Ready To Serve
Savory Spoon Serves Up Health and CommunityStory by: Kerri Regan
Photos by: Kara Stewart
If Ann Webber had a nickel for every time someone said, “You ought to open a restaurant,” she’d have enough money to put a healthy meal into the belly of every hungry person in town.
Actually, that’s precisely what she is hoping to do.
On Veterans’ Day (11/11/11), Ann and her daughters, Jeanette Ernst and Julianna Webber, realized a lifelong dream when they served their first meal at The Savory Spoon inside the Hartnell Castle. All veterans ate for free that day – a testament to the giving spirit at the core of their philosophy.
And, as anyone who knows Ann would expect, the restaurant’s dishes are just like Mom would make – comfort food with a natural twist, including meatloaf, soups, corned beef hash and chicken and dumplings. Everything is made from scratch. Organic, local ingredients take center stage, and Prather Ranch, local wineries, Churn Creek Meadows and Bonnie’s Jams are among their local suppliers.
Providing plenty of meatless options was a must, and they had to be “vegetarian food, not just food with the meat removed,” Ann says. Stuffed acorn squash and veggie burgers from scratch (affectionately called “Monte Meat” in honor of Ann’s partner) are among the many offerings.
Monday is “Community Day,” when everyone eats for whatever price they can pay. Though the menu is slightly more limited, Community Day meals are just as healthy, delicious and carefully prepared as any other meal that comes out of the kitchen.
Many customers who participate in Community Day find it to be a rare treat. “Some kids have never had the experience of eating in a restaurant,” Ann says. “To be able to come in with their family, where there are cloth napkins, and to be waited on – it’s a first step for them, and they don’t have to worry if they can afford it.”
The women were inspired by a restaurateur on the East Coast who took all the prices off his menu after the economy took a dive. Julianna admits that she had her doubts. “I was skeptical – I thought that people wouldn’t pay,” she says. But the restaurant has been covering its expenses. Some people put in $2; others put in more.
“People really pay what they can,” Julianna says.
Recently, a couple came in and chose to share one hamburger on Community Day. Jeanette got tears in her eyes when she discovered that they had been celebrating their anniversary. “They weren’t taking advantage – they split one meal,” Ann says.
Everyone should “use your passion to give back,” Julianna says. For these self-described “foodcentric” folks, that translates to feeding people. “When I was in Camp Fire Girls, my name was ‘Little Woman to Be a Cook.’ I loved watching Julia Child with my mom,” Ann says.
It’s a lifestyle that she has passed along. “When my kids were in school, one of my fondest memories was of taking chicken and vegetables to the kindergarten class to teach them how to cut and chop and make soup,” Ann says. She also used to make mass quantities of tamales for her daughters’ classes for Cinco de Mayo. If there was an occasion to celebrate, she helped the youngsters celebrate with food. “All my friends remember you for that,” Julianna tells her mother.
Two things have always been absent from Ann’s kitchen – recipes and cookbooks. “We’ve never cooked with a recipe in our lives,” Jeanette says.
The team is also helping people appreciate nutrition. “You can have good food full of healthy things,” Jeanette says. “We serve salad with beets, and I had one customer say, ‘I have to tell you, I didn’t know beets were good.’ She’s going to serve them at home now.”
Ann’s meatloaf recipe calls for shredded zucchini and carrots. “There are lots of ways to sneak good food into people,” she says with a smile.
One of their favorite compliments is hearing that the place reminds them of home. Collages of menus that Ann’s mother collected add to the warm atmosphere, and crayons on the table encourage guests of all ages to doodle, play tic-tac-toe or sketch masterpieces while they wait for their meal. Those who want to peek into the kitchen are welcome to check it out, the chef says.
After retiring from an 18-year career at the U.S. Post Office, opening a restaurant in shaky economic times may be a risk, but that’s perfectly OK with Ann.
“Risk taking is good for the soul,” Ann says. “It feels like a daily performance – you have to get everything ready, and then you go out in front of people and hope that they like all the food, and you.”
Ann gazes at her daughters, then pauses for a moment as she scans the room, where satisfied patrons savor each bite of dishes that have brought her joy and comfort for decades. Quietly, she says, “It’s a miracle.”•
The Savory Spoon
Wednesday through Saturday: 11 am to 8 pm
Sunday: Brunch, 10 am to 2 pm
Monday, Community Day: noon to 6 pm
1647 Hartnell Ave., #1 (in the Hartnell Castle)
(530) 222-7200
