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DEEP DISH: Watch Factory Restaurant survives tests of fire and ice |
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Todd Lyon
4/30/04
I last interviewed Chef Markus Patsch in 2002. At the time, he was
celebrating his seventh year at the Watch Factory Restaurant, his
popular Cheshire eatery specializing in Austrian country cuisine.
"I
think of myself as a lucky fellow," he told me then, "because I like
what I’m doing, and I’m going to stay here just as long as I’m happy
and healthy."
Then, last August, I got a call from musician friend Tom Smith, who
lives not far from the Watch Factory complex. Seems that, returning
from a gig late one night, he smelled something burning. He and his
band mate (bass player Andy Karlok) took a short walk around the
neighborhood to investigate, and discovered that smoke was curling out
from between the bricks of the outer walls of the Watch Factory
Restaurant.
Now, because Chef Markus is European, and because it was August, the
restaurant was closed for the month and Markus was off in Austria,
visiting his mother. "It was 9 a.m. and I’d just stepped out of the
shower," he recalls. "My mom doesn’t speak English but she answered the
phone and knew something was wrong."
The fire was the result of a malfunctioning motor in the wine cooler
behind the bar. Markus’ friends — and the fire marshal — gave him the
impression that the damage wasn’t all that extensive, and that he might
as well stay in Austria for the final six days of his vacation, while
fire investigators and insurance adjusters did their thing.
"I didn’t know how bad it was," says Markus. "There was smoke damage,
water damage and my neighbors were put out of commission, too. It
wasn’t the prettiest time in my life."
Things got worse on Dec. 13, when a blizzard dumped a foot of snow inside the restaurant.
"I remember it vividly," says Markus. "There was no roof, it was
snowing, and there was nobody I could call to put in an emergency roof.
I felt so helpless. I thought, ‘Things can only get better.’"
Surprise: Three days later it rained, and workers had to come in with
sandbags to contain the water and keep it from flooding the entire
complex.
Months of construction followed, during which Chef Markus lovingly
recreated an interior that is nearly identical to the one he lost.
Working in a vacant space in the complex, he and friend Peter Wieland
did all the woodworking, creating a cottage feeling with pale knotty
pine. The 70-seat restaurant still has a white-washed dining room
overlooking lush landscaping; a smaller dining area separated from the
bar by a half-wall topped in greenery; and a large communal table in
the corner where Watch Factory guests love to come together for a glass
of Warsteiner Lager or a shot of Jagermeister.
"I liked it the first time, so I didn’t see any big reason for a change," explains Markus.
He means it. Not only is the interior unchanged, but so is the menu, the prices and the staff.
"I wanted people to come in an see all the same stuff, eat the same food, have the same check," he says.
When the Watch Factory officially reopened on April 9, Chef Markus was
touched to find a full restaurant. There they were, feasting on mussels
in mustard cream, rainbow trout with capers and brown butter, bratwurst
with white wine sauce, wiener schnitzel and sacher schnitte with
raspberry sauce. The folks who’d always loved Chef Markus’s cooking
hadn’t missed a beat.
"I’m ecstatic that I’m back in business, that I have my restaurant back and my life back," says the chef.
Soon, Chef Markus will be having a dinner for all the people who helped
him through his ordeal, including the fire department, the friends who
rescued his dog from the upstairs apartment, and the musicians who
called the fire in.
"I’m a lucky man," says Markus.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Place: The Watch Factory Restaurant/Austrian Country Cuisine, 122 Elm St., Cheshire
• Phone: (203) 271-1717
• Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Dinner: 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.
• Note: The restaurant is closed during the month of August.
• Reservations: Appreciated, especially on weekends.
• Food: At dinner, a short menu of Austrian country dishes displays a
printed border of subliminal messages to "sit long, eat much, laugh
often and ‘gemutlichkeit’" — a word, according to Chef Markus, that
describes a sense of comfort and satisfaction.
Seven appetizers, ranging in price from $4 to $8, are highlighted by a
shrimp and artichoke crepe ($8), and mussels in a mustard cream sauce
($8). Twelve entrees begin at $16 for tilapia with tomato, shallot and
basil compote, and top out at $20 for black pearl salmon in an herbed
cream sauce. Other favorites include a classic wiener schnitzel (veal
cutlets dipped in a secret egg/flour batter and sauteed, $19) and Jager
Schnitzel (a similar creation enhanced by mushroom sauce, $20). All
entrees — including the popular monkfish in garlic cream sauce ($18)
and the roasted duck leg in red wine sauce ($18) — are served with
seasonal vegetables and a choice of flavorful potato pancake, mashed
potatoes or rice. Desserts, like virtually everything else at the Watch
Factory, are lovingly made by Chef Markus himself. Sweet treats such as
Austrian cheesecake with strawberry sauce; apple strudel; and chocolate
mousse are $5 each.
At lunch time, an accessible, light-minded menu puts forth shrimp salad
with dill and artichoke hearts ($8.50), fresh fruit with cottage cheese
($6.50), chicken crepe with salad greens ($8.50), and more than a dozen
other offerings in the $4-$10.75 range, plus four desserts at $3.50
each.
• Drink: Besides a full bar, the Watch Factory specializes in serious
European draught beers like Warsteiner Lager ($5, half-liter) and
Schneider Weisse ($5, half-liter). A small, well-chosen wine list
($16-$48 per bottle, $4.50-$8 per glass) is highlighted by a few
unusual bottles from Austria and Germany.
• Wheelchair access: Through the front door.
• Smoking not allowed.
• Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex.
• Kid-friendliness: Small-fry preferences can be accommodated upon request.
• Parking: Ample and free in the Watch Factory’s surrounding lot.
• Note to out-of-towners: The place isn’t easy to find. Your best bet
is to take Route 10 into the center of Cheshire, and turn right (at the
Town Hall) on Wallingford Road and then left onto Elm Street. The
second driveway on your right will display an artsy sign announcing the
Watch Factory shops. Enter there, and drive straight to the far end of
the lot. Take a quick right, and park your car. When you spot the Watch
Factory Restaurant sign on the building to your right, go toward it.
Take a left up the brick steps, then a right along the path past the AC
units, then pass through a glass-door entrance. Make a sharp right and
go through the door marked "Restaurant." It’ll be worth the effort.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a free-lance writer. Contact her at toddlyon@earthlink.net.
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-- Christina Aguilera |
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