Maranne

Bob and Maranne Berlinghof were good friends of ours.  The couple lived on a yacht called Apogee for several years, which they operated as a charter boat during the season.  With Maranne as first mate and chief cook the guests were assured of terrific meals, she was an outstanding chef able to turn simple ingredients into gourmet fare.

The day came when Bob and Maranne started a family, and with the birth of their son Ross they rented a house on land.  Maranne now focused on being a mom while Bob continued in the charter business, hiring a cook when needed.  Sailing Apogee without his wife was a whole different kettle of fish for Bob, and I am sure any repeat charter guests noticed a difference in the meals served on board!

I was thrilled when Maranne agreed to work part-time at Mac’s during the season, I certainly needed help in both the kitchen and the dining room.  It was decided that Maranne would come to the restaurant each morning and prepare that day’s lunch special, then return in the evening to perform hostess duties. This arrangement suited both of us, it would give me more time in the morning to prepare the restaurant for the lunch hour, and allow me to remain in the kitchen at night instead of directing traffic in the dining room.

It didn’t take long before Maranne was “busted”.  Someone had reported to the authorities that I had a foreigner working at Mac’s, and Immigration officials arrived to take her away.  Much to his chagrin, the person responsible for the report  didn’t realize that Maranne’s last name was Hazell (hence the handle “Hazell-Berlinghof”), and that she had deep Vincentian roots.  When Maranne was able to produce her Vincy passport the Immigration officals allowed her to return to work.

Maranne was an absolute treasure in the kitchen. Mac’s daily lunch specials took on a whole new life with such expertise at the helm. Her lobster crepes were exquisite and so were her quiches, everything she made looked and tasted divine. Knowing that I didn’t have to spend time concocting a special allowed me to focus on the main menu, ensuring that everything was in place before the hordes descended. The lunch hour always seemed to begin the same time breakfast was ending, and making it a smooth transition was easier with Maranne’s help.

Having a Hostess in the dining room at night was a huge asset, especially a Hostess as well-turned-out as Maranne.  I usually had the floor plan for the day done by the end of the lunch hour, anyone trying to book a table after then was out of luck! The two sittings were always full, and the pressure involved getting the first set of people out in time for the second was a daunting task.  With Maranne there to seat the arriving guests I was able to concentrate on making sure they got drinks and that their orders were taken in a timely fashion, not always easy to accomplish when it was so busy.

One day Bob arrived with a hand-cranked machine and announced he was going to make some ice cream.  Setting himself up in the store room he got to work, shouting out commands to Maranne whenever he needed help.  I had to chastise him more than once, he was disturbing an artist at work and that artist needed to get the lunch special done! Another friend named Wendy also got involved in the store-room action, she busied herself making graham cracker crusts, and soon we had ice cream pies on the dessert menu. This, my friends, was the beginning of Maranne’s Ice Cream!