Little Lion Cafe

06/03/2026

News & Menus!

Dear Friends,

Did you feel a disturbance in the force yesterday? Don’t worry, nothing bad happened. But something highly unusual did occur. Anne-Marie sat down in her own restaurant and had a mimosa at 11:00 in the morning.

Whoa.

I had just helped her deliver a lunch at her kids’ school for an end-of-year celebration for about 30 students and adults. If you have kids, you know that these last few weeks feel like the end of a marathon, and you are just barely limping toward the finish line. Between her kids and her business, Anne-Marie is juggling at least 15 or 16 plates up in the air at all times. As we were walking back to Little Lion from the school, Anne-Marie looked at me and said, “let’s just sit for a minute and have a mimosa.”

I could not have been more surprised than if she had said, “I’m leaving now to go give some pigs a flying lesson.” I can’t remember the last time Anne-Marie had enough time in her day for such a thing. I walked in stunned silence for minute, not knowing what to say. Clearly, she needed a break. I reviewed my calendar in my head to see what I would be blowing off for the rest of the day because, let’s be real, at this stage of my life, one morning mimosa equals one long afternoon nap.

Friends, let me tell you, it was just what the doctor ordered. Okay, I don’t actually know any doctors who would order you to drink mimosas at 11 in the morning on a Monday, but maybe they should. I looked at Anne-Marie, at the chocolate frosting smudges on her shirt, and the wayward curly lock of hair that refused to stay in the ponytail she put up at 5:30 that morning, and the fading scars on her arms she got from burning herself taking things out of the oven 87 times a day, and I thought, man, she needs more of these breaks.

We vowed to do it again next month. Monthly Monday Mimosas, if you will. I just have to make sure to clear my schedule so I can get that nap in.

That’s our news for this week. We hope you’re getting breaks in when and where you can!

Gratefully yours,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

05/27/2026

News + Menus!!

Dear Friends,

The Little Lion staff has been working their little tuchases off the past few weeks—Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend are historically Little Lion’s busiest times—so I’m not going to do what I usually do by bugging them for pictures and ideas for the newsletter. That means it’s time to dig into the archives.

If you have been coming in for dinner since Anne-Marie reopened at night, you’ve probably already met Jim, aka Dad. Last night he said, “sometimes I wonder what the customers think when they see me in the dining room.” I didn’t say this out loud, but I was thinking that they might be wondering why grandpa was still waiting on tables. (Let’s just keep that thought I had between you and me though, okay? ;-)

Some men take to golfing more often after they retire from a long corporate career; Jim showed up at his daughter’s restaurant and started pouring wine. But this “new” job is really a bookend for Jim. He started working as a long-haired busboy at a French restaurant in Pacific Beach called La Chaumine. (You get a prize if you are old enough and have lived in San Diego long enough to remember that restaurant.) After a stint in San Francisco, he came home to help his parents at their restaurant, The Belgian Lion, pictured below. You can tell it’s a Belgian restaurant because of course there’s a big Breugel poster in the kitchen.

The girls and I went to the Belgian Lion every night before it opened. On weekends, we could come back when it closed. The girls would sometimes follow their dad around the dining room, if he had little jobs for them to do. (Although Anne-Marie gravitated more to the kitchen, even then.) More often that not he would have them say hello to regular customers.

After a while, his day job in the corporate world prevented him from working at the restaurant. But it’s still in his blood, so he had to come back. Only this time, it’s his daughter’s restaurant, and she is the one who is giving him the jobs. Although, old habits must die hard, because he’s still the one who is telling her to go say hello to the regulars.

Continues in comments

05/19/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

Spotted in the wild—the Little Lion Wine Club newsletter on the fridge door of our neighbor and friend, Kris. I was pretty chuffed when I saw it. Kris explained that she always put the sheet on her fridge to refer to as she enjoys that month’s wine. She also said that she keeps the previous sheets in a folder, because she sometimes puts the reds away for a later date. She keeps the sheets so she can read about what she’s drinking. Kris told me that she has been pleasantly surprised by how much she has liked the wines that are new to her, and that she has learned a lot and enjoys studying the descriptions.

If you aren’t a member of the Wine Club, you might not know that Deirdre is the one who chooses all the wines and writes up the notes that our friend Kris likes to study. Let me tell you—Deirdre is no slouch when it comes to wine buying. In fact, that was what she did for many years before coming to Little Lion. She knows her stuff. So when you come in for dinner, don’t be shy. Pick her brain for a wine recommendation. And if you’re not a wine club member, consider joining. Consider it an independent study opportunity. It’s good to keep those brain cells active, after all!

