But one of our original layouts included a lounging area at the front of the space, near the front window. We opted for tables and chairs at that time, and that's the way it stayed until later this last year when we set up the couch and lounge chair that's there now. It's become a favorite spot, especially on weekends and evenings, for people to sit and watch the world go by outside while they drink their coffee or beer.

The Stumpjack Society of the Fez hanging out in the front seating area.

9. Cheyenne Art Show. As many of you know, our daughter, Cheyenne, is a very talented young artist. And while she's had her art shown in a number of school-related exhibitions (including one at UW-Milw when she was just a toddler) she had her first real independent gallery showing here at Stumpjack in November. Cheyenne and her friend Sonia Vasquez shared wall space for the exhibition, with the opening reception on November 26th bringing in a very nice crowd of friends and supporters. Their work elicited a great many compliments for the two months that it was displayed. Just as importantly as the positive feedback was the result that Cheyenne sold several pieces. It's a milestone event in her career as an artist (selling work is very important if one wishes to truly be a successfully working artist), and it was a big deal for Stumpjack as it highlighted one of the reasons we got into this business to begin with: to help foster and support talented young artists and promote good art in the community. The fact that the artist in question for this show was/is my daughter and part of the Stumpjack staff is a double bonus.

A painting by Cheyenne Raphael Smith, from her Stumpjack exhibition.

8. Biscotti (Kim stepping up). When Jin and Uniquely Yours Pastry left town for the land of oranges and alligators, we experienced an unfillable hole in our pastry offerings. Nobody in the area made pastries like Jin. She was, imho, simply the best pastry chef in these parts, head and shoulders above the pack. The ingredients she used were of the highest quality and her pastry skills were those of an artist (of course they still are, but you can only enjoy them if you go to Florida…or mail order from her). So, Kim started to pick up the slack by baking cookies, muffins and biscotti.  She decided right from the start that she would use the best ingredients we could afford and that she would only put things out for people if the quality was top-notch. She also realized that she had to learn to become a better baker and pastry chef. To that end she began studying (baking techniques, ingredients, recipes, etc) and baking, baking, baking.

Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

Kim's biscotti became kind of the flagship item in her line of goodies. They're old skool, heavy and rich, made with olive oil, made for dipping, full of healthy and delicious ingredients. Almond, hazelnut, cranberry, chocolate, pumpkin, anise, whole grains, pecan, walnut, pistachio and on and on… Her line is not anywhere near the scope or breadth of Jin's, as she has chosen to add items slowly as she masters one thing (biscotti, for example) before moving onto the next thing (truffles, for example), but it is as quality-driven and visually appealing as anything we've offered. We're again proud to offer some of the best pastry in the area.

7. Coffee Quality (our roasters). We use two or three high quality roasters for our coffee. But our primary roaster is Dillanos, a company out of Sumner Washington. Dillanos does everything right, from their direct work in helping coffee farmers increase crop quality and living standards to maintaining a high quality roasting operation. Their customer service is amazing. They continually go above and beyond in their service and attention with us, providing us with not only some of the best roasted coffee on the planet but also with their willingness to work with and support a small retailer like us during these slower economic times. Our coffee has always been exceptional and, like any coffee retailer, is the result of both quality roasting and quality handling and preparation on our end. We do our part by our attention to detail and excellence, and Dillanos does their part by providing us with the tools and exceptionally high quality coffees that enable us to offer you the best cuppa you can get along the lake.

We have relationships with other exceptional roasters as well, Johnson Brothers out of Madison in particular. But I'm singling out Dillanos here because of our relationship with them and because they were recognized last year by the industry's preeminent publication, Roast Magazine, as the 2011 Roaster of the Year. It's the biggest award a roaster can get and recognizes quality in all areas of a company. The award is also, of course, validation for Stumpjack in that we knew we had an exceptional roaster on our side; we knew that their coffee was excellent when we partnered with them.

6. Better Menu. We decided this year to further emphasize the local/sustainable/organic focus of our food menu. To that end we acquired much more of our grocery list from the local farmers markets, Whole Foods, local gardeners and our own garden. We also increased our knowledge base of sustainability issues, vegetarian cooking, and what products are out there that support what we're trying to do with our menu. It required more work, more travel, more expense to move more heavily in this direction, but I think that in the long run we will be able to continue to shave our expenses and time as we become more proficient and knowledgeable.

We made our own soups and stocks, used herbs picked in the morning for lunch the same day, enjoyed using several varieties of colorful heirloom vegetables, made road trips to get fresh fruits we couldn't get around here, special ordered artisan condiments to replace products with labels that were more "questionable" and did a helluva lot of tasting.

We did pretty well I think, with more positive reviews and comments from our clientele than ever before (and we also received some recognition in several menu categories of the Golden Fork Awards…see below).

A high quality menu, heavy on local, fresh and organic, has been our intent from the beginning and I'm happy that we've been able to continue to increase the emphasis in that direction, more so in 2010 than ever before. No doubt 2011 will prove to be even bigger and better in that regard, as we hope to increase the size and purpose of our own garden in becoming a primary source for the Stumpjack kitchen.

5. Sunday morning breakfast & Jesse as barista. We began offering breakfast on Sunday mornings at the end of last summer. This was kind of a big deal for us, for a couple of reasons. Sundays had always been my "laid back" day, where drinks and conversation were the only things we would do. No food other than pastry. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the workweek. Also, breakfast requires a whole bunch of new stuff (more inventory, equipment, time, prep). But we thought, "What the heck, let's try it and see what happens."

