Broken Bread began as so many ideas do, around a kitchen table. Over dinner with my wife one night, as she was taking a picture of what I had made so she could share it on Facebook, I was lamenting a common frustration. How the job I wanted to do was not the job I had. The time had come for me to take the leap and go to work for myself. I just had to figure out how.
The answer struck me like a bolt.
Over the last decade, I have worked for many people, in many different jobs. I simmered that collection of experiences for a while to see what rose to the top. I took stock of what it is I want to achieve in this business now, and measured it against why I started this career in the first place. I found that little had changed about what I want to do, about what keeps me charged in a difficult business. The fulfillment that comes from feeding people well prepared food is paramount.
Broken Bread began to take shape.
A fellow young chef once asked me “what is your ideal restaurant?” I answered that a “fine dining soup kitchen” would suit me just fine. It became a joke over the years. But eventually, that joke became the answer I was looking for.
This answer needed tempering. How to get customers to embrace a restaurant that offers a few house staple items, but relies mostly on a blackboard “specials,” or “of the day” offerings. In a world where large menus are the standard, could I pull off a restaurant with virtually no menu? I decided I could.
There is a good fight happening out there. One that uses terms like “localvoire” and “sustainable.” A fight that relies on people choosing to consume responsibly, to purchase local goods and services, to think about the how and the long term implications. My business partner, Doug Davault, and I, believe strongly in this fight. We feel that our location in the Willamette Valley offers us the opportunity to act as intermediaries, between the abundance of conscientiously produced agriculture and artisan goods, and our diners. We are certainly not the first to join this movement, but we feel we are in a unique position to offer this service at an affordable price. Through the use of whole animals and seasonal produce, rather than procuring only the choicest cuts and tomatoes in January, we intend to control waste and reduce packaging. By purchasing from local farmers and craftsmen, we will work to keep our impact on the environment small. By focusing on daily specials rather than the upkeep required for an extensive static menu, we believe we can make this work.
At the end of the day, Broken Bread is about one plate of food. Yours. Each plate is a stepping stone along the path of responsible consumption. Each plate is a vote for sustainable sustenance. Doug and I hope that path is a long one for us. We are at the beginning of our adventures with Broken Bread, and hope the city of Salem and the surrounding communities will come along with us as we explore the bounty of this region and the local treasures we find out there.
Adam High
Chef/Owner
Broken Bread
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