My other plug for this week is for Peasant night at Little Lion. It’s so much fun to see how many of you come in on Thursday nights. If you haven’t tried it yet, but have been thinking about it, don’t worry, there’s still room for you. Last week, a new customer, who’d just moved here from New York City, told me the restaurant had “NYC energy” to it. He was so happy to have found Little Lion. So if you’re looking for a little energy and some good food to get you through one more day of the work week, check out Peasant.

That’s our news for this week. We’ll see you all soon.

Gratefully yours,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

05/14/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

If you’re like me, once you sit yourself down in the Little Lion dining room, you just want to get straight to the breakfast tacos. You don’t want to be making any other decisions. You just want to go with the tried and true. But don’t be like me. Take a little time and peruse the new drinks menu. Deirdre put her imagination hat on and came up with new drinks for the season. As you can see, strawberries feature prominently with this lot.

These beauties are a Strawberry Matcha, a Strawberry Lemonade, a Strawberries and Cream Cold Brew, and a Sparkling Coconut Americano. Wouldn’t you like to try all of them? Everything that can be made in house is. (I mean, we don’t actually grow coffee beans in the back or anything.) Nothing comes from a mix that someone buys at the big restaurant store. The lemonade is made from scratch, as is strawberry cold foam you see on top of the cold brew. Even the coconut is toasted daily.

We hope you’ll come in soon and try any and all of these fun concoctions.

That’s our news for this week. Anne-Marie has some great menus to go with the May Gray. Don’t sleep on her desserts. She’s really, really good at that. Promise.

Yours in strawberries,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

05/07/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

Well, we seem to be developing a Wrist Breaking tradition in this family. Can’t say it’s the best family tradition I’ve ever heard of. But even though Anne-Marie might have been a little preoccupied lately, she is gearing up for another great Mother’s Day at Little Lion.

We’re going to be short today. We’ve got some errands to run. Do any of you have a source for industrial strength bubble wrap? In large quantities? Thanks in advance.

Yours in motherhood, broken bones and all,
The Little Lions

(and Mom)

04/29/2026

News & Menus!

“Table 30 gets a glow up!”

Dear Friends,

For some time now, I’ve been toying with the idea of contacting San Diego Magazine and suggesting to them that they add another category to their Best Restaurants of the Year edition: Best Customers. But, I haven’t done it because I know that Little Lion would win every year and there’d be so much jealousy from the other restaurants and that would just get messy. But it’s not our fault—we DO have the best customers. Take what happened recently as an example. Regulars Pam and Charlie were in for dinner on Saturday night. Pam noticed that one of the planks on Table 30 was sticking up (we’d also always win in the Wonkiest Furniture category if that was ever added, but I digress) and guess what Charlie did. Yesterday he showed up with his tool box and fixed it. Just like that. Thank you, Charlie. That was extra kind of you and we appreciate it so much, as does the next diner to sit at that spot who now doesn’t have to worry that his plate is going to slide off the table.

Anne-Marie came up with some great comfort food menus for this week. Wearing comfy pants and a squishy sweater while enjoying these meals is not mandatory, but are highly recommended.

That’s our news for this week. Thank you all for being such great customers!

Gratefully yours,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

04/23/2026

News + Menus.

Dear Friends,

One of the most touching things about being a third-generation restaurant owner for Anne-Marie has been continuing the relationships that were formed back when her grandparents had their restaurant. From wine reps, to produce purveyors (hey there, Speciality), to the company that sends a guy out to clean the grease trap, she already had a Rolodex* of contacts—well, in many cases actual family friends—to call upon when Little Lion opened eleven years ago. One of those friend/contacts was Tommy Gomes, San Diego’s most famous fishmonger. The girls’ grandfather, Don, got to know Tommy when he was still at Catalina Offshore Products. Pretty sure that Don’s regular trips to Catalina Offshore was in the top three of his favorite restaurant tasks, because he got to see Tommy. Don was absolutely chuffed when Tommy opened his own place—Tunaville Market and Grocery. Tommy was Don’s go-to fish guy, professionally and personally. In fact, during the last year or so of Don’s life, when we asked him what he felt like having for dinner, he’d often say, “I’ll have some of Tommy’s cioppino.”

