Washington County Weekend Post

9 - 6 - 1 5 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 5 Starting and running your own business is an honor- able, if not daunting, endeavor. Both Perry Group International and The Restaurant Brokers have completed studies on the average life span of restau- rants. Their results are slightly different but show the same trend. The studies concluded that ninety per- cent of restaurants close during their first year of operation. Seventy percent of those that make it past the first year close their doors in the next three to five years. According to the national statistics, if we started with 100 new restau- rants tomorrow, after five years, there would only be three left. It is obvious that the brave and adventurous souls that venture into the culinary world to start their own restaurants are truly on a journey plated on faith and cooked with love. So when a restaurant has made it past thirteen years and is able to expand to a larger facility with grander amenities, that establishment is a very unique restaurant, indeed. One such restaurant in Washington County is at 39 and 43A N Main Street in Hartford. On Main Street for thirteen years, The Perc Place has made the move one door to the south to their new sur- roundings, where they have all the amenities of the greatest restaurants around and an atmosphere that is unrivaled. They will be cele- brating their Grand Opening of their new loca- tion on Friday, September 11th with music from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. You'll be able to enjoy their new fish fry, wine by the glass or the bottle, specialty beers, crafted cocktails, and their full menu of uniquely craft- ed dishes made from locally sourced ingredients and prepared with no preserva- tives or chemicals in the Real Food way. It's this ded- ication to quality in food and dishes, along with high standards of the serving experience that has set Perc Place in the restaurant elite of establishments able to serve customers over thir- teen years. The owner of Perc Place, Cynthia Sieloff, got her start in the restaurant industry when she was in high school, where she credits her father for getting her first job lined up in Beaver Dam. When she graduated high school at age 17, she convinced her mother that she should take a year off and work before going on to college. Able to stay home with her parents and her beloved poodle, Cynthia excelled in the culinary field where she would go on to own her first successful restaurant in Menomonee Falls. The Colonial Restaurant was owned by Cynthia for ten years before she left to eventually settle her restaurant on Main Street in Hartford. Starting as just a coffee house, the Perc Place soon expanded their offerings to include bakery, soups, and a slowly expanding menu to satisfy the loyal patrons who saw the Perc Place as the place to connect with friends, the place to connect with busi- ness, or just the place to connect with your quiet place for a while. When I met with Cynthia and her fiancé John, they told me the fun that they had in making the new space into the perfect Perc Place. The ambiance is an important element in what they see as the total dining experience. To achieve this feel, the colors are warm, reminiscent of the coffee varieties available at Perc Place. From rich cream to mocha to espresso, the col- ors reflect the main stay of the restaurant. The walls are decorated in great works of art from throughout the centuries, including: Michelangelo, Woods, Dali, Botticelli, Hopper, Picasso, and of course, CM Coolidge. The greatest works are reproduced in a coffee theme to play with your eye as you relax. The art is con- sistent to give a great variety without a feel of clutter. The attention to the eye is con- tinued everywhere; Cynthia insisted that the view isn't complete without checking the bathrooms. In a playful caption format, the bath- rooms are filled with framed and wall painted clever cap- tions on five of the six sur- faces. The art is part of the experi- ence where the whole place touches all senses. The smells, tastes, vision, and music engage the total expe- rience that Cynthia sees as a crucial part of the Perc Place experience. She recognizes that when we engage with others over a meal or a bev- erage, we connect on several levels that nourish not only body but soul and spirit. Cynthia has payed meticu- lous attention to every ele- ment, to ensure that if an element draws your atten- tion, it's for a reason. You can see for yourself at 39 and 43A North Main Street in Hartford. The hours are posted at perc-place.com and you can check out the happenings on their Facebook page. As we approach autumn, the salads get more intricate and satisfying. Cynthia offers her Perc Place Poached Salad for the cool- ing days of late September. Perc Place Poached Pear Salad (Makes 4 main salads) Ingredients: Lemon vinaigrette (see recipe below) Praline pecans (see recipe below) 1 cup white wine 3 teaspoons good-quality vanil- la extract 2 to 3 tablespoons ground cin- namon 1 cup orange juice 1 quart of water A Fresh Start for an Established Institution Written By: John Sancomb Botticelli with a cupppa continued on page 9 In Good Taste 262-334-9542 www.americanmprwi.com Hours: M-F 7am-4:45pm • Sat 7am-11:45am 245711003 35¢/LB ALUMINUM CANS BUYING: ALUMINUM CANS & ALUMINUM SCRAP COPPER BRASS IRON STEEL BATTERIES STAINLESS STEEL ETC. 935 Schoenhaar Dr. West Bend 7651 Otten Dr. Kewaskum Deals That WORK For You! 262-338-4589 Check out our website for updates and hours www.wittesvegmarket.com Witte's Vegetable Market, LLC BUY FRESH…BUY LOCAL 2313 Hwy NN, West Bend 245847001 Pick your own tomatoes now available Locally grown vegetables available Open at 11am Daily ~Closed Monday~ 1726 Barton Avenue www.MariciosinBarton.com *excludes gluten-free. 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