By The build-out begins. The architect — a young firm called Mesa Design Co., led by a woman named Sarah Park who has designed eight restaurants in the valley — has taken The Manual and is translating it into blueprints. The kitchen layout follows the Manual's specifications: the offset smoker (custom-built, 800-gallon, the centerpiece, visible from the dining room through a window), a char-broiler for direct grilling, a flat-top for sides and searing, prep stations, a walk-in cooler, and the pass-through window where the food moves from kitchen to customer.
The dining room design: thirty-two seats in the first phase. Not fifty, not eighty — thirty-two. David Kim's advice: "Start small. Master the operations at thirty-two before you expand to sixty. Every restaurant that opens too big dies too fast." Thirty-two seats: eight at the counter (facing the kitchen — the seats where you watch the cook work), twelve in booths along the walls, and twelve at the community table in the center. The community table is mesquite, like the one at the altar. I am having it built by the same lumberyard in Tucson.
The cost projections are finalizing: $142,000 for the build-out (including equipment, construction, permits, and design fees). We have $106,000 in savings. The gap: $36,000. David Kim's advice: "You have two options. Wait twelve months and save the difference. Or find an investor." Michael Torres — the man from the food festival, the one whose card Jessica filed under "Capital" — is still interested. He has offered $50,000 for a twenty percent equity stake. Jessica ran the numbers. The numbers work. The equity loss is real but manageable. The acceleration is worth the dilution.
I told Roberto about the investor. He said, "You are selling part of the restaurant?" I said, "Twenty percent. We keep eighty." He thought about this. Then he said, "Eighty percent of a restaurant that exists is better than a hundred percent of a restaurant that does not." The man is a philosopher of barbecue. His wisdom comes from the grill and it applies to everything.
The timeline: build-out starts June 2023. Build-out completes November 2023. Staff training December 2023-February 2024. Soft opening: March 2024. Grand opening: March 15, 2024. One year from now. One year from the lease signing to the first plate of brisket served to a paying customer. The fire accelerates. The fire does not wait.
The irony is not lost on me: I am designing an 800-gallon offset smoker, spec’ing out a char-broiler, and planning a grand opening around fire—and yet right now, in this in-between season of permits and projections and blueprints, I am not cooking anything at all. The restaurant does not exist yet. The kitchen does not exist yet. So when Roberto’s family came over last Sunday and I wanted to bring something to the table, I made these no-bake chocolate hazelnut thumbprints—because they require no oven, no flame, no equipment I do not yet have. There is something honest about that. You build the restaurant first. Then you cook.
No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 24 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella), divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts, for topping
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix in wet ingredients. Add the softened butter, milk, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of the chocolate hazelnut spread to the dry mixture. Stir with a spatula until everything comes together into a thick, uniform dough. If the dough feels too dry, add milk one teaspoon at a time.
- Portion and roll. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per piece and roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet or large plate.
- Make the thumbprints. Press your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon firmly into the center of each ball to create a deep well. Reshape any cracks around the edges by gently pressing them back together with your fingers.
- Fill with hazelnut spread. Spoon or pipe the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread into each thumbprint indentation, filling each well nearly to the top.
- Top and chill. Sprinkle the chopped toasted hazelnuts over each filled thumbprint. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill for at least 15 minutes, until the filling is set and the bites hold their shape cleanly.
- Serve. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 92 | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 4.5g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 28mg