Do you have any special dietary needs?

That's the question we ask every guest when they make a reservation here at SHY Cellars. Why? We want to make sure we can accommodate your needs so you have the best dining experience possible.

This past week at the restaurant one of our guests said that when he called in to make his reservation it was the first time anyone had ever asked him that question. I stepped away from his table and went to the kitchen to ponder this for a moment . . . why? . . .why don't people ask that question? Isn't that important? What if they are Celiac or a vegetarian, or a vegan, or  if their allergic to shellfish? Isn't this important to know, even before my guests arrive for dinner?

Knowing our guests needs are vital to us. It's what makes SHY Cellars different. It's what sets us apart. It's who we are . . . because we care about you!

That's all . . . I just wanted you to know that WE CARE about YOU!!!

Cheers,

Chef Sherry

ART is in the eyes of the beholder. . .and the Artist!

Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet, Dali, and Picasso are well know artist with well known work, but I believe there are many other artist that are out there that don't even know they have art in them. 

Art can be in  any form; the art of food, the art of jewelry making, the art of painting or sculpting, the art of origami, and the list goes on. Since art is objective, I believe that art also allows for our own creativity and emotions to be released in any form. Art can inspire and motivate everyone to have a fuller, happier, and more productive life. . . because it allows us to release, to be ourselves. 

Now days, it seems that we are running in high gear, all the time, and it doesn't allow much time to release what's inside of us. So, the other day I was in the car thinking about this, and wondering how I could slow down and release a little pressure. . . that's when Artful Sips came to me!

Art, wine and food go together. Art makes you feel emotions, so does wine and food. . . see what I mean. . . it just goes hand-in-hand! Art and wine events have been around for a while now, and people love the experience, so we thought we'd bring Artful Sips to SHY Cellars! 

We will be looking for artists that are willing to come in to SHY Cellars to teach and lead us through their art, and allow us to express ourselves thru the experience,while we enjoy some drinks and food and probably lot's of laughter! Bringing friends or family to share the experience may be part of the fun for you too, because doing life alone is not what we were created for! That's another great aspect of the Artful Sips events; you will have an opportunity to meet new friends, possibly building relationships with old friends, all while having fun exploring a creative art side you may never knew you had! 

Our first Artful Sip event will be Tuesday, February 11th (the time has not been set yet, but it will most likely begin around 6:30 PM). We will post all the details on our web page http://www.shycellars.com/c/Events.html .

Now, it's time for me to get back to working in the kitchen!! 

Until next time. . . Cheers!!

Sherry 

What are you SHY about?. . . .

First Episode of The Not So Shy Chef - Brusselsprouts

What does “Farm to Fork” and “Field to Table” really mean?

It basically means that you don’t have to worry about additives, fillers, strange ingredients to make the food "taste good". . . before it makes it to your table. Ya, sounds like something you really want to eat up! NOT!

I believe in “Farm to Fork” and “Field to Table” so much, that I wrote my business plan around it. I know that I don’t want to eat junk, and I don’t want my guests to eat it either! So, when you enjoy your meal here at SHY Cellars, you don’t have to worry about what’s in the food you’re eating. It’s natural. It’s fresh. It’s from local farmers and vendors (usually, friends or neighbors we know!). . . folks like Sweetwater Farms in Sugarcreek, Sugar Valley Meats in Sugarcreek, Pleasant Valley Poultry in Baltic. .  .

When you visit SHY Cellars, you will notice the open kitchen. Why an open kitchen? Because we want you to SEE everything we are doing, everything we use in your dishes, how everything is prepared. We have nothing to hide. Period. We pride ourselves in doing what we say! And, don’t be surprised if we have pasta on that night’s menu, that you walk in and see a lot of pasta hanging on racks!. . . that’s FRESH BABY!

So, the next time you are ready to go out for a wonderful evening filled with food and fun, think about what might be on your plate. Is it fresh? Is it from a local supplier? Is it natural or filled with by-products to make it taste good? Is it from a local farmer or field?

Until next time,

Eat Fresh & Local. . . & Drink Well Aged Wine!

Cheers!

We Finally Open The Doors. . .

MAY 7th!! That's the day that we will officially open our doors here at SHY Cellars! I can hardly believe it. It's here. Finally. REALLY....it's HERE! We are going to really OPEN THE DOORS!!!!

For those of you who have been following our journey as we built SHY Cellars, you know that I'm excited! You know my passion. You know my heart. I just hope that you can share in this excitement and come see for yourself what my dream looks like.

