Wednesday, February 1: The Exes, 8pm, $5. Beau's beer has pitched in to help support this new weekly event at the Branch; Hot Country stylings with Ottawa's The Exes, featuring our own Kim James, out from behind the bar to wail out all your favourite country hits from today's top artists...Every pitcher of Beau's Lug Tread Beer comes with a free Branch 'Buenos Nachos'--piles of blue and yellow corn chips topped with cheese, queso sauce,beans, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos (if you want'em...) ...This is becoming a bit of an after dinner 'pub night' with a similar vibe to our popular Rubber Boots Buffet, it's social, fun, and yes, dancing is encouraged!
Thursday, February 2; Keith Glass, 8pm, free! Keith Glass will be performing the last of his monthly ‘First Thursday’ showcases next Thursday, February 2nd. Keith is taking a break from this monthly event to immerse himself in his next major recording project, (that’s right, a new Keith Glass album!) Let’s pull a big crowd for this living legend next Thursday to send him off in style…For those that don’t know it yet, Keith is the multiple Juno award winning guitarist and primary songwriter for the legendary Canadian Country band Prairie Oyster, as well as being the perennial sideman for Ottawa’s incredibly popular (and rightly so!) Lynn Miles, and an occasional journeyman with other local favourites, Trevor Alguire and Brock Zeman. It has been a real privilege getting to know Keith these last few months, but we are all looking forward to hearing his new material and (hopefully, hint, hint…) hosting a cd release party for him when it is ready for the light of day! Don’t miss the last of these free shows, your next chance to see him, well, let’s just say it may not be so easy to get in, if you know what I mean…That’s next Thursday, February 2nd, 8pm, and yep, it’s free!
Friday, February 3; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free! Frank Western and Birdie Whyte have come to be a symbol for all that is good and right at The Branch...Heck, the world! Sweet cover tunes that range from old time to rootsy blues, Tom Waits, John Hiatt, John Prine and Gillian Welch; and originals that are precise, crafted, funny and even beautiful. The only thing better than the music is the always warm and often hilarious stage presence of Kemptville's biggest stars!
Saturday, February 4; Trevor Alguire, 9pm, $10: We are always pleased to welcome back one of our most popular (for good reason!) Branch regulars, country-tinged singer-songwriter Trevor Alguire; (...the following biographical info was provided by the artist...) "Alguire, hailing from a small town just south of Ottawa Ontario, first drew attention in 2004 with the release of the album Narrowed Down (under the guise of his band Mercury Pickup). The album was critically acclaimed in the press with frequent comparisons to artists such as Steve Earl, Tom Petty, Blue Rodeo, Wilco and Uncle Tupelo. These comparisons said As of Yesterday his second release landed Alguire his first record deal alongside fellow songwriters such as Steve Earle and Buddy Miller proving that Alguire was only at the start of such musical depth.
Within four months of releasing As of Yesterday, Alguire went worldwide with consistent radio play across Europe, Australia and North America. Two of Alguire’s songs have since been released on Blue Rose Records compilations along side Gurf Morlix, Steve Earle & Dwight Yoakam. Multiple Juno award winner Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster (Canada’s premiere roots music ensemble) collaborated with Alguire to produce and play on Alguire’s recent album. The newly recorded second solo album was released in July opening for Martha Wainwright at Ottawa Bluesfest.
“Alguire tells tales of life on the road, his words painting pictures of his country and its people. He is a great story teller with empathy and emotional depth matched by a warm sonorous and strong voice, reminiscent of Richard Buckner, Tim Easton and Michael Hall.”
Sunday: Open Stage 3-6pm, Rubber Boots Buffet from 2-8...
authentic texas specialties, amazing live music, incredible selection of local, microbrewed draft beers and locally sourced and organic foods...
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
This Week at the Branch Texas Grill!
Wednesday, January 25; The Exes, 8pm, $5. Wednesday is our second installment of our Beau's beer sponsored 'college night' featuring Hot Country covers with The Exes, with our very own Kim James. It's gonna be a good ol' time in the little ol' town Tonight...so be sure and bring yer dancin' boots! This Wednesday, enjoy a free nachos with every pitcher of Beau's Lug Tread Beer. Door prizes, in the form of some sweet Beau's schwag will be available, and a student i.d. gets you in free: otherwise it's just five bucks!
Thursday, January 26; Songwriters Circle with Meredith Luce, Pat Moore, Ray Harris, hosted by Bruce Enloe, 7pm, free! I'd like to mention this Thursday night's Songwriter Circle again...Meredith Luce, Pat Moore and Ray Harris are each a good enough reason to come to the branch on their own, but the three of them together (and don't let me being the host scare you off) is more like, "Holy Cow! Where do I sign up?" kind of good...It's this Thursday, and believe it or not, it's free!!!
Meredith Luce was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her musical education began when she was five, as a piano student. From ages seven to ten, Meredith was involved in a children's musical theatre company, where she gained her first stage experience.
A passion for singing led her to classical voice work, which saw her complete her Grade One Royal Conservatory of Music training. Not one to settle, Meredith then moved on to dabble in cello, clarinet, recorder, drums, bass, mandolin, baritone ukulele, and guitar — her main instrument.
Pat Moore’s voice has a warm and expressive quality, as perfectly suited to a rich ballad, as it is to an up-tempo power song. She moves easily from the storytelling of the singer/songwriter genre, to the lonesome sound of traditional country and bluegrass. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, she grew up in a house filled with music, from show tunes to Peter, Paul, & Mary, and Gordon Lightfoot; and later jazz masters like Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles to bluegrass legends like Bill Monroe, and Flatt and Scruggs. As a young girl she would sing harmonies with her sisters while doing the supper dishes – songs from the Momas and Papas, and Simon and Garfunkel.
