All Entries Tagged With: "restaurants"
Head to Hendel’s on 1/24 for a night of local beer
When I’m thirsty for a good pint of local beer, Ferguson Brewing is certainly first on my list. It’s just a few blocks from my house, and I love the microbrewery atmosphere. But I have to say, the thought of drinking my favorite Ferguson beers in front of a crackling fireplace and a grand piano….well, that’s hard to beat.
That’s what you’ll find at Hendel’s Market Cafe on January 24th, when the in-house piano bar jazzes up a dull winter night with a selection of fine local beers from Ferguson Brewing. Come raise a glass (or two) with your hosts Nate and Christina, who I know will welcome you warmly.
Hendel’s is located at 599 Rue St. Denis, Old Town Florissant, 63031
FloTown gets a fabulous new cheesecake bakery
An artisinal cheesecake bakery, run by a hip young couple, right here in NoCo?? You bet your sweet tooth!
For most restaurants, selling out of every single item on the menu would be a catastrophe. But for Jeff and Kris Mullersman, who recently opened Delish Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe in Old Town Florissant, that is precisely the goal.
Early each morning, this innovative husband-and-wife team starts baking fresh cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies and quiches – all from scratch. And if everything is gone by closing time, they consider it mission accomplished.
“We don’t want to make cheesecakes two weeks in advance and then have them just sitting there,” Kris says. “Our menu changes every day, and is always made fresh, so the early bird definitely gets the best selection.”
And what a selection it is! Delish offers three different sizes of cheesecakes (9-inch round, “baby” or by the slice) and you can choose from 30 mouth-watering flavors, including Creamy Lemon, Chocolate Explosion, Red Velvet Swirl and this autumn delight, Pumpkin Hazelnut…
Though neither of the Mullersmans have any formal culinary training, Kris, 39, is a gifted baker whose sweet creations have always been in demand. “I’m just a homemaker who loves to bake,” she says modestly. “But when I lived in Omaha, where I grew up, I used to make cheesecakes for local restaurants, and it seemed like I was always baking for somebody.”
North County native Jeff, 38, whose surname actually means “baker” in German, is the official quiche chef at Delish. He also whips up gourmet salads and 14-inch Bavarian pretzels every Friday, in between completing renovations on the cafe’s historic building.
Delish is located inside Florissant’s former Narrow Gauge Railroad Station, a quaint wooden structure from 1878 that used to serve as a destination for electric trolleys. The trolley line, which followed rue St. Ferdinand/Graham Road, stopped running in the 1930s, and in 1969, with demolition imminent, the station was moved to its current site in Tower Park. (As in water tower. Next to Fritz’s.)
In recent years, it was home to a candy shop and an Irish gift store, both of which went of out business, but that doesn’t concern the Mullersmans one bit. “We actually had a customer tell us this is a terrible location, since both of the previous businesses failed,” Jeff says. “But we think it was the nature of the businesses, not the location.”
“And we’re here to turn it around,” Kris adds matter-of-factly.
Indeed, the couple has already invested quite a bit in the building, sealing it from the weather, installing a commercial kitchen and adding hot water service. In the spring, they plan to add an outdoor seating area with 12 additional tables.
“We’re both in love with the history of the building, and we want to do everything we can to preserve it,” Jeff says. “And by opening our business here in Florissant, we’re able to invest our money back into the community we care about.”
He and Kris live just up the street from the cafe, not far from Sacred Heart, where their daughter goes to school. And the name of their business….well, that hits close to home too.
While Kris was growing up, her father would end every meal by graciously telling his wife, “That was delish, my love!” So when it came time to choose the cafe’s name, Kris knew instantly. “It was something I heard every day, and it just makes me happy when I think about it,” she says. (Those are her parents in the pic above.)
As for the menu at Delish, that also evolved pretty organically, with a strong emphasis on quality and simplicity. “We make everything from scratch and use nothing that’s frozen,” Jeff says. “So if we keep the menu fairly simple and use local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, we know that we can maintain the level of quality that we want.”
At some point, soups and sandwiches may be added. But for now the focus is primarily on baked goods, with a few savory items (including vegetarian options) thrown in for lunch and dinner. The Mullersmans do wholesale their cheesecake to local restaurants, like Hendel’s. They also take special orders, which can usually be filled within 24 hours.
Their Delish Signature Cupcake, shown here with a Sweet & Salty Cookie, basically looks and tastes just like a Hostess Ding-Dong, except bigger and so much better! I should also mention that the cafe hosts live local music on Friday nights, offers free wi-fi, and serves St. Louis’ own Thomas Coffee, which is roasted here in town.
