Couples Who Cook
The highest-pressure, most failure-prone business out there is, surprisingly, one of the most fertile territories for husband-wife partnerships. Heres a look at marriages in the pressure cooker.
February 2009
By Beth Dooley
“We’ve been through all the highs and lows,” Jessica says. “This business dishes out daily lessons in humility. You learn to guide without hanging on too tightly, to be flexible, to be gracious.” Pastry chef-and-now-boss Jessica says of her new role, “I have to be careful and not get too cheeky. Back in the kitchen, we get pretty rough. It’s all blood and knuckles. Out front, I’m calm and friendly.” The Andersons’ teenage son, Joe, works as a busboy while his younger sister, Doone, makes a mean French onion soup, says Jessica. 
Photo by Steve Henke
| One legendary local restaurant couple is now sadly incomplete. “We all owe much to Molly and Tom Broder,” notes Stewart Woodman, who relied on Tom for advice in balancing business with joie de vivre. Tom died last summer. Molly now works closely with her eldest son, Thomas, and his wife, Annie. “They are full of energy and ideas,” she says. Her other sons, Charlie and Danny, work there as well. |
The Broders founded Broders’ Cucina Italiana several decades ago after traveling through Italy and studying in Bologna. They introduced us to handmade, fresh pasta, real focaccia, and extra virgin olive oil. Tom’s pizza was truly Italian. “Not the Midwest stuff with cheese that slides off like a slab of linoleum into your lap,” he would declare. They created Broders’ Pasta Bar across the street over a decade ago. With their cured meats, bold cheeses, and heavenly sughis, the Broders continue to inspire and educate. “It’s a business that offers so much to a family,” Molly says. “We’ve been able to travel with our kids, introduce them to different cultures and interesting people. And they’ve learned about business.” She has also provided work for her sons’ friends over the years. “So many moms have thanked me,” she says. “Working in a restaurant, the boys learn accountability, service, punctuality, presentation. They learn to talk to people, and they seem to have fun.” Years back, a teacher asked young Charlie Broder’s kindergarten class what their parents put out for Santa on Christmas Eve. “Gingerbread men and cocoa,” said one student. “Spritz cookies and milk,” replied another. “A glass of Vin Santo and biscotti,” said Charlie. Lucky Santa; lucky us. More Food Pairings Black Forest Inn
Forty-one years ago, Erich Christ opened a bar and sold sausages that evoked memories of his home in Germany. Today, his Black Forest Inn, with its lush beer garden, large dining area, and packaged-spaetzel business, is an Eat Street institution. Joanne, who joined the business when the couple married in 1968, has been a key player in Nicollet Avenue’s food renaissance. “To be successful these forty-some years, you have to make changes and take risks,” Joanne says. Erich adds, “None of the changes are as risky as doing nothing at all.” | Café Brenda/Spoonriver
Queen of the vegetarian scene, Brenda Langton is nationally acclaimed for her innovative cuisine and efforts to promote local, sustainable food. She began in 1978 with (long-closed) Café Kardamena, opened Café Brenda in 1985, and then Spoonriver in 2006. The force behind Mill City Market, adjacent to Spoonriver, Langton partners with her husband, Timothy Kane. Brenda teaches cooking classes and consults on natural foods and diet, while Tim manages and trains the staffs. | | Cafe Latté/Bread and Chocolate
Twenty-five years ago, Cafe Latté introduced the Twin Cities to espresso drinks, hearth-baked breads, and scratch soups. Owners Linda and Peter Quinn redefined the term cafeteria with a concept that, to this day, wraps customers around the block. Come for afternoon tea (with warm scones), shop for pretties, gifts, and chocolates down the hall at their Quince, or cross the street for a sandwich and cookie at sibling Bread and Chocolate. Intrepid entrepreneurs, Linda and Peter worked and traveled throughout Indonesia and Asia before settling in St. Paul in the late 1970s. They were set to remodel stately buildings, Peter guiding the construction, with Linda tending to the interiors, but friends and workers begged Linda to open a place to serve her homemade soups, salads, and fresh bread.
The Quinns credit their success to Cafe Latté’s family orientation. Several of its 120 employees have been with the operation for more than twenty years. “We hire our managers from within,” says Peter. “Our employees have grown with us, allowing us some freedom.” The couple has rekindled their love of travel, bringing home products and new ideas from Europe, South America, and Asia. The Quinns are deeply involved in the community, politics, and art and show local artists’ work on the café’s expansive walls, changing works quarterly. | Christos
A long way from Cyprus, Gus and Carol Parpas infuse their places in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Minnetonka with Mediterranean hospitality. For thirteen years, Christos has been serving classic seafood, lamb, and vegetable dishes, distinctively lighter than heartier Greek cuisine. Just get the Parpases talking about Cyprus’s wine, olive oils, and hillsides loaded with artichokes. They’ll get you to join them on their next tour. | Citizen Cafe
While renovating the space for Citizen Cafe, Tim and Seaen MacKay discovered a star inlaid in the wood floor, which confirmed their commitment to the neighborhood. “It made us think of FDR and WWII and ‘victory gardens,’ ” Tim says. “We have this old-fashioned sense of a local joint where people come in often and we’ll become part of the community.” Seaen, who continues at her “day job,” helps out on weekends and manages the wine list, but hopes to join Tim soon. With breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a simple, reasonably priced wine and beer list, it’s already a neighborhood institution. | Heartland
Restaurant & Wine Bar
All accomplished restaurants share one key ingredient—a loyal, diligent staff. Heartland in St. Paul owes much of its success to Lenny Russo’s cooking and Mega Hoen’s management of one of the Cities’ most-accomplished service staffs. The husband and wife team are leaders in the local foods effort, working closely with small family farmers and artisanal producers to share resources and create distribution networks. | Isles Bun & Coffee/Isles Market & Deli
Catherine Veigel quit her job teaching art to work with her husband, Jeff, when he bought Isles Bun & Coffee in Uptown Minneapolis. Soon after, she took the reins at Isles Market & Deli in nearby Kenwood, where their son attends public school across the street. Jeff, who’s worked at Charlie’s and D’Amico Catering, taught Catherine to bake Isles’ signature “puppy dog tail” mini cinnamon rolls. Along with the iconic treats, at Isles Market & Deli she’s added soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza, and lasagna. The neighborhood place partners with Birchbark Books to host author readings and social gatherings. In the heart of Kenwood, it’s an old-fashioned ice cream shop, coffee bar, morning-meeting spot, after-school hangout, and, for many, a second home. |
|
|
» Recent Food + Dining Features
|
» RESTAURANT GUIDE
|
|
|
© 2009 MSP Communications, Inc. All rights reserved