Steak, Fatherhood, and Dairy Queen Coupons
Good morning! Chef Gabe here with some musings about steak, fatherhood, and Dairy Queen coupons (stick with me here).
Father’s Day is this Sunday, and now that I’m a father, I try to spend as much time as I can with my girls.
My two daughters are everything to me, and I love cooking a nice meal for them. Of course, with their Romanian blood, they both love steak and lamb chops. Giuliana, 11, prefers ribeye steak, and Emma, 8, likes the chops. And they both know to order their meat medium-rare, too. (I’ve trained them well.) They were both five years old when they tried steak for the first time. I tried to give Giuliana the ends that were a little more well-done, but she wanted the center piece, which is always a bit more bloody. And that Emma also loves medium-rare lamb warms my heart. They’ve both made daddy proud.
My daughters are not picky. They eat all sorts of things. They love risotto and they really enjoy fish: lake trout or steelhead. By the way, our new trout with chimichurri and chicory greens has been selling like crazy. The summer menu has been a hit, so be sure to check it out. And while we’re on the topic of fish, I’ll take steelhead trout over salmon any day. You find steelhead more in Northern Michigan, but I’m going to put it on special at the restaurant at some point this summer. The girls love it.
Anyway, back to the kids. I love being a chef, but I need to spend time with my family, too. And so we find ways to make it work. Most nights, I give them a call before service starts and we talk a little bit. The girls really appreciate that. I do this because I know by the time Bar Gabi slows down, they’ll already be in bed. I’m so glad they understand my schedule, and they love talking on the phone while I’m at the restaurant. They say, “Have a great service. We love you!” And it melts my heart.
Usually, though, our time together is in the mornings. I take them to school every morning, and I’ll ask them about what they did yesterday, what they learned, how their day was. I drop them off at 8:45, and then I head straight to the restaurant. It can be tough — we all want to see each other more — but we find creative little ways to communicate with each other. For example, the girls love leaving us notes on the bathroom mirror. It’s a fun thing. Written words are such a meaningful way of communicating with the people you love. It’s why we write this newsletter!
Giuliana graduated 5th grade yesterday, and now she’s preparing for middle school. I went to the graduation celebration, and I got emotional seeing pictures of her back in kindergarten. She’s growing up so fast. Yesterday, as part of her graduation, she got a present from Dairy Queen for two coupons of free ice cream. So she left them on the mirror for Gabi and me with a note that said, “Here. I got you both some free ice cream.” She’s always thinking about other people, even if it’s a re-gift (ha!).
Of course, both girls always ask when they can start working in the restaurant. If they had it their way, they’d probably be grilling burgers with me this summer. But, it’s a little too early for that. This summer, though, I’m going to bring Giuliana in once a week to work with the hostess so she can learn how to greet guests, how to seat people, and be of service.
For Father’s Day, I know most people like to stay at home and barbecue, but it’s always good to have an option to dine out. Bar Gabi will be open, and in honor of my daughters, we’re going to do a surf and turf (lamb and scallop) special all weekend. Lamb chops are one of Emma’s favorites. If you’re feeling like you don’t want to cook at home and entertain a lot of people, bring your dad to Bar Gabi. There’s plenty of flavorful, hearty food here — beautiful cuts of meat, pork schnitzel, vaca moo (a 32 oz porterhouse), and the like.
We’ll also be doing a Pride brunch on Sunday, June 28th. It’s a Euro brunch with a friend who’s a DJ. And three weeks ago, my chefs started to cook more of what they want: each of them does a rotating special on the weekends now. It started with T's salmon special. Two weekends ago, Jacob, our youngest cook, did a lamb rack special that sold out in two days. Last week was duck breast by Rula. These are very talented chefs we have working here, and I want to make sure I’m fostering their careers and their talents. Fatherhood is a concept, you know? Nurturing, caring for, and learning from the people around you. Your family, your friends, your peers. For me, that’s the spirit of Father’s Day, and that’s how we’ll celebrate it at Bar Gabi.
So Happy Father’s Day to you and yours, and we’ll see you soon at Bar Gabi.
Chef Gabe
Location
23839 John R Road
Hazel Park, MI 48030
Hours
Monday — Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday — Thursday: 5 - 10 p.m.
Friday — Saturday: 5 - 11 p.m.
Sunday: 5 - 10 p.m.
Please note: Kitchen closes 30 minutes prior to posted hours.