Chef Chris cutting the orange garnishes
On March 30th, 2010, Chef Chris Lubben will be offering his first ever cooking class at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen. This class will be instructional/demonstrational only. You will be in the kitchen with Chef Chris as he preps and prepares a meal. During this time, he will teach you important knife and cooking skills. Class size will be small due to the size of our kitchen, giving you an upfront look and chance at learning all you can from our Culinary Institute of America trained chef. Let us know beforehand if you have any special dietary needs, etc, and Chris can address them in class. Class will begin at 6pm and should run no more than two hours. There are only 6 slots available, with half of your $50 fee due by March 23rd. This will hold your spot. You will be sent home with the recipe, and if there is enough to go around, some of the food as well! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at CosmicKitchenOnline@gmail.com.
If we find there is an overwhelming response, we will schedule a second class right away.
Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for up to date information on all things “CCK”!
THE Large Stack
We’ve had a few inquiries lately about our “Large Stack Hall of Fame”. So I thought I’d take some time on my day off to fill everyone in on what it is, and what it’s all about. At Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen we have two sizes of pancake orders, the short stack or the large stack. Our short stack consists of three plate-sized pancakes, in either chocolate chip, blueberry or plain. (Some weekends, we even offer fresh banana pancakes!) Our large stack consists of FIVE plate-sized pancakes. Since we opened, over two years ago, only four people have eaten the entire large stack by themselves. So, we made a “Hall of Fame” for the people who have completed the challenge, and it’s called CCK’s “Large Stack Hall of Fame”. What we’ve added more recently was an incentive to eating the entire stack. If you can eat the entire stack in one sitting without sharing or cheating, you can have it for FREE! That’s right, we’ll refund your money back to you if you make it into the “Large Stack Hall of Fame”. You can view some of our Hall of Famers and some who didn’t quite make it on our Facebook page. The four currently in our Hall of Fame are:
1) Fred Powell 2) Lou Muzyczek 3) Joe Facendola 4) Daniel Reamer.
Daniel Reamer, Hall of Famer #4
So what do you think? Love watching “Man v. Food” on the Travel Channel? Wanna give it a shot? We’d love to see you try!
Follow all things “CCK” on Twitter and Facebook… we’re very active in the social media world and are only a keystroke away! Some businesses hire people to manage their social media, but not us. If you’re our follower or friend, we see you and we hear you… so keep in touch!
In 2008, our Chef, Chris Lubben, made it into the top 12 of Wilmington’s Top Chef competition and was featured on the cover of Wilmington Magazine. By that time, Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen had only been open for a little over a year, and we were very honored to have made the cut. The voting has begun for this years Top Chef competition and Chris has once again been nominated! We’re honored and excited to be in the running and are asking for your help! From StarNewsOnline.com: “Vote for your favorite 25 chefs in our first round of voting, and help decide which chefs are the best of the best in the Wilmington area. Round One voting ends March 12, at which time we’ll tally your votes for the Top 25. Voting for the Top 10 out of the remaining Top 25 will begin March 15. So vote now!”
UPDATE! Chris has made it into the Top 25 and we now need your help getting him into the Top 10! Voting ends March 31st. You can still click on the link below to vote, and you can vote more than once!
VOTE HERE! http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100303/ARTICLES/100309909
I must stop for a minute to thank the entire Greater Wilmington area for supporting our small, locally owned & operated, restaurant these past two and a half years. The restaurant business is not an easy business to get into, especially when it is your first. Yet, it was a lifelong dream of Chris’s to own his own restaurant, so when we finally decided to take the leap, we gave it all we had and are still doing so today. It’s been a rough road, given the recession that hit so hard during our second year of business, but we’re still hanging in there… thanks to you. We believe that you recognize the hard work and dedication that goes into everything we do.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
* You can follow Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
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- Creole Shrimp & Grits
- Well, here we are in March and I must admit that I have NOT chosen a winner yet for the “Name Our Menu Item” contest. I thank all of you for the creative entries that came our way. The problem is that some were really cute but just didn’t fit into the theme of the restaurant or marketing plan. I am currently deciding between a few final names, as well as the suggestion to keep it as “Creole Shrimp & Grits”. Yes, I am one of those people who thinks about a decision TOO much, but I will keep you updated. Even if I choose to keep the name as it was, someone will win the prize for best entry!