In the 1980’s Pat played dog-house bass and sang lead and harmony in Maple Hill, an award winning bluegrass band. Later, Pat ventured out on her own, writing, and releasing her debut solo CD, The Time’s Never Been Better. In 2003 Pat recorded her second CD, Take it to Heart, and formed her band The Vinyl Frontier. Her recordings have received praise from far and wide - Holland, Italy, Australia, the U.S. and across Canada, for her captivating storytelling, her warm strong voice, and the musicianship of the people she surounds herself with. The live show is always fun!
Pat continues to write, and performs solo, and in various combinations with members of the Vinyl Frontier – Pat McLaughlin, Ann Downey, Al Bragg, and Alistair Dennett. She has also returned to bluegrass, with the resurrected Maple Hill Bluegrass.
Ray Harris is an Ottawa based alt-country/ folk/rockabilly/Americana/whatever songwriter & musician, and the host of the Elmdale Tavern’s monthly Wednesday night songwriter’s circle.
Bruce Enloe, before he was a chef, killed some time in Austin, Texas writing and singing punk-influenced country and Beatles inspired pop songs; he took a ten year break from music to do this other thing, but 5 or 6 years ago, he got the bug back and has been writing songs that are equal parts ‘dad rock’ , James Taylor, Robert Earl Keen and indie-folk. He is currently recording a sprawling ‘Chinese Democracy’ style 2-3 year solo album project (in stores by June…2015! Probably!), performing with his pals The Burning Sensations and occasionally working and recording with Kemptville’s enigmatic Belarus Racing Team Collective.
Friday, January 27th; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free! Frank Western is no ordinary Western, he's more, well, Frank. And Birdie Whyte is no ordinary Birdie, she's more...Well, she's not a bird, for one thing, though she kind of sings like one...and although she is Whyte, I wouldn't necessarily say that that is a defining characteristic...Frank and Birdie sing songs about love life and a life of love over the dulcet tones of an almost 'John Carroll-esque' slide guitar and banjo. And fun? Yep, they got that!
Saturday, January 29th; Amanda Rheaume, 9pm, $8. This is Amanda’s first branch show, but judging by the early buzz around this one, it won’t be the last—Amanda is a beautiful Ottawa based singer-songwriter and will be bringing a band along to help her out—the following was cribbed from her website: “…Rheaume is a powerful vocalist with just a touch of grit and an instantly-accessible roots-pop-Americana sound -- has been a pillar of her local Ottawa music scene for about a decade now. A $40,000 winner in Live 88.5’s 2008 Big Money Shot competition, Rheaume is not only a regular at local festivals and joints like the Rainbow Bistro, she has also distinguished herself as one of the city’s, if not the country’s, most selflessly giving musicians. She organizes Ottawa’s Bluebird North songwriter showcases, she participated in the Babes for Breasts tour to raise money for breast cancer, she recorded a charity Christmas EP for Boys and Girls club of Ottawa – selling 6500 copies just in Ottawa, she donated a dollar from each album sold during her last tour to a fund for the families of military personnel, and she’s even performed for the troops in Afghanistan…twice.”
Monday, January 16, 2012
Chris Brown cancellation...George Buys filling in this Saturday...
Chris Brown has unfortunately had to cancel this Saturday's show...George Buys has graciously agreed to fill in--or at least that's what Patsy tells me!
This Week at The Branch...and Texas Grill!
As of this weekend, and evolving over the next few weeks and months, ‘The Branch Restaurant’ will become what it was probably always meant to be ‘The Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill.’ Come on out this week and help us celebrate 2012 with some of our real Texas Barbecue, or even some of your favourite Tex-Mex or even Cajun or Southern foods favourites...Don't worry, we are still the same old Branch in more ways than not with our pride in choosing local and organic foods first and our commitment to the environment and the community, but it's high time we admitted that this Texas thing we've been leaning towards as a menu theme is here to stay! Come by this wekk and check it out for yourself!
Wednesday January 18, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company presents: College Night at the Branch, featuring Hot Country with The Exes, $5, free with Student i.d.: it’s the ‘College Night’ premiere with The Exes, featuring Kim (Yes, That Kim) coming out from behind the bar to show off her singing chops, if you haven’t heard her yet at one of our open stages, you’re missing out, come out the Wednesday and prepare to be wowed…
Thursday, January 19th, Petunia, 9pm $10; Spending the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station and park bench in Canada (and NY city), picking, grinning and singing for his living, Petunia has been a regular on the Canadian touring circuit for many years now. He plays 150 shows/ year all over Canada and has begun touring into the USA, with his band out of Vancouver, "The Vipers".…he has a unique, surreal style all of his own…his live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie.
Fridays, January 20 & 27; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free: Frank Western and Birdie Whyte are the dynamic duo, the tune-ular twosome, the corporeal couple, the magnificent mates…they are what happen one and one are added to become not two but two times two times two….which is a number that is significantly higher than two. Obviously. Come see them.
Saturday, January 21; George Buys, 8pm, free! Local blues scholar George Buys will be on hand this Saturday to play guitar, sing and story-ize your barbecue lovin' butts off! And it's free!
Sunday, January 22, 3-6pm, free! Elvis Presley Birthday Tribute Open Stage, everyone is welcome to come out and sing their favourite Elvis songs…sideburns are not required, extreme pelvis movement is, however, highly recommended…
Wednesday January 18, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company presents: College Night at the Branch, featuring Hot Country with The Exes, $5, free with Student i.d.: it’s the ‘College Night’ premiere with The Exes, featuring Kim (Yes, That Kim) coming out from behind the bar to show off her singing chops, if you haven’t heard her yet at one of our open stages, you’re missing out, come out the Wednesday and prepare to be wowed…
Thursday, January 19th, Petunia, 9pm $10; Spending the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station and park bench in Canada (and NY city), picking, grinning and singing for his living, Petunia has been a regular on the Canadian touring circuit for many years now. He plays 150 shows/ year all over Canada and has begun touring into the USA, with his band out of Vancouver, "The Vipers".…he has a unique, surreal style all of his own…his live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie.
