![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/080211-willow.jpg\" "\\"080211-willow\\"")
\n(Tracy \u201cO\u2019Grady and Husband Brian. Photo Socotra.)<\/p>\n
\n(Tracy \u201cO\u2019Grady and Husband Brian. Photo Socotra.)<\/p>\n
I ordered flowers for Raven\u2019s birthday as I waited for the factory whistle to blow at the office high above North Glebe Road. I want there to be something delivered to him on his 89th birthday. I scheduled the delivery for Saturday, two days before the actual day, so he will have time to look at it. Not that it matters, now that Big Mama has become unstuck in time.<\/p>\n
I have to turn my attention to the Little Village by the Bay again; Anook is out of the loop, working on a film in Alaska, and so if anything is to get done I have to do it. The Rambler that Spike bought in tribute to Raven- the last car whose design he participated in at American Motors- needs to be towed out of the garage and restored or dumped in the Bay. I don\u2019t know which.<\/p>\n
I was puzzling over that and a couple other minor issues that amount to about thirty grand as I walked from the office to the Willow. The House was still considering whether to extend the national mortgage. I had hope they would do something not insane, which I did not think was an unreasonable desire to have in our legislators, though they have been doing their best of late to disabuse me of that notion.<\/p>\n
I was un-nerved that there was no one at the bar.<\/p>\n
That is not quite true. My buddy Holly was bustling around, and Elisabeth-with-an-S was in residence behind the bar. A Happy Hour white showed up unbidden as I checked my Crackberry for the messages that had arrived since I left the desk five minutes before.<\/p>\n
No Jon-no-H. No John with one, either. Old Jim, I recalled, was in Kansas City for the week, teaching one of his seminars. No short-Hair Mike, or Jarhead Ray. None of my associates from the office. The only people present were a self-important Washington-type reading the Post five stools down, and some low-key well-coiffed ladies in conference at one of the little tables.<\/p>\n
I was re-thinking my options. The thunderstorms that had blown through were not done. I timed my stroll over to miss one of the black cells, and that meant that the pool at Big Pink would be closed. Martin the Polish Life Guard would be down in the break room, the gate locked until twenty minutes after the last crack of thunder.<\/p>\n
So I relaxed, toggled between email accounts and sipped wine.<\/p>\n
A lady strolled past me and I looked up to see Willow\u2019s owner, Tracy O\u2019Grady, slide gracefully to the bar. She looked different, and I suddenly realized she was not working. A graceful necklace encircled her neck, and she had on make-up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look great, Tracy!\u201d I said, raising my tulip glass in tribute. \u201cWhat\u2019s up? Are you going out tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled, looking relaxed. \u201cYep. I am going to eat in the dining room tonight with Brian. It would only be the fourth time in the history of Willow we have eaten here like customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI imagine the service is going to be pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tracy laughed. \u201cWe are all a little punchy. Did you know that we did 380 dinners on Saturday?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood God,\u201d I said in amazement. \u201cThat must be a record. That is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tracey nodded. \u201cIt was the end of the GroupOn promotion. All of the people who bought coupons were trying to use them all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you turned July from the slowest month of the year to the busiest? Did you run out of anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. The tuna was gone by nine. We barely broke even. People paid $25 for a $50 coupon. You can see that eats the profit margin almost completely.\u201d She frowned. \u201cDid you know that some people who spent $55 on dinner only tipped on the $5 bucks over the coupon\u2019s face value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCheap screws. Not likely to be repeat customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, some were just culinary tourists. But not many short-sheeted the wait staff. \u00a0But it is still irritating.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least the business let you keep the staff on, rather than having to give them an involuntary summer vacation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tracy smiled broadly. \u201cThere is that. And it is better to be busy.\u201d We talked for a while about re-cycling programs, and trash disposal when the Willow is doing a volume business. I marveled at the complixity of running a place that looks effortless on the surface, and her business partner Kate\u2019s plans to open a high-end pastry counter in the middle of the rich wood paneled reception area.<\/p>\n
