2011 was incredibly exciting for us. After many months of brainstorming, designing, meetings with the government, hard work, sweat, and yes, even tears, we opened our doors in June with a full staff of smiling faces and lots of delicious food to provide to our community. We are coming up on our for 6 month anniversary, and we have learned so much since June. We would like to say thank you to everyone who has come in to eat with us. We appreciate your support so much and we hope we can provide delicious meals to you for years to come.

We would also like to celebrate our first Employee of the Year, Marquita Maddox. Marquita is a single mom with 3 wonderful children. She has lived in the same house here in the Boulevard neighborhood her entire life, and is very involved with her community. Her kids go to Chase Street Elementary and she is an active member of the PTO. Despite her busy life outside of Heirloom, she comes to us each day with a bright and shining smile. She has started at the bottom here, washing dishes, but she keeps a positive attitude even when the dirty pans never seem to stop coming. I have never heard her complain and she brings levity to everyones’ mood. We have just started training her to be a cook at lunch, and we know she will excel with that new task as well. On behalf of everyone on the staff, we would like to say “Thank you, Marquita Maddox, for all the wonderful things you do for us.”

In 2012, Heirloom resolves to…

Eat breakfast every day, and you should, too. Didn’t your mama ever tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, you should come enjoy yours here at Heirloom. We open Monday-Friday at 7:30 and have a whole assortment of options to keep you energized throughout the day. Want something fast? Grab one of our breakfast sammies or a muffin out of the case. Want to sit and reflect for a while? Try an omelet or one of our daily sweeter options. Will it be french toast or pancakes today? We even have a lovely wheat free pecan pancake for the gluten intolerent crowd. Our sausage and bacon come from BPH out of Madison, and they taste just like sausage and bacon used to taste. Mmmmm. I think I will have some now. Don’t forget! We also have free wifi that spreads throughout the restaurant and even works out on the patio, so Heirloom is the perfect place for a working breakfast. We want you to bring your friends, so between now and the end of January, any group of 4 or more at breakfast gets free 1000 Faces coffee or $1 off an espresso drink.

Be a one-stop shop for your dining needs. We have been building up our market, and there is new stuff every week. We have scones, muffins, cookies, bars, deli salads, prepared meals for you to take home and heat, truffles, cheese, milk, yogurt, jelly, chips, pickles, milled products, natural sodas, kitchen linens, and we have more to come. This year we would like to add more pastries to the mix, fresh produce from our farmers, charcuterie, fresh baked local bread, cookbooks, and kitchen items. Have some great local food related product you would like to see us carry? Let us know, and we will try to make it happen.

Have lots of fun and educational events. We had several successful events in 2011, but we want to have even more this year! In the works: a New Belgium beer dinner, a wine & cheese tasting with Nature’s Harmony Farm, Family Night, Diner Night, Featured Farmer dinners, a wine dinner partnered with Shiraz, a price fix Valentine’s Day dinner with wine pairings, a Spring Artists’ Market, and more of Keara’s kids classes. That’s just through the end of April, so keep checking back for news of upcoming events. We want to make 2012 a year to remember.

Drink more. We know most people resolve to drink less, but we think life is too short, so drink up. We have worked hard to provide a broad wine & beer list that features many smaller family owned wineries and artisanally brewed beers. Many of our wines are also sustainable, organic or biodynamic. Monday is 1/2 off bottles and glasses of wine. Tuesday through Saturday, we have Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 with $1 off all beers & glasses of wine. We also have a special snack menu served at our bar Monday through Saturday 4:30-6:30. Off work early? Come relax with us. Don’t have to work today? Don’t forget we serve wine & beer with lunch, too. As always, we encourage you to drink responsibly, and if you are embibing outside on our patio or bocce court, please remember that this is a residential neighborhood and keep your voices at a reasonable level. Cheers!

Help you throw more parties! Heirloom is a great space for a special event, be it a baby or wedding shower, a birthday dinner, a rehearsal dinner, an office party or a celebration of being alive. We can accomodate smaller groups during regular service or even buy outs for large groups given prior notice. Let us know what your needs are and we will try to find a way to accomodate them. Don’t forget, we also love to make cakes, so if you are thinking of celebrating a special occasion with us, make sure you have us bake a cake for the person of honor. Want to have your event somewhere else, but love our food? We would like to work with you to find a solution. We can even do box lunches or morning pastry platters for office functions. Email jessica@heirloomathens.com if you are interested in having us help you with an event.

As always, we resolve to promote community through great food, service, and camaraderie.

Cheers to you, and best wishes for a great 2012!