Here at Beak, we entered 2020 with great optimism and enthusiasm. 2019 was an excellent year–the summer season established us as one of Sitka’s prominent restaurants, and we were riding that momentum into the new year. Our schedule was beginning to fill up with fun local events for the spring such as catering SAFV’s Honoring Women Gala, hosting Sitka Kitch’s Fundraiser, an Evening of Radio Dinner Theater with KCAW, catering wedding reception for an amazing local couple, and the 2020 summer cruise season was looking robust.
However, of course, none of us got the summer we expected. In March, with the onset of the pandemic, Beak closed for six weeks, and we didn’t reopen until May, and even then it was only for takeout service with limited hours. We were committed to keeping our bubble small. For dinner service, we just had our household working–Chef Renée cooking, Math working in the front and taking orders, and Zoë helping both with washing dishes and with delivering food to customers on the deck. On Sundays, we would have one extra front-of-house employee to help with brunch and donut mania. Also on Sundays, one dishwasher would come in after brunch to do dishes, temporally socially distancing from the rest of us.
The decision to close the restaurant to dine-in service was extremely emotionally difficult for us. We love running a restaurant–we love welcoming people into our curated space, taking care of them, providing food and beverage that nourishes and delights. We initially weren’t sure that the essence of what we do at Beak could be fit into a takeout box. This has forced us to closely examine what we love about cooking and how we relate to people and food. It turns out that the specific circumstances have changed the way we all think about takeout.
Today, takeout is no longer the quick and lazy dinner fix–it’s a break from the endless cycle of home cooking and a little adventure outside your bubble. It can be a little celebration, a break from the monotony of your own cooking, something special. Even for those of us who enjoy cooking and love the people we live with, it’s still fun to eat food cooked by someone else and to have a little chat with someone you don’t live with, even if it’s just momentary and at a distance.
Nevertheless, adapting to the new paradigm has been a challenge. I had previously never been intrigued by take-and-bake menus or heat-at-home dishes. It seemed like takeout was a necessary evil for those folks who, for some strange reason, didn’t want the full-on dining experience. My culinary life has been focused on the eater, in the dining room, and how to make their experience the best it could possible be. However, this year I’ve been reminded that the core of hospitality rests on identifying and anticipating the guest’s needs and desires. The pandemic has forced me to think outside of my comfortable dining room to consider people where they are–sheltering in place, concerned for their health and the health of their family and their community, and yet still occasionally desiring thoughtfully crafted food prepared by someone else.
This season, our challenge was how to bring that special feeling of carefully prepared Beak food into our guests’ homes, and how to execute our model safely and with minimal staffing. A lot of the preparation for meals ended up falling on just one person: me. Before this summer, I had never spent so much time alone in the Beak kitchen. Usually, professional cooking is a team sport. There is so much work that goes into running a restaurant, and everyone’s job is important for the functioning of the whole. This year, though, the kitchen was quiet, and I could feel that. I really missed my people
I’ve made changes to the way the restaurant operates. We now have a website and a user-friendly online ordering system. The menu is the smallest it’s ever been. I’ve pared down menu items to where I can cook everything solo. I have, however, been running different specials every week, which has provided an exciting challenge to cook a variety of food. I enjoy cooking food with a wide variety of ingredients and styles, but under normal circumstances, I’ve rarely had the opportunity to experiment so much in a restaurant setting. While still remaining within the realm of ‘food that travels well,’ I’ve enjoyed adding a touch of variety, both for me and for our guests.
Through this whole experience, though, what has surprised me the most is how much I’ve been able to connect with the community of Sitka more deeply than I would have thought possible–through takeout food! In the first place, since our family’s bubble is very small, when our guests come up our deck to pick up food at our back door, we’ve particularly enjoyed nice, short conversations. In the context of this year’s isolation, these interactions have been super nice and memorable. Furthermore, the circumstances have also allowed me to become more aware of who our guests are. Normally, in the kitchen, I’m given orders, I cook the food, and I send it out. Unless I step out of the kitchen and peer into the dining room, the most information I get about a meal is what table the guests are seated at. Now, however, when guests place an order through our new online platform, I’m able to see their names printed on their order ticket. I’m now far more aware of the folks who are choosing to order, and I see what they get, week to week, and it feels more personal.
