By Beth Volpert-Serrero
GRAYSON - If you are among the folks who have ever spent time at Grayson House, you will likely have had the pleasure of being doted on by Ms. Dot Moehrke, owner. The dining experience at Grayson House is accentuated by the attentiveness, caring and kind words that flow naturally from the smiling hostess Ms. Dot. She is as comfortable entertaining a houseful of bridesmaids or a mother-to-be as she is a political gathering. Each person who walks through the door is made to feel special as only a mother can manage.
And mothering is important. Much of what shaped Grayson House and Ms. Dot’s thoughts on mothering is steeped in deep family traditions. Even the corporation name, The Uncommon, is derived from her mother’s instance that they should be, “neither tacky, cheap nor common.” And all at Grayson House is indeed uncommon.
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Dot Moehrke, owner of The Grayson House, invites you to feel special for Mother’s Day.
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Baked goods are among the most delicious and uncommon items served daily from Ms. Dot's kitchens. Her love of good quality and fresh baked goods came from the many hours Ms. Dot spent in the “in town Rome” kitchen of her grandmother. “She was my best friend,” recalls Ms. Dot. “She was lots of fun and taught me to bake. Especially cakes which I was allowed to decorate any way I pleased.” She smiles and adds, “I used all the colors in the food coloring box and thought they were just the most beautiful cakes.” Her memory of her grandmother allowing her to explore her kitchen without comment was passed on to her girls. “I tried not to get uptight about the little messes,” says Ms. Dot. “I just let my girls do their experimenting and then we cleaned it up later.”
More of the family traditions can be found in the gardens that surround Grayson House. They do, quite literally, surround the house. Arugula is tucked in around back just below the dining patio, various organic greens spring forth from window boxes and are mixed in with lovely flowers. Herbs sway in the breeze and bring their scents indoors when you brush against them. And “out back” is a rich organic garden which currently hosts fava beans and stands ready to accommodate the many tomato plants and other summer vegetables that will be used in dishes throughout the growing season. Of her love of gardening? Ms. Dot says that her mother was ahead of her time. “She grew organic vegetables before it was the thing to do,” recalls Ms. Dot. “We even had a hot bacon dressing that was just wonderful...years later, that recipe was in every gourmet magazine in the country." The gardens on their North Georgia dairy farm were a source of plenty of wonderful foods. And they lived among lots of family in and around the farm for whom the gardens provided the means of a bountiful table during special times.
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Dot Moehrke, owner, The Grayson House, looking over her garden, invites you to do the same.
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Special times were a little different after Ms. Dot grew up, married and left the farm. "Being in the hospitality business, we rarely got to celebrate holidays on the right day," says Ms. Dot. "Our Easter tradition was to celebrate on Monday by going downtown to Atlanta for a nice meal at the blue bubbled restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency. My mother-in-law and my girls would join me for a private little celebration. On Mother's Day Evening after all the brunches were served, we would gather for our family dinner. She smiles with some memory while telling her story.
These days, Ms. Dot is referred to as Grandmommy. Her grandson, John, is fifteen and enjoys working at the restaurant. Grandmommy has started training him from dishwashing to dining room with everything in between. She says she is blessed with two wonderful daughters with whom she is close and has a daily phone chat with her three year old granddaughter, Lora, who lives near the shore in Alabama. They love to stick their toes in the sand when Grandmommy can get away. Lora's older brother, Drew, follows the family traditions by cooking from scratch. His specialty is pizza. "He is a little chef in his own right," says Grandmommy Dot. And locally, her granddaughter, Sydney, keeps her sharp with plenty of girly time and tradition to begin to hand down.
Keeping with the traditions of a full dining room, Ms. Dot is pleased that in her tenth year at Grayson House she has found a place to provide a comfortable atmosphere. "I am glad that people feel at home and are comfortable in my dining room." Her mission was to become an integral part of the community and those who dine with her often are certain that her mission has been accomplished. Have a Happy Mother's Day and perhaps let Ms. Dot "mother" you just a little. Treat yourself to brunch at Grayson House. It might become a family tradition.
