Harmony in contradiction
By Catherine McGarry Miller
forty8 head chef Adam Swatloske, former high school linebacker, perennial Packers fan and rock music junkie, is the type of guy you’d expect to see warming a regular’s stool at the bar where he works. He’d never even tasted anything you’d call gourmet until he was 17 and got his first restaurant job at Eddie Martini’s washing dishes. Now, just seven lucky years later, he’s turning out food that’s tantalizing epicureans around town.
Swatloske didn’t come from a family of foodies. His mother, who manages diagnostic imaging at St. Francis Hospital, was lost in the kitchen. “Mom and I joke about it,” her son says with a grin. “I got into cooking ‘cause she couldn’t and one of us had to do it. She made some damn good cookies, though.”
“School was my deficit,” the Catholic Memorial alum admits. “I was good at cooking, football and partying. I’m not one to sit in an office; I need to be doing something. I’m high energy, but I also love my sleep.” Swatloske’s conversation today is peppered with highfalutin’ phrases like “food profiles,” but having grown up on tacos and lasagna, he’s still a fan of comfort food. “It’s all about making you feel good.”
Andy Stiyer, then Executive Chef at Eddie Martini’s, showed a very green Swatloske the ropes. “Starting at a restaurant like that, you learn what good food really is or you don’t last,” he says. Stiyer’s Orange Peppercorn Beurre Blanc served with Ahi Tuna inspired his protégé with the sweetness and tang of the citrus accented with hot Sichuan pepper. Swatloske says, “I build my dish around the sauce instead of making the sauce for a dish.”
After a long apprenticeship at Eddie Martini’s, Swatloske jockeyed about area restaurants. “A friend of mine who was at forty8 said he needed a hand,” he says. It was a perfect fit. “Every time you walk in you feel like you’re being hugged – you can wear whatever. I did the corporate thing, but it’s not really my style.” When his friend quit this past summer, Swatloske gladly took over the kitchen. Several months later, sous chef Ian Somerville, who is currently finishing his culinary program at MATC, joined the team.
Adam Swatloske has the excited glow of youth as he describes his job. “We have complete freedom to make menu changes, to go to the farmers market. We leave entrees open for seasonal accents that change regularly. I like mixing sweet and savory in sauces. I like the crispness of fried won ton chips and the crust on our risotto cakes. Ian’s just the opposite. He likes smooth, creamy soups and purees. His cakes are nice and rich.”
The back of the house at forty8 is a brotherhood of sorts. There are five in the kitchen including cook Jesus Almazon and Jesse and Juan, who are brothers. Swatloske calls Almazon his own personal Jesus. He’s the happiest, nicest guy. He’s always back there singing. He just puts a smile on your face.”
Owned by Gregg Juleen, forty8 just celebrated its second anniversary. It’s a modest space that belies its kitchen’s ambitious offerings. The menu is a sophisticated mélange of haute and low cuisine: patty melts to seared ahi tuna. “I think it is important not to underestimate the intelligence of our customers and not try to dumb down the terminology,” says Somerville. “Say what it is and explain when a customer asks. I love when people ask how we do things – but don’t ask me at the bar, you’ll never leave!”
Who’d want to leave with menu choices like jumbo grilled shrimp flanking a crispy lobster infused risotto cake with Swatloske’s sweet and savory red pepper coulis? The Ahi Tuna, barely seared in a ginger-sesame crust, is layered like a napoleon with toasted won tons and dressed with a perky wasabi mayonnaise. Somerville’s Chocolate Demise is a luscious finish – a rich flourless cake filled with silky mousse.
If there’s a drawback to forty8, it’s the lack of a separate non-smoking dining area. Still, there’s no residual beer and butts “eau de tavern” in the air. It’s pure fun and great food. VS
