Mitchell bids farewell to Chef Louie’s as restaurant to shut after 75 several years

But on Jan. 8, 2022, the cafe which is been a fixture on the corner of Havens Avenue and Burr Street given that 1945 will be closing its doorways and bringing an finish to an era. After the homeowners not long ago declared the longtime steakhouse and lounge will be closing in early January 2022, it sparked a great deal of thoughts amongst the faithful clients who frequented Chef Louie’s.

As Jodie Cain-Lambert place it, Chef Louie’s “is in which you went for all of your life specific occasions” from Valentine’s Day dinners to anniversary celebrations.

“That’s in which you went to rejoice your special situations,” she stated, “It was all about finding dressed up and heading into this glamorous atmosphere.”

Davison County home information show the Fredericksen loved ones – the entrepreneurs of the cafe – marketed the Chef Louie’s making, found at 601 E. Havens Ave., and the adjacent property recognized as the Corn Palace Motel to Plains Commerce Financial institution. Crews recently demolished the motel.

The Mitchell Republic asked for an interview with the Fredericksen loved ones to comment on the sale and longevity of the cafe, but a simply call was not returned prior to the publishing of this story.

Just after learning the restaurant will be closing, buyers flooded Chef Louie’s Fb web page. One particular woman wrote, “Our very first date was there 34 yrs back. Thanks for all the amazing reminiscences over the yrs.”

Although developing up in Mitchell, Cain-Lambert reported Chef Louie’s “top of the line” food – which incorporated steaks, key rib, seafood dishes and pasta cuisines – captivated shoppers residing in communities above 60 miles absent from Mitchell.

She can nevertheless remember the times of hearing about the famous Chef Louie Russell, who was the gentleman powering the generation of the restaurant in 1945.

“Hearing tales about the Chef Louie was remarkable. My grandma understood him, and people today drove for hrs to consume his foods,” she said of the late Chef Louie.

Just after Chef Louie died in 1965, the ownership would change arms in excess of the decades, inevitably main to the Fredericksen spouse and children getting the cafe. For the duration of the Fredericksen ownership period, the household has managed the fancy dimly lit ambience that assisted Chef Louie’s turn into a person of the most renowned steakhouses in the state.

For Cain-Lambert, having in evening meal at Chef Louie’s was an “experience.” Whilst the signature steaks and pasta dishes served up have been local favorites that drew buyers into the restaurant, she stated the “fancy ambience” divided it from the relaxation. And the Fredericksens have taken care of that atmosphere since getting around additional than a 10 years in the past.

The signature logo that stands in front of Chef Louie’s right now depicts a cartoon-like duplicate of the late Chef Louie carrying a cooking hat. Since the cafe to start with opened 75 a long time ago, the Chef Louie’s brand has stayed the identical.

To rejoice the prosperous historical past of Chef Louie’s, Cain-Lambert and a team of good friends are collecting Friday evening at the restaurant to soak in the atmosphere and savor the higher-good quality delicacies a person final time.

While the building will soon be vacant, Cain-Lambert stated the fond reminiscences Chef Louie’s presented to so several individuals in the place will stay on for good.

“It’s genuinely sad to have to say goodbye to this restaurant that has been a literal institution in Mitchell,” she claimed. “It was an period I will under no circumstances forget about.”