ALL HAIL TO THE NEW YEAR!

Welcome 2023! It is a pleasure to reach out to all of you as we enter 2023. We feel like we are writing a holiday letter like so many of us receive. And so here goes!

What a year 2022 has been! Bob has steadily maintained the helm at the dinner show while Lenore continues to manage the daily operations, both, keeping us moving forward. Nightly, our guests’ questions are consistent: Where is Lenore? How is the cookbook going? How is the sale of EVOO progressing? And how was Italy? How may we sign up for a tour?
All great questions! Here are some answers!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD
Each January finds us collaborating about new monthly menus. We challenge each other to dream up different combinations as long as our plates match our mission “to inspire our guests to cook sustainably and locally as possible.” This all the while we are in the second year of trying to raise Bette, our poodle, who does not want to grow up. Bob’s truffle hunting training of Bette has been shortened with his new schedule, and yet she reminds him that truffle hunting is after all, her “calling,” especially as she freaks out whenever he opens a bag of truffle potato chips.

Like most everywhere, business has slowed down. Fewer employees and rising prices challenges growth. Meantime, Bob has come into his own and manages to do all the show prep, prep clean up, floors, and sets the dining room each night before the dinner staff arrives from their other jobs. Our growing gratitude goes to Carlos, Will, Tracy, Melissa and Gabriel who have all been instrumental in making us successful. Lenore may still make an appearance at a show if it’s a holiday or special occasion, and mostly when she misses seeing our guests. When she is not attending, her voice is heard as Bob often quotes her when he is teaching.

A COOKBOOK?
Besides raising our poodle, our focus during the Covid shut down was to finish that hard cover cookbook. Yes, progress was made. and we are now in dialogue with a local photographer and his wife who have excellent experience with photography and cookbook writing. We are confident their help will propel us forward to the finish before the end of the year. More to come as we get closer, which will include presales that many guests suggested.

BUSINESS FOR SALE!
It’s been a year since we announced that we are intending to sell EVOO. We have had several nibbles but no bites. We realize this unique niche we have created here presents a daunting challenge to find a team wishing to do what we do. We have learned allot about what buyers need and want, and one key take away was their desire for the “real estate,” With that in mind we have decided to sell the building and property along with or without the business. We still plan on remaining in Cannon Beach and will undoubtedly create something new here. The online cookbook goes with us and so will the website should the buyer just want property. We hope you realize that this process may take another year or more, and we hope you will continue to join us whenever you are in the neighborhood.

ITALY TOURS
will continue for as long as we can! This past tour to Piedmont and the second tour to Ascoli Piceno were just what we needed, after two long years being sequestered like the rest of the world. Many of our guests this year booked both weeks, a clear sign of how much we all needed a get-away. Check the photo smiles captured on these two trips! Our next two tours with guests include Sorento and Puglia in 2024. Yep, we are skipping 2023, and Paola, our long-term guide/director is thankful for some time off as well. She is, after all, a farmer on her own land in Hillsboro, Oregon, where every year she has been there she has increased her alpaca count and added two dogs, several goats, as well as the addition of more hazelnut trees, cider apple trees, and Ascolana olive trees.

HANDS ON CLASSES?
Finally, we are reinstating the popular ARTISAN BREAD CLASSES for up to 8 students working on several different forms of bread making. These are usually scheduled on Saturday mornings 9:00 to noon. And, the possibility of a “hands on zoom class” may be available also, reaching bread makers at home. For such times Bob may need a couple volunteer bread makers with him to teach the zoom classes. If interested let Bob know!

As we close this letter, we cannot thank you enough for your continual support, your thoughtful comments and words of wisdom, and your suggestions, all of which we take to heart and use to energize ourselves daily.

We are and will continue to be your personal chefs!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Remember to LAUGH, LEARN, LOVE & EAT WELL!

Chefs Bob Neroni and Lenore Emery