Little Lion products at Tunaville. (Looks like we need to drop off some more Tarragon Dressing.) How fitting that they’re right next to the Cioppino base.

We just know that Don would love to see the newest development in this long relationship—some Little Lion products are now available at Tunaville Market! So, as if the fabulous fresh fish that practically leaps off of the boat into Tunaville isn’t enough of an enticement to go there, now you can throw in some Little Lion Garlic Butter into your basket, too. If you pair that with a Bread and Cie baguette that Tunaville also carries, and the aforementioned cioppino (you just have to add the fish) you’ll have a dinner that made a certain grandfather happy on at least a weekly basis.

Tunaville’s front door to the left; the boats full of fish dock at the right. You can’t get it fresher than that!

That’s our news for this week. And as always, we hope to see you all soon.

Gratefully yours,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

*You can still actually buy a Rolodex if you ever feel like reliving your 1980s office life. FYI

04/15/2026

News + Menus…

Dear Friends,

History repeated itself this week and I might still be a little verklempt about it. When the Coulon sisters were growing up, they went to their grandparents’ restaurant every day after school. Sometimes their grandmother would make them a little snack. Other times their uncle would take them around the corner to the O.B. Quik Stop to get some candy or a bag of chips. That was always the highlight of their week.

These days, I sometimes pick up Anne-Marie’s kids from school and bring them to Little Lion. They love to go to the liquor store across the street and get a treat. Last week, I was feeling a little fancy and told them we were going to sit at a table, act like customers, and order off the Happy Hour (3:00-5:00) menu that’s available on Thursday-Saturday. The kids could hear the siren call of the Dippin’ Dots and Takis coming from the liquor store, but they did their best to ignore it and decided to let me have my way.

We perused the menu and they were so surprised to learn that their mother made potato chips from scratch. I could have told them that she had just gotten back from orbiting the moon and they would have been more impressed that she made potato chips—and dip!—from scratch. They went through three orders before grandma here came to her senses and put the brakes on ordering more. (I was feeling all the feels watching another generation of restaurant kids having an afternoon snack so I wasn’t paying attention to how many potato chips they were inhaling. My bad.)

And this is where I’m going to put in a plug for those magical two hours at Little Lion before the dinner service. I know most people’s schedules do not allow for a little off site nosh at that time, but if you find yourself open, come on down and get your own after school snack. I know of at least three kids that give it five out of five stars.

And that’s our news for this week. Hope to see you all soon.

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

04/08/2026

News & Menus!

We’ve got (e-)Mail!

Dear Friends,

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that Little Lion packs a lot of activity into that little building. There’s the regular service, 6 days a week; there’s dinner on Thursday through Saturday nights; there’s the Friday Night Take Home Dinner; and there’s the Monday Meal Service; AND, on any given day, the kitchen might be churning out a catering job for a baby shower on the beach for 50, or decorating a small cake for someone’s intimate 80th birthday party. It’s a wonder that every single piece of equipment in that kitchen hasn’t burst into flames and then disappeared into a puff of smoke. (Well, that has kind of happened a couple of times. RIP all of you worn out waffle irons. You gave it your all.)

But there is one, unadvertised service at Little Lion that I am most fond of: Baby Bouncing. Not to brag, but we are experts at it, and I dare say that it’s a service that not many restaurants can offer. That’s why we were so touched to get an email this week, with this picture of Jim holding sweet little Tommy here.

Tommy is a Peasant night regular. He’s the ripe old age of 6 months, and he’s been coming to Little Lion on Thursday nights since he was 3 weeks old! Jim was the maître d’ at his parents’ restaurant for many years, but I know for a fact that he’s having way more fun being the Head Baby Bouncer at his daughter’s restaurant. Thank you, Tommy’s parents, for sending in this picture. It made us all smile.

Anne-Marie had a French accent in her head when she came up with this week’s Peasant and Friday Take Home Dinner menus. They both promise to be delicious. And the Monday Meal Service is full of mouthwatering dishes as well. Maybe this is your week to try it, if you haven’t done so already?

That’s our news for this week. Keep those cards and babies coming!

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

04/05/2026

04/03/2026

Chocolate mousse is always a good idea.

