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Joan Ida: Making Waffles!
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard this one: Joan Ida, lately the chef of high-end Porter & Frye, one-time endlessly awarded pastry chef at (dear departed) Goodfellows, and former top toque at fine dining Tria, has taken over the top position at… the Highland Grill. The Mac-Groveland diner. What the heck is someone known for super-fine dining doing in the land of waffles and fish and chips?
I tracked down Ida at the Blue Plate Restaurant Company’s corporate HQ in Maple Grove. Blue Plate is the company that owns the Highland Grill, the Edina Grill, the Longfellow Grill, the Groveland Tap, and Three Squares, and Ida had only been there a few days.“How do you find out these things?” she gasped. But then she clammed up and put me through to corporate.
Turns out that Ida is merely going to be in charge of Highland Grill. Chef Dave Hawley will remain as the executive chef of the whole Blue Plate group; and Ida will be taking over Highland at the end of the month, but won’t be changing much. “She’ll be immediately taking over the specials program,” David Burley, one of Blue Plate’s owners, told me. “And we share specials between all the restaurants so if she comes up with something great you could see it at all our restaurants. But [the Highland Grill’s] concept isn’t going to change at all. We just wanted to amp the restaurant up culinarily, and give it a little shot in the arm.”
So, break into groups and discuss: This recession brings so many surprises! What next, Jean Georges Vongerichten taking over a Bruegger’s Bagels near you?
Highland Grill
www.highlandgrill.com
771 Cleveland Avenue S., St. Paul
651-690-1173
Posted on Friday, March 19, 2010 in Permalink
Comments may be edited for length, clarity, or appropriateness.
Reader Comments:
I think you're giving Joan Ida's resume a lot more credit than it deserves. Did you ever eat at Porter & Frye after she launched her own menu?
Ha! Did you really just compare Joan Ida with JGV? Stop it... You're killing me!
I have seen Joan Ida in action....making waffles on someone else's menu is probably a good spot for her. JGV= Jean Georges, Perry St., Mercer , Spice Market, Vong, Nougatine, JoJo, Vong, Cafe Martinique, V, Dune, Lagoon, Market, ABC, Martinique, Prime, Shanhai
I worked with Joan at Goodfellows. I don't like to use the words "divine retribution" lightly, but...well, she wasn't the nicest person to work with, let's just say.
Wow.... I completely disagree with the criticism of Joan. I've also worked with her in the past and the reason some people might have had a problem with her was because they couldn't live up to her expectations.
Chefs don't have a resume like hers unless you're respected for your talents. How is Blue Plate doing anything differently for their company then Tim McGee has done for his? Any time a talented chef becomes available, wouldn't you want to invite him/her under your umbrella? The most successful groups have.
Joan's diversity is amazing. At one time she was recognized as one of the true pastry tanents in the country. Most chefs would've sat back on their hats and enjoyed the accolades. But not Joan.... She made the move that most Pastry Chefs don't dare. The other side of the wall.
She's a hell of a lot more then waffles and that's all she does make. They'll be the best GD waffles you've ever had.
justsaying.....i think your thinking of a different joan ida
Doug.... You're a shining example
I too worked with her at goodfellows in both savory and pastry postitions, and i agree with justsaying she doesn't mince words and she holds people to a high standard, if she was a male chef she would be considered pretty docile. and Doug Flicker just because she doesn't focus on the same things you are passionate about doesn't mean she isn't a pretty good chef. I have wondered about some of her job choices in the past but maybe she has a reason that we all don't know or understand. I always liked and enjoyed you Joan.
Hmmm...here's what Dara wrote about Joan in January of '09 in a comment after she replaced the chef at the Ivy "She was one of the strongest pastry chefs Minneapolis has ever known, her work at Goodfellow's was consistently of an exceptionally high level, and she's known for being a team player and pretty much ego free."
And I agree with that assessment. Blue Plate is incredibly successful and this is just another one of their smart moves.
How the tides will turn.... Good conversation