In The Kitchen: Underbrinks Bakery
Mar 1st
Name of Bar: Underbrinks Bakery
Address: 1627 College
Name: LeRoy Rossmiller
Job Title:
Years in Business: 83
When did you want to become a chef/restaurant owner?
I’ve always had a love of cooking and I think I’m a good judge of what tastes good.
How would you describe your culinary style?
We are an old-fashioned bakery, using scratch ingredients. But we know how to keep up with the times. So something old, something new, something good and tasty for you. Corny? Yes!!
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
Having young people visit a business where the owner is actually on the premises.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
#1 Angel food cupcakes
#2 Custom decorated cakes for weddings, birthdays, and all occasions
#3 Danish Pastry
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
They like the ability to call ahead and order something that fits their occasion.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
I’m the “Danish guy.” I “roll the fat” every day, so that’s my baby.
What’s new?
Coffee flavored angel food cupcakes. We were doing cupcakes when cupcakes weren’t cool. Now you can get a caffeine buzz along with your sugar buzz. How’s that?
Tell me about your customers.
They come from all over and are all ages. I love to walk up and say Hi to many of the repeat customers.
What do you cook at home?
Gulf shrimp on the grill is my favorite but I just made a huge pot of navy beans and ham with cornbread . What a gas!!
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
I’m a “wanabe” farmer so I do the green acre thing on some land in Missouri. I also love and hate golf.
What else should we know?
I love a good joke, and I think I’m a good dancer; I just don’t have rhythm.
In The Kitchen: One Restaurant and Bar
Feb 17th
Name of Bar: ONE Restaurant and Bar
Address: 600 Hampshire Street
Name: Richard Tenney
Job Title: Cook
Years in Business: 21
When did you want to become a chef?
Late teens (1985).
How would you describe your culinary style?
Pacific Northwest. Steak and seafood.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
The Thai food.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
Fried rice, pad Thai, and crab rangoon.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
“The food is good” and “Cool restaurant.”
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
Fish
What’s new?
Pad Kee Mow (drunken noodles)
Pad Sea Ewe
Blackened Shrimp Salad
Fajita Salad
Fried Pickles
Tell me about your customers.
90% order the Thai food.
What do you cook at home?
Homestyle recipes. My kids are very picky.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
Spend time with my family, go fishing, and online gaming.
In the Kitchen: O’Shea’s
Aug 15th
Joy – Cook
25 years in business
O’Shea’s
339 Cedar St
Quincy, IL 62301
When did you want to become a chef/restaurant owner?
All my life.
How would describe your culinary style?
Home (style) cooking.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
1. The cleanliness, 2. Family owned and operated, 3. A nice group to work for and know.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
1. Hot roast beef plate, 2. Breakfast every day, 3. Whole catfish, 4. Ribs, 5. Fried chicken
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
Everyone seems to love the food.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
All of them.
What’s new?
Country ham steak, 12oz Ribeye, and 10oz Prime Rib
Tell me about your customers.
We have some of the greatest customers from all walks of life.
What do you cook at home?
I love to experiment with new recipes and food.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
Spending time with my family.
What else should we know?
Everyone should come and try us if they haven’t already!
In the Kitchen: The Abbey
Aug 2nd
Craig Venice – Cook
6 years in business (all at The Abbey)
The Abbey
18th & Spring Streets
Quincy, IL 62301
Why did you want to work in a kitchen?
Started as dishwasher and moved my way up to cook.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Freestyle- throw ingredients together and add some spices. I like to experiment
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
The people I work with, our customers, I really like working here.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
Chicken Madeira with Feta and Mozzarella cheeses.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
I usually hear good things.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
I like working with fish, and also black pepper.
What’s new?
Fish Tacos, Prime Rib Sliders, we recently had Sword Fish from Florida.
Tell us about your customers?
They are friendly and we have a lot of regulars.
What do you cook at home?
I play with difference ingredients at home. Mostly cook Pastas, chicken and black pepper.
What do you do when you are not cooking?
Tending to my house, playing with my new puppy, Odie, a lab mix from the Humane Society. I also have another shelter dog, named Mamas.