04/01/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

This never gets old. I was flipping through the most recent San Diego Magazine and look what caught my eye—a little ode to the Little Lion breakfast tacos. It’s always fun to catch Little Lion mentions out in the wild. Thank you, SD Magazine!

Don’t forget, Little Lion is closed on Easter. But you can order a few goodies for pick up on Saturday—please order by Thursday at 11:59 pm.

That’s our (short) news for this week. Hope to see you all soon. Come in for some breakfast tacos if you haven’t had them in a while—hangovers are optional!

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

03/25/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

I know what you’re all here for. You want to know what became of Clover. As it turns out, there are people who actually read this newsletter (I’m constantly amazed by that fact) and within minutes of it going out last week, someone reached out to tell us that her friend was missing a quail. While we were happy to have found the owner, we were quite upset for the three little people in the family who had already grown very attached to the wee flightless bird.

The owner, however, was like an OB Santa Claus in March—he not only said that the kids could keep Clover, but he gave them quail raising tips. Anne-Marie went out and got some proper quail food and Jim built a hutch. Clover is a cooing little bundle of joy and has happily settled into family life.

Now, however, Anne-Marie has to get more quails because they can’t be alone. So, I’m guessing she will think twice before she ever again chases a wayward bird down Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, lest her menagerie grows more than it already has.

The Peasant dinner is extra, extra special this week. Waterzooi is a Flemish word that roughly translates to water boiling. It’s a creamy stew, often made with fish of some kind, although chicken (not quail) works as well. Anne-Marie is making the classic scallop version this time. If Belgium had a national dish, waterzooi would give moules-frites a run for its money in the ranking. It’s Belgian comfort food of the highest order. Drink a Belgian beer with it and you’ll feel like you’ve taken a trip to Belgium without having to wait in the TSA line.

Friendly reminder that Little Lion will be closed on Easter, but you can order some goodies for pick up the day before. Special note about the asparagus: This was something that Arlene, Anne-Marie’s grandmother, made. She taught Anne-Marie how to make that vinaigrette when she was barely tall enough to reach the kitchen counter. It’s a perfect side dish for Easter, no matter what else you’re serving.

That’s our news for this week. Thank you all for your concern about Clover. We’re so relieved her story had a happy ending.

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

03/24/2026

Must be available Sundays. Email your resume to [email protected].

03/19/2026

News + Menus!

Now we are going to have to be a little creative here. The story goes with the pictures, and that’s kinda the only way it makes sense. So bare with us, and each segment will end with the number of the corresponding picture! 🤓

Dear Friends,

These are busy times for Anne-Marie. Well, all of her times are busy, with three kids and a restaurant, but lately, she’s had a lot of extra stuff piled onto her plate. We all try to help when and where we can. The other day we were coordinating something—kid pickup, maybe, or a store run, I don’t remember now—when I got this text from her. (Slide 1)

I have to admit, the first thing I thought to say to her was, “you’re too busy to be chasing a chicken on Sunset Cliffs,” but that was quickly followed by the second thing that I actually did say, “you’re chasing a WHAT on Sunset Cliffs!?”

She sent a picture. (Slide 2)

Now, it’s been awhile since I was a farm girl, but I can still recognize a chicken when I see one. (Slide 3)

At this point, more Coulons had to get involved to keep the wheels on this bus. Anne-Marie was in the middle of a double shift at the restaurant, so she had to get back. But there were still kids to take care of, and errands to be run, and now there was a quail to be be secured. Jim took quail duty. (Slide 4)

Things were going okay there for a while—the kids named her* Clover and googled what to feed a quail and Anne-Marie posted a sign because this was clearly someone’s pet. (She had to edit the first sign she made because she wrote FOUND: MISSING CHICKEN first.) (Slide 5)

All was well until Dominique got caught up on the quail drama. (Slide 6)

Oops. Let’s not mentioned that to Clover, okay?

That’s our news for this week. Little Lion will be closed on Easter, but you can pick up some goodies the day before. The menu for that is included with all the others. Hope you all find something you’d like to try!

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

* Clover laid an egg; that’s how we know she’s a girl. (Proceed to the menus)

Thanks for following along!

03/12/2026

News + menus!

Dear Friends,

Last week week we got a little verklempt by the beauty of the sunset as seen from the back alley. This week, we’re counting our blessings for the friends our family has made over the years. A couple of these friends made it possible for two of the Coulon sisters to have a magical weekend at the Ojai Food + Wine festival.

