Cherokee restored with a blast from the past

By Mike Mitchelson

The Cherokee Sirloin Room in West St. Paul reopened last month with a new look and new name: The Cherokee Tavern joins the future with its past.

Some dust, paint, banquettes in temporary spots while finishing touches to floors and walls were applied, the smell of wood stain on wainscoting. That was the scene at the Cherokee Sirloin Room in West St. Paul in early August. The restaurant received a facelift, a name change and a menu overhaul—which were actually more restorations than renovations—and reopened in about two weeks as the Cherokee Tavern. The name is the original from 1934.

“Over the last two years we had discussed updating the look of the restaurant,” said Jim Casper, who co-owns the restaurant with his brother, Rick. The two took ownership of the restaurant from their parents, Bob and Dorothy, in 1987.

It’s a careful balance, however, when revamping an institution—its been the Cherokee Sirloin Room since the Casper family purchased the restaurant in 1970—with a large, regular following. The solution? Make room for that that following. “We’re not eliminating the Cherokee classics,” Rick said. The Millennium steak (a 16 ounce sirloin), the bacon beef tenderloin, signature pork ribs and other favorites remain. The gratins recipes are from the 1950s, Rick added, “and we can’t change the onion rings.”

The atmosphere—while distinctly different—isn’t radically changed. The tablecloths are gone, the woodwork stained darker, walls repainted with upturned lighting for a softer glow. Three large openings were pounded out of the brick wall separating the dining room and bar, which invites a more convivial atmosphere. A small stage was added at the back of the dining room for live music. (The Cherokee Tavern will feature the Tropical Zone Orchestra, a ten-piece Latin band, the last Saturday night of each month, Jim said.)

Other dining room touches include exposing parts of the original copper ceiling, framed within the drop ceiling and softly lit. “We couldn’t expose all of it because of all the ventilation, wiring and pipes,” Rick explained. It’s a nice touch that compliments the original tin ceiling in the bar area, which has been exposed since the 1970s.

The bar area, which once housed the greeting area for the host and a major traffic area, will have a few booths on a riser and high-top tables, a refinished bar and new lighting—in the form of authentic, refurbished 1930s-era light fixtures, Jim said.

The bar area’s original terrazzo floor, a polished aggregate containing marble chips, was exposed when the aging wood floor was pulled up. Many tenants in buildings from the 1930 era covered those floors with wood or concrete in subsequent renovations. Today, pouring those floors is considered environmentally friendly, since it often uses the recycled granite from construction projects. Considering its size, “it would be about $30,000 to $40,000 to do that floor today,” Rick said.

Overall, the space has a modern, more open feel to it, but with the darker color scheme and softer lighting, it feels like a comfortable throwback to the early 20th century. The only areas that aren’t undergoing renovation are the two banquet rooms, one with a mural of the downtown St. Paul skyline as seen from the Mississippi River’s west bank.


On the menu

“The classic entrees are coming forward,” Jim reiterated. With those exceptions, the overall menu will be less expensive, with an emphasis on fresh flavors. “The use of our freezer will be very limited,” Rick quipped. More sandwiches will be on the menu, and “Ten for Ten” lunch options—an entrée, beverage, side, tax and tip included for $10.

The fresh philosophy also carries to the bar, many juices will be made in house, and the selection among the 16 tap beers will have local emphasis. Veteran bar manager and master mixologist (one of a handful in the state) Wayne Roemhildt is introducing handcrafted cocktails to the drink list and creating house-made infused vodkas. “You’re going to see a mortar and pestle back there, a juicer, and nine types of simple syrups, all made in house,” he said.

The attention given to cocktails is in part homage to the original back bar, which dates to 1933—the end of Prohibition, Roemhildt explained. “We left the beauty of that untouched, except for a new coat of stain.”

Attention to detail wasn’t spared when it came to placing the beer taps—they’re set down, behind the bar, the tops visible for patrons to eyeball their choice, but not taking up space or blocking views. “I can talk to you face to face (while pulling the tap),” Roemhildt said. “You’d be surprised how much revenue is lost with the rack of taps on the bar—people don’t like those seats.”

Glassware is also key to the experience, with authentic Zombie and Hurricane glasses for the appropriate mixed drink. “We’re going to be glass-specific when it comes to cocktails and beers,” he said.

The kitchen also underwent some renovation to handle the new menu, a bank of new fryers for the restaurants famous “five step” fries and other items, a salamander and larger flattop grill to handle the increased sandwich load.

New Chef Derek Houtkooper was marking up the new menu with a pen, his laptop open on the counter beside him. More sandwich options doesn’t mean less work—at that moment, he was roasting brisket for the new Reuben sandwich. “No precut meats,” Rick said. “Diners are more sophisticated, and want freshness.”

About half the 35-member closing staff from the Cherokee Sirloin Room is back at the Tavern, Jim said. But, since it is a new restaurant, all were asked to reapply for their positions, interview and be retrained. The new Cherokee Tavern will open with about 50 employees—among them GM Tracy Casper, he said. “We wanted to level-set everything,” he said. “We want everyone to buy into the program.”

It’s a program based as much on the past as the future. “We’re going back to our roots, a compliment to the neighborhood,” Rick said.

Jim retrieved a framed item from behind the bar, a large patch—showing age, but in great condition—emblazoned with Cherokee Tavern, from the original establishment. It serves as the base for the new logo. “The Internet is a great thing,” Jim said. “Some guy e-mailed and said he had the original logo.”