Good Times & Good Eats

So people ask me all the time, "where do you get inspiration for your cooking?" 

I also here a lot that my food is kind of weird for West Bend, WI. 

I guess I'll give you that, it is a bit different. But not that different I think I just put a bit of a different spin on a lot of traditional dishes. It isn't mainstream cooking I'll give you that. I toy with all the time do I change what I like cooking? Would that make my restaurant more profitable? Probably. It is a battle I deal with daily. I love different flavors and different ethnic cuisine. I am on the cusp of celebrating 8 years of business. Man it has been a long road I tell you. Trying so many things to try and stay afloat. Well the last couple months have been a whirlwind in really soul searching my future of the cafe. I want to focus so much on putting out items that hit the mark every time and with every bite you want to come back again for it. I want our service to be the best in town. I want you the customer to fall in love with Cafe/Underground. With all that said where does my culinary inspiration come from? Sometimes it's purely just what I have on hand, what's in season, and sometimes it's life and memories. It's weird I associate food with memories of my life. I thank my father for having me travel with him as a kid on business trips. I was pretty lucky to be exposed to what I got to expirence and eat. I can tell you exactly where I was the first time I had caviar, 12 years old in Asheville, NC. I didn't like it but I tried it. I remember being on bourbon street at maybe 8 or 9 years old and having pralines! Later in life I recall having a walleye cake that was to die for in MN at a jazz restaurant. Eating on a ranch in the middle of nowhere with a crew of pedorthist enjoying great steaks and BBQ. Eating along the riverwalk in San Antonio and being in Philly eating at top of the line restaurants with an old Jewish couple (friends of my fathers). 

College saving up to eat at Aquavit! 

Usually a $200 venture! But totally worth it! Ethiopian food mixed with Swedish and French! Most recently falling in love with real Mexican food. Not Americanized shit. My husband builds low rider cars, summer time is filled with car shows and good eats! Our fellow club members  (good times car club) have exposed us to some pretty amazing hole in the wall places with out of this world food! One in particular was a place that served tongue tacos. Omg, I know you are saying to yourself tongue?? Really Chef Jodi? Yes it is like the best beef taco ever. So on the menu right know I'm featuring my version of tongue taco, it isn't what you would get at a taco truck,  I of course had to make it my own and make it so hopefully you might step out of the box and try something new! Don't worry it doesn't look like the tongue anymore, no tastebuds are on it, it won't taste you back😀 but honestly if you try it I think you'll be hooked! Life is what you make of it and if you don't go out on a limb once and a while, what's the point?! 

Goodtimes & Good Eats!!