Long Live The King

Most of the people who know me and have heard me talk about Reserve for any length of time have probably had the misfortune of hearing me whine about everything that was wrong with it. Indeed, the list is long and I stand by it. The restaurant was put together by massively over paid consultants who clearly knew nothing about modern cooking and even less about producing charcuterie and by the time I came in to the picture it was too late to right the ship. And the clientele...

I had actually left Grand Rapids over a decade before because I could not sesame crust and sear another piece of tuna. Staying there would have meant the slow decay of my culinary education and career. But much seemed to have changed since then (and much has) so I came back to work here under the impression that Grand Rapids was ready to think about their restaurant culture in a little more contemporary fashion. Unfortunately in the early days Reserve attracted a well heeled but not particularly food savvy patron. One night a customer at the bar explained he didn't eat at Reserve because he expected a fancy room like ours to serve food that was more modern and trendy, you know like lamb lollipops or sliders, or, yes, seared tuna. He also thought our wines were over priced, and he knew good wine. He always ordered the most expensive bottle at Bonefish Grill. Around this same time, Chad Miller's Bloom and Corez both closed, and once again the dining culture here seemed doomed. I thought at that moment, much to my great disappointment, that this grand experiment was over.

For a restaurant to find success in Grand Rapids it must capture the loyalty of the locals. No one comes here specifically to experience the restaurant scene and the majority of visitors are business travelers which explains the number of steakhouses downtown. So any restaurant that tries to break from the norm must do so without alienating the people who live here (on the lakeshore, populations swell with part time residents and vacationers from larger metropolitan areas who have had more exposure to modern dining). And the locals here notoriously mistake price points and quantity for quality and this, along with a pervasive lack of self awareness, is what really stands in the way of the dining scene getting better. With restaurants you really get the operators you ask for. And it was painfully obvious they weren't asking for Reserve. We weren't trying to be innovative or avant garde, we just wanted to avoid doing things like everyone else. We wanted to feel free to be ourselves and pour wine and cook food that reflected that.

So fairly early on our opening general manager was chased back to Chicago and I hatched a slow moving plan to get back to my home by the Lakeshore. That plan will eventually culminate in St. Anthony, but in the meantime it has led to me leaving Reserve at the end of January. A lot has happened since those dark dining days in 2010, and I now find myself wishing I could stick around a bit longer. Over time, we have built a good reputation, especially among others in the industry. This is an important first step. There must be a culture within the industry before one can blossom without. And this is happening in Grand Rapids. Things get better everyday. More and more people are starting to understand that Reserve and a few other restaurants are run by passionate people who wish nothing more than to share what roots their passions in their professions.

It's a cliche, I know, but in the restaurant business in particular, the people make the place. Spend as much money as you want, but a restaurant will never be great unless the people who have boots on the ground are of high caliber and that is certainly true of the heart of Reserve. Peter Marantette, Mathew Green, and Brandon Sturm are unimpeachable stewards of their crafts. It has been my great privilege to work with them. Caleb Williams is perhaps the best line cook I have ever seen and is already showing signs he'll be a great leader. Brian Proctor has such enthusiasm for his work I would recommend sitting down with him for a beer to anyone who has lost their passion for cooking. Tori Gersonde, who has no desire to cook for a living, brings a commitment to quality to her work that shows just how remarkable a person she is.

We very rarely had disagreements at Reserve, but when we did, it was because somehow mediocrity or mistakes crept in, and the anger and frustration anyone felt stemmed from their knowledge that we were better than that. I have been thanked several times by my staff for what they learned from me, but I don't know how much validity there is in that. This crew came through the door with a lot of talent and skill. I will take credit for fighting hard to keep our standards high and creating an environment that was as free from sacrifice as possible. I think putting this much talent in an environment like that can only yield great things. And that is why I will be keeping a close eye on Reserve to see what comes next. The place has been left in very good hands. This story is not over. I think years from now, we'll see that this restaurant will have had a big hand in making the dining scene in West Michigan better. I am sad to be on the sidelines, but happy to have had a hand in it.

Thanks to the entire staff at Reserve. I am very proud of you all and the work that we've done over the last couple of years. Keep doing what you know in your heart is right, for yourselves, the restaurant, your clients, and your profession, and fight against the push toward the middle of the pack. The high road has benefits, I promise. One day you'll wake up and the world will be different, and you'll know you had a part to play in that. Sitting it out to be safe is never worth it.

Cheers to what's coming,
Chef

Rain Delay

So, for a variety of reasons, Brandon and I have decided to delay the opening of St. Anthony for a year.  Principally, this is because of our timeline. Time is the best resource you have when trying to do something right and we have no interest in rushing through the process. Keeps your eyes posted on this blog for more info and to hear about two other projects on the way this summer.