Jesse with wild ramps.

Well, it has turned out to be a significant event for Stumpjack. Our French Toast (with sugared bananas, ice cream & maple syrup), Quiche, Baked Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Bacon have become favorites of a number of folks. The feedback and general success of what started out as an experiment have us thinking of possibly adding a Saturday morning breakfast as well…we'll see.

But even though Sundays are now much more demanding than they used to be, it has become a favorite workday. We come in early, get stuff ready, prep and cook, and enjoy our time doing it. Sundays are also really Jesse's day to run the show. Before we started doing breakfasts Jesse ran the counter and took care of everyone. She became a pretty darn good barista, both with her drink preparation and in the way she served and related to people. So that was very cool to see.  The routine changed a little once we began doing breakfast, with Jesse helping me in the kitchen with food prep and table service, while Cheyenne or Kim ran the counter. I'm very proud of Jesse, how her skills have grown and her more relaxed attitude with guests. She's able to do multiple jobs and do them well. I envision her managing the whole coffee house at times, and increasing her barista skills to where she might be able to compete in barista competitions at some point.

Sunday Breakfast runs from 9-noon. You can check facebook to see what might be on the menu on any given Sunday morning.

4. Steph Davies Art Show. Steph and Matt Davies are a couple of our favorite people. They're so very talented. Matt is a fantastic folk singer; Steph is equally fantastic as a visual artist. When we re-opened after our winter break the first art exhibition we scheduled was with Steph. She has built a devoted group of patrons of her work around here, and she always sells a number of pieces, which is a testament to the accessibility and distinctiveness of her art. But the real reason that Steph and that first exhibition make the year's Top 10 is because Steph's generosity and support gave us a much welcome positive mental boost. She restructured the usual commission arrangement we have with artists to be MUCH more generous to Stumpjack, in order to help us try to get over the financial hurdles we're facing. The thoughtfulness and support she showed by sacrificing a significant portion of her commission meant so much that it reinvigorated our own determination to push on through. And, since we did make it through the year, I'm calling that first exhibition of Steph's a good luck omen, and that's also why the first art show of this year is also from Steph Davies.  Currently she has over 40 pieces on display at Stumpjack, and they'll be up through the end of March. Come in and check it out…maybe some good luck will rub off on you as well.

3. Golden Fork Awards.  Several years ago I learned about the Fox Cities Golden Fork Awards after seeing a framed print of the certificate in a dining establishment in Green Bay. It was a beautiful image. It looked prestigious and classy, and indeed, it was gold. Ever since then I've wanted one of those awards, really just so we could display it like they did. It is a "Best Of" sort of award that targets the restaurant field specifically. Establishments are nominated and voted for by the dining public.

Unfortunately, I never thought we would have an opportunity to get a Golden Fork because the voting area did not include Manitowoc County…UNTIL this last year. The balloting moved to Manitowoc County this year. We put the word out online and asked our friends and customers to cast their ballots for us in categories they thought we deserved. And we were so pleased and grateful when Alison Fiebig, Editor of the magazine, emailed and told us we had won top honors in seven categories! Best in Manitowoc County in Coffee, Café, Sandwich, Soup, Vegetarian Friendly, Live Entertainment and Ambiance.

Thank you, thank you, thank you…all of you good people who voted and gave us your support. I posted story this in greater detail here.

2. Survival.  Well, we made it through the year. I’m not sure how, but I think just plain stubbornness had a helluva lot to do with it. There were so many battles and obstacles, many of which we overcame, many that we were just able to forestall (until this year?). Thank goodness we had a good measure of fun too! More grist for the book.

1. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby.  This November 20th event was definitely the highlight of the year. We had so much fun and it was such an uplifting and joyous experience that, get this, we also actually felt bad…that more people could not have experienced this evening with us! It was one of those events that was so full of laughter, love and great music that you just wished everybody you knew could have been a part of it too. I'm writing a book about this whole Stumpjack journey and this performance by Eric and Amy is a significant part of that project, so I don't want to get too redundant here.

Amy Rigby & Wreckless Eric at Stumpjack!

Amy and Eric are both superb performers and incredibly talented songwriters, but it was the connection they made with the audience that made the night extra special. Eric has got to be one of the wittiest and most humorously verbose performers I've ever witnessed. His banter and stories between songs elicited a constant cascade of laughter and smiles throughout the evening. The dynamic between Amy and Eric was so charming and endearing that you just felt good watching the two of them work together. It was clear that they both loved and respected one another. And the music! Oh my, what a mix of styles and genres. They went from pop to punk to country to tender love song to psychedelic rock. And they both did it while under the influence of a flu bug, though you would not have known had they not mentioned it (by night's end they were both quite exhausted as we drove them to the hotel, but very satisfied that everyone had such a good time).

Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby are the third "big name" performers, who have had both chart and critical success, that we've hosted at Stumpjack (along with Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens and Pato Banton & the Now Generation). When I think of a defining moment for 2010 I'll think of them and the performance they gave and what fun we had.

Here's the initial post that announced this show.

Comments

[Jin]

David! You are such a sweetie. Thank you so much for the compliments... it almost makes me miss WI. A little teensy bit. Wait... ok, it doesn't make me miss WI at all, just your warm welcoming place & company! :-D Glad to see Kim is giving it a go! I'll send her some of my pastry juju vibes. ;-)
*HUGS*
Jin
:-)