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Metro Spirit: Issue #20.34 :: 03/18/2009 - 03/24/2009
Happy Anniversary
Chef Heinz Sowinski may be at the helm of one of Augusta’s most popular fine-dining establishments, but there is one thing he knows: Change is good
BY SHANNON POWELL
AUGUSTA, GA The phrase “in vino veritas” means “in wine, truth,” referring to the fact that people seem to become uninhibited and tell what they really think when they drink alcohol.
During La Maison’s recent 22nd anniversary celebration, over 100 people enjoyed 30 different wines with food pairings, plus a spectrum of wine and culinary “treats.” Specially created for the event was an incredible square ice sculpture with two portals that served chilled vodka.
The “truth” heard throughout the evening was crystal clear — dining is much more than excellent food. It is the ambiance and the sense of history that make it enjoyable.
La Maison’s soft-colored walls hold 22 years worth of culinary events plus the happy people that have celebrated them. The high ceilings, fireplaces and wine cabinetry linger with sophisticated romance. “We have worked to preserve the romance in this 150-year-old house, along with the romance of classic dishes, flavors and techniques that instill fond memories,” says Chef/Owner Heinz Sowinski. “We want people to be inspired.”
Downtown’s familiar painted lady has gotten a facelift for the occasion: a new front awning, new paint and a wrought-iron gate leads diners to the broad front doorway that opens into the foyer. It is breathtaking and relaxing all at once — instantly you feel at home and sheltered.
“Marriage is a word that comes to mind,” says Catherine Respess, who was recently appointed as Sowinski’s apprentice and director of Public Relations. “We want everyone to be part of the family; come into this beautiful home and always feel welcome. We plan on focusing our marketing efforts on the community and working with local associations and business owners to promote downtown Augusta in general!”
One of the highlights of the anniversary celebration was Sowinski’s personal favorite childhood comfort food, Kase spaetzle. Prepared for the occasion and common to Austrian, German and Swiss cuisine, the tender morsels seemed like a cross between a noodle and a dumpling and were sautéed with butter then finished with Swiss cheese (kase) and caramelized onions.
Though the event marked a has special occasion, La Maison has held themed wine and food pairings since 1993, in which those who attend always learn something new, try something new, meet someone new and leave contented. As with the anniversary celebration, at the monthly events Sowinski mingles comfortably with his guests throughout the evening, sharing his knowledge, insight and passion for his craft with charm and a contagious smile. Each pairing features seven courses with wine and champagne.
Not only are these events great for guests, they also serve as outlets for the chef’s creative muses. Some of the dishes are a little edgy and experimental and often lead to dishes that end up on the restaurants’ menus.
“We want to help people eat healthier, fresher, high-quality foods,” says Sowinski. He added that he’d like to help diners expand their horizons. Hence the dinner menu, which features choices including ostrich carpaccio, tuna nachos, filet mignon, duck, chicken Normandy, and signature dishes such as wild salmon en croute de pommes de terre (pecan-wood smoked salmon in potato crust with champagne dill sauce).
For lighter fare, Veritas Wine Bar inside the restaurant is a place where you can share an appetizer, have wine by the glass or half-glass, order from the full-service, nicely stocked bar every evening from 5 p.m. until close. It serves as a transition into the evening or a wonderful close to a long day.
A common thread for the Sowinski family is community.
“We are a family business, community oriented and passionate about downtown, the arts and local charities,” says Sowinski, whose wife and all three daughters work or have worked together at La Maison. His son-in-law and one-time employee, Chef Manuel Verney-Carron, now owns Manuel’s Bread Café.
“What continues to inspire me is the people who come through the door,” Sowinski says, describing a particular evening when a little girl asked him to make Bananas Foster. Of course, he obliged.
“I still make classic dishes by request — I think, ‘Hey, let me know what you like and I’ll do it,’” he says. “Our guests need to be happy — the full experience is our goal.”
Always on the cutting edge, Sowinski does not rest on the accolades of a business that has stayed open as long as his has.
“It is important that our menu specials are kept fresh and innovative. I constantly read recipes of other chefs and I get excited — few people know how to pair wine with food,” he says. “I think people love to be guided and learn. I want to share knowledge with others who love food.”
Sowinski’s passion is coupled with a thirst for knowledge, especially about wines. Wines by Heinz will offer their extensive wine selection to the public from in-house shelves or by special order.
“When you come in, if you enjoy the wine, then you can purchase at a special retail price,” he says. “Or if you attend a pairing and find a wine you love — we can order it for you.”
La Maison has over 5,000 bottles of wine in-house and have been recognized by Wine Spectator for its excellence for eight consecutive years. “We have the most extensive and best wine list in town excluding Augusta National.”