In other news, last weekend, Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen sponsored, “War on the Shore” brought to you by Carolina Fight Promotions. Chris and I have really enjoyed these local MMA fights since they were introduced to North Carolina a few years back. Several local fighters dine at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen on a regular basis, including our sponsored fighter, Cory Crumpler. If you haven’t been to one of these events but love to watch them on TV, please come out to the next one on May 22nd!
Become a FAN of Cory Crumpler on Facebook!
- Local Fighter Cory Crumpler
- Spring is almost here and we will keep you updated on when our extended hours will begin. You can follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the most up to date information.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for our CCK Club for deals and discounts available only to members! These come in a once a month newsletter.
- “Happy March everyone!”
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- *** We’ll have a new blog post coming SOON about our upcoming cooking/knife skills classes! ***
Our Shrimp & Grits
Recently, CCK added a new special to our special board. Chris was looking for a twist on the same old, same old ”shrimp & grits” and asked our new cook Charlie Grasse to give it a shot. Charlie had some experience cooking in New Orleans and created a Creole inspired shrimp & grits. After a few tweaks, it was ready to roll and has sold very well ever since.
Our shrimp & grits consists of fresh tiger shrimp sautéed with onions and tri-colored peppers in a zesty shrimp-tomato broth, served over a bowl of grits. It’s sooo good! So good that we are, in fact, adding it to the menu!
Here’s where YOU come in. We thought it would be a fun idea if one of our own customers named our new shrimp & grits, giving it a more suitable name for our establishment. You eat ’em, so you name ’em! We’ll take name ideas for one month. After all entries are in, we’ll select the name that we would like to see go permanently on our menu. We suggest you come in and try them for inspiration, to know exactly what it is you are naming.
So get creative, think big, bold, hip, fun, catchy… and ask yourself if it will fit into our overall marketing scheme. Then go for it!
The winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate, a Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen T-shirt and a claim to fame – a chance to tell all their friends and family that they named our newest menu item!
RULES & GUIDELINES: Only one suggestion per customer. There is no rush, you have a whole month, so carefully consider your menu item name before you hit send. We’ll need you to email us your suggestion to CosmicKitchenOnline@gmail.com with your name and contact information in case yours is chosen. By entering this contest, you give us the right to publish and use your name for marketing reasons. If by chance more than one person comes up with the name that we choose, the one that sends us that name FIRST will be the winner. Deadline is Feb. 19th. Good Luck!
Sometimes we forget in the hustle and bustle of our days that our own hometown is considered “Hollywood East”. Only minutes away from Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen is Screen Gems Studios (follow them on Twitter @euescreengems). Not only are TV shows filmed here and in the area, but big budget films as well. People come from all over the country to watch for the stars featured in these productions. Since opening in 2007, we’ve had a few reminders of the fact that this is, indeed, Hollywood East. Our first reminder was when a gentlemen came in shortly after our opening and Chris recognized him from the set of, “Bolden”, a Wynton Marsalis film not yet released. Chris and our oldest son, Isaiah (who at times aspires to be an actor) had been chosen as extras for this film and Chris recognized the gentleman as part of the production crew. He and his family are now regulars. Then came the faxed and phoned in orders from the set of “One Tree Hill”. We were proud that they chose us to feed their crew, and even more proud that they were return customers. Our third reminder that we were in a bustling film area was when we received a curiously large take-out call. When asked if they worked in the area, they replied that the orders were for the set of, “The Secret Life of Bees”. These were all exciting moments for us, a small, locally owned restaurant that has only been open a little over 2 years… but, the biggest moment of all happened just this weekend! Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen had our very first nationally known *star* dine in our restaurant. Bethany Joy Galeotti, of “One Tree Hill” fame, and her husband, joined us for Sunday Brunch. Bethany plays Haley James Scott on the CW drama. You can find more about her here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502342/ or here http://bjoyweb.net/.
