100 Days
Motherhood, wine dinners, and the final stretch before opening Violet
Late spring is still the goal for Violet.
This past weekend was my first Mother’s Day as a mom — and also the first Mother’s Day in ten years working in food service that I was not actively working the holiday. My daughter will be 100 days old tomorrow, and this year it felt more important than ever to choose this time at home. The restaurant world has asked for so many holidays, weekends, and evenings over the years, and I know now how fleeting these early days really are. I will never get this time back.
I spent Mother’s Day slowly working in my gardens in the morning before heading to Glendale Ridge Vineyard in the afternoon. It felt grounding in the simplest way — dirt under my nails, a baby on my hip, a glass of wine at one of my favorite places. A reminder that the kind of life I want to build moving forward is one where work and family and community can exist a little closer together.
At the same time, the next month is shaping up to be one of the most exciting — and intense — seasons of my professional life as we prepare to open Violet.
My maternity leave has been anything but traditional. I haven’t fully stepped away from work for a single day, and in many ways my new life with a baby and this new restaurant have become completely intertwined. There are permitting meetings during naps, emails answered with one hand while holding a sleeping baby, recipe testing in between feedings. I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve been able to keep her close to me through all of this, but I would be lying if I said it has not been a challenge navigating such a huge personal and professional transition at the same time.
The truth is, I never thought I would open a restaurant. In fact, for years I very confidently said I never would. But this opportunity — to create a space right here in my own community, just minutes from home — has felt like the most natural next step. A place for coffee in the mornings, wine and conversation in the evenings, and the kind of gathering space I have always hoped to create.
As Violet begins to take shape, I also feel myself becoming more intentional about the work I take on and the time I spend away from home. I still deeply love the event world and the celebrations we get to be part of through Blue Door, but this season of life is asking me to be more decisive, more protective of my time, and more thoughtful about where my energy goes.
We are in the final stretch of build-out and preparing for our initial launch, which still feels surreal to say out loud. If you have been following along and looking for a way to support this next chapter, we are still welcoming members into our Founding Member Supper Club subscription. The membership helps support these final days of construction and opening while also helping us create the intimate dinners and gatherings that are at the heart of Violet.
One thing I am especially excited about: our very first supper clubs — including our founding member dinner — will center around wine dinners with winemaker Tim from Glendale Ridge Vineyard. Glendale has been such a meaningful place in both my personal and professional life over the years, and it feels incredibly special to begin this new chapter in collaboration with people and places that already feel like home.
Our first public supper club dinners are planned for July 23 and July 24, with our Founding Members dinner taking place on July 30.
Thank you for continuing to support us through all of these evolving seasons — from The Window, to Blue Door, and now to Violet. I cannot wait to open the doors and share this next chapter with you.