“My enthusiasm is La Maison. I love to cook and it rubs off, I cannot hide it,” Sowinski says. “I get excited about taking a reservation because I can make a difference in someone’s night — I’ll do whatever it takes to make it better, better, better.”
Metro Spirit: Issue #19.25 :: 01/16/2008 - 01/22/2008
Heinz Catch-up:
The pink house on Telfair has come a long way in 21 years, and Chef Heinz Sowinski plans a one-of-a-kind gala to celebrate La Maison’s anniversary
BY STACEY HUDSON
AUGUSTA, GA - It’s a meal that’s been 21 years in the making: a gala dinner celebrating La Maison’s arrival at the legal drinking age, joked restaurant owner Chef Heinz Sowinski.
But although he’s still finalizing the menu, the seven-course wine dinner with a champagne reception and a cheese course promises to be one of the culinary highlights of the year.
A seven-time recipient of the Wine Spectator Award, the house on Telfair has come a long way since being founded on the ashes of the old eatery Asher’s Corner. And while Amile and Angela Waldis may have founded the fine-dining establishment, Sowinski had long established himself as the rock star on the Augusta restaurant stage before he purchased the place, driven to its uniqueness.
“There is nothing like it,” he said. “It’s a composition of everything. It’s the atmosphere, the type of service, the Wine Spectator Award for seven years in a row — we have a great passion for serving people.”
But only 50 people will enjoy that passion at the Jan. 20 dinner, where guests will nosh on fois gras and more from a menu developed by starting with the wines Sowinski wanted to serve, and building a menu around them.
“It’s going to be all French wines, totally French,” he says. “We’re going to start out with real French Champagne with fois gras terrine, four different tartares with quail eggs, and we’re going to do some vegetarian-type things for those who maybe can’t have seafood.”
Then they’ll move to truffled Yukon Gold mashed potatoes topped with sea scallop and lobster in a beurre blanc with leeks. The event, which runs $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity, understandably sells out every year. But Sowinski is saving a place of honor for the Waldises, who — though retired and living out of town now — will return for the landmark occasion.
And whether you make it to this dinner or for Valentine’s Day, for which the restaurant already has reservations,Sowinski hopes that people will begin to think of the house on Telfair more often.
“I still think it really hasn’t been truly discovered,” he said. “Because come Valentine’s, we could fill two restaurants. So they still find us, but they’re still looking at us as a destination restaurant.”
La Maison actually offers two separate concepts under one roof. Its fine-dining menu is distinctive, with offerings like ostrich filet and buffalo tenderloin listed along with more expected fare like duck, rack of lamb and veal. But for the more casual diner there is Veritas, added in 2002.
“La Maison is affordable. But for so many people that perceive La Maison as a special-occasion restaurant, when we opened Veritas, it kind of breached that. It’s more casual; you can come in without reservations.”
And the menu is no less exciting, with lollipop lamb chops, smoked ostrich carpaccio and the Tower of Lump Crabmeat with Kelt® cognac sauce, avocado and pink grapefruit sections.
“And the cuisine is diverse. It appears French in its roots, butit’s very internationally flavored because that was my training in Europe. And then, of course, when I came to America, in California, oh my goodness, talk about diversity,” Sowinski laughed.
The famous Brown Derby was the first restaurant he worked in after he moved to California from Europe in 1965. From there he went to the Beverly Hilton Hotel, then Brentwood Country Club and then down to the Balboa Bay Club, where he became acquainted with John Wayne and his family.
Then he began a march across the continent, first by moving down to New Orleans’ gorgeous Fairmont Roosevelt Hotel. While he was there, he was recruited by Walt Disney World to help open the gourmet restaurant when the Contemporary Resort opened its doors in 1972. But he left when recruited to Atlanta’s Hyatt Regency, after the resort converted its dining to buffet style in orderto meet unexpected demand.
The general manager of the Terrace Garden Inn at Lennox Square saw Sowinski on a Thanksgiving special. As it turns out, he was the former general manager for the Contemporary Hotel.
“Get this guy,” he told his food and beverage manager.
Sowinski fondly remembers his 20 years in Atlanta, when he opened his own restaurant, The Brass Key at Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, and his wife, Zelda, shopped for grains at Sevananda Natural Foods Co-op. While there, they had three daughters: first Sophia, then Erika and finally Miriam.
But the Waldises recruited him and, after 21 years, he’s grown settled in the community.His daughters all finished school here and he purchased the restaurant himself. He and Zelda will celebrate another wedding anniversary on Jan. 16.
So it looks like he’ll stick around here a little while longer, with Sofia and Erika still living in the area. And his family has put down even more roots. The Sowinski’s grandsons, Erika’s three little boys, live just a stone’s throw away from them.
