Many may know her as the front woman of the homegrown Famous Lucy, but diners who come into La Femme will know her by the different kind of notes she sings, in the form of what she delivers from the Uptown Pub kitchen to their table.

Megan Trenary has been operating La Femme for six months now, recalling how its opening fell on the spring equinox. With such an omen, she and the staff at Uptown Pub are happy how the restaurant has landed in the consciousness of Port Townsend, as they have spent that time serving up homestyle offerings to their customers.

Trenary believes it’s the individual care and time she and her kitchen staff put into perfecting all the fresh ingredients that land on a plate. The key ingredients, including sauces and dressings, are made in-house and by hand.

“Our most important ingredient is love,” Trenary said, adding that nothing is pre-made and the recipes are her own. “Our food is real.”

To keep reminding her staff to dedicate themselves to their culinary concoctions, Trenary has them put a heart on every to-go box and any label that reaches the customers.

When asked what she considers her signature dish, Trenary said there wasn’t one that reigns supreme, as each item has its own flair. She did say the meatloaf was one of the last entrees placed on the menu, and it has gained traction.

“The meatloaf has become one of our most popular items,” Trenary said.

No pub is complete without a selection of hamburgers, and La Femme has them on hand. Trenary said each is made from a half-pound patty, classic or Americano, which comes with American cheese, French's fried onions and special sauce.

The restaurant’s chicken wings, legs and thighs, and tenders are one of the chef's prides and joys. The process is extensive but worth it to Trenary, as she wet brines the chicken for 24 hours before slow baking. Each piece is then dredged in buttermilk and dry seasonings, and then heads into the fryer.

“The brisket will make your brain tingle,” said Trenary about one of the most popular dinner items. She takes a Texas-style approach when preparing it, including a complete coating of a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and ground pepper, then 12 to 14 hours in an oven with a smoker box. Trenary said the fat is fully rendered, giving its eaters a dissipating sensation when the meat touches the roof of their mouths.

With each order comes two selections of sides. Trenary is proud of the macaroni and cheese that is topped with queso, which is a mix of tomatoes, onions and chilis, for a southwestern flair. Customers can add either bits of meatloaf or barbecue to the queso mac to make it a “trashy mac.”

After years of living around the United States, including in Texas and Oregon, Trenary returned to her hometown of Port Townsend for its familiarity and community.

“You can’t recreate 20-year friendships without 20 years,” she said.

Before taking over as manager of La Femme, she was bartending for Uptown Pub and cooking in the kitchen two days per week. She was then asked by the Uptown Pub owners, Jaclyn and Rob Connor, to take over the kitchen full time.

Before it was a traditional restaurant with a regular menu, its food selections rotated from day to day throughout the week. From tacos on Tuesdays, fried chicken on Wednesdays, and Thursdays and gyros, the customer base had to keep up with what each day had in store, as it acted like a pop-up restaurant each day. The change to La Femme gives the customers a consistent idea of what to expect when they choose to dine or lunch.

The choice of southern barbecue came from a noticeable void in that certain cuisine in the Port Townsend food arena. Trenary said fried chicken was unique and was a way to draw customers to the restaurant.

While she lived in Texas, she worked under the direction of Jesse Griffiths, who owns Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club. She learned butchery and charcuterie from him and worked at organic farms, where she would set up dinners out of a commercial kitchen. About every two years, Trenary returns to “stooge” in his kitchen to learn more about how to make his type of food. When she moved back to Port Townsend, her sights were set on opening a butchery.

“It’s been great,” Jaclyn Connor said about the relationship between the restaurant and bar. “She is very enthusiastic about everything,” she added about Trenary. “Everyone loves a burger and a beer,” she said, calling the food offerings complementary to what is on tap. “It’s been a good partnership, beneficial to both of us. We’re happy to have her and her delicious food.”