This is big.
This is so big.
I’ve been gone for a while. I’m sure you noticed. No posts, tweets, facebook updates. But I have a good reason. A very good reason.
You see, for the last few months, I’ve been hiding a very big secret.
I’m opening a restaurant.
Me! Can you believe it? WE, actually. My friend/partner Erin and I, along with our husbands, Uri and Alejandro. I didn’t mean to keep this from you, but I had to wait until I quit my job – and last week, that’s just what I did. I walked up to my boss at my cushy desk job and said, “I quit. I’m opening a restaurant.” It wasn’t quite that dramatic, but it was scary as hell.
After hours, days, months and countless emails to friends, we named our restaurant Little Mac. Cute, huh? Mac for macaroni and cheese, because that’s what we’ll have. All kinds of mac and cheese, using local cheeses and farm-fresh produce. Of course that won’t be all. We’ll also have salads, craft beers, California wines and nostalgic desserts like homemade Oreo cookies. We don’t have a final location just yet, but we hope to set up shop in downtown or uptown Oakland, and if we’re really lucky we’ll open our doors by mid-summer.
Another reason for keeping this secret was that it didn’t quite seem real yet. I’ve been talking about it for years. How one day, when the time is right, I will open a restaurant. And now, at 30 years-old, I’ve been married, and divorced, and married again. I’ve gone back to school for a Masters. And I quit a few credits shy of a degree to move across the country– to a place I’ve never been to before. And once again, I’m changing everything. Putting everything we have into a dream.
It hasn’t been easy. This past week in particular was extraordinarily disheartening. But we’re ready for it. Ready for the ups, the downs, the disappointments, the excitement. And wait until you meet Erin. She’s awesome. Besides being a chef and a lawyer, she’s the kind of friend everyone wishes they had. But you’ll see. In the coming weeks you’ll hear much more about Erin, and maybe I can even convince her to write a post of her own.
So are you ready? Will you follow us for the ride? I’ll keep you posted on landlords, brokers, lawyers, distributors, architects, contractors, city officials and everyone else who will make or break us along the way. And I promise to post more often. My last day of full-time work is Thursday (holy crap!), and then me and my fellow Pisces girls, Claudia and Erin, are celebrating our birthdays barrel-tasting in Sonoma. But after that, I swear, no more disappearing, and I’ll be back to posting at least twice a week. For those who want recipes and who don’t really care about the restaurant, you’ll get that too. Like this deconstructed frittata using the season’s first asparagus. Asparagus, finally! That might be even bigger news than Little Mac!
Actually, no. Little Mac is definitely bigger than asparagus.
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Deconstructed Asparagus Frittata
2 servings
2 fresh, organic eggs
4 small creamer potatoes, sliced very thin.
6 asparagus spears
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chili Marash (awesome spicy chili powder that Erin introduced me to)
Snap the ends off of asparagus, and slice horizontally through the center of each spear, creating two thin slices. Slice again vertically to create pieces about 2 inches long. Blanch spears in boiling water for 30 seconds.
Heat up a cast iron skillet and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, arrange potatoes in a single layer in the skillet. Let cook for 3 minutes, then flip. Add salt and black pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, until brown. Be careful not to burn potatoes. Drain on a paper towel.
Arrange crispy potato slices on a plate. Top with asparagus.
Crack an egg into the same skillet and cook for one minute, or until the egg white is set. Slide the egg on top of your plate. Add a sprinkle of salt, marash chili and a drizzle of olive oil. Repeat with the remaining egg, adding a touch more olive oil to the skillet if needed.
Where I Shopped:
Local eggs, asparagus, creamer potatoes: Berkeley Farmers’ Market
Marash chili: The Pasta Shop, Oakland
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Whoa – wow!! Congratulations! I can’t wait to read all about it!
great news!!
hey allison!! i’m SO excited for you — you are truly living the dream!! love the name little mac, too. and wow, that menu sounds unreal. i can’t wait to try it — hopefully as a resident of cali (just need to be as bold as you in summoning that leap of faith!!)
CONGRATS!!
Exciting news! Congratulations for daring to live your dream!
WOW WOW WOW! Vern and I are SO VERY excited for you, Alejandro, Erin, and Erin’s hubby! Little Mac sounds lovely. We cannot wait to check it out the next time we travel up north.
GOOD LUCK!! We wish you all the best.
CONGRATS!!!! That is amazing news! I was wondering where you had been – just noticed you had not updated in a while. This was worth waiting for! (where will it be?)
Fantastic. As a fellow East Bay resident I can’t wait! Many congrats – very brave and very exciting
Congratulations and all the best in your new venture!!! I wish you were here in New York, then I’d come
Good luck, kids.
I love this deconstructed frittata recipe – I will be trying it!
Very exciting! Congrats and best of luck! I am a local, so I’m excited I’ll finally get to sample a fellow food blogger’s restaurant! Will it be in Berkeley?
Congrats to you! I LOVE the name.
Incredible. Congratulations. I only wish I lived closer so I could eat there!
WHOA! This is so awesome, Alison! Congratulations!!! It sounds like a phenomenal idea and with you at the helm, I’m sure you and Erin will succeed…without a doubt. I’ll email you to see about reviewing it or doing a preview (for one of the spots I write for besides the blog) when you’re closer. YAY!!!!
I am so happy for you and so incredibly proud of you all for following your dream!
Congrats – such an exciting time for you!!!
AHHHHHHH! that is the BESTEST News ever! I am beyond excited for you! I can’t wait to follow your adventure…we will have to make a special trip to CA when you open! Congrats!!!! Best wishes, I know the restaurant will be FABULOUS!
