Washington County Weekend Post e-edition
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/372694
6 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 8 - 3 1 - 1 4 Family, Food and Love at Johnny Manhattan's Written By: John Sancomb In Good Taste One thing that I enjoy about writing In Good Taste is to sample the great food available in our com- munity. The people that I meet and their stories are what makes Washington County a special place to live, but who doesn't love sitting down with your family and your friends, relaxing at a dining table, talking about the day's events or nothing in partic- ular, and having a wonder- ful meal made by talented chefs? And if the meal was Italian, what could be bet- ter? This week I had the chance to sit down with Nancy Manhattan, the owner of Johnny Manhattan's in Hubertus, to talk about food, family, memories, and what makes the perfect dining experi- ence. Johnny Manhattan's is a destination restaurant, if for no other reason than it's not surrounded by a dozen other places or anything else that you're on your way to. Johnny Manhattan's is in the little hamlet of Hubertus, at the intersec- tion of Hubertus Road and Scenic Road, at 3718 Hubertus Road. A charm- ing corner of Washington County surrounded by fam- ily farms and about 1 mile south of Holy Hill Road. It's not likely to be along the way; you've got to be look- ing for it. But when you get there, and it is easy to find, you're transported back to the classic supper clubs of the Kennedy years, the Rat Pack, and Marilyn Monroe. The décor is spotless and warm with pictures of these times; Frank Sinatra, movie stars, older family photos, and of course Marilyn Monroe. The pic- tures were actually gifts of grateful patrons to Johnny and Nancy Manhattan when they ran Uncle John's in West Allis from 1982 to 1999. Uncle John's was the gathering place that was the place of comfort and friendship. As people felt the personal connection to the community through Uncle John's, they wanted to leave something of themselves. Many of the pictures are signed on the back from the thankful donors. The one picture that Nancy wanted me to see in partic- ular is of Johnny with his family. The picture was recovered from church archives by Johnny's sister and given to Nancy after Johnny's passing from can- cer in 2008. The black and white newspaper clipping is of a family; a large family. Johnny was the youngest of 13 children and the picture had mom and dad and all of the kids arranged in descending height, each holding a Coke, out in a park on a sunny day. Being the youngest of 13, Johnny had 64 nieces and nephews. Uncle John's was the natu- ral name for the family restaurant that everyone would come back to at hol- idays and to connect with loved ones. When Johnny and Nancy moved up to Hubertus to start Johnny Manhattan's in 1999, there was a lot of work to be done to get the environment right and into the condition that it is today. Nancy remembers an instance, while the restau- rant was struggling as all new restaurants do, that a group of 6 patrons, over- whelmed by the hospitality that the staff at Johnny's had given them, each gave Nancy a warm hug as they left in gratitude. Nancy knew that they were on the right path and they were going to be fine. The family atmosphere behind the kitchen doors is the key to their success as a team. The people at Johnny's grow with the business. The head chef, Peter Ignatiev, started out in 2001 as a busboy. Always looking to please and get involved in the full kitchen, Peter worked hard to learn the skills of a bustling restaurant kitchen and to understand the techniques of fine cooking. He grew in his skills, guided by Nancy, who worked side by side with everyone from prep work, to cooking, to serv- ing; just like a family. And Peter gained greater confi- dence and started to make his own inspirations to the dishes and prove his mettle as the head of the kitchen. Today, Peter creates meals that you'll remember and tell friends about. When I was visiting with him in the kitchen, he was opening up an iced box that he had just gotten in. It was fresh squid that was going to be used that night in calamari and a signature dish that was on special for the evening. In addition to the classic The inviting Italian Inspired Patio Continued on page 7 Bringing Gourmet Basics to your Kitchen Cell 262-707-6773• Home 262-338-8349 landvatters@sbcglobal.net 239938011 LaLa's PERSONAL CHEF SERVICE, LLC LaLa's Let Be Your Solution to "What's for Dinner!" LaLa's Personal Chef Services LLC • Meal Services • Dinner Parties • Cocktail Parties • Cooking Classes • Cooking Parties • Special Dietary Services LaLa's LaLa's Chef Brings to you... 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