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Joe Mannke:
The United States is an unique country, being the gathering place for
people from all over the world, a place where hard work and dedication
pays off. Joe Mannke is the epitome of that image and his story may
appear to share the theme of many others but is truly exceptional, as is
the man himself. Tall, calm and confident, he exudes competence,
tempered with the warmth of his passions in life, food, wine, travel and
his fair bride, all of which give him the impression of being much
younger than his birth date would suggest.
Joe’s story begins before WWII in the almost forgotten land of Pomerania,
divided in the 20th century between Germany, Poland and the free city of
Danzig (Gdansk) and later between the invading Soviets and Poland. Part
of the N. European plain, it is mainly agricultural lowland with sandy
soil, now known as The Land of a Thousand Lakes. With his parents
separated by the war and the Red army advancing, he, his bother and
sister and his mother became refugees, eventually settling in Munich,
far to the south, where with great fortune, they were reunited with his
father.
As was common in war ravaged Germany Joe started work at a very early
age, apprenticing at the famous Hotel Bayerishcher Hof in Munich from
the age of fourteen and graduated from the culinary arts school there in
1956. Before the age of twenty-one when he arrived on American shores he
had already worked in hotel kitchens in Durban, Johannesburg and Port
Elizabeth in South Africa. During these formative years he developed a
strong attachment with the culture of South Africa, and speaks fondly of
the times in the grand old hotels, remnants of the British and Dutch
empires that dot the major cities.
Starting a new life in New York at the Stork Club led to a position with
Sonesta Hotels. While working there he was shuffled around between
Puerto Rico, Bermuda and finally Boston. Then at the relatively tender
age of twenty-five, he took the position of executive chef for Anthony’s
Pier Four, turning it into the largest volume restaurant in the United
States at that time, a stunning achievement. In 1971, when Disney
planned the opening of The Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, Joe had
become their choice as Executive Chef for the Contemporary Resort Hotel
and Polynesian Village. They opened after a year of planning and set up,
to rave reviews. With a staff of over 100 chefs, Joe was responsible for
the production of over 20,000 meals every day. Working for “The Mouse”
as Disney is often referred to, required a range of talents from Luaus
on the beach to providing top quality fine dining in the Gulf Coast
Room, a seafood specialty establishment. During this time he was also
one of the innovators, helping establish the Disney School of Culinary
Arts, necessary to provide for the Epcot expansion and to maintain a
pool of human resources vital to the Disney organization. Still in
existence the school has developed an enviable reputation for producing
highly competent people in the hotel and convention food service
industry.
Three years later Joe found himself in Houston working for the Hyatt
Regency as Food and Beverage Director and Executive chef. With his rise
through the ranks he found himself becoming less a chef and more a
corporate entity, complete with the pinstripe suit and the endless
meetings. Faced with a promotion that would completely sever his ties
with the kitchen that he loves, in 1978 Joe Mannke took the big step
away from corporate security, and opened his own restaurant.
Rotisserie for Beef and Bird, located at 2200 Wilcrest, could have been
considered to be at the western edge of Houston when it first opened,
but despite the apparent disadvantage of the location it had certain
aspects that almost guaranteed eventual success. Of prime importance was
the personal philosophy of Joe Mannke, “I listen to my customer’s
needs.” Combined with the ability to instill an unusual level of staff
loyalty and his unwillingness to get into debt from the beginning, his
attitude provided the environment for slow and steady growth, a rarity
in these days of multimillion-dollar openings. Hard work was an
essential ingredient, with Joe donning the chef’s hat, or even parking
customer’s cars if necessary, not something that many restaurant owners
would consider doing nowadays.
The food was a combination of European elegant simplicity and the local
Texas produce, cooked with the first indoor mesquite grill and
rotisserie. The grill and rotisserie, in full view of the patrons in the
main dining room, provides a focal point where Certified Angus steaks,
lamb and a bewildering array of exotic game are prepared to perfection.
The idea of an indoor grill was so revolutionary that the local
contractors were scared that the whole place would go up in flames when
it was first lit. Their trepidation aside, there has never been a fire,
or even smoke in the dining room, thanks to a carefully designed
ventilation system. Nowadays the practice of installing indoor grills is
fairly common, both in restaurants and homes.
The restaurant itself had something of a bare bones appearance, with no
linen tablecloths, plain china and a limited wine list. Bit by bit Joe
Mannke improved everything, with at one time, only half the restaurant
with table linens, later purchasing beautifully patterned plates in
Europe and extending the wine list to become one of the best in the
world. The menu has also developed in lockstep with the development of
exotic game ranches in Texas, with a wide range of deer, antelope and
wildfowl comprising a significant part of the superlative offerings..