What else should we know?
I like to fish a lot.
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In the Kitchen: Applebee’s
Jun 22nd
Restaurant: Applebee’s
Address: 3827 Broadway Quincy
Name: Mike Jenkins
Title: Kitchen Manger
Contact number: 228-8451
Years in business: 12 years between Applebee’s in Burlington, IA and Quincy
Why did you want to become a chef/restaurant owner? Started working here when 16 and worked my way up the ladder.
How would describe your culinary style? Cook what is on the menu, we change with the seasons.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant? Variety, friendly and pleasant staff.
What are the most popular items on the menu? Sirloin Steaks and boneless wings.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers? Yes we do receive suggestions about the menu.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with? Seasonings
What’s new? Sizzling entrees, Steak and Shrimp, Chicken, Garlic Chicken, Asian Shrimp and Broccoli.
Tell me about your customers. They are loyal, we have regulars and customers of all ages.
What do you cook at home? On the outside grill steak, chicken and bratwurst.
What do you do when you’re not cooking? Golf, softball, volleyball, a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Cubs and Bulls.
In the Kitchen: Spring Lake County Club
Apr 6th
Spring Lake Country Club
5215 Clubhouse Drive, Quincy
Name: Michael Mitchell
Job Title: Executive Chef
Contact #_217 – 740 -6143
Email: mmitchell@springlakecountryclub.com
Years in Business: 10 years
When did you want to become a chef/restaurant owner?
I have always enjoyed cooking, and eating, of course, but I had decided to go to culinary school after a 6 month visit to Uganda, Africa. The people of that region ate food only to survive and didn’t have the luxury of fine cuisine or comfort food. When I returned to the States I realized how much I had missed good food and the feeling that came with it.
How would you describe your culinary style?
New American with a classic French influence
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
My co-workers
What are the most popular items on the menu?
There are a few old standbys, available at most places in town, that will always be popular, but the weekly specials seem to go over quite well. These give me and my staff a chance to get creative, have fun, and feature some things that might be a little more adventurous to some folks. The grilled flatbreads are always a good seller.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
The feedback has been very positive for the most part. You can never make everybody happy, all of the time, and the negative comments usually stick with you a little longer, but when somebody tells you that everybody at their wedding “loved the food”, it feels good. Those are the moments that made me want to get into the culinary arts and this difficult industry.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
It’s really difficult to pick one thing, and my favorites really change with the season. Tomatoes are awful and mealy right now, but in July and August, there’s nothing better. I always love fresh ginger, fresh fish and of course, chocolate, it’s always in season.
What’s new?
We’re planning a 5-course wine pairing dinner with the folks at Martini’s at 515, sometime in May. This will be a great chance for people who are not members of the club to experience the kind of food we really enjoy creating.
Tell me about your customers.
Being a private club, our customers are very different from the average restaurant. In an independently owned restaurant you decide who the target demographic is, and then cater and market to that group. In a club setting, the customer base is already there, made up of some very different groups of people, the challenge then, is to try and have something for everybody to enjoy.
What do you cook at home?
During the summer I like gathering veggies and herbs from our garden and simply grilling them with and serving them with polenta or risotto. The fresh food does all the talking.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
I spend time with my wife and 2 boys. We work in the yard or renovate the house.
What else should we know?
I’m a pretty good Elvis impersonator. I won a contest in Seattle in’03.
In the Kitchen: Washington Perk
Feb 7th
Restaurant: Washington Perk
Address: 428 Maine
Name: Vickie Mathews
Title: Head cook
Years in business: 11
When did you want to become a chef/restaurant owner?
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and cooking for others.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Homestyle cooking is probably the best way to describe how I cook. From my heart to the table.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
The people I work with and our customers. It’s also interesting to work in a building with historical significance.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
Our homemade pot pies and ourhomemade soups.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
They really appreciate the homemade style of our food. They also love the ambiance of our historical building.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
I like to work with different spices. It’s fun to surprise others with unexpected flavors.
What’s new?
