Last summer Belgium-based InBev, maker of Stella Artois, took over Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser. A friend of mine wondered why the maker of a superior European brew like Stella would want to buy the maker of an inferior beer like Budweiser. “It’s simple,” I said. “They want the distribution.”
To be truly successful in business you need two things, a good product and a good way of distributing it. The folks at Birchwood Kitchen have half of that equation. Their sandwiches and brunch which are made from seasonal, sustainable foods locally grown, move the concept of the sandwich shop/café to the next level, marrying it to the artisanal movement, which is the hot trend of the moment.
The results are often impressive, like the daily selection of quiche – mouthwateringly good – or the Speck – a sandwich of smoke prosciutto, celery root cream, celery and truffle oil on ciabatta. Ingredients from quality producers like Mint Creek Farms and Zingerman’s Creamery make a noticeable difference most of the time, but not always. The Croque Madame for instance promises wonders with cave-aged gruyere but then layers it on too thin, letting the ham mute the cheese’s robust flavor and washing out the signature appeal of the sandwich.
But where Birchwood Kitchen really disappoints is in the area of distribution. Armed with an exciting concept and run by a knowledgeable staff drawn from Green City Market and Pastoral cheese shop, they resort to the same tiresome, annoying bakeshop concept that hobbles other restaurants like Letizia’s and Milk & Honey. Want to eat here? Get in line.
That’s right. Although there are 15 tables inside (and when the back deck opens there will be 15 more), you cannot sit down and place your order. Instead, you have to stand in line for as long as ten minutes, place and pay, and then carry a plastic number to your table and sit there for another 15 minutes until they either call your number or bring your food. And woe betide you if you need anything more, like an extra utensil or a refill on your coffee. Only water is available for patrons to serve themselves. Everything else requires the intercession of a staff member, who, not surprisingly, is busy making sandwiches, busing tables and taking orders behind the counter. Good luck.
With the possible exception of voting Republican, I cannot think of anything that is quite so inexplicable and annoying. Why not just hire a waitress? Really, they’re not that expensive and should be fairly affordable for a restaurant (pretending to be a bake shop) that charges $8.50 for a sandwich and $10.50 for a breakfast salad. Come on, people. This is not rocket science. If you want to increase your patronage by emphasizing your carry out, you can still do both. You don’t have to choose one or the other. Caffe de Luca manages to do both, as does M. Henry, Bongo Room and a slew of others. Get a server... please.
The irony is that just when the bake shop concept is most successful it’s most off-putting. This getting-in-line business works fine when there are just two or three people standing there, but when the line is fifteen people long, cutting the room in half and blocking the doorway, it’s no fun any more. A guy might prefer a Manchego cheese polenta with sunny up eggs or a lamb french dip with pickled red onions but will throw up in his hands in exasperation and go elsewhere if it’s going to be this much of a hassle.
Which may explain the rise and fall of these “bake shops”. They tend to burn hot for a few months and then level off, a fate that needn’t befall a place like Birchwood Kitchen, whose food is worthy of sustained attention. Like Stella Artois, they have a superior product, now all they need is a good means of distributing it.
Birchwood Kitchen
2211 W. North Ave.
773-276-2100
Hours: M-F 10:30am-8pm; Sa-Su 9am-5pm
Features: Outdoor Dining, Carryout, Catering
Avg. Price of a Meal for Two Including Tax $25
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