As always, here are the menus for the week. Come on in! And bring some friends!

In friendship,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

03/04/2026

Dear Friends,

A couple of weeks ago, a mother and daughter, who were visiting from Atlanta, appeared in the Little Lion doorway, looking a bit distraught. They’d ended their busy tourist day by coming to see the sunset on the cliffs. Unfortunately for them, they failed to notice that both of their phones had died and they didn’t have a charger with them. They needed to call an Uber, but had no idea how they were going to do that.

Deirdre got them set up at the bar with some chargers, while Jim brought them some wine. They ended up staying for dinner, and by the time they finally got that Uber hours later, we were all great pals.

The part of this interaction that I can’t stop thinking about is the way they described San Diego and how much they loved it. It was the last night of their trip and they were so happy that they finished it by seeing a beautiful sunset and then having dinner in such a cute little restaurant, even if it meant having a panic attack over two dead phones.

I know this is far from an original thought, but they reminded me that I need to remember and appreciate what we have in our own backyard. I don’t have to get on an airplane to see the sunset and then have a little nosh with some friendly people. And unless you’re reading this someplace other than San Diego, neither do you.

The other day, Anne-Marie took a little break from the kitchen to go out just a few steps from the back door and captured a classic San Diego sunset. That just never gets old, does it. What a gift it was to have our new friends from Atlanta nudge us to not miss too many of them.

As for this week’s menus, if you ever felt a need to treat your inner Belgian, the Peasant dinner on Thursday has you covered. You are also legally obligated (okay, just kidding, I made that up) to try a Belgian beer with it. The Belgian beer options at Little Lion are quite extensive for a little place without much storage space. But we’ve got our priorities straight and have made room for the best. If you’re new to Belgian beer, try the Orval. It was Anne-Marie’s Belgian grandfather’s favorite.

That’s our news for this week. We’ll see you soon!

With gratitude,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

02/25/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

We have more Acts of Kindness at Little Lion to report. Last week we told you about customers anonymously picking up the tab for complete strangers on Valentines Day. This week our dear family friends, Walt and Ann Desmond were the benefactors of some kind customers. Ann recently took a little tumble and is using a walker to get around. As she was gingerly navigating her way to their table one night last week (I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but the Little Lion dining room is kinda small), a couple who had already been seated sprung up and offered the Desmonds their table, which was bigger, so that Ann would be more comfortable. It was such a thoughtful gesture. I’m sure they didn’t realize that they gave their table to two of the most generous people on the planet—Walt returned their favor by sending a bottle of champagne to their new, and much smaller, table. Thank you kind customers for being so nice to our friends.

And then we have this weekend’s story. Anne-Marie and Jacqueline recently lost their dear, long time friend, Tim Loman. Tim earned his angel wings far too soon, leaving behind a widow and young daughter. Anne-Marie’s daughters decided, on their own volition, to set up a lemonade stand to raise money for Tim’s family. They started out on their own quiet street but didn’t get many customers. So they talked Anne-Marie into schlepping the stand down to Little Lion, where so many of you sweet people contributed to their cause. Thank you for showing my grandaughters that their budding faith in humanity is justified.

If there was a category for “Where the Nicest, Sweetest, Most Thoughtful Customers Go” in all of the various restaurant awards there are, Little Lion would win every year. Hands down.

Important note, re: this week’s Peasant menu. Cassoulet was the first thing Anne-Marie’s grandfather taught her how to make when she was just a teenager. Two thumbs up. highly recommend.

With gratitude,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

02/18/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

Jim kindly offered to take over newsletter writing this week since I am still typing with one hand.

(first pic) These two darling young ladies—Deirdre’s daughter Eden (left) and her bestie Addison—came in for a Galentine’s treat. How sweet is that!?

💕A Little Lion Valentine’s Day True Story by Jim Coulon…💕
On Valentine’s Day, a couple shared a story with us that perfectly captures what Little Lion is all about.
They told us that years ago—on Valentine’s Day, just before the world shut down for Covid—they were here celebrating together. As they finished their meal and asked for the check, their server smiled and let them know it had already been taken care of. Someone in the restaurant had paid for their dinner. No note. No name. Just a quiet, generous gesture from one table to another.
They were stunned. And moved.

The following Valentine’s Day, they returned—and paid it forward by anonymously picking up another couple’s bill.

