Seconds after The Wooden Spoon posted on Facebook that it was closing its doors on July 10, the communal mourning for the deliciously eclectic Brighton restaurant began.
It will remain for the next few days the coolest place to eat in Livingston County, serving imaginative, delicious dishes in a space nourished by love of food and art and community.
The Wooden Spoon played an important role in my pandemic life, serving as a punctuation mark of celebration during the stressful time. My birthday? Carryout from The Wooden Spoon. Our wedding anniversary? Carryout from The Wooden Spoon. Other reasons to celebrate? You guessed it: The Wooden Spoon buoyed us from milestone to milestone as we waited to get out again.
And so it was that when my husband and I decided to have dinner out last weekend — our first post-pandemic date night — we found ourselves at The Wooden Spoon for a wonderful evening. I even bought a painting that had whispered to me throughout the evening. We left feeling like life was finally — FINALLY — starting to get back to something sort of normal.
So, today’s news lands with a mixture of disbelief, sadness, and grateful appreciation. Chef Steve Pilon delivered so much more than just food, and for that we all give our heartfelt thanks. Our community is a better place because of his vision.
Business at The Wooden Spoon between now and July 10 will surely be absolutely crazy as everyone scrambles for a final bowl of mushroom brie soup (or whatever else on the menu was their favorite — I am crossing my fingers for one final short rib dinner). And everyone will want to say goodbye. So, I will extend my thanks today to Pilon for delivering to the community so much more than just food, and for showing us how important a restaurant can be.
And talk about teaching a master class on leaving on the highest of notes. This is from The Wooden Spoon’s goodbye message on Facebook:
“As we all understand, all good things must come to an end. The restaurant business is difficult and delicate. The pandemic added its own weight to the typical challenges of this business. For these reasons, we have decided to end our run on a good note, with the patio full of smiling faces, and the summer sun brightening our spirits and the days ahead.”