The ranch owners have found that there is considerable advantage to
farming exotics in addition to raising them for the pleasure of the
hunters. Year round income from the processed meat and the considerable
tax advantages have given Texas restaurants the opportunity to serve
unusual game at surprisingly affordable prices.
As the years have gone by the restaurant has developed into a jewel of
fine dining with the ambiance to match. Trophies adorn the walls as do
commissioned paintings of historical scenes, each containing portraits
of members of his family and staff. The soft linen tablecloths sport
crystal wine glasses, suitable containers for contents of his cellar,
and what a cellar it is. Other fine dining establishments have started
business in fairly close proximity to Joe’s place over the years, but
until recently there was little success, despite quite sizeable
investments, none having Joe Mannke’s personal touch and concern for
every detail.
Two of Joe’s great passions involve hunting, one for game and the other
for great wines from anywhere on the globe and both indulge his love of
travel. Every year he and his wife take a trip to an exotic location,
where Joe immerses himself in the history, culture and of course, the
local cuisine. Upon return he throws a theme dinner at the Rotisserie
for Beef and Bird for some of his most loyal customers, at which he
tries to recreate the experiences from the most recent trip and pair
each course with a different wine from around the world. The invitation
comes with a short description of the trip and a concise history of the
area, bringing to the lucky few, not only the taste but also the texture
of the culture.
Another specialty of the house is the Thanksgiving dinner, now well
established as a Houston tradition. With the staff dressed as Indians
and Pilgrims, Joe tries to recreate the style and presentation of the
first Thanksgiving dinners served on this continent. The event has
become so popular that it is rare that an empty place can be found in
the five seatings served on Thanksgiving Day.
Along with the obvious loyalty of his customers, Joe apparently inspires
a similar kind of loyalty in the staff of his operations. A number of
his employees have been with him for over twenty years, most waiters
over ten and a fact he obviously proud of, even dishwashers have an
unprecedented longevity. Although unwilling to disclose the secret
behind the faithfulness of the staff, brief conversations with a few of
them made it obvious that they are dedicated to a common cause and
fiercely protective of the good name of the restaurant and owner. The
lack of a high staff turnover gives the restaurant a continuity for the
customers, that feeling of being at home, known and loved that keeps
people coming back.
At a time in most people’s life when they would be considering slowing
down, or at least resting on well-deserved laurels, Joe Mannke has taken
on another project. Long ago Joe had fallen in love with the French
bistro style of food and the relaxed atmosphere prevalent in the small
town cafes in France. He was inspired to establish an American version,
named Bistro Le Cep, at 11112 Westheimer. Capturing the spirit if the
true French Bistro, he has established a menu that changes to reflect
the freshest of the seasonal produce. The authentic French bistro dishes
are served with a delightful collection of wines from around the world,
selected by Sommelier Vince Baker.
Old fashioned as the quality of service and the food may appear to be in
Joe Mannke’s operations, he embraces innovative ideas to promote and
improve his operations. Both his restaurants have their own domain names
and slick web sites, complete with histories, menus, wine lists and even
the ability to make reservations on-line. One aspect of the web sites
that many businesses would be wise to emulate, is the address and
telephone number at the top of each page, for those customers that
prefer the personal touch and talking to a human being.
Joe Mannke’s operation has collected an impressive range of awards,
thereby earning the nickname “The Jewel of West Houston” and include an
unprecedented fourteen consecutive years of the Wine Spectator, Grand
Award, limited to only ninety five restaurants world wide.
L’Ordre Mondial
Travel Holiday Magazine
Wine Spectator
Nations Restaurant News
Restaurant Hospitality
Restaurant Hospitality
Restaurant Institution
ZAGAT Restaurant Survey
Travel Holiday Magazine
Houston Chronicle
Distinguish Restaurants of North
America
Neiman Marcus, My Table
Gourmet Magazine
Santé Magazine
Concours Mondial 1984 de la Carte Des Vins
Travel Holiday Award 1988-1990
Grand Award 1988 to the present
Fine Hall Dining, Hall of Fame Award 1990
Best International Wine List1994
Bronze Award 2002-2003
Ivy Award 1995 Award of Distinction
1995,1996,1997, 2001, 2002 rated –Extraordinary
Good Value Dining Award 1995
Top Ten Wine List Award 1984-1995
DiRoNA Award 1996-present
Culinary Award 1997
America’s Top Table Award 1997
Certificate of Achievement 1998
Best Sommelier 1999
For more information, visit
http://www.rotisserie-beef-bird.com and
http://www.bistro-lecep.com
Joe Mannke
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