Margaret Lamm, left, and Rachel Nutter work in the kitchen of their bistro and bakery in Joseph, The Blythe Cricket on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Lamm usually oversees the kitchen, while Nutter oversees the service area, although they help in both areas.

JOSEPH — The owners of Joseph’s iconic eatery, The Blythe Cricket, have taken advantage of the offseason to renovate their dining area to add retail merchandise. They reopened for business Wednesday, Feb. 9.

“The main renovations are in the dining room to make room for merchandise, which is coming soon,” co-owners Margaret Lamm and Rachel Nutter said in an email. “We have customers asking to buy our little whimsical knick-knacks we use as decor in the dining room and the pretty things they see through the kitchen windows, so we decided to expand gradually into retail as well as food. We are thoughtful when we expand our menu to try and rotate with what’s available seasonally and from local sources.”

The pair said that in adding the merchandise they “value the quality of the item and, as much as possible, we support and buy from other local artists.”

A new shelving unit for the eatery was built by Lamm’s husband, Clayton Lamm, who is a custom woodworker.

Unique name

Open since January 2019, The Blythe Cricket gets its name from several things.

“We were inspired by the wood cricket carvings that local artist, Steve Armet, originally made for Margaret’s kitchen bar at home,” they said. “They are now featured in our dining area.”

Another inspiration comes from a vintage children’s book they found at a garage sale in Wallowa called, “The Orderly Cricket.”

“Crickets are considered a symbol of good luck,” they said. “We started using cricket as a verb for being active and busy, such as, ‘Are you going to cricket in the kitchen today?’”

The “Blythe” portion of the name refers to being happy and carefree, they said.

Unique menu

The Blythe Cricket offers primarily a variety of breakfast and lunch items, including espresso, baked pastries — all made from scratch — and English muffin sandwiches, also made from scratch. Lunches include homemade soups, salads and hot and cold sandwiches.

Popular weekend fare includes biscuits and gravy.

The Blythe Cricket also offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The restaurant also has a full liquor license and offers signature cocktails, as well as wine and beer on tap.

“We occasionally cater dinners for special events, such as company holiday parties, Valentine’s Dinner and large family events,” they said.

The full menu is available on the Cricket’s website.

Working together

According to their website, the “lifelong friends and baking buddies launched the Cricket as a bakery and bistro to offer their beloved town — locals and visitors alike — an opportunity to relax in a rustic and comfortable yet modern space with home crafted food and hot beverages.”

Lamm and Nutter work together as needed, but generally Lamm oversees the kitchen and Nutter oversees the service area. They both make the baked goods for the pastry case.

“One of the things we want to mention is how much we appreciate and value our community, especially through the last couple years,” Lamm and Nutter said. “This county really steps up to support local businesses.”

What: Dine-in, take out. No delivery

Where: 700 N. Main St., Joseph

Who: Margaret Lamm and Rachel Nutter

When: Winter hours: Wednesday-Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday

Phone: 541-432-1522

Email: theblythecricket@gmail.com

Online: theblythecricket.com