Fridays, January 20 & 27; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free: Frank Western and Birdie Whyte are the dynamic duo, the tune-ular twosome, the corporeal couple, the magnificent mates…they are what happen one and one are added to become not two but two times two times two….which is a number that is significantly higher than two. Obviously. Come see them.
Saturday, January 21; George Buys, 8pm, free! Local blues scholar George Buys will be on hand this Saturday to play guitar, sing and story-ize your barbecue lovin' butts off! And it's free!
Sunday, January 22, 3-6pm, free! Elvis Presley Birthday Tribute Open Stage, everyone is welcome to come out and sing their favourite Elvis songs…sideburns are not required, extreme pelvis movement is, however, highly recommended…
Friday, January 13, 2012
Oh yeah, I almost forgot!
I am such a dingbat. Hours spent writing the newsletter and I neglected to mention the most exciting gig!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Trip Back Home Part 3: 'Home-well'
I used to love catering; growing up in Texas, my mom used to make wedding cakes, and many a weekend found us toting elaborately decorated tiers in the trunk of the car, then out and up the church steps, setting up the cakes—maybe serving punch or miniature quiches, my brother and I racing around on the chair dollies behind the scenes, or pigging out on devilled eggs when grown-up backs were turned. Daydreaming about those days can easily make me homesick for mom’s cooking—or for the ubiquitous presence of all those piles of smoky brisket and spicy sweet sauce that stained the white paper tablecloths at so many of those events…But maybe ‘homesick’ is the wrong word… ‘Home-happy’, maybe? ‘Home-well’ is more like it. Because, thanks to my mom teaching me how to cook, I can carry all those flavours, all those memories with me, and unlike lots of folks without that magic key in their pocket, I can pull them out whenever and wherever I am and set them up, not like photos on the nightstand, but more like the actual places and times themselves, physically present; I can cook, and because I can cook, I can taste and enjoy all of those sights, sounds and flavours whenever I want. Wherever I am.
Over the years I continued to cater from time to time; in 1996, I even did an entire wedding spread out of the kitchen of my tiny apartment that actually paid for my move from Texas to California…
When I lived in San Francisco and worked for Millennium, I became the ‘go to’ catering chef because I actually enjoyed it—every new job was a new challenge, the planning, the organization, the ordering, the staffing, the math—but most importantly, the thrill, the excitement when the job came together—happy customers—good food—a job well done. Every catering was like a little restaurant start-up: we would arrive to find a new kitchen, new tools and new customers. We would set up, prep, organize, finalize the décor, check the ovens, check the stovetops—every site was a little different; if we were lucky, we’d get a visit a month or two before the event, a chance to look around and kick the tires—if we were really lucky, we would be returning to a spot we’d been to before and we’d already know if we needed to bring an extension cord, say, or a can opener. Sometimes, we’d have to bring along a lot more than that…
Once I organized and catered food for an event for 1600 people on Treasure Island in San Francisco—the facility had no kitchen and as a historical site, it was requested that the temporary catering kitchen be set up outdoors, but by this point, I had cheffed on a number of caterings and I knew that almost anything could be rented, delivered and set up for me. I happily bit at the challenge of this massive event; we arranged for stoves and ovens, sinks and even refrigeration—but neglected one thing, a roof, and, as luck would have it, halfway through one of the largest and most challenging events of my cooking life, I found myself balancing on the wet roof of a large truck weighting down a tarp to provide a modicum of shelter for a 10 person crew cooking underneath me in the middle of a freak summer rainstorm… My memory of this event? Pure bliss. Sure, we ran out of food a little too early, and yes, our floor plan for the interior of the event was a pure disaster (note to self, never have a circular bar in center of a room with no other access points). But even after all that, it was the biggest thing that I had ever done, and, all in all? Although not unqualified, it really was a success.
I also organized a similarly sized, if not as un-coordinated a meal at a PETA event in Los Angeles; My job was to go down a week early to tool around on the Universal Studios back lot and spend lots of vegan dollars in order to organize rentals, source products and do all the prep for an event that I then jetted out of town for so that Chef Eric could swoop in on the day of and meet all the big name celebs attending the event. (It was my idea; he was the headline, after all. And if he did meet Paul McCartney, he never admitted it, graciously sparing me at least that bit of disappointment…Thanks, E…)
Some smaller events were also memorable—a wedding at the Palace of Fine Arts where the wind carried off half the chairs and tables, a private dinner in a home with a porous floor in the kitchen that would be ‘completely ruined by a single drop of oil’… My first experience in a synagogue; a wedding in a chalet where every single food item, table and piece of equipment had to be carried, by hand, up a sheer 20 foot narrow stone stairwell…also fun at that event, a cook read the words ‘salad greens’ on the list and packed a case of Swiss chard so that I got to drive nearly 30 miles to a grocery store to retrieve a suitable replacement while my crew set up and stalled the hosts long enough to put off the inevitable service of the first (salad) course… Fortunately the greens I found were pre-washed.
Once, I discovered that an oven didn’t work only minutes before the course that was supposed to be heating up in it was supposed to be served. At that event, I also discovered that a propane gas line can be temporarily repaired with duct tape and a latex glove. Another time, a cake cutting was arranged in the middle of a room full of anxious children whose tiny hands kept attempting to come between the cake and my rather large and very sharp knife; needless to say, I have always arranged a second SEPARATE space to cut the cake at every wedding since (don’t worry, to my knowledge no tiny digits were lost or harmed at that event, but certainly not for lack of effort.) Over time, I learned other tricks to ensure if not a seamless event, at least a less chaotic one. I developed a habit of putting a pot of water on to boil as a first step at any event (whether I needed it or not) just to make sure that at least one burner was working and to determine exactly how fast—if all else fails, I had discovered, I can do an awful lot with one good working burner. I learned to always pack a bowl and whisk, and an extra ladle, an astounding number of sauces can be pulled together at the last minute (should one be lost on, say, a porous floor?) with the help of those utensils. I learned to think on my feet, to get a lay of the land from the moment of arrival (you never knew when knowing where the can opener or, perhaps, the gas cut-off for the building was, you know, ‘just in case…’) I learned a lot, and I had a lot of fun learning it.
