Chamber’s turns one, Hazellewood three,
ABV wins three, while Crave and
Pittsburgh Blue create smokin’ cocktails

CHAMBERS BLEW OUT THE CANDLES…quietly, as their first birthday rolled in last month. They have had a busy, successful first year with raves and national accolades for the renovation of their two historic buildings, transformed by realtor/art collector Ralph Burnet, into a unique, luxury art hotel, a rooftop bar, courtyard and the famous two-level Chambers Kitchen concept, created by world renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Part of the Chambers recipe for success and their positive attitude is the playful (and often controversial) Burnet art collection, which is displayed throughout the building and sets the mood. The other ingredient for their success is the operation team, now headed up by Jules Gehring, the new director of operations for Chambers. She is a woman for all seasons with a very positive attitude.

Jules is the perfect match for this unique operation and brings a wealth of experience—20 years in the hospitality industry. After some recent visits for dining and courtyard cocktails as well as an outstanding summer dinner served for the Chaine des Rotisseurs, I stopped back to chat with Jules on the challenges of running this corner property and its great customer service.

Where does Jules get her “tude”? After growing up in Afton and attending Stillwater High School, she went to the University of Minnesota-Duluth with plans to get her teaching degree. With no jobs on the horizon after graduating in 1986, she took one with TGIFriday’s and found herself writing restaurant training manuals, and later moved into corporate level training and HR support, where she remained for nearly 10 years. Hospitality was now in her blood. In the mid ’90s, she was hired by restaurateur Dean Vlahos, who was rolling out his new Champp’s concept, and she wore many HR hats for four years.

By 1997 she had a gig as director of operations for the infamous entrepreneur John Goodman and his Sidney’s Restaurant division. She also worked with Steve Wagenheim and his new Granite City concept until 2003. When she joined Chambers as HR director last year, she helped set the standards of the hotel staff—she hired and trained the team, and helped set up standards of operation when opening GM George Prine was at the helm. After he left last spring, Burnet offered Jules the chance to run the hotel. She’s added her great hospitality touch with that positive attitude, which is reflected in all levels of her staff.

After working with at least two very dominant men in the biz, I asked Jules if it was like being the woman-behind-the-man again. “No,” she said. “I have great opportunity for input here. It’s crazy and hectic, but a fun place to work and we don’t feel like we are standing in Ralph’s shadow.”

She said they feel more like they are the team “behind the gorilla”—and that means the stunning five-foot hulk of gorilla sculpted with black bronze, with a lopped off arm on the ground in the courtyard. He is center stage for both the summer scene for cocktails and parties and in winter was a winner too—remember that courtyard ice bar? It will come back this winter.

“Ralph is a great team player and encourages input from our staff,” she said. “It’s a wonderful work environment for everyone. He listens and allows me to manage our team of over 200 people with our on-call 24 hour service the way I see fit. Sometimes my job challenges me but I know what I can do, and I can be put to use wherever and whenever needed. We have had very little turnover and can offer great benefits too.” Jules added, “Whenever you open a new property you have kinks to work out and I always say the cream rises to the top. We’ve got the greatest people with great attitude. We offer great hospitality and our guests can see it.” Maybe they’ve had great, positive training too from this would-be teacher. Ah yes, and maybe that crazy artwork does set the happy, playful mood all around. Thanks Ralph.

HAZELLEWOOD MAKES IT THREE…Cheers to the Hazellewood Grill team who also marked a birthday in September—their third—in Tonka Bay. Partners Scott Foster and Pat Woodring own this operation and have a great team at the helm with General Manager Jeff Peterson and Restaurant Manager Jennifer Imsdahl in front of the house, and Executive Chef Miguel Santana heading up the kitchen staff. They planned a marvelous, five-course birthday wine dinner to kick off the month, and continued ongoing wine flights and some fun menu selection specials throughout the month.

Santana wowed the dinner guests, too, beginning with a starter course of stuffed zucchini blossoms that melted in your mouth. He stuffed these home grown blossoms with a delicate mix of ricotta and feta cheese, chopped asparagus and fresh thyme, then dipped them into a tempura batter and fried them. I could have eaten a dozen. Other courses ranged from an unusual pea shoot salad with toasted pumpkin seeds to seared salmon with a pinot noir butter sauce and a veal mignon with a great cherry chutney. A really neat palate pleaser came in a martini glass with vodka infused frozen grapes too. A little vodka for sipping and a few cool grapes that could melt in your mouth and I was hooked! Another surprise? Even though it was not on the menu, when guests were discussing one of their favorites, Hazellewood’s signature mini-popovers, Santana sent out a round of hot popovers to every table. Bravo.