And not only are Jeff and Kris great cooks, they’re also good people. As a way to “pay it forward,” they give out “smile cards” to folks who’ve done something nice, which can be redeemed for a free slice of cheesecake! So when you visit Delish – and you most definitely should – don’t forget to be on your best behavior!
Delish Cheesecake Bakery & Cafe is located at 1060 rue St. Catherine, 63031, in Old Town Florissant. Hours are Tues & Wed 7-7, Thu & Fri 7-9, Sat 8-9 and Sun 8-4. To place a special order, call (314) 831-7400. Whole cheesecakes are $32.
At Hendel’s Cafe, the secret ingredient is FAMILY
Celebrating 17 years in business, Hendel's Market Cafe in Old Town Florissant is a labor of love for Nathan Bennett, whose father, Ed, founded the restaurant.
To everyone lucky enough to have known him, Ed Bennett was a whirlwind of creative energy and a truly visionary entrepreneur. The founder and owner of Hendel’s Market Café in Old Town Florissant, he died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 58. But not before building an impressive legacy – a love letter to North County, really – that two years later continues to be nurtured and built upon by his family.
Ed opened Hendel’s in 1994, working with his sons Nathan and Josh to renovate the former rue St. Denis grocery store into a warm and welcoming restaurant. Built in 1873, the old brick building had housed a corner market for 120 years, 78 of those under the Hendel family. And when Ed heard that Henry and Marge Hendel were closing up shop, selling their prime location next to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, he immediately started dreaming of a café.
Of course, Hendel’s Market Café is now regarded as one of the finest restaurants in NoCo, winning frequent accolades for its delicious steak and crab cakes. It also has a cozy piano bar, an intriguing gourmet menu, and one of the most charming outdoor dining rooms in all of St. Louis.
Ed Bennett in 2009
Ed started that. He was the creative dynamo always pushing his vision forward, always aiming for a more vibrant, energized Old Town.
He inspired countless people during his life, mentoring hundreds of new entrepreneurs through the Small Business and Management Program at St. Louis Community College. He even founded (and eventually sold) another classic North County restaurant – the Barn Deli at the Myers House on Dunn Road, his first “historic café.”
No doubt about it, Ed was an amazing guy. I can vouch for that personally. But here’s a secret I know he would want me to share: he didn’t do it alone.
In fact, Hendel’s is thriving today because of the dedication of many people, led by the dynamic team of Ed’s son Nathan and Nathan’s wife, Christina, who managed to realize Ed’s dream of running a successful café with loads of personality, all before they were even 30 years old.
Nathan & Christina Bennett (2nd & 3rd from left) own and manage Hendel's Market Cafe, with plenty of help from their family members.
Childhood sweethearts who grew up in North County and now have two children of their own, Nathan, 31, and Christina, 29, both started working at Hendel’s in their teens, gradually moving up from bussers and kitchen help to servers and now owners. Today, Nathan is the head chef and kitchen manager while Christina oversees the front-of-house and handles everything from décor to marketing.
Like a lot of successful restaurant couples, he’s the quiet, focused one, passionate about the food. She’s the natural promoter with a glowing personality and a great sense of style. It’s a magical combo.
And then of course there’s family…
Besides Nathan’s siblings, Josh and Julie, who are behind-the-scenes partners, Hendel’s is enriched by the talents of several of Christina’s family members, who are also committed to Ed Bennett’s vision.
“This was Ed’s dream….he was the one who saw all of this,” says Christina’s mom, Linda Byrns, a gifted gardener who spends nearly every morning tending to the restaurant’s flower beds. “He started it and we just feel like we’re carrying it on.”
A longtime Bellefontaine Neighbors resident, Linda grew up in another family of local entrepreneurs – her parents founded Gamma Tree Company in 1954 – so she has a special appreciation for what Ed was trying to accomplish and what her daughter and son-in-law are working to preserve.
“Ed saw something that nobody else thought was possible, especially for North County,” she says. “An upscale restaurant that wasn’t a chain….no way. But he did it.”
“He had all of these grand ideas, and we all thought he was crazy at some point,” adds Christina. “But when he completed every single project, it was just magnificent! Like the piano bar…
“Ed hand-built that room with a contractor. He used salvaged bricks and old floors from St. Stanislaus Church downtown, and went over every inch of that space until it was exactly right.”
Melding seamlessly with the original 1873 building, the piano bar opened in 2009 and now features live music every Thursday through Saturday. It’s a cheerful, inviting room with a huge fireplace, and Linda keeps it fun and fresh with an ever-changing mix of themed accents and floral arrangements. This month’s theme is sunflowers.
“It’s also her job to paint the bike,” Christina jokes. But it’s true. Linda has adorned two of the restaurant’s gardens with neat old bicycles, and she frequently paints one of them to match her theme.