In fact, I could tell these stories for hours—each catering was a miniature world, a self-contained ‘instant restaurant’ sort of like a theatrical opening or a rock show—the object for me was never perfection so much as the perception of perfection; the players always miss a line on the first night, the question is, how well can you recover? I enjoyed the spontaneity, the excitement, but more than anything, I enjoyed being the boss.
You see, Eric, my boss and Chef, didn’t tag along for these events; in fact, it was pretty clear that they did not really interest him. He was certainly able to, and in fact he did quite well when he did, he just didn’t really seem to want to… This meant that although within the four walls of the Millennium kitchen I was second in command, that on each of these outings, these field trips, I was my own man. This was a feeling that was in no way wasted on me at that point in my career. That elusive position, that role I had sought since slinging tacos at La Taqueria when I was 19, the role of leader, the guy in charge, the boss. I was finally wearing the tallest toque which I had waited so long to don.
When we started the branch, I arrived with the attitude towards catering that I had always had—that sense of joy, excitement—that giddy feeling that anything could happen but that with planning and luck, everything would come out fine—so imagine my surprise to discover, almost immediately, that the joy that catering had once brought me was now completely gone.
This was not a gradual disenchantment. In fact, it was clear from the very first event we took on—the thrill was not fading, it was gone. The strange thing was that I had no idea, at least not at first, as to why. I mean, it didn’t help that one of the first events we took on at the restaurant was a total dog—we felt that it was such an honour to be asked, so soon into our new venture, to be the exclusive caterer for a brand new festival that we didn’t hesitate to accept; then we were given a set of numbers by the organizers of the event based on presumptions alone as to how much we should prepare, numbers that were well beyond anything I had encountered at Millennium, that were well beyond even the 1600 people I had managed to almost feed in the rain on the island… but the numbers, it turned out, were a fiction, a hope, an idea. But, if you couple that circumstance with the fear of running out of food brought on by my experience at the island event, (we had even signed a contract for this event promising that we would not,) as well as my inexperience with concession versus straight catering… Well, suffice it to say, that in the end, that single event very nearly broke the back of our fledgling business. We continued to pull items purchased for it out of our freezer for the better part of the following year, and dreamed up a whole new list of ways to redirect an almost overwhelming abundance of frozen salsa, beans and corn… We borrowed more money to right the ship and we plugged on, more careful and cautious than ever.
But even that, for all that would be an entirely rational reason, even that was not why I lost the thrill. In fact, in hindsight, the real reason is clear.
I already was the boss.
Catering in San Francisco had been a chance to expand, to experiment, to test, to grow. But…OK, here’s a simple way to describe it: it’s like dating; when you are young and single, why wouldn’t you want to go out with lots of different girls? (or boys, or whatever, I don’t judge…) And why not play the field? It’s no harm to attempt a connection with, let’s say, a few different ‘types’ to discover what works and what obviously doesn’t… But once you’ve found the right one… ‘the marryin’ kind’ as we would say back home; for me at least, I can only assume it is the same for others… the idea of going through all of those ultimately failed attempts again; it just doesn’t sound like the least bit of fun.
The branch kitchen is my kitchen. I have set it up, laid it out, tested it and measured it… I know exactly what it is and what it can do. I love this kitchen; I know it is not perfect, but I know every nook and cranny well, I know how fast water can come to a boil on every burner, and I know how to do everything through five years of practice, through good times and bad, (through sickness and health?) and more so than ever over the course of even these last two weeks, in which we have installed a badly needed new floor, cleaned and reorganized and installed new and amazing lights, a two week period that has completely re-introduced me to this, what has become not only one of my favourite places to be, but honestly? Something I can only describe as, perhaps, a reliable old friend…. These days, the thought of going to work somewhere else holds almost no appeal for me at all. And in hindsight, it is also probably why Eric was so content, back at Millennium, to just stand back and let me run off and go.
I don’t much care for catering anymore. These days I’m a solid guy, loyal and true. I appreciate my pleasures and am smart enough to realize that for all the work, for all the stress it has taken at times to build up this little kitchen—that one thing is certain, more and more, every week and every month, it has always felt, and continues to feel like home. I have not only gotten to know this kitchen, it has gotten to know me.
I love my little kitchen, my smoker out back makes barbecue that tastes just like Granddaddy’s did—sometimes better. My range helps me make chili and cornbread that tastes like Mom’s and sometimes even a chicken spaghetti that, even without the Velveeta, almost has me tucking a paper napkin into my shirt and reaching out for Mom’s hand to say the blessing.
I have a sign, made for me by a neat guy who helped us out a lot in putting this place together, and although I don’t get to see him much anymore, I hope he knows how much we all appreciate everything he helped us do… Anyway, he made a sign for me and gave it to me on my birthday one year, I put it up, way up high on the wall in the Branch kitchen; a wooden sign, hand-cut and hand-painted; red white and blue—the word ‘Texas’ is emblazoned on it in big, bold letters. When new cooks walk into the Branch kitchen for the first time, I like to point up to it and say “See that? Once you’re in here, you’re on my turf. It’s Canada out there, but in here, you’re in Texas.” In here, you’re in my home.
Home-well.
--Chef Bruce
Starting this week, the Branch Restaurant is changing its name to the Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill.
