Coronado Eagle and Journal, Volume 103, Number 45, 6 November 2013 — Coronado’s Stephane Voitzwinkler Earns Honors At Bertrand At Mr. A’s Restaurant [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Coronado’s Stephane Voitzwinkler Earns Honors At Bertrand At Mr. A’s Restaurant

hy David Axe I son

Coronado resident Stephane Voitzwinkler is used to accolades. As Chef de Cuisine at Bertrand at Mr. A's Restaurant, Voitzwinkler has won the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Restaurant designation annually since he joined owner Bertrand Hug at the eatery 10 years ago. Mr. A's has won the Four Diamond Award in consecutive years from 1904 to 2013. Earlier this year Voitzwinkler added another honor to his resume, Chef of the Year, an award voted on hy his peers and bestowed by the San Diego Chapter of the California Restaurant Association. "It meant a lot." said Voitzwinkler of receiving the accolade. “I have been here a long time and every day when 1 drive over the bridge to go to work. I tell myself how fortunate I am. Bertrand gave me the opportunity and 1 didn't drop the ball. 1 like w hat I do. People said I deserved it. so 1 11 take it." Voitzwinkler's professional journey began like many accomplished chefs, learning to cook

from his mother. In his case it was in the family home located in Colmar, Alsace-Lorraine, France. “When I was 13 years old. 1 spent the summer in the kitchen to see if 1 liked it.” Voitzwinkler recalled. “I got to hang out with Mom and cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for my family, seven days a week. 1 learned to love cooking, eating and drinking from my Mom. The only time she drinks water is in her coffee. She takes her medication with a glass of white wine and she is healthy. My Dad owned a gas station that was built by his father. My Dad gave me the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do." At the age of 14 Voitzwinkler went to the Ecole Hoteliere de Guebwiller Culinary School, where he was a pre-apprentice and then an apprentice. When asked what he first learned at the school, Voitzwinkler smiled. “I would say 1 learned how heavy cattle are on your back. I'hey showed up and we took the beet out of the truck, and we carried it down the walk. 1 also learned that a really great mixture that cleans

bron/e is Hour, suit and vinegar. I learned how to use a potato peeler. I literally worked my way up from the bottom. At school during the week we learned cooking for two days and the rest of the week we were on-site in the restaurant.” And did we mention that it was an unpaid apprenticeship? After learning the culinary basics during his apprentice clays, Voit/winkler's next stop was the Au Bon Coin Restaurant where he learned to make the traditional dish of Choucroute a L’alsacienne. The preparation includes sauerkraut in Riesling wine, onions, juniper berry, pork rack, pork belly, pork shank, pork sausages and steamed potatoes. “It's a traditional dish." Voit/winkler added. “1 did that a lot of that with kidneys and spaet/el, which is homemade pasta.” In fact spaet/el often appears on the Mr. A’s menu. Voit/winkler’s next stop was the I e Meridien Hotel in London. a destination brought ab< ul in part due to a family connection. He recounts the story. “Because my

Dad had a gas station, one of our close friends in town was the general manager of Le Meridien. Every time he came home to see his Mom, he would stop in my Dad's gas station. He told my Dad that when I graduated from culinary school and if I wanted to travel, to give him a call. I didn't speak a word of English. The German language was closer for me, because my Mom spoke an Alsatian dialect that was close to German.” On his way to London, Voitzwinkler met an Englishman speaking French. “I thought, hopefully he can teach me English before 1 show up in London. He put me in a cab from Heathrow to Piccadilly Circus and the only thing 1 remembered was whatever money I gave the driver, was everything I had. I was already feeling awkward and I have a feeling I left the guy a big tip. I didn't know how the currency worked."

Fortunately, Voitzwinkler's culinary career was taking off. “I worked in the main kitchen at the Meridien Hotel at Piccadilly Circus; working all the banquets and all the sides for the fine dining restaurant.” A collision between the French and English languages soon occurred. “Upstairs was the Gamorche, where all the cold cuts, appetizers and banquet salads were prepared and there was a calendar on the wall with ladies in bikinis. They asked me to gel a colander to drain the potatoes and I took them the calendar.” A fierce work ethic helped Voitzwinkler advance in the industry. “1 often worked from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., as a banquet cook then as the graveyard (shift) cook. Then I had about 20 minutes to catch the train home and I often fell asleep on the train. 1 had to get up at 6 a.m. to be back at work at 8 a.m. I was scared and 1 didn't say