Breakfast sandwiches – it’s also a new favorite.
Tell me about your customers: I know most of them. They come in on a regular basis. I enjoy talking with them, finding out things about them and their families. We appreciate all of our loyal customers and always welcome anyone new.
What do you cook at home?
I cook all different things, but one of the things my husband likes best is my homemade pizza or my homemade soups.
What do you do when you’re not cooking? I like to do things with my church, especially when we have special activities going on. I also enjoy watching my great-nieces Ariel and Hazel. What else should we know? I’ve been married for a little over 20 years, his name is Mike. I have one daughter, her name is Jenny. She is a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home here in town. She is also trying to become an emergency medical technician. We have a cat named Dixie Lee. She is very feisty.
In the Kitchen at Jorge the Crooks
Sep 8th
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 224-9811
Dan Hoskins – Owner/Chef
8 years in the business
When did you want to become restaurant owner and chef?
1982 – Right after I completed the Florida International University Executive Management program for food hospitality.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Free. I go from classic French to Pan Pacific. I’m always looking for the next fun food.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
The dining room. It’s comfortable, not too formal but with class.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
Sea Scallops and Fillet Mignon.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
Like every restaurant we got both positive and some negative. But for the past eight years it’s been much more positive!
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
Fresh seafood! Fresh! Fresh! Fresh!
What’s new?
Live Maine lobsters.
Tell me about your customers.
Usually fun people who are seeking something different. Upscale and more professional would best describe them.
What do you cook at home?
When I cook at home I am usually working on something new for Jorge’s. Lately I’ve been working on a new pork dish.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
Bartending – cocktails are almost as much fun as food.
What else should we know?
Jorge’s isn’t as expensive as some would like you to think. We work for value in our menu.
In the Kitchen at Thyme Square Cafe
Aug 27th
500 Hampshire
Quincy, IL 62301
Cory Shupe – Owner/Operator
When did you know you wanted to become a chef/restaurant owner?
It wasn’t until I worked at Five Bistro is where I found the passion for cooking, about 5 years ago.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Probably fit into the New American style. Simple foods using proper technique.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
The location. Being downtown, right on the square with the Farmer’s Market right across the street.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
For breakfast – the pancakes go over well especially with fresh fruit on them . For lunch the pastrami and chicken salad are popular.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
We have gotten a lot of good feedback and they are glad we are downtown.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
Pork. It is very versatile and can do alot of things with it. The entire pig is used on the menu, from bacon, sausage, pulled pork, Canadian bacon and ham.
What’s new?
Soon to be house made bologna sandwiches!
Tell me about your customers.
A lot of repeat customers. They feel welcome and support our concept.
What do you cook at home?
Not much really because I spend most of my days cooking at the restaurant so I go out to eat a lot.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
Golf whenever I can.
In the Kitchen at Buffalo Wild Wings
Aug 23rd
6120 Broadway
Quincy, IL 62301
Levi Putnam-Kitchen Manager
8 years in the business
When did you want to become a kitchen manager?
I worked a number of years as a prep cook and realized I could run a kitchen just as well or better than other kitchen managers.
How would you describe your culinary style?
American Casual, I enjoy making steaks, wings, burgers, etc.
What’s your favorite thing about your restaurant?
I love the atmosphere and the fact that we show every major sports event.
What are the most popular items on the menu?
Of course, the wings are the most popular item but besides the wings our wraps and burgers are also very popular.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers?
The customers have told us we have the best wings in town.
What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?
Our fourteen different sauces are fun to be creative with.
What’s new?
We have some new dry rubs for our wings – Desert Heat, Chipotle BBQ, Burralo and Salt & Vinegar.
Tell me about your customers.
Our customers vary from young children to the elderly. Everyone always seems to have a great time during their visit.
What do you cook at home?
Besides grilling out, I really don’t like to cook much when I’m home because of all the cooking I do at work.
What do you do when you’re not cooking?
I love going to concerts, Cardinals baseball games, hanging out with friends or anything sports related.
What else should we know?
The food speaks for itself – come and try it! Tell then you know Levi!