Over the years I continued to cater from time to time; in 1996, I even did an entire wedding spread out of the kitchen of my tiny apartment that actually paid for my move from Texas to California…
When I lived in San Francisco and worked for Millennium, I became the ‘go to’ catering chef because I actually enjoyed it—every new job was a new challenge, the planning, the organization, the ordering, the staffing, the math—but most importantly, the thrill, the excitement when the job came together—happy customers—good food—a job well done. Every catering was like a little restaurant start-up: we would arrive to find a new kitchen, new tools and new customers. We would set up, prep, organize, finalize the décor, check the ovens, check the stovetops—every site was a little different; if we were lucky, we’d get a visit a month or two before the event, a chance to look around and kick the tires—if we were really lucky, we would be returning to a spot we’d been to before and we’d already know if we needed to bring an extension cord, say, or a can opener. Sometimes, we’d have to bring along a lot more than that…
Once I organized and catered food for an event for 1600 people on Treasure Island in San Francisco—the facility had no kitchen and as a historical site, it was requested that the temporary catering kitchen be set up outdoors, but by this point, I had cheffed on a number of caterings and I knew that almost anything could be rented, delivered and set up for me. I happily bit at the challenge of this massive event; we arranged for stoves and ovens, sinks and even refrigeration—but neglected one thing, a roof, and, as luck would have it, halfway through one of the largest and most challenging events of my cooking life, I found myself balancing on the wet roof of a large truck weighting down a tarp to provide a modicum of shelter for a 10 person crew cooking underneath me in the middle of a freak summer rainstorm… My memory of this event? Pure bliss. Sure, we ran out of food a little too early, and yes, our floor plan for the interior of the event was a pure disaster (note to self, never have a circular bar in center of a room with no other access points). But even after all that, it was the biggest thing that I had ever done, and, all in all? Although not unqualified, it really was a success.
I also organized a similarly sized, if not as un-coordinated a meal at a PETA event in Los Angeles; My job was to go down a week early to tool around on the Universal Studios back lot and spend lots of vegan dollars in order to organize rentals, source products and do all the prep for an event that I then jetted out of town for so that Chef Eric could swoop in on the day of and meet all the big name celebs attending the event. (It was my idea; he was the headline, after all. And if he did meet Paul McCartney, he never admitted it, graciously sparing me at least that bit of disappointment…Thanks, E…)
Some smaller events were also memorable—a wedding at the Palace of Fine Arts where the wind carried off half the chairs and tables, a private dinner in a home with a porous floor in the kitchen that would be ‘completely ruined by a single drop of oil’… My first experience in a synagogue; a wedding in a chalet where every single food item, table and piece of equipment had to be carried, by hand, up a sheer 20 foot narrow stone stairwell…also fun at that event, a cook read the words ‘salad greens’ on the list and packed a case of Swiss chard so that I got to drive nearly 30 miles to a grocery store to retrieve a suitable replacement while my crew set up and stalled the hosts long enough to put off the inevitable service of the first (salad) course… Fortunately the greens I found were pre-washed.
Once, I discovered that an oven didn’t work only minutes before the course that was supposed to be heating up in it was supposed to be served. At that event, I also discovered that a propane gas line can be temporarily repaired with duct tape and a latex glove. Another time, a cake cutting was arranged in the middle of a room full of anxious children whose tiny hands kept attempting to come between the cake and my rather large and very sharp knife; needless to say, I have always arranged a second SEPARATE space to cut the cake at every wedding since (don’t worry, to my knowledge no tiny digits were lost or harmed at that event, but certainly not for lack of effort.) Over time, I learned other tricks to ensure if not a seamless event, at least a less chaotic one. I developed a habit of putting a pot of water on to boil as a first step at any event (whether I needed it or not) just to make sure that at least one burner was working and to determine exactly how fast—if all else fails, I had discovered, I can do an awful lot with one good working burner. I learned to always pack a bowl and whisk, and an extra ladle, an astounding number of sauces can be pulled together at the last minute (should one be lost on, say, a porous floor?) with the help of those utensils. I learned to think on my feet, to get a lay of the land from the moment of arrival (you never knew when knowing where the can opener or, perhaps, the gas cut-off for the building was, you know, ‘just in case…’) I learned a lot, and I had a lot of fun learning it.
In fact, I could tell these stories for hours—each catering was a miniature world, a self-contained ‘instant restaurant’ sort of like a theatrical opening or a rock show—the object for me was never perfection so much as the perception of perfection; the players always miss a line on the first night, the question is, how well can you recover? I enjoyed the spontaneity, the excitement, but more than anything, I enjoyed being the boss.
You see, Eric, my boss and Chef, didn’t tag along for these events; in fact, it was pretty clear that they did not really interest him. He was certainly able to, and in fact he did quite well when he did, he just didn’t really seem to want to… This meant that although within the four walls of the Millennium kitchen I was second in command, that on each of these outings, these field trips, I was my own man. This was a feeling that was in no way wasted on me at that point in my career. That elusive position, that role I had sought since slinging tacos at La Taqueria when I was 19, the role of leader, the guy in charge, the boss. I was finally wearing the tallest toque which I had waited so long to don.
When we started the branch, I arrived with the attitude towards catering that I had always had—that sense of joy, excitement—that giddy feeling that anything could happen but that with planning and luck, everything would come out fine—so imagine my surprise to discover, almost immediately, that the joy that catering had once brought me was now completely gone.
This was not a gradual disenchantment. In fact, it was clear from the very first event we took on—the thrill was not fading, it was gone. The strange thing was that I had no idea, at least not at first, as to why. I mean, it didn’t help that one of the first events we took on at the restaurant was a total dog—we felt that it was such an honour to be asked, so soon into our new venture, to be the exclusive caterer for a brand new festival that we didn’t hesitate to accept; then we were given a set of numbers by the organizers of the event based on presumptions alone as to how much we should prepare, numbers that were well beyond anything I had encountered at Millennium, that were well beyond even the 1600 people I had managed to almost feed in the rain on the island… but the numbers, it turned out, were a fiction, a hope, an idea. But, if you couple that circumstance with the fear of running out of food brought on by my experience at the island event, (we had even signed a contract for this event promising that we would not,) as well as my inexperience with concession versus straight catering… Well, suffice it to say, that in the end, that single event very nearly broke the back of our fledgling business. We continued to pull items purchased for it out of our freezer for the better part of the following year, and dreamed up a whole new list of ways to redirect an almost overwhelming abundance of frozen salsa, beans and corn… We borrowed more money to right the ship and we plugged on, more careful and cautious than ever.
