Erwin Cafe - About Erwin - An American Cafe and Bar

THE HISTORY

Nestled between Chicago's historic Wrigley Field and the residential pockets of the Lake View Neighborhood, sits erwin at 2925 North Halsted. In the large front window whimsical birds seem to fly in and out of their colorful wooden birdhouses, suggesting that no matter what season it is, nature is omnipresent, even in the city.

Forest green walls further imply a sense of the outdoors and give a warm sensibility to this comfortable space designed by Architect Tannys Langdon. Mahogany-stained cabinetry separates the main dining room from the bar which features hardwoods and matching booths. Like the rooftops in the Lake View neighborhood which border the sky, hand painted murals of these rooftops border the walls within erwin. Once inside the pampering begins and you quickly feel like you are in the home of friends.

Chef Erwin Drechsler, whose restaurant was quickly acclaimed by Bon Appetit as one of the top 10 in the country to open in 1994, never planned to name the restaurant after himself. It was one of his best customers who suggested its name. "Call it Erwin, it's you."

So he did, but with a lower case e, which happens to speak volumes about Erwin and his wife and business partner Cathy. They are former Chicago public school teachers who have been on the cutting edge of new American food and wine for 15 years.

They began their successful restaurant career with Metropolis, an American and gourmet carryout in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. At the time Erwin and Cathy were visionaries in what we now know as the "home replacement meal." Metropolis cafe was the first of its kind, offering quality gourmet food to go--everything from seafood sausage pate to lasagna to pastries to salads.

After five years, Cathy and Erwin wanted a bigger challenge and were approached by a developer to open Metropolis 1800 - An American Bistro on the growing Clybourn Corridor. Metropolis 1800 quickly received praise and recognition from the food and wine industry for their artistic dedication to American eclectic cuisine. Menus reflected fusion and Mediterranean styles, earning stellar local and national reviews including the ongoing Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. This helped launch the Drechsler's names in the restaurant industry to national prominence.

Meanwhile the developers that enticed Cathy and Erwin to open their building were having difficulties, thus the tiny building that housed the restaurant, numerous boutiques and specialty shops was to be vacated.

After taking a year off, Cathy and Erwin opened erwin in the Spring of 1994. They returned to their Chicago neighborhood roots where they first experienced success. They opened erwin to critical acclaim, featuring Urban Heartland cuisine, which reflects America's melting pot of cultures and cuisines.

That success continues not only because Erwin is simply one of the top American chefs working today, but because his personal beliefs about food and wine translate into wonderful, palate pleasing experiences that create memories for those who dine there.

SEASONAL ENERGY

In the Midwest, life revolves around the seasons and Chef Erwin Drechsler believes that our personal energy levels should be connected to the kinds of foods we eat and the wines we drink in order to achieve a complete harmonious balance. "We have something for everyone here," says Erwin, who takes a "less is more" approach to his cooking style today.

"Heirloom tomatoes look beautiful, but often they have no taste. When I can buy a beefsteak tomato that bursts with flavor on the palate, I will choose that. It might not sound as trendy on a menu but it will make the dish taste better."

Erwin admits that he, like most chefs, is always looking for new products but the ones that will attract him will be simple foods that offer the most flavor. "Food today is like fashion," says Erwin. "One day a food product is hot, the next day it's not. I will always believe that like 'the little black dress,' basic, wonderful products when combined and seasoned in the right manner, will offer an exciting culinary experience here at erwin."

Erwin likens this sensibility to conducting an orchestra. With many instruments in an orchestra, the conductor's job is to make the audience aware of all the different instruments, thus creating different sounds and harmonies. In cooking, the "sounds" become textures and flavors when combined to make an entree.

"I think it's more important to have wonderful flavors rather than a visually complex plate. The less the food is tampered with the better the food tastes," he says.

Erwin will tell you his cooking techniques are based in the nouvelle movement of French cooking. The flavors are straightforward. They are not masked by heavy cream sauces or butter and are ultimately more healthy. Erwin regularly shops the farmer's markets and teaches classes to anyone wanting to learn about choosing high quality fruits and vegetables. In creating menus he returns to thoughts about seasonal energy, balance and the meaning of Urban Heartland cuisine.

"The old saying about our bodies being temples is very true and the more harmonious foods you feed it the better it will feel," says Erwin. "I hope my menus provide those choices."