Her husband Brian arrived in a blue sport-coat and an open-neck oxford shirt. He sports a short ginger beard and euro-framed glasses. Tracy had some glossy magazines with her, and she pushed one across to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were recognized in NorthernVirginia magazine,\u201d she said. \u201cThey featured the cut of pork I cooked at the Bucuse D\u2019or in Geneva.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian grabbed the article and began to scan it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMind if I get a picture?\u201d They agreed to smile for the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cTracy, what was the first thing you learned to cook?\u201d I asked, taking a sip of wine. \u201cHow long did it take? Do you still make it today?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled, thoroughly enjoying herself away from the kitchen. \u201cFrench onion soup, twice, and yes, it is on the Willow menu as you well know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the most challenging dish you\u2019ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?<\/p>\n
\u201cEasy. That would\u00a0 be the Moroccan Mishwe for the Bocuce d\u2019Or. And no! It took two years to develop, was very complicated and I did not feel as though I perfected it even then.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was getting hungry, but didn\u2019t feel like eating at the bar by myself. \u201cTracy, what is the \u00a0easiest and quickest meal you actually make for yourself? I mean a satisfying one.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pursed her lips for a moment and took a sip of her white wine, which I did not think was the same as my Happy Hour White. \u201cI think it would be the Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken, with Crispy Herb Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts.\u201d She looked over at Brian. \u201cYou like that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian smiled right back at her. \u201cNever better, Tracy, but let\u2019s go sit down and enjoy the evening. The promotion is over, we only have 28 reservations tonight, and Restaurant Week doesn\u2019t start until the 16th.\u201d Tracy made a face at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop by tomorrow and I will give you the recipe, Vic. Have a great evening.\u201d She waved as they walked around the wooden partition and into the dining room proper.<\/p>\n
I waved back and Said: \u201cLike I wouldn’t be here anyway! Enjoy the down-time, Tracy. And thanks for running the greatest little restaurant in Northern Virginia.\u201d Then I signaled to Elisabeth-with-an-S that I could use another couple fingers of wine and the check. I wanted to stop at the Whole Foods on the way home and do some shopping.<\/p>\n
You might want to as well. Check it out:<\/p>\n
Lemon Roasted Free Range Chicken \u2013 Serves 6
\n3 chickens
\n3 tablespoons thyme
\n3 tablespoons lemon zest
\n\u00bd cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over chicken
\nSalt and pepper
\n3 tablespoons butter
\n3 tablespoons chicken stock
\n12 Tracy\u2019s Potatoes (see below)
\n3 cups Orange & Herb Glazed Carrots (see below)
\n3 cups chicken jus (recipe below)<\/p>\n
Procedure
\nCombine thyme, lemon zest, olive oil and a little salt and rub under the skin of the breast of the chickens. Truss chickens. Rub outside of chickens with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
\nRoast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit about 12 minutes and then at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes more.
\nLet the chickens cool down and then breakdown by cutting the breasts off with the wings attached. Detach thigh.
\nWhen you are ready to serve, place chicken on a sizzle platter with about \u00bd tbsp each butter and chicken stock. Put in 450 degree oven until the meat is cooked through and then broil a couple of minutes to crisp the skin. Serve with Tracy\u2019s Potatoes, Orange & Herb Glazed Carrots and Roast Chicken Jus.
\nTracy\u2019s Potatoes
\n3 potatoes (2 orders per potato)
\n3 garlic cloves
\n3 rosemary sprigs<\/p>\n
Procedure
\nCover whole potatoes in their skins with cold salted water and bring to a boil.
\nSimmer gently until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
\nCut potatoes in quarters.
\nSaut\u00e9 in clarified butter with garlic and rosemary until golden and crispy.
\nOrange & Herb Glazed Carrots
\n3 cups carrots (cut in pieces on the bias)
\n1\/8 cup butter<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/080211-willow2.jpg\" "\\"080211-willow2\\"")
\n(Chef Tracy O\u2019Grady. Photo O\u2019Grady.)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2011 Vic Socotra and Tracy O\u2019Grady
\nwww.vicsocotra.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(Tracy \u201cO\u2019Grady and Husband Brian. Photo Socotra.) I ordered flowers for Raven\u2019s birthday as I waited for the factory whistle to blow at the office high above North Glebe Road. I want there to be something delivered to him on his 89th birthday. I scheduled the delivery for Saturday, two days before the actual day, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-socotra"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1436"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1440,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1436\/revisions\/1440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vicsocotra.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}