"Mia's" Opens This Weekend and Fulfills a Long-held Dream

Mia Kartiganer, left, with her Line Cook Sarah Boyd and Floor Manager Becky Klauss. "Mia's" will open in Eastsound Square this weekend.

Mia Kartiganer plans a “soft opening” on Friday and Saturday of “Mia’s” in Eastsound Square.

The cafe is the culmination of a long-held dream, to run her own restaurant on Orcas. Mia first lusted after the spot, which has seen new owners nearly every year. Mia first had the idea of having a cafe there 12 years ago when Rose’s Bakery moved out.

About eight years ago, she operated Mia’s Winter Kitchen at The Kitchen when owner Charles Dalton was out. That was before The Kitchen had indoor seating, and during the winter months, she offered 3 soups a day, quiche, salad and a vegetable special. “It was a one-woman show,” Mia says, “Now you can’t do that.”

She is assisted at her present location by Sarah Boyd, her “fearless line cook,” Lisa Darnell, also a line cook, and Becky Klauss as Floor Manager and Head Waitress. Lisa will also help out Becky on customer service.

“I’ll be the hopper,” Mia says and launches into her menus, which Carol McKinstry and Carol Anderson helped formulate.

Drawing from her childhood spent in Europe, Mia plans a menu of “Food of the people from all over the world.”  She has tried to provide a different menu from the ones offered by other island restaurants.

Many of the dishes are cleverly named, such as “Goldilox and the 3 Scmeers” and “Chicken and the Egg Salad” sandwich. Other luncheon items include corned beef on Russian Rye with cole slaw, and the Sarada Salad, named after former islander Susan Sarada who liked everything in her salads.

Breakfasts will include lemon-blueberry blintzes, “Nacho Mamas” (an egg, tortilla and chips dish), corned beef hash with poached eggs, and baked eggs with Greek potatoes. The Kids’ Menu includes PB & J “tower” sandwiches, and the breakfast classic, “Toad in the Hole.”

Mia plans to be open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  with brunch served from 10 to 2 on Sundays, beginning Nov. 8.

She expects to hold private dinners in the restaurant, inviting guest chefs to prepare dinners there. “I love playing in the kitchen with people and inviting peole to join me in the best playroom.”

She also envisions inviting islanders to contribute their own favorite “comfort food” recipes and, once a week, serving that dish. “We’re all about the locals, which is why we don’t have any qualms about starting this time of year,” Mia says.

This Friday and Saturday, “Mia’s” will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The informal opening will allow the staff to work on the flow of preparing, ordering and serving the food they love.  She asks for a “reasonable donation” on these days.

“We’re just thrilled to finally get to do this,” says Mia. “We put so much time into it, we forget to eat! We can’t wait!”