Forever young

photos by Kevin C. Groen

Chip & Py’s
1340 W. Towne Square Road (I43 at Mequon Road)
262-241-9589

Longevity in the restaurant business is a rare, hard-earned reward. Yet Julie and Richard Staniszewski have made the journey to the 25th anniversary of Chip & Py’s seem practically effortless. From the day they opened their doors at their original location on 5th and National in Walker’s Point to the day they popped the silver champagne corks this May, they’ve delivered consistently excellent food, potables and entertainment with a spirit of warm bonhomie that makes every customer feel at home.

A quarter of a century ago, Julie Betzhold and her brother, John Herschede, had a partnership interest in the first location’s building. They were forward-thinking, seeing it as a base for casual sophisticates in a neighborhood that had yet to be discovered. The greater real estate plan included loft living and an infrastructure that was 30 years ahead of its time. Back then nobody understood the concept. Their best prospective tenant wanted banjo music and turtle races on the bar. With no disrespect to Bela Fleck, that wasn’t what they had in mind. What did appeal to them was Mike & Anna’s, Tony Harvey’s Southside avant garde gourmet eatery, and its chef, Richard. So they lured him to their project.

Richard, now chef/owner of Chip & Py’s, was an unlikely gourmand. Raised in what he calls a “deep blue collar” family near County Stadium, he grew up sneaking in to Braves games. His father was a machine repairman and his mother loved baseball but hated cooking. His first food memory is of thin pork chops his mother fried. Dropping one on the floor, she returned it to the frying pan, explaining to her son, “That one’ll be mine.”

But her son was doubtful. “How did she know which one it was?” he wondered, thinking that there must be better food out there somewhere. His favorite treat was smoked chubs, prompting his longtime friend and fish monger, Tim Collins of St. Paul Fish Market, to ask him later, “And did you have shoes?”

Upon graduating from Solomon Juneau High School, Staniszewski put in six months at a factory, hating it so much he turned to bartending at Cassidy’s, Barbieri’s and then for Tony Harvey’s Rent-a-Chef Catering, a big player in the North Shore. When Harvey opened Mike and Anna’s on 8th and Rodgers, Richard took the helm of a restaurant that would be Milwaukee’s first casual fine dining bistro.

Due to the demands of the North Shore clientele from the catering business, they kicked up the carte with epicurean entrées, and the place took off. Responding to his market is a hallmark of Staniszewski’s business philosophy, coupled with a commitment to value that he took to his own business in 1982. “We talked to everyone we knew and asked what they’d like, gauged their response and put it on menu,” he says. “It was an exciting time – just prior to the downtown renaissance. Walker’s Point in early ‘80s? There was nothing there except Coney Island [a hot dog haven] and the Milwaukee Ballet. People enjoyed the neighborhood because it was so different. We worked all the time, but it was exhilarating and energizing.”

As the restaurant took off, so did Richard’s relationship with Julie. Chip & Py’s soon added jazz to the menu featuring world class pianists David Hazeltine and Dan Dance. Within months the little eatery became a meeting place for local and national celebrities. After the opening of the Grand Avenue Mall, it was the impromptu after-party site. Mayor Norquist was a frequent diner. The gracious Vincent Price and the penurious Tom Berenger also warmed the seats.

In 1991, when the lease was coming to term and the larger real estate venture fizzled, the restaurant made a smooth transition to Mequon. Today, the steak au poivre and other Chip & Py’s classics are the same as they were 25 years ago. Entrées still include a salad, fresh vegetable and starch. Prices have increased so incrementally that everything remains exceedingly reasonable for fine dining. With half priced bottles of wine on Tuesdays, the Wednesday $22 Lobster Special and Tapas Thursday, Richard and Julie continue to mold their menu to their customers. And the beat goes on. VS