2007-11 Vital Source Mag – November 2007
When the Banana Leaves Split
North Shore Bistro 8649 N. Port Washington Fox Point, WI 53217 414-351-6100 “Yes, we have no banana leaves. We have no banana leaves today.” This devastating news from his purveyor might have crushed any other chef just hours away from a gala dinner for the prestigious American Culinary Federation. The problem? His showcase dish was to be Polynesian-style triggerfish steamed in banana leaves. Wolf, however, put his thinking toque on and turned potential disaster into a creative opportunity. With the prestidigitation of a master illusionist he came up with the solution: The Milwaukee Zoo! After all, who in the area buys more bananas? Wolf admits he had a moment of sweaty panic, but the Zoo’s contribution saved dinner for some very discerning primates with cultivated palates. A Homestead High School graduate who grew up in Thiensville and Mequon, Wolf was a regular guy into sports, hunting and fishing. Football, wrestling and track were his games. Nothing suggested that he would end up as the Corporate Chef for the high-end NStars Restaurant Group. During high school Wolf was a self-described “Friday Fish Fry Bitch” at a local eatery. [I know the feeling having been a Friday Night Football Pizza Bitch in college myself.] As a teenager, Wolf also worked at the Four Seasons in Mequon – and at Sardi’s. He still gets a dreamy look in his eyes describing Sardi’s beef and chicken spiedini cooked with tomatoes and peppers, simmered until the meat fell off the bone. He studied the gastronomic arts at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and returned to Milwaukee upon graduating. “After culinary school I worked for Larry’s Brown Deer market. It was a great experience working with such high quality cheeses and imported products.” The young chef then worked at Mike & Anna’s for eight years. “The owner, Tony Harvey,” says Wolf, “created a great environment to learn in. It started out as a 50-seat Northern Italian bistro. Tony’s mother was a blast and his dad was a World War II vet with great stories. As young as I was in this business, I had the opportunity to do whatever I wanted. We had a chalkboard menu that constantly changed: rack of lamb, fois gras, scallops, turbot. Whatever we wanted.” Since Harvey also ran Rent-a-Chef, a catering business, Wolf was left much to his own devices at the restaurant. The North Shore clientele had high expectations and chefs like Scott Sebastian, Patrick Schultz, and Richard Staniszewski consistently met and exceeded them. It was a place for great food in a warm, inviting environment. Wolf recalls Mayor John Norquist, who lived nearby, as a frequent diner. “He’d have his bottle of wine, dinner and then fall asleep there right in his chair — he must have felt very comfortable.” The family feel of the restaurant extended to the little kitchen garden in the back full of herbs, edible flowers, nasturtiums, pansies and tiny roses. The owners of the North Shore Bistro – Michael Tarney, Elias […]
Nov 1st, 2007 by Cate Miller
Citay
The average person does not listen to instrument-led rock music. At most, it’s used as background noise while cleaning, studying, or even sleeping – earning a position not much higher than a Sharper Image sound machine. Without prominent vocals, it’s easy for most to lose interest. Unless, like the not so itty-bitty eight-piece Citay committee, there is a generous amount of aggressive ‘70s guitar to demand attention. The noise comes when least expected, as during the unassuming Elliott Smith-like “On the Wings.”Since the disc’s undertones are mellow, these interjected rock-god moments are startling. Also surprising – and out-of-era – is the Metallica-meddling on “Former Child” which, thankfully, bows out a minute or so into the almost eight-minute track. Now, eight minutes may seem drawn out, but Little Kingdom is never difficult to connect with, even at its most noisy, lyrically free and instrumentally hefty. Not quite as kitchen-sink as today’s symphonic indie bands with as many members, Citay’s wackiest accessory is the mandolin. In addition, songwriter Ezra Feinberg plays nine instruments and provides tender vocals in select songs like the whimsical “First Fantasy.”Not only does he rival Sufjan Stevens in gratuitous musicianship, but also channels Sufjan’s minimalist, folksy vibe throughout “Moonburn,” the album’s closer – beneath the hell-raising retro guitar shredding, of course. If your Led Zepplin III or Pink Floyd Animals vinyl is wearing thin, Little Kingdom is an ideal segue into the current century. Apologies if it’s only released on CD.
Nov 1st, 2007 by Amber Herzog