But even that, for all that would be an entirely rational reason, even that was not why I lost the thrill. In fact, in hindsight, the real reason is clear.
I already was the boss.
Catering in San Francisco had been a chance to expand, to experiment, to test, to grow. But…OK, here’s a simple way to describe it: it’s like dating; when you are young and single, why wouldn’t you want to go out with lots of different girls? (or boys, or whatever, I don’t judge…) And why not play the field? It’s no harm to attempt a connection with, let’s say, a few different ‘types’ to discover what works and what obviously doesn’t… But once you’ve found the right one… ‘the marryin’ kind’ as we would say back home; for me at least, I can only assume it is the same for others… the idea of going through all of those ultimately failed attempts again; it just doesn’t sound like the least bit of fun.
The branch kitchen is my kitchen. I have set it up, laid it out, tested it and measured it… I know exactly what it is and what it can do. I love this kitchen; I know it is not perfect, but I know every nook and cranny well, I know how fast water can come to a boil on every burner, and I know how to do everything through five years of practice, through good times and bad, (through sickness and health?) and more so than ever over the course of even these last two weeks, in which we have installed a badly needed new floor, cleaned and reorganized and installed new and amazing lights, a two week period that has completely re-introduced me to this, what has become not only one of my favourite places to be, but honestly? Something I can only describe as, perhaps, a reliable old friend…. These days, the thought of going to work somewhere else holds almost no appeal for me at all. And in hindsight, it is also probably why Eric was so content, back at Millennium, to just stand back and let me run off and go.
I don’t much care for catering anymore. These days I’m a solid guy, loyal and true. I appreciate my pleasures and am smart enough to realize that for all the work, for all the stress it has taken at times to build up this little kitchen—that one thing is certain, more and more, every week and every month, it has always felt, and continues to feel like home. I have not only gotten to know this kitchen, it has gotten to know me.
I love my little kitchen, my smoker out back makes barbecue that tastes just like Granddaddy’s did—sometimes better. My range helps me make chili and cornbread that tastes like Mom’s and sometimes even a chicken spaghetti that, even without the Velveeta, almost has me tucking a paper napkin into my shirt and reaching out for Mom’s hand to say the blessing.
I have a sign, made for me by a neat guy who helped us out a lot in putting this place together, and although I don’t get to see him much anymore, I hope he knows how much we all appreciate everything he helped us do… Anyway, he made a sign for me and gave it to me on my birthday one year, I put it up, way up high on the wall in the Branch kitchen; a wooden sign, hand-cut and hand-painted; red white and blue—the word ‘Texas’ is emblazoned on it in big, bold letters. When new cooks walk into the Branch kitchen for the first time, I like to point up to it and say “See that? Once you’re in here, you’re on my turf. It’s Canada out there, but in here, you’re in Texas.” In here, you’re in my home.
Home-well.
--Chef Bruce
Starting this week, the Branch Restaurant is changing its name to the Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill.
Newsletter January 2012
Attention Branch Eaters! (Koalas?)
Starting this weekend, and next week, Nicole and I are officially writing the next chapter of ‘The Little Restaurant That Could’... We are, it turns out, exactly where we want to be, where we want to stay, and ready to take the reins and try something new.
It has already started to happen; the spaghetti, you may have noticed, has disappeared…as has the stir-fry. We will always stay true to our love of locally sourced and organic foods—but it is time to take the leap and to make a change that has been a long time coming official at last! As of this weekend, and evolving over the next few weeks and months, ‘The Branch Restaurant’ will become what it was probably always meant to be ‘The Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill.’
This change is not just nominal. The fact is that over the course of my career I have come to realize that no matter what food I handle; I always revert to what I call ‘Tex-nique’: applying flavour combinations and cooking methods that inevitably hail back to some delectable morsel from my mother’s table or some other favourite meal or snack from my childhood…and even from the first month at the Branch, it seems that my preparations that revisit those moments carry with them the most resonance—plates like our nachos, our ‘Austin City Limits’ which is a sort of Texas style bbq mixed grill, or other items like our authentic fajitas or enchiladas that get requested so frequently that I am forced to make them into signature items…But as of now…with a new look and a new attitude, we are ready to make it official—we are ready to make it real.
We will still be North Grenville’s (Ottawa South’s?) premiere live music venue, but even more so—in true Austin style, we will now be bringing you music 5 days a week, kicking off every Wednesday at 8pm with a Beau’s Beer sponsored ‘College Night’ (there is a $5 cover, but students with an i.d. get in free in January…) featuring ‘Hot Country’ covers with The Exes along with pitchers, specials on nachos and other munchies, and even with door prizes provided by Beau’s All Natural (don’t worry, college kids of all ages are welcome)…Thursday night shows will include regular appearance by Keith Glass (on the first Thursday of every month) and a Songwriters Circle (on the last Thursday) hosted by yours truly. Fridays will still be the domain of the two and only Frank Western and Birdie Whyte, Sundays will continue to feature our Rubber Boots buffet and Open Mike. Saturdays will be a home for some of the best music anywhere with some real marquee names like Jim Bryson, Cuff the Duke and Danny Michel already booked in before summer!
Our new menu will feature at least three types of real Texas wood-fired bbq by the sandwich, plate, or even by the pound…we will still have our famous fajitas and enchiladas, but we’ll also have some new features like jalapeno-cheese fritters and a dinner sized Fajita Salad or a big bowl of Texas style chili. Vegetarians and gluten sensitive folks have no need to worry about the new menu as we’ll still have lots of choices for you as well. Our seasonal specials will also still rotate regularly—staying in the Texan theme, sometimes, but giving us a little room to colour outside the lines as well.