‘no’ to nothing. They had me work everywhere, helping out. It was a great way to learn and I don't regret going there. London is a huge city and I was from the country. It was the first time 1 had left my little town." After being in London for a little over a year, an opening occurred in the Le Meridien in Coronado, now the Coronado Island Marriot Resort & Spa and Voit/.w inkier Jumped at the chance to move to the U.S. ‘They offered the transfer to me. I'm from the country where it took a nine-hour drive to get to the beach. 1 wanted to go somewhere where there were beaches. I didn't think twice about moving. It was 1989 and 1 worked in Marius, which was the fine dining room. We had a good time back then. They had me work at Marius and work at any stations when other people took days off. 1 worked there until 1992, when I went with the head chef at Marius to Los Angeles to open a restaurant. 1 had a motorcycle and a backpack and that was all I owned." After the Los Angeles restaurant experience. Voitzwinkler's stops included the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, working in the Azzura Point Restaurant; then back to Le Meridien; followed by a position at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in their Sally's Restaurant. A word-of-mouth recommendation from a fellow chef to Bertrand Hug resulted in Voitzwinkler's current post at Mr. A’s. My wife Sharon and 1 aren't strangers to Bertrand at Mr. A's, but we thought a trip to the awardwinning eatery for an update was necessary. It was particularly important because Chef Voit/u inkier was in the process of introducing a couple of new dishes, in addition to featuring some tried and true preparations. 1 asked Voitzwinkler if he had a signature dish, to which he replied, ‘if you go on Yelp.com. a lot of people like the Mac and Cheese. Our Maine Lobster Strudel is pretty good and I'm excited about the Roasted Sea Bass in potato crust that we are starting.” Allow me to confirm how good all of the above mentioned courses are If your concept of Mac and Cheese is what comes out of a box, then Chef Voitzwinkler's version which includes black truffles and pancetta. originates from a whole other universe. Contained on the Additions' portion of the menu, the Mac and Cheese is either a great shared appetizer or equally good as a side dish. Last week when we dined at Bertrand at Mr. A's, we had a great dining experience. In my view of the culinary world, a great meal

is where nil ol the courses from bread through coffee and dessert, plus the service, is top-notch. ()ur captain Friday evening was former Coronado resident Yvette Dodds, who was very knowledgeable about the food being served. She also paced our two-hour dining experience exactly right. Dodds also added a couple ol humorous stories about living in Coronado, which were lun to hear. Our evening started with an Amuse Bouche of crispy polenta, served with tapenade. It was a great start to the meal. Next up was the aforementioned Maine Lobster Strudel, w hich contained elements ol earthiness Irom the mushrooms contained in the dish. The presentation and the dish itself were both excellent and it w as my favorite course ol the evening. At about this point, before we went off Daylight Savings time, the sun set and the lights from the city and the airport started to lake hold. Seeing airplanes fly b> at roughly eye level is always a scenic treat and the view Irom Bertrand at Mr. A's is hard to top. Our next course w as roasted butternut squash and pumpkin soup with cinnamon creme fraiche. Honestly. 1 am not a huge fan of either squash or pumpkin, but w ith the fresh ingredients and the hint of cinnamon, the soup w as delicious and subtly flavored. Next up was the Roasted Sea Bass in potato crust, which Voit/w inkier can be justifiabK proud of serving. The fish was light and flakey. covered in a thin crust and served in a cabernet reduction with braised leeks. It you like truly fresh fish, well prepared, this dish is for you. Then came oven-roasted bab\ rack of lamb, which was roseman scented and served with red and yellow bell peppers The lamb was seared and seasoned beautifully. The lamb was followed by a cheese plate, consisting of four cheeses including Swiss; Burrata, which is a firstcousin to a creamy Mozzarella; a Drunken Goat Cheese; and finally a Compte Cheese from France. The tastes were varied, with Sharon and I agreeing that the Burrata was our favorite. and then we differed on our order of preference for the other three. The presentation, as with most of the dishes we experienced, was superb.

Desert was a Bose Pear Panna Cotta, served with a sassafras crumble, in a raspberry reduction sauce. It was light, very tasty and delicious, complimented perfectly with a cup or two of rich, black coffee. As an unsolicited tip to Chef Voilzwinkier, Bertrand at Mr. A s should box and sell the sassafras crumble on its own. I know 1 would be a happy consumer. To prove that there are new traditions in the restaurant business. Bertrand at Mr. A’s is now serving Sunday Brunch for the first time in the 65-year history of the establishment. “We started brunch three months ago,” said Voit/w inkier. “We are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We have savory waffles with fried chicken and Comte cheese, which is a true Swiss cheese. We have a flavor of the month for our fresh donuts every Sunday morning. We also sell them by the half dozen or the baker's dozen. There is no reason for us to not have people come here with our setup. If you want to do something Sunday morning, we have the place for it." When not working. Voitzw inkier s interests include playing golf. The award-winning chef admits to shooting in the low to mid-80's at Coronado Municipal. He also spends time with his wife, children Stephane 19. daugh ter Charlotte 16 and his two stepdaughters. The day before our interview. Voitzwinkler became a grandfather for the first time If you haven’t eaten at Bertrand at Mister A s recently located on fifth Avenue in the Banker's Hill area, reach for the phone w hen you finish reading this column and make a reservation. M\ bet is that you'll enjos the dining experience as much as Sharon and 1 did.

Photo supplied by Bertrand at Mister As Restaurant

Long-time Coronado resident Stephane Voitzwinkler is the Chef de Cuisine at the popular eatery Bertrand at Mister A’s in Downtown San Diego. Voitzwinkler was also named Chef of the Year' by the California Restaurant Association’s San Diego Chapter, a designation voted on by his peers.