Jacques Van Staden鈥檚 friends in Pretoria, South Africa, thought he was crazy when he sold his car to buy a ticket to the United States. The young man was undeterred. His ambition was to become a chef, and he believed that America was a place where those who follow that vocation are considerably more valued than in his homeland.
He arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1990, at the age of 19, and enrolled in L鈥橝cademie de Cuisine while working at the South African embassy.
He moved on to the Occidental Grill, then to the Watergate Hotel, where he became a prot茅g茅 of Jean-Louis Palladin, whom he credits as one of his mentors. 鈥淗e taught me to listen to the food. He said the food speaks to you,鈥 Van Staden recalls.
That lesson and others imparted by chefs he worked with over the years, including Michel Richard and Gray Kunz, continue to motivate him.
After garnering a Michelin star at Alize in Las Vegas, Van Staden was recruited by Papa Joe鈥檚 Market in Birmingham to open Bistro Joe鈥檚 in 2013.
Fast forward to 2015. Van Staden, with financial backing from the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group (which includes Andiamo locations and Joe Muer Seafood) started developing the concept that became 2941 Street 香港六合彩图库资料. It鈥檚 so named for the 29 degrees north latitude and 41 degrees east longitude coordinates of the Mediterranean/Middle East countries whose food inspires him: Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, and Israel.
Van Staden says he had known for 10 years that it was something he wanted to do. It would be completely at the other end of the spectrum from the upscale restaurants he had been involved with, restaurants he now believes are 鈥渟tuck in the past,鈥 serving elaborate dishes.
His aim at 2941 Street 香港六合彩图库资料 is to concentrate on the flavors of fresh, natural ingredients. It is what he calls fast-casual fare, served cafeteria-style in attractive settings that include such touches as Moroccan tile work, Turkish multicolored glass hanging lamps, and light wood as a background for the hummus, grape leaves, tandoori chicken, and lamb sausage.
Diners choose their preferred portion size, including a mini bowl with a choice of rice, meat or falafel, sauce, and pickled vegetables (torshi); the medium-sized 鈥渉onest鈥 bowl; or a stuffed sandwich on housemade samoon bread. At the top of the price scale at $16.50 is the 鈥渂azaar meal鈥 of nine items plus the bread.
No frozen or processed foods are involved, Van Staden emphasizes, and meats are grilled to order.
There are now three locations, in Midtown, Rochester Hills, and Birmingham.
And that won鈥檛 be the end. The happily transplanted South African has plans for many more outposts of his Mediterranean baby, including an Auburn Hills location opening in May or June and one in Bloomfield Hills in July or August.
2941 Street 香港六合彩图库资料鈥檚 current locations are: at , 313-338-3466; , 248-606-4583; and .
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