As you may have noticed, the Branch has been closed for the last two weeks in anticipation of these changes and to give us a chance to do some long overdue kitchen renovations—but the good news that the renos are ahead of schedule and in fact, the crew is so excited to try out serving the new menu that we are re-opening even earlier than we had planned in order to give everyone a head start on trying out our new Texas Grill menu goodies! Reserve now for this Saturday night and come out to hear local favourites the Standby Brothers performing a pile of harmonious covers and even some choice and catchy original tunes! Barbecarmony! We will also be open Sunday for our Rubber Boots Buffet from 2-8pm and how about some Chef Bruce’e Loose and Juicy Jams for all of our Branch deprived pals? That’s happening from 3-6pm, and anyone and everyone is welcome to bring down a guitar, bassoon or marimba, pan pipes, or even just your own pipes (etc…) and to join right in with all the fun!
January Music:
Wednesdays January 18 & 25, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company presents: College Night at the Branch, featuring Hot Country with The Exes, $5, free with Student i.d.: it’s the ‘College Night’ premiere with The Exes, featuring Kim (Yes, That Kim) coming out from behind the bar to show off her singing chops, if you haven’t heard her yet at one of our open stages, you’re missing out, come out the Wednesday and prepare to be wowed…
Thursday, January 19th, Petunia, 9pm $10; Spending the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station and park bench in Canada (and NY city), picking, grinning and singing for his living, Petunia has been a regular on the Canadian touring circuit for many years now. He plays 150 shows/ year all over Canada and has begun touring into the USA, with his band out of Vancouver, "The Vipers".…he has a unique, surreal style all of his own…his live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie.
Fridays, January 20 & 27; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free: Frank Western and Birdie Whyte are the dynamic duo, the tune-ular twosome, the corporeal couple, the magnificent mates…they are what happen one and one are added to become not two but two times two times two….which is a number that is significantly higher than two. Obviously. Come see them.
Saturday, January 21; Chris Brown, 9pm $12: Chris Brown formerly of The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir and (briefly) the Barenaked Ladies and currently with The Open Hearts Society is back—last time he popped into town, he snuck his friend Sarah Harmer in with him and she helped him out for a brief but beautiful 3 song set… bet you wish you’d caught that! He is well worth the visit, his organ styling’s as well as his guitar based originals are catchy, soulful, complex and bear up under repeated listening’s…This guy is a true Canadian original and well worth the visit, in fact don’t believe me, listen to these folks: here’s an abbreviated list of folks with whom Chris has collaborated over the years: Sarah Harmer, Ani DiFranco, Ashley MacIsaac, Barenaked Ladies, Big Sugar, Crash Test Dummies, Christian Doscher, DJ Logic, Hermine Deurloo, Jason Collett, Rosanna Goodman, Kate Fenner, Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Natasha Alexandra (NLX), Po' Girl, Propagandhi, The Tragically Hip, Tom Jones… and more! Chris is a legend, please don’t miss this show, did I mention that he is also, enthusiastically ‘Abigail approved’?
Sunday, January 22, 3-6pm, free! Elvis Presley Birthday Tribute Open Stage, everyone is welcome to come out and sing their favourite Elvis songs…sideburns are not required, extreme pelvis movement is, however, highly recommended…
Saturday, January 28; Amanda Rheaume, 9pm, $5; This is Amanda’s first branch show, but judging by the early buzz around this one, it won’t be the last—Amanda is a beautiful Ottawa based singer-songwriter and will be bringing a band along to help her out—the following was cribbed from her website: “…Rheaume is a powerful vocalist with just a touch of grit and an instantly-accessible roots-pop-Americana sound -- has been a pillar of her local Ottawa music scene for about a decade now. A $40,000 winner in Live 88.5’s 2008 Big Money Shot competition, Rheaume is not only a regular at local festivals and joints like the Rainbow Bistro, she has also distinguished herself as one of the city’s, if not the country’s, most selflessly giving musicians. She organizes Ottawa’s Bluebird North songwriter showcases, she participated in the Babes for Breasts tour to raise money for breast cancer, she recorded a charity Christmas EP for Boys and Girls club of Ottawa – selling 6500 copies just in Ottawa, she donated a dollar from each album sold during her last tour to a fund for the families of military personnel, and she’s even performed for the troops in Afghanistan…twice.”
Starting this weekend, and next week, Nicole and I are officially writing the next chapter of ‘The Little Restaurant That Could’... We are, it turns out, exactly where we want to be, where we want to stay, and ready to take the reins and try something new.
It has already started to happen; the spaghetti, you may have noticed, has disappeared…as has the stir-fry. We will always stay true to our love of locally sourced and organic foods—but it is time to take the leap and to make a change that has been a long time coming official at last! As of this weekend, and evolving over the next few weeks and months, ‘The Branch Restaurant’ will become what it was probably always meant to be ‘The Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill.’
This change is not just nominal. The fact is that over the course of my career I have come to realize that no matter what food I handle; I always revert to what I call ‘Tex-nique’: applying flavour combinations and cooking methods that inevitably hail back to some delectable morsel from my mother’s table or some other favourite meal or snack from my childhood…and even from the first month at the Branch, it seems that my preparations that revisit those moments carry with them the most resonance—plates like our nachos, our ‘Austin City Limits’ which is a sort of Texas style bbq mixed grill, or other items like our authentic fajitas or enchiladas that get requested so frequently that I am forced to make them into signature items…But as of now…with a new look and a new attitude, we are ready to make it official—we are ready to make it real.
