A woman I know, Cathy Jenkins, had a dream of owning her own restaurant. She took a trip across the country with her family and wheedled her way into restaurant kitchens as they traveled. (Cathy is so personable, she could get a lamppost to engage in conversation.) Along the way, they took lots of photographs of their family in national parks, on the beach, and so on.
She then began her own small cooking business, and offered a weekly treat for the teachers at her children's elementary school. A flyer would be posted in the office, complete with a photo of the entrée of the week, and the staff would call in their order. No matter what she made, it was delicious.
Now--after months and months of working on the interior and planning the menu and meeting with city planners, she just had the grand opening of her own restaurant--Cathy's Kitchen. It's in the heart of old-town Ferguson, right next to a Curves (not a great place for the Curves clients, I must say) and every publication in town interviewed her. The Post-Dispatch. The Suburban Journal. She's going to be in Taste and Sauce, two local cooking magazines.
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| You can't really tell, because I'm not the best photographer, but the kitchen is completely open and retro-looking. |
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| Along the entire length of the restaurant is a highway. Along the road, there are photos of the dishes Cathy's Kitchen offers, family pictures, and guitars and cowboy boots and Mardi Gras beads, to represent each geographical area along the highway. |
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| This is the dreamer...Cathy Jenkins. If you're in St. Louis and have the chance to stop by Cathy's Kitchen, you won't be disappointed. (The smoked salmon crostini is delicious. A friend had the fish tacos--the fish is not breaded--and thoroughly enjoyed them.) What dream do you have for yourself or for your writing? And...what are you doing to keep your dream burning brightly? |
