Chapter 66.2 - Soft Opening - Part 2
Pierce''s POV:
Initially, the senior dockmasters were reluctant to go to this opening since the food they are aware of
the usual fare at the tavern which was greasy meat, nd potatoes and hard break that that easily
pound a nail.
"Micheal. I meant no disrespect to ye. But this cafe thing is ridiculous. We have wives who cook us food
and that is all we need. This venture will go under in a month." one master gruffly used my first name
as I led them to the cafe.
"My wife makes better soup and fried meat. But she was so excited to meet a real duchess so she
asked me toe." a younger master sighed as he held hands with his missus.
But they stopped abruptly when they saw the cafe which was made of earth-toned wood and stone
walls. From the way they reacted, I suppose they expected a more posh and expensive-looking ce.
The duchess did well when she said that she wanted the feeling and decor of the cafe to invite people
in.
The dockmasters and seniors were oddly silent but their wives and children were all oohhs and
aahhhhs over the spacious andfy tables and decorations.
As I seated them at two wide tables adjacent to each other, one of the servers greeted them and gave
them the menu. Their expressions were again shocked at the menu items.
"What is this? Set Meals? Plus desserts and drinks?" one dock worker question. "What is
Hamburg....Steak?"
"It is a patty made from ground minced beef with its own special sauce. Ites with vegetables or
mash potatoes."
"And this baked chicken with gravy?" one wife asked.
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"Yes, it is seasoned with a nice herb mix and spices and baked to perfection. The chicken has crispy
skin and moist tender meat, Ma''am." the server nodded.
"This all sounds delicious. I''ll have this Set Meal D then." a younger boy, the son of a dockmaster
pointed out.
The server promptly took all our orders, I was hankering for that Hamburg Steak and ordered that too. I
even ordered a basket of that jam bread and a whole roll of cake.
"Well, the servers here seem very well trained." said one young dockmaster whose name was
Benjamin. He had been used to dining in a noisy and rough tavern afterte hours so the warm
atmosphere and professionalism of the staff was a surprise.
"I-Is that?" one of the kids gasped, her eyes sparkled when she pointed at the person leaving the
kitchen.
I stood up and bowed to Lady ina, who was dress in a simple chef''s jacket and a narrow skirt and
boots. Her beauty was not marred the least by the simple attire she put on as she faced the table and
nodded to me as she spread her hand in wee to the dockmasters and workers.
"Wee to Cafe Terra gentlemen and family. I am Lady ina and I am currently supervising the
head chef; We are happy to meet the hard-working citizens that helped my husband''s shipping fleet
flourish. We have received your order and it will be out in 15-30 minutes. Please enjoy aplimentary
soup as an appetizer." She pped her hand and the servers came out andid steaming bowls of a
creamy and delicious smelling soup. "It is called Creamy Macaroni Soup. Enjoy."
When she gracefully pivoted and went back inside; the silence from the men and their family was
palpable and I smiled. Not many of the nobledies interact as well as the duchess so to be in her
warm presence must have been a pleasant shock.
"I cannot believe that she is married to the big boss."
"She was rather....sweet. The way she talked to us was very nice."
"I cannot wait to taste this soup now! I heard that the duchess'' food is of another level."
The animated chatter suddenly began as I lifted the spoon to my lips, The rich, smooth taste of the
cream and tender vegetables was well seasoned; small diced chicken and...chewy pasta that was
shaped like a "U" burst in my mouth and judging from the smacking sounds and noisy clink of cutlery
shows that they are enjoying the food as well.
Drinks soon came after we finished the soup and the server asked me whether I would like the jam
bread and cake served after everyone has eaten. I told him to serve it after the main meals are finished
and he slowly back away as I finished my soup.
I was timing the meals carefully, there are a total of 30 people here and to serve these people in record
time is something I must confirm. To my surprise; the duchess came out and directed the servers
outside with the food trays.
Everyone gasped and so did I. The cutlery was simple and durable but the food was presented very
well. Usually the food they were used to at the taverns and small eatery were very sloppy like someone
just messily dumped everything in a te but Neo''s immacte ting mirrored the same set meal
she presented during the preliminary tasting back at the Culinary House.
My Hamburg Steak looked plump and had a shiny ze from the sauce that surrounded it, the creamy
mash was also drizzled with the same steak sauce while the steamed vegetables looked colorful and
smelled delightful. The dessert that came with the meal which was Vani Pudding was set in a small
ramekin bowl topped with whipped cream and caramel bits.
It looked hearty, simple, and rustic.
"Thi...This is incredible." the dockmasters looked at their meals and I can see them holding back their
saliva as they started to eat, almost afraid to ruin the image of the delicious tes.
As I ate my hamburg steak and moaned softly at how tender and juicy it was. I heard everyone moan in
delight and dig into their meals with gusto after their initial bites. Even the younger children attacked
their food as they eximed words of appreciation.
I focused on my food as the atmosphere soon turned for the better as the wives specte how can
these meals be so delicious and the men talked amongst themselves as they took bites from each
other''s tes.
Soon after the children and women also started swapping food and they all agreed...
That Cafe Terra''s cooking is out of this world.