So, now it’s official. Someone famous has eaten at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen. Though, in our imaginations, we’d like to believe that perhaps Queen Latifah, Alicia Keyes or Dakota Fanning may have sampled one of the many Shrimp Bisques’ or Chicken Club Wraps that went out to the set of “The Secret Life of Bees”… we can dream too, can’t we?
More info on Screen Gems: http://www.screengemsstudios.com/nc/
More info on One Tree Hill: http://www.cwtv.com/shows/one-tree-hill
Recently, Jeanine C. Skane, Executive Director of the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, contacted us about our evening restaurant rental.
WARM (http://www.warmnc.org/) needed a location to hold a meet and greet and wanted to enjoy our fabulous handmade cheesecake while doing so! We were happy to oblige.
We first learned about WARM from a regular customer of ours, Ron. But what is WARM you ask? I took the following from their website mentioned above:
The purpose of the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Inc. (WARM, Inc.) is to assist people living in substandard housing, including elderly and disabled. By upgrading their housing, we hope to alleviate some of their problems and create a safe and healthy environment for them. WARM works with individuals, organizations, and businesses in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender Counties.
Every year, WARM, Inc. organizes over 500 local and out-of-town volunteers to complete vital repairs for an average of 40-50 very low income homeowners, whose income falls 50% below the median for their county. In many cases, we help the residents stay in their homes. The average cost of repairs is $2000 per home. Over 80% of our homeowners are elderly widows and over 30% are disabled.
Founded in 1996 by the Wilmington District United Methodist Church, WARM, Inc. is a local, grassroots movement built on the Christian values of service, compassion, and unity. Service not only impacts the homeowner in need, but enriches the lives of those serving. Compassion motivates our volunteers and other supporters to engage in the life-changing work that WARM carries out. Unity in that all people of compassion are invited to join us in this mission and all very low income homeowners are invited to apply, regardless of personal creed, ethnicity, or background.
WARM, Inc. provides meaningful work that changes lives in a setting that encourages group unity, spiritual enrichment, and a sense of satisfaction that comes only from helping others.
This was a great group of people and if you are looking for a local grassroots movement to be involved in, try this one!
* You can find @CosmicKitchen and WARM’s Executive Director @JCSkane on Twitter.
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Bob & Audrey's 50th Anniversary Party
On July 13th, 2009, two of our most loyal customers, Bob and Audrey Hersom, celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen! They invited forty of their closest friends and family. It was a spectacular evening for all. We were brought to tears by a speech their granddaughter gave, as well as by a scrapbook that was secretly put together for them by friends. Bob and Audrey used our evening restaurant rental/in-house catering feature. Chris sat down with them a few weeks before and created a menu to their liking. Some of the things they chose were Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Marsala, to be served buffet style. They also requested beer and wine to be served. We were so happy, and honored, the Hersom’s chose Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen for their 50th Anniversary dinner! What a special evening. We were so glad to have been a part of it all.
Would you be interested in doing something like this? We keep it very affordable at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen with only a $100 restaurant rental fee. Then if you are on a budget, you can sit down with Chris and he will cater a menu that fits all of your needs.
This past month, two more of our loyal customers, Tom and Pat Butler, had an evening brunch for forty of their closest friends at Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen. All together, they had three consecutive brunches at our small, family owned restaurant. They knew that with a Culinary Institute Graduate in the kitchen and smiling faces in the dining room, they would be in good hands.
So whether it’s a birthday bash or business meeting, anniversary or graduation party, wedding reception or baby shower, keep Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen’s evening restaurant rental in mind for your next special event! You can’t beat having an entire restaurant to yourselves!
Call or email us for more information!
Cory Crumpler and Chris Lubben
This past Saturday, August 1st, was the last Mixed Martial Arts fight in the “Bud Light Summer Fight Series.” Among the three pro fights, and eight amateur, was a bout between Daniel Skipper and Cory Crumpler of local Evolution MMA. Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen was proud to sponsor Crumpler, who is now 2-0 after Saturday night’s “Beat Down in the Heat”! We got to know Cory and many of the local Evolution MMA crew because they can be found enjoying one of our best-selling Tex-Mex Omelets on any given day.
StarNewsOnline.com article with picture of Cory (top): http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090801/ARTICLES/908019963?Title=Wilmington-reaps-benefit-of-MMA-return
