October 26, 2006 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of One |
Cafette: love stirred into every dish for 15 years
Running a neighborhood restaurant in Chestnut Hill is as hard as herding cats, but Jan Wilson, who is to sweetness what yeast is to beer, has managed the feat for almost 15 years. It hasn’t hurt that her personality isas smooth as aged cognac. Jan’s baby, Cafette, at 8136 Ardleigh St., is the only restaurant in the Chestnut Hill area that is not only on a non-major road but is the only business on a residential street that otherwise has only single-family homes. “We’re in our 15th year, and I can honestly say it’s been a lot of fun,” said Wilson, 48, with a soufflé of pride. “The staff really gets along so well, and we stir love into the food.” The executive chef in charge of the stirring is lifelong Mt. Airy resident John McLaughlin, 30, formerly a chef at Goat Hollow in Mt. Airy and Rembrandt’s in Fairmount. His cooking is as reliable as sunshine. “John is very sensitive to our mission,” said Jan, “which is creative homestyle cooking. I can remember seeing him around the neighborhood growing up (in Mt. Airy). He was very handsome and just a little older than my daughter, who now teaches at the University of Pittsburgh. I love John as a chef and as a person. It’s nice to get the whole package.”
A new menu was recently introduced for the fall, but McLaughlin’s summer dinner menu was a huge hit with customers. He added seasonal dishes that were light and flavorful, using fresh herbs, local meats and classic stocks. The biggest sellers were the Thai-style crab cakes served with marinated soba noodles, sugar snap peas and red curry aioli ($23); pork Milanese with baby arugula., tomatoes, pine nuts, lemon citronette and shaved Asiago cheese ($17); and chicken roulade with Asiago cheese, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, mashed potatoes and a pomegranate demi-glace ($18). Also huge favorites are the artisan cheese plate ($11), a mix of Gouda, Gruyere, Brie and Bleu that’s a big hit with many of the customers who bring their own wine, and the slow-roasted baby back ribs with barbecue sauce, candied sweet potatoes and cole slaw ($18). “I have had barbecued ribs all over Texas, Oklahoma and other parts of the south,” said Chestnut Hill Local staffer Jimmy J. Pack Jr., “and these are the best I’ve ever had. Even better than at The Rib Crib. I’ve had the ribs here seven times so far.” Cafette’s pastry chef, Ellen Grey, also has a long-standing Chestnut Hill area pedigree. A Wyndmoor resident, Ellen previously was the baker/owner of A Slice of Heaven, which operated out of the space now occupied by King’s Garden, close to the Chestnut Hill Hotel. Her chocolate pecan pie ($5.25) is like a seductive, adult Snickers bar.
“Her light seasonal confections are never cloyingly sweet,” said Wilson. “She makes an amazing Scotch pudding and a sensational ricotta cheesecake. One bite of it transports me to Little Italy, which is a thrill for me because I’ve never been to the big Italy.” For 20 years, from the mid-’50s to the mid-’70s, Gump’s Luncheonette was housed in the property at 8136 Ardleigh St. It was a popular gathering place for nearby residents and youngsters relaxing after a game at the Water Tower. When Jan was a child, her grandmother, who lived right around the corner, would send her to Gump’s for sandwiches or ice cream. After Gump’s, many wannabes tried their hand but had no staying power. Then came Wilson, who has been down the long and grinding road. When she opened Cafette early in 1992, some neighbors reacted as if she were carrying typhoid fever. Eventually, however, the most vociferous opponent moved out of the neighborhood, and Jan won over the others with her sunshine personality and cheerleader enthusiasm. (She also does not close the restaurant when she runs out of rolls, as Gump’s used to do.)
“I’m very bullish about Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy,” said Jan. “I love this area, and I feel privileged to live here. In addition to the food, what has helped us to last this long is the sweet relationship between our customers and our staff. “Our customers are cosmopolitan people who could go to any restaurant to eat, but they keep coming back to this little place, and we really appreciate it. Having such nice customers is what makes this place so special for me.” Jan Wilson has become as much of a Chestnut Hill institution as the Water Tower or Pastorius Park. A graduate of Jenks School and Girls’ High School (the Bicentennial class of 1976), Jan was also president of the Jenks Home and School Association for two years in the late 1980s and was a CHCA board member. She was once a waitress and later a manager at Chautauqua, the predecessor of Pollo Rosso and Stella Notte, both now defunct. In addition, Jan was a disc jockey at several night clubs including London’s Hard Rock Cafe, and she interviewed rock bands for a local TV station. Jan has also made wedding gowns for area residents, and she is a certified massage therapist. “I love doing massages,” Wilson explained, “because you’re having a favorable impact on someone’s body and soul, just as you do with good food. I’m always looking to develop new skills. It makes life so interesting, never boring.” For lunch, Cafette has a huge variety of salads from $4 to $9 (my favorite is the awesome spicy shrimp noodle salad); hoagies from $6.50 to $7.50 (Dave’s Italian is a classic), sandwiches from $6 to $8.50 and entrees from $7.50 to $12. (Customers will never let Jan take the vegetarian black bean cakes and vegetarian lasagna off the menu.) For dinner, appetizers range from $6 to $11; salads from $4.50 to $8, pasta dishes from $14 to $16.50 and other entrees from $15 to $23. There is also a Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Cafette also does a big takeout business. Everything on the menu is available for takeout. In 2001, Jan introduced a major bonus for Cafette customers when she started al fresco dining in a beautiful garden with six tables and a profusion of flowers and sculptures. As usual, Jan received the cooperation of neighbors and friends in creating the garden patio. David Marcolina, then-manager of Towey’s Tavern; Fred Maulucci of Kilian’s Hardware, and Wyndmoor resident Mary Costello were all “angels” who helped make the dream a reality, which also includes an herb garden. Now Cafette can seat 46 inside and 46 outside. Anyone who dines out regularly knows that Cafette’s prices are quite reasonable, considering the quality of the food and service. (You may bring your own wine, of course.) When I wrote an article for the Local on Cafette’s fifth anniversary, I discovered that many prices — for soups and sandwiches, for example — had not changed at all in five years. Many others had gone up a mere 20 cents. In recent years prices have been raised a bit more, for which Jan is almost apologetic. “I feel really bad whenever I have to raise prices,” she said, “but sometimes I have no choice. Because of the huge increases in gasoline prices, every food vendor has been adding fuel surcharges, and it has to affect our prices. Our employees make less money (than at expensive restaurants), but they have a better lifestyle. There is no chef yelling at them and less pressure. That’s why people who come to work here usually stay.” Jan has two daughters, but she chose not to mention their names because “they are so uncomfortable having their names in the paper.” After almost 15 years of running Cafette, Jan Wilson admits she has added a few pounds and a few gray hairs, but she insists she has “never felt better or been happier. I am no longer a size 8 and I have gray hair, but that’s not what life is about. It’s about heart and soul, and I believe that’s what we have here at Cafette.” Fore more information, call 215-242-4220 or visit www.cafette.com |