I have felt so much support from the community of Sitka. With fewer tourists visiting, and with many locals sticking around for the holidays, I feel like I’ve really gotten to know my neighbors, my regulars, better this year. I feel like the community has come together, closer, though we are all socially distancing.
In addition to the global pandemic this summer, we, as a city, and as a nation, experienced horror and revulsion at the news of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of an officer of the Minneapolis Police Force. We are saddened and outraged by the death of George Floyd and all of those who have preceded him. The wide scale systematic racism that haunts our country must end, we must work together for this goal. The restaurant and our landlord, KCAW, were the object of a hateful video on social media, because of my signs “Black Lives Matter and “Spread, Love, Kindness, Peace”. We at Beak are, however, completely unfazed and undeterred by some screamy guy with a TikTok account, and we will continue to exercise our freedom of speech as we see fit. Beak is more committed than ever to this cause. We have received an outpouring of concern and support from the community of Sitka, for which we are deeply grateful.
2020 was tough, but we had some notable food related triumphs. As we were starting to reopen, we decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Taco Tuesday! We had excellent turnout, and were delighted to see our friends and neighbors on the back deck. We learned a lot from that evening, and have been working to manage ordering and execution. For the Mutual Aid Society, on two different occasions, we did 225 meals for Sitkans in need (blackened rockfish with brown rice and veggie, and salmon fried rice). In August we hosted Sitka Kitch’s Takeout Indian Food Fundraiser (basmati rice, naan, red lentil daal, chickpea channa masala, saag paneer, and samosas), and served about 80 people. In October we partnered with Raven Radio for “Stardust at Home”, where we served about 100 people, (Vampire Repelling 44 Clove Garlic Soup, Wild Hunt Reindeer Stew, Full Moon Roast Squash Salad, and I Ain’t Alfredo No Ghosts Fettucini). In November we came up with a menu of traditional Thanksgiving sides, portioned for two people. This year was challenging for many people, not being able to get together and half a big meal with loved ones. There are so many Thanksgiving traditions and dishes that people are familiar with. There is an emotional connection with the meal that makes it special, and perhaps our favorite holiday. We usually take it off, but this year it was an honor to cook for the community. Thank you for trusting us to cook this very important, very traditional meal. Chef Renée was delighted to cook a massive amount of Thanksgiving food, and it meant a lot to all of us. To wrap up the year, we did a Take and Bake menu with New Year’s Eve cold appetizers (deviled eggs, tea sandwiches), hot appetizers (poppers, stuffed mushrooms, brie and huckleberry in puff pastry, salmon dip in puff pastry), sides (garlic mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, creamed spinach) and for entrees (salmon en papillote, and beef wellington).
As of yet, I don’t believe it is safe or economically feasible for me to open for regular dine-in service. There are certain expectations that I have for quality dine-in service that I would not be able to achieve in this time of pandemic. Beak has a small dining room, and an even smaller kitchen–appropriate social distancing would be impossible for me and my staff. We would have to be understaffed, which would prove to be frustrating for everyone involved. I love having a bustling dining room and patio, with drinks being served and enjoyed, friends laughing, tourists relaxing, locals connecting, salads, oysters, bowls of chowder, and my pretty entrées flying out the kitchen door–but it’s just not an option. With social distancing guidelines necessary, I don’t believe I can provide the level of service that I aim to provide in my dining room.
As we head into 2021, we are once again filled with optimism and enthusiasm. We learned many things in 2020, and we will be taking those lessons with us into the future. We are grateful to be here in Sitka, and for the relationships that have formed and deepened over the last year with our wonderful, supportive community.
Forever grateful to be a guest on Tlingit Aani,
-Renée Trafton, Chef and Owner, Beak Restaurant