Linda Byrns and her sunflower bike
“We’re just having a good time,” she says, noting that her “workspace” is across the street – in one of the adorable sheds behind the historic Archambault house. Built around 1850, this National Register home located maybe 25 feet from Hendel’s is a gorgeous example of early federal-style architecture in St. Louis.
Ed had always hoped to convert it into a B&B, along with the six bedrooms above the restaurant. Instead, Christina’s grandma Norma recently purchased the property from her home in California and is now renting it to Christina’s sister Theresa and her new husband, Lucian Matoushek.
“Norma just thought it was important to keep things original….that it made sense for the restaurant,” Linda says. And it does. Conveniently, the property also offers ample storage space for Lucian, who just happens to be the butcher/manager/sausage maker for The Farmers’ Larder, a sustainable family farm and Washington, Missouri-based meat producer that’s all the rage at area farmers markets.
Lucian Matoushek of The Farmers' Larder
I love their kielbasa and English bacon, which I’ve purchased from Lucian himself at the Ferguson Farmers Market. You won’t find it on the Hendel’s menu (yet) but what you can enjoy is a culinary creation from another of Christina’s family members – absolutely divine lemon meringue cupcakes from her youngest sister, Lia Weber.
Pastry chef Lia Weber
Still in college, Lia works as the restaurant’s pastry intern as well as a cake decorator at Wedding Wonderland in Florissant. Her dream is to one day open a bakery, but in the mean time she loves creating decadent new sweets for Hendel’s dessert menu. My husband is still talking about that lemon meringue cupcake, one of her signature recipes.
“We’re very lucky to have her,” Christina says of her sister. “Actually, I feel lucky to have all of my family around me…and that includes our employees. A lot of them have been here 8 to 10 years. They’ve grown up with us…
“You know, it was incredibly tragic when Ed died and we’re still sad about it, but at the same time it was a whole new direction. We kept focusing on what could we do to move forward, to continue his legacy, and that’s what we did….and what we’re still trying to do.”
A few months back, Christina and Nathan decided to change up the menu a bit, tweaking the one detail at Hendel’s that Ed never had a hand in: the food. A small number of regulars complained, so a few classic dishes were revived, but Nathan continues to blossom as a chef and is eager to put his own spin on things. He likes to cook simple, modern fare using local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, but Christina insists he will always prepare a classic item if requested.
“We listen to our customers and we want to make them happy,” she says. “On the other hand, we’d love for St. Louis to know that this ‘historic’ restaurant is actually run by young people….that we’re a place with fresh ideas and a unique viewpoint.”
“I think most customers assumed that Ed was the chef at Hendel’s but the truth is he rarely stepped foot in the kitchen,” Linda adds, ever the proud mother-in-law. “Nathan has been in there since he was 16, and it’s about time he get some recognition for his food. It’s wonderful.”
As for Nathan, he’s just fine being the man behind the curtain, spending his time perfecting dishes like pomegranate chicken and dill-encrusted tilapia. Outside of work, he also claims to have the “most awesome dog in the world” – a little white fluff ball named Ruby.
I didn’t get to meet Ruby during my recent visit to Hendel’s, but I did enjoy a nice visit with most of Nathan’s immediate and extended family, including his wife, daughter, niece, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, and I can tell you one thing: Ed Bennett would be very, very proud.
In the wake of tragedy, his loved ones have banded together and risen to the challenge, running a vibrant, successful restaurant that repeatedly brings positive attention to North County. And they’ve done it as a family, in their own innovative style.
“We miss Ed every day,” Christina says, “but the biggest blessing of his death has been coming together as a family. That was his gift to us….one of his many gifts to us….and we are so grateful.”
Hendel’s Market Cafe is located at 599 St. Denis, 63031. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11-9 and Sunday 9-2.
North County beer lovers, it’s your time to shine…
It may be hard to believe now, but at one point in the mid-1800s, St. Louis was home to nearly 50 breweries. Immigrants like John Lemp and Adolphus Busch brought their beer brewing knowledge with them from Germany, producing copious amount of bubbly delight until Prohibition basically devastated the industry in 1919.
The Busch empire ended up surviving, of course. The Lemp’s, along with dozens of others, did not. But here’s the good news….
Today, 78 years after the end of Prohibition, St. Louis is again home to a burgeoning beer culture. Besides Anheuser-Busch (InBev/whatever), we now have 15 independent microbreweries in nearly every corner of town, including NoCo’s own Ferguson Brewing Company. And to help celebrate this awesome fact, the Brewhouse is hosting an evening of BEER trivia!
You can read all of the details in the flyer above, so I won’t repeat them. But in case you need some study materials, you might want to look here and here. There’s also this, for you more visual types. Cheers!