Congrats! I have been dying to hear this announcement! I am really excited for you all and cannot wait to eat some mac and cheese!
Wowowow congrats!
Allison, I need to make my way to California as soon as possible now! Congratulations! You are a strong woman, and although we’re not related, I am proud of you! I am proud of you for following your dreams. And from reading your post, you’re truly inspirational! Through all of your rough times, through a desk job, through it all- you are doing something that you truly love! You truly deserve this! And if you ever need someone to eat up all of the left overs, just send them over to me!
Once again, congratulations!
That is awesome news. I remember you mentioning you wanted to open a restaurant when we were at Spruce. Glad to see you following your dreams. Can’t wait to visit.
Allison-
Big Congrats!! I’m so excited for your restaurant to open and can’t wait to devour your offerings
Oh my goodness!!! Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I’m ecstatic for you. This is going to be an exciting journey and we’re right here with you. Best of luck and can’t wait to hear more!
Yay!!!!!!! How tremendously exciting!!!! I love the name – so cute!! It makes me want to …well I guess it makes me want to just eat it!!! like the cute little mac it is
Congrats my pretty girlfriend! I so admire you for going after your dream — it will be great!!! big kiss and hug! xoxo
how exciting! it’s the big secrets that are the hardest to keep, for sure
. can’t wait to hear about all the ins and outs of this new venture.
and the “fritatta” looks great. i’m jealous you have asparagus already!!
Wow! I am not even sure where to start except to say that I am EXTREMELY jealous and wish you the best of luck. You have a lot of guts. The macaroni and cheese restaurant idea is absolutely awesome and very unique.
I will definitely have to come visit once you open!
As you may know, I recently quit my day job in order to truly begin my career in the food/restaurant business. My end goal is to open a grilled cheese restaurant, which should come as no surprise. Hopefully I will be as lucky as you to see my dreams realized. Again, best of luck.
Congratulations!! I cannot wait until you open!!
I am SO excited! I can’t wait til it’s open…that’s definitely worth the drive up to the bay area!
Good luck and congratulations!!
This is such super news! I was hoping this was what you were up to.
I cannot WAIT!
Allison! That’s huge! I know this is your dream and I’m so happy you’re following it! I will fly up for the opening! Congratulations!
Congrats! How funny, I actually made homemade mac and cheese today. (We’re doing béchamel sauce in school, which I’d already done a lot, but it got me in the mood for mac.)
People ask me if I want a restaurant when I’m done w/culinary school, and I’m pretty sure I don’t, at least for now. I’ll follow along in your adventures and see if I change my mind! I’m sure it will be great. You’ll be great. Way to go!
This is super fantastic news! Congratulations! Can’t wait to try your restaurant on one my my frequent Bay Area trips!!
Congratulations! That must be so exciting. I just began taking my knitting more seriously and opened an Etsy store last week, so I understand your joy, although I’m sure on a much smaller scale. If I’m ever in California I will make a point to come to your restaurant!
That is super awesome and cool. Congratulations!!! I cannot wait and I’ll be sure to book a trip to come and sample what is going to be an awesome restaurant!! Congrats!! So happy for you!!!!
Allison – I am excited for you for so many reasons! I LOVE your concept and can’t wait to eat at your restaurant. I can’t wait to read about your journey down this risky and gutsy path. I am so proud of you and wish you tremendous success (which of course you will have.) Bravo!
wow scary and very exciting at the same time. We will have to visit the restaurant after you open when we visit our son in his senior year in college.
Congrats! That’s so exciting… I will have to make a trip out there so I can eat at Little Mac!
Wow! That sounds great! Congratulations! I’m sure it’ll be worth the drive from Sonoma County (where I live). I can’t wait!!!
Super duper congrats! Can’t wait to hear more about it!
That’s super exciting! Good for you for following your passion and dreams; it’s funny how leaving a cushy day job can be so scary even though it’s usually the right thing for some people. I can’t wait to hear about all your adventures and it’s perfect that you’ll be opening by mid-summer because I think I’ll be passing through this fall and would love to check it out and eat some mac and cheese!
Oh my goodness congratulations! That’s so amazing!
You’re gonna be great I just know it and don’t let anyone bring you down. Enjoy this journey and certainly enjoy no longer working the 9-5er.
Congratulations! That is such wonderful news; you guys are going to kick butt and I can’t wait to follow your progress! When the hubs and I visit his parents in San Carlos, we’ll definitely make a trip out to Little Mac.
Congratulations to all four of you!! Come over to our hood (my office is near Sweet Adelines) We need an awesome lunch spot!
So happy to read this post! Truly inspiring. I can’t wait to follow along.
Congratulations!
Break an egg!
Okay, that was bad, but what do you say to someone opening a restaurant!
Allison! I can only echo everyone’s comments: CONGRATULATIONS! I have no doubt you will be ahuge success… and I’ll look forward to come by next time I visit the West Coast… and I hope it will be very soon indeed!
So very exciting – and I KNOW ERIN! SHE WAS MY BOSS!!!! and this is SO EXACTLY what i wanted for her. i have been out of touch lately but i can’t wait to hear all about it. and to TASTE! congratulations to you both, it can be NOTHING but a success.
What a great concept for your new resturuant! Congratulations and good luck on your new endevour!
Totally cool, I’ll be bringing myself and friends from San Jose to try Little Mac out once it’s open!
Whoa wow congrats. That’s so amazing. I bet it’s gonna be delicious
Love the name and concept!
Have just discovered your blog. Wow! It’s lovely. And congrats on this big step. I’m in San Francisco and will head to Oakland post haste once your doors are open.
This is so exciting. I admire you for taking hold of your life and making something HUGE happen. I know you will be a success. GREG