Our hours will be Tuesday thru Saturday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm (closed on Sunday & Monday). During the day from 11:00 am on, we will have our Wine Tasting Room open for sampling (lots of incredible wines!), and be serving Small Plates, Tapas, and Fondues for your enjoyment. Then, starting at 4:30 pm we will be serving dinner. . . Edible Experience. . . yes, it's not just a dinner it's an Edible Experience.

Everyone asks me to explain what we mean by "Edible Experience", but I can't find the words to describe the experience. . . it's something you have to . . . experience on your own. It's kind of like explaining to someone what a Zip Line vacation would be like! LOL!  You can't find the words to describe the thrill, or the experience. . .it's just . . . they have to experience the moment for themselves. Period. That's what we are bringing to SHY Cellars. A moment you will have to experience for yourself.

So, call us today at 330-878-4163 for reservations right away. We HIGHLY recommend reservations because we are so small. We can hardly wait to meet you and serve you!

Cheers,

Sherry & the entire SHY Guy Staff

Fell off the wagon, or JUMPED OFF!

So, I've been really disciplined lately with my diet. Not that I'm actually "dieting". I don't believe in dieting; I believe in eating clean. For me personally, diets leave out what the Lord intended us to eat! I found, for me, that if I simply eat clean (eat right foods, prepared properly, without additives & chemicals and correct portions), I am able to stay healthy. In other words, I eat food that's good for me! But, I have been more disciplined lately with my alcoholic beverage intake. . . WINE!

If you know me very well, you know that I'm a wine-kinda-girl! I enjoy all wines. I lean to the very dry and full bodied wines, but all wine has a place in my repertoire; depending upon what I'm eating or if I'm eating, the season we are in, the temperature of the room I'm in, and the people I'm with (yep, that has effect on us whether you believe it or not!). There are wines from some Ohio wineries that I love. There's some wines from Ohio wineries that I don't love, but the same can be said for California wines, New York wines, Chile wines, French wines, and so on. If you're a wine drinker, you know exactly what I mean. People are always asking me, "tell me, Sherry, what's the best wine?" My answer, "the wine you enjoy!"

Back to my disciplined diet of lately; my daughter and I joined a gym at the beginning of 2013 with a goal-to get healthier and become stronger. So my diet has become increasingly more important to me to be able to accomplish my goal of weight loose through a "Thin It To Win It" challenge at the gym (it's a 6 week weight lose challenge of 50 teams of 3 people to see who can lose the most weight!), but that means that I have cut back on certain things I enjoy. . . one being wine.

Although wine has been found to be very beneficial to our health, I had decided to abstain from wine, or any alcoholic beverage until our challenge was over, which is this Monday! But, like many folks who have great and noble intentions. . . I fell of my wagon! But can I just say this. . . it was worth it! Yes, the glass of wine I enjoyed last night was worth the fall. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of a wonderful Italian wine that "made it's way to my cellar via my luggage" on my trip to Italy a few years back.

GREO.  That's the name of wine. It was a 2008 red wine blend from a vineyard in Lucca, Tuscany. I'll say it again, this wine was worth the fall! Full-bodied, nice finish, lot's of ripe berries, and best of all, it was full of memories! (I've been on a lot of "memory" kicks lately!!LOL!) Seriously though, this wine is one of my favs now!!

On my trip to Italy, which was part of my culinary training program experience, I went into a little meat and wine shop. A young man behind the counter asked if I was looking for anything special. I told him that I wanted to bring my hubby back a few bottles of wine since he couldn't come to Italy with me. . . I still wanted him to experience it through me and a bottle of wine (and meat and cheese....that I brought back too! Please don't report me!!) So, he recommended this bottle of GREO, and so I bought one bottle!! ONE BOTTLE!! What was I thinking!!!?????!!! One bottle. What if we liked it? What if we wanted more? Where was I going to find it in OHIO?!!!

Well, as you guessed it, we loved it, and I set out on a mission to find it someone here in the states. After many phone calls to many places, I finally found someone who could get it for me!! Colonial Wine and Beverage in Chesterland, Ohio. I couldn't believe it! The owner, Bob, said he would make some calls, and alas, he succeeded! He landed me a case of GREO!! (P.S....thanks Bob!!.....and, I need more!!) Now, Colonial Wine and Beverage is one of my favorite wine shops to visit when I head north!

So, if you looking for a wine that is delish, full-bodied with lot's of ripe berry characteristics, and that's from Italy, GREO should be one you try!

This was one of the villages we visited....of course, I can't find the name anywhere in my notes, but it was beautiful! It's also where I purchased my bottle of GREO! I will look thru my notes when I have time to find the name of the town!

Until next time,

Salute!