While reading a fall menu at erwin you might find fresh pan roasted Halibut atop herbed basmati rice, black beans and gazpacho sauce. Or, Wood Grilled Lamb Chops and homemade basil sausage with chick pea ragout, seasonal ratatouille and feta cheese. And then, you can always order a wood grilled hamburger on a freshly baked homemade poppy seed roll with hand cut French fries (the biggest, thickest ones you have ever seen) and pickled vegetables. Why a hamburger in a fine dining establishment?

"We can't take it off the menu!" exclaims Erwin. "We have people that come here because they won't eat a hamburger anywhere else. It's a great gourmet-style hamburger, so we leave it on the menu and people really like it."

As Erwin says, the restaurant has something for everyone. While erwin celebrates foodstuffs from the heartland, it embraces all regions of America. Because of its urban environment and its heartland location, Erwin brings those two words together to form a cuisine style that is completely his own. Since Chicago is known as a melting pot of ethnic cultures, it seems fitting that just around the block from America's favorite baseball park, erwin can offer many diverse cooking styles.

THE SYNERGY BETWEEN FOOD & WINE

At erwin, wine is an essential component to its food and it is the food that brings out the best characteristics of wine, says Chef Erwin.

"We seek to demystify the wine selection process here. Wine and food naturally go together so our menus are printed with wine in mind. We ultimately want to close the gap between food and wine and see no need for people to be intimidated by a wine list and our staff works hard at making the wine selection fun, not nerve racking."

The award winning wine list is arranged by flavor category such as light, dry, crisp fruit or medium to full body, richer fruit, slightly dry. Within each category wines are listed from the milder varieties that are lighter and more delicate then progressing to those that are heavier and more complex. This method allows experimentation with new wines. The extensive wines by the glass program changes with the menus.

"Our staff is very knowledgeable about wine because it's integral to the menu. If a customer doesn't feel like making a decision after a long hard day then our staff is qualified to suggest wines so that they are not disappointed."

erwin's wine program has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the Wine Enthusiast's Wine Award for Creativity and Excellence.

HOSPITALITY

The Drechslers look at the restaurant business as one big recipe for success. "Everyone who works at erwin is like an ingredient," says Cathy Drechsler, who believes in a team approach and is responsible for training the wait staff.

"We care if you have a good time here," say Cathy and Erwin. "People don't come here because they are hungry. They can always get something to eat at home. People dine out because they want to be taken care of. They want to treat themselves, friends, family or business associates. When you dine out you are looking for a total experience and that experience begins when you walk in the door."

Everyone from the host or hostess knows that erwin guests are to be pampered, whether the guests are happy or grumpy when they come in. "Our biggest challenge is someone who has had a bad day," says Erwin. "Maybe they are late in meeting their friends, they couldn't find a cab or they are in a hurry to eat because of theater. We want to provide them with a deliciously positive dining experience and turn them into happy people when they walk out of erwin." Cathy explains "We take service very seriously because it has an effect on the food and wine. Service is a very important 'ingredient' in the restaurant business."

Cathy Drechsler says the believes that service is instrumental and goes so far as role playing problems with her staff. "We want people to have fun here and if our staff is happy they will do a better job. I try to teach them how to have fun with customers," says Drechsler, whose laugh could turn any frown into a smile.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

When Cathy and Erwin Drechsler took their vows they never anticipated adding the phrase, "...and in business and in food."

Since their business adventures began 14 years ago, the Drechslers are still proud to call themselves a family business and now their family has grown by two since the arrival of Isaac, 3 1/2 and Jake, 1 1/2, and Working Mom Cathy hopes they are absorbing their parent's work ethic.

"I do a lot of management work off-premise now that I have the kids," says Cathy. "I remember when we first had Isaac I would bring him to the restaurant and I would be holding him on my hip while I sat people. Some of the regular customers who never said anything to me were suddenly talking to me! Babies engage people in ways I never before observed. I still enjoy working two nights a week at the restaurant."

Both Cathy and Erwin agree that customers identify with an independent, family run business, as opposed to a restaurant owned by a corporation.

"In big businesses 50 people need to sign off on an idea. When it's your own, you can implement changes immediately and that is important to us," says Cathy who worked in restaurants all through high school.

"We get to experience the highs and lows together and we enjoy sharing a big part of our lives with one another. We have a strong work ethic and hopefully that will be passed on to our kids. We don't know if Jake or Isaac will wind up in the restaurant business, but we are sure they will both have an appreciation of good food and wine."