We will still be North Grenville’s (Ottawa South’s?) premiere live music venue, but even more so—in true Austin style, we will now be bringing you music 5 days a week, kicking off every Wednesday at 8pm with a Beau’s Beer sponsored ‘College Night’ (there is a $5 cover, but students with an i.d. get in free in January…) featuring ‘Hot Country’ covers with The Exes along with pitchers, specials on nachos and other munchies, and even with door prizes provided by Beau’s All Natural (don’t worry, college kids of all ages are welcome)…Thursday night shows will include regular appearance by Keith Glass (on the first Thursday of every month) and a Songwriters Circle (on the last Thursday) hosted by yours truly. Fridays will still be the domain of the two and only Frank Western and Birdie Whyte, Sundays will continue to feature our Rubber Boots buffet and Open Mike. Saturdays will be a home for some of the best music anywhere with some real marquee names like Jim Bryson, Cuff the Duke and Danny Michel already booked in before summer!
Our new menu will feature at least three types of real Texas wood-fired bbq by the sandwich, plate, or even by the pound…we will still have our famous fajitas and enchiladas, but we’ll also have some new features like jalapeno-cheese fritters and a dinner sized Fajita Salad or a big bowl of Texas style chili. Vegetarians and gluten sensitive folks have no need to worry about the new menu as we’ll still have lots of choices for you as well. Our seasonal specials will also still rotate regularly—staying in the Texan theme, sometimes, but giving us a little room to colour outside the lines as well.
As you may have noticed, the Branch has been closed for the last two weeks in anticipation of these changes and to give us a chance to do some long overdue kitchen renovations—but the good news that the renos are ahead of schedule and in fact, the crew is so excited to try out serving the new menu that we are re-opening even earlier than we had planned in order to give everyone a head start on trying out our new Texas Grill menu goodies! Reserve now for this Saturday night and come out to hear local favourites the Standby Brothers performing a pile of harmonious covers and even some choice and catchy original tunes! Barbecarmony! We will also be open Sunday for our Rubber Boots Buffet from 2-8pm and how about some Chef Bruce’e Loose and Juicy Jams for all of our Branch deprived pals? That’s happening from 3-6pm, and anyone and everyone is welcome to bring down a guitar, bassoon or marimba, pan pipes, or even just your own pipes (etc…) and to join right in with all the fun!
January Music:
Wednesdays January 18 & 25, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company presents: College Night at the Branch, featuring Hot Country with The Exes, $5, free with Student i.d.: it’s the ‘College Night’ premiere with The Exes, featuring Kim (Yes, That Kim) coming out from behind the bar to show off her singing chops, if you haven’t heard her yet at one of our open stages, you’re missing out, come out the Wednesday and prepare to be wowed…
Thursday, January 19th, Petunia, 9pm $10; Spending the early part of his career playing on every major street corner, subway station and park bench in Canada (and NY city), picking, grinning and singing for his living, Petunia has been a regular on the Canadian touring circuit for many years now. He plays 150 shows/ year all over Canada and has begun touring into the USA, with his band out of Vancouver, "The Vipers".…he has a unique, surreal style all of his own…his live performances have been likened to an Avant-Country night club scene from a David Lynch movie.
Fridays, January 20 & 27; The Frank and Birdie Show, 7pm, free: Frank Western and Birdie Whyte are the dynamic duo, the tune-ular twosome, the corporeal couple, the magnificent mates…they are what happen one and one are added to become not two but two times two times two….which is a number that is significantly higher than two. Obviously. Come see them.
Saturday, January 21; Chris Brown, 9pm $12: Chris Brown formerly of The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir and (briefly) the Barenaked Ladies and currently with The Open Hearts Society is back—last time he popped into town, he snuck his friend Sarah Harmer in with him and she helped him out for a brief but beautiful 3 song set… bet you wish you’d caught that! He is well worth the visit, his organ styling’s as well as his guitar based originals are catchy, soulful, complex and bear up under repeated listening’s…This guy is a true Canadian original and well worth the visit, in fact don’t believe me, listen to these folks: here’s an abbreviated list of folks with whom Chris has collaborated over the years: Sarah Harmer, Ani DiFranco, Ashley MacIsaac, Barenaked Ladies, Big Sugar, Crash Test Dummies, Christian Doscher, DJ Logic, Hermine Deurloo, Jason Collett, Rosanna Goodman, Kate Fenner, Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Natasha Alexandra (NLX), Po' Girl, Propagandhi, The Tragically Hip, Tom Jones… and more! Chris is a legend, please don’t miss this show, did I mention that he is also, enthusiastically ‘Abigail approved’?
Sunday, January 22, 3-6pm, free! Elvis Presley Birthday Tribute Open Stage, everyone is welcome to come out and sing their favourite Elvis songs…sideburns are not required, extreme pelvis movement is, however, highly recommended…
Saturday, January 28; Amanda Rheaume, 9pm, $5; This is Amanda’s first branch show, but judging by the early buzz around this one, it won’t be the last—Amanda is a beautiful Ottawa based singer-songwriter and will be bringing a band along to help her out—the following was cribbed from her website: “…Rheaume is a powerful vocalist with just a touch of grit and an instantly-accessible roots-pop-Americana sound -- has been a pillar of her local Ottawa music scene for about a decade now. A $40,000 winner in Live 88.5’s 2008 Big Money Shot competition, Rheaume is not only a regular at local festivals and joints like the Rainbow Bistro, she has also distinguished herself as one of the city’s, if not the country’s, most selflessly giving musicians. She organizes Ottawa’s Bluebird North songwriter showcases, she participated in the Babes for Breasts tour to raise money for breast cancer, she recorded a charity Christmas EP for Boys and Girls club of Ottawa – selling 6500 copies just in Ottawa, she donated a dollar from each album sold during her last tour to a fund for the families of military personnel, and she’s even performed for the troops in Afghanistan…twice.”
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Hibernation...
As a reminder...the branch is closed for regular service from January 2 through January 17th.
We will re-open for lunch on Tuesday, January 17th at 11:30 am.
We will re-open for lunch on Tuesday, January 17th at 11:30 am.
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