AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER IN TRIUMPH DOTH WAVE O’ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.

Dear Maison Family,

When I drove to work this morning in the early dawn, the wet air blowing against my windshield with just enough force that the windshield wipers were needed, I sighed to myself and thought that it didn’t seem like the weather would clear up today. That even though June gloom should have come and gone we would still be stuck in the haze. What I didn’t foresee happening was that in the middle of the dreary day the storm would come pouring down and restaurants would be told that once again, their dinning rooms would be shut down.

I went through the day and allowed myself to stay focused on service, I swerved my way around the phone calls and texts… all questioning what my next move would be. And answered guests inquiries with vague responses as I quickly made myself busy in the kitchen. Part of me wants to throw a temper tantrum at the unfairity of it all… that after over three months of being closed for service and fourteen pages of new protocols and rules that my team and I had to learn and memorize prior to reopening… that now we would be shut down again, just as talking through masks and smiling with our eyes had begun to seem normal. The buzz of the dining room (even at half capacity) was coming back to life..

What to do now? Tomorrow and through the weekend we will be open for service, but we are taking it once again day by day. We will be further limiting dine in service and will continue to offer both take out options as well as all of your market and grocery needs both in the restaurant as well as online from our website. Please know without a doubt that the safety of each of you, our guests, and the safety of the team will continue to be our top priority, that if at any moment we felt your health was at risk we would not have offered dine in service, we are not shutting the dining room on our own accord this time around. Please continue to support my team, please allow us to feed your heart and your stomach as we continue to navigate our way through these unknown waters.

I hope each of you can still see that there is so much to be grateful for and that it is the spirit of gratitude that will continue to allow us to tread through the uncertainty of the series of groundhog days that surround us. Today more than ever I reminded myself that I am what I am but by grace.

Tonight I’ll drive home and pour a glass of wine. The boys should already be in bed, but it’s summer and mom’s working late so bedtime has gone to the dogs (literally) so instead we will all sit at the dining room table and have some much needed family time. We will talk about our highs and lows of the day, something we’ve done since they were littles. We will smile and laugh, and another day will have passed where I know without a doubt I am still humbled and grateful for this life I get to live.

Stay safe, stay healthy, love without reason, laugh wholeheartedly… smile behind the masks and drink good wine.

Sending love,
Chef Danielle