The Foster/Woodring restaurant gang also notes their Joey Nova’s Pizzeria and Grilled Subs is now two sites strong. The first one opened last year at the same strip center in Tonka Bay and the second Joey’s opened in Plymouth this past spring. And now on the drawing board? Scott says to watch for a new concept in Rochester, Minn. this winter to be called Chester’s Kitchen and Bar.

THREE CHEERS TO ABV…That’s short for Nan Bailly’s famous Alexis Bailly Vineyard—our own little slice of wine country right here in Hastings, Minn. She is one of the few women in the country who owns a vineyard and makes the wine. She has the spirit it takes to make it work and the slogan her dad created, “Where the grapes can suffer,” as her mantra for more than 17 years (founder David Bailly died in 1990). She has lived her father’s dream and continues to gain a national and international reputation. David opened the doors to the winery back in 1978, and I remember visiting him in the early years. He had his giant, open top wine vat fermenting and plunked right in the center of their one room, log cabin-style winery. I still make runs to the winery for tastings at fall harvest and have fallen in love with her fortified Hastings Reserve (almost like a port) and the blue triangular bottle of Ratafia—fortified, orange-infused and delicious—irresistible, and a perfect, giftable bottle. But always too good to give away.

Last month I ran into Nan at a mini IACP Regional Conference in Pepin, Wis. A small group gathered at the river front Harbor View Café where she was pouring some wines for a tasting. I learned she is seeking a name for a new red wine that she makes like a white wine. Plus she has again earned some great international attention. She won three big awards for her Voyageur red table wine alone, which won the gold medal and Best of Region wines of North America at the Vino Challenge, in Atlanta, Ga. This is one of the largest international wine competitions held outside of Europe. Her Voyageur also took home the bronze medal for label design at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, thanks to design talents of Yamamoto Moss. A toast to you and your suffering grapes.

CRAVE COCKTAILS?...Love a good martini or unusual specialty drinks? Wonder how they make those colorful concoctions? Crave Restaurant in the Galleria has the answer with new cocktails classes at their bar. Manager Steve Eto tells me he is always looking for unique way to attract that “after dinner crowd” to their Edina dining spot. Cocktails after 8 p.m. in Edina? On a weeknight no less? Yes, it has been an oxymoron for decades. If you’re over 40, you’ll recall the stories of how the streets used to close up in Edina after dark. Only wine and beer licenses were available for years and I recall when Sydney’s, the previous Galleria tenant in the Crave space, had to rebuild their counter when full citywide liquor was approved about 10 years ago. Edina residents were used to their municipal liquor stores and cocktails were only served at the Edina Country Club or at home. With full liquor available and the Southdale dining cluster of Cheesecake Factory, P. F. Chang’s and Maggiano’s, as well as neighborhood business cocktail bursts like the 50th and France corner with Salut and Tejas, more diners sup a little later and might consider later cocktails. Crave hopes so.

Every other Monday, Crave offers a class called ‘The Craft of the Cocktail” to entice you to hang out at their big walk around bar after 8 p.m. The bar becomes the stage for an hour or so when creative mixologist Wayne Roemhildt takes center stage.

Wayne surrounds himself with about 20 fans eager to learn as he describes recipes and tips as then proceeds to muddle, mix, stir and shake his way to the perfect cocktail creation. Don’t worry, they only pour small samples for tasting and serve fun Crave appetizers, too. Call Crave for more info at 952-697-6000.

PITTSBURGH BLUE IS SMOKIN’…If you’d like a surprise with your next martini, keep your eyes closed when they serve you the signature Pittsburgh Blue Cosmos over at this new Maple Grove steakhouse. It’s really served “smoking” with a sliver of dry ice bubbling up through the mix of blue Curacao and vodka. Marvelous! It looks like concept guru Phil Roberts and his Parasole team have another winner on their hands. Creators of Manny’s, Oceanaire, Chino Latino, Salut and more, the Parasole team officially (and quietly) opened their new Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse last month out in the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove.

Thinking it might indeed be quiet, we picked an early Sunday night at 5 p.m. for supper the first week they were open. But the place was packed from opening their doors at 4 p.m. through the evening.

Busy was the buzzword of the day and opening week, according to Donna Fahs, a Parasole vice president who coordinated the roll out of the property. She was there to greet guests with her friendly smile and calming manner. She told us the format is dinner only for the first few months, until it’s running smoothly—they have been slammed every night. Lunch will be added soon. For more information, visit http://www.pittsburghbluesteak.com.