We love this story because it reminds us that restaurants are about more than food and wine. They’re about connection and community. About shared tables and shared moments. About the small, unexpected gestures that stay with you long after dessert.

Little Lion has always believed that food is love—and sometimes, love looks like a thoughtfully prepared meal, a clink of glasses, and a stranger quietly saying, “Tonight is on me.”

And now we’re all a little verklempt, aren’t we? Oof.

As always, here are this week’s menus. We’ll see you soon.

Until then,
The Little Lions
(and Mom Dad)

02/12/2026

News + menus!

Dear Friends,

This week is all about the menus, so we have no room to be chatty! Get out (or open up) your calendars. You might want to take some notes:

Thursday, Feb 12: Our Peasant dinner for this week has a French accent.

Friday, Feb 13: The Friday Take Home Dinner leans Italian.

Friday, Feb 13: Galentine’s Happy Hour from 3:00-5:00, first come. first served. (Guys can come, too.)

Saturday, Feb 14: Valentine’s Pick Up Box. A little something for your special someone. See menu below for order cut off and pick up times.

Saturday, Feb 14: We’ll have a special prix fixe menu, as well as the regular menu. Reservations recommended.

Monday, Feb 16: Wrapping up all that goodness with the popular Monday Meal Service.

Whew. That’s a lot! We’ll see you soon!

Until then,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

02/05/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

I have to distill this week’s message to the most salient points because I can only type with one hand today:
Something really special is taking shape on Thursday nights with Anne-Marie’s Peasant menu. It feels like a little community is forming. A community of friendly peasants, one could say. It’s a wonderful club, open to all. Join us if you haven’t tried it yet.
I hope no one feels like it’s cultural appropriation, because its actually cultural appreciation when Anne-Marie makes Mexican-adjacent food for the Friday Take Home Dinner. You’ll love this one.
I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again—the Monday Meal Service would make a lovely and thoughtful gift for someone who might not be up for cooking right now. Like, say, for someone who broke her wrist while roller skating. Just don’t ask me how I know that. ;-).

Hope to see you all soon!

Gratefully yours,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

01/27/2026

News + Menus!

Dear Friends,

Anne-Marie’s 7-year-old daughter Rosemary has written the following restaurant (and parent) review. We’re just going to leave it at that for this week. (Side note: Just about everything that comes out of the Little Lion kitchen is house made, even the “kechup”.)

If you haven’t been in for beakfast lately, take it from Rosemary—everything that she has tride is very good. Out of the mouths of babes.

Until next time,
The Little Lions
(and Mom)

01/21/2026

News & Menus!

Dear Friends,

If you have been coming to Little Lion for a while, you have probably met the one and only Jamie. She started out in the dining room years ago, but soon migrated to the kitchen, where, it turns out, she’s a natural. You would marvel at how fearless she is, especially when she’s manning the hot stove, poaching a thousand (give or take) eggs, while singing Brazilian songs, in Portuguese. And no, that is not her native tongue.

Jamie has another talent, too—photography. Last Saturday night, I asked her to please take a picture that I could use for this newsletter. My timing wasn’t the best because she was, after all, in the middle of cooking for a full restaurant. But being the good sport that she is, she managed to take this action shot while she was taking an order out to a table. Talk about multitasking. Thank you, Jamie.

For those of you who are new here (Hi! Welcome!) a brief explanation of the menus below. Peasant is our three-course pre-fixe dinner available on Thursday nights only. (You can also order from the regular menu.) This is becoming quite popular. Y’all seem to like Not-Fancy from time to time. The Friday Take Home Dinner started during Covid and ended up having so many fans, we had to keep it going. Everything is designed to reheat well and last a day or two if you want to stock up for the weekend. Pro-tip: the dessert is always terrific. Don’t plan on sharing it. You’re going to want your own. The Monday Meal Service is a labor of love for the kitchen. There is a LOT going on in each of those dishes. Put them all in your fridge on Monday, and feel like you have a spa chef hanging out in there for the rest of the week. And finally, the blue and red menus are our catering offerings. This was never something Anne-Marie “advertised,” but people figured out that they could order platters, etc., from her and the “Secret” menus were born. The kitchen does need 72-hours notice for this, so plan accordingly.

That’s our news for this week. Thanks to all of you who sent in such kind words about the story of the dresser in the dining room that my dad made. He would’ve gotten a big kick out of that.

Until next time,
The Little Lions

(and Mom)