This is the third installment of Off the Map, a column by chef J.D. Fratzke. It appears monthly on growlermag.com and occasionally in print. For literally decades, one of the most zen-like and enjoyable tasks of my 14-hour work day was the 45 minutes before dinner service wherein all the chopping, dicing, braising, searing, emulsifying, and reducing … [ Read more]
Too Close to the Fire: A chef’s story of restaurant burnout and rekindling his love of cooking
I Left My Heart in Shafter Ghost Town
This is the second installment of Off the Map, a column by chef J.D. Fratzke. It appears monthly on growlermag.com and occasionally in print. It was in the waning years of the Clinton administration that I found myself standing on the roof of an abandoned blacksmith and livery in a southwest Texas ghost town. The journey had … [ Read more]
Strip Club Staircase Under Scrutiny
“Spiral stairway is not an approved means of egress from restaurant seating area. Discontinue use immediately.” The Pioneer Press reports this statement, among others, from city fire inspector George Niemeyer to Strip Club Meat & Fish owners J.D. Fratzke and Tim Niver. The staircase in the historic Maria Avenue building leads to the mezzanine (above), which … [ Read more]