Tapping into a reservoir of fresh foods
Toolbox
By SYLVIA FAGIN - Published: June 23, 2009
Just because Mark Frier has a sense of humor doesn't mean he doesn't take great food seriously. Frier, owner of the Reservoir Restaurant and Tap Room in Waterbury, has been known to post articles from the satirical newspaper "The Onion" in his establishment. The entrance to the dining room is lit by the leg lamp that caused such consternation for the family in the holiday comedy movie "A Christmas Story."
But what's happening in the kitchen is no joke.
Frier and chef Tyler Lighthart have traded deep fryers for grills and freezers for refrigerators to focus on fresh, not fried, foods in the space that once housed Waterbury Wings.
Regulars of the former establishment need not worry. "Waterbury Wings" still grace the menu. All the familiar dipping sauces continue to be available, plus a few new choices like chipotle, honey BBQ, and spicy horseradish. Ten new HDTV screens and 30 beers on tap make the Reservoir a good place to catch a game.
It's a great place for a family meal, too. The dining room sports plenty of comfortable table seating, warm lighting and seasonal local art. Fresh, flavorful food is the focus of the menu.
Crab cakes topped with avocado vinaigrette, and a daily homemade hummus, have replaced deep fried appetizers; the "Mucho Nacho Dip" should satisfy those in the mood for a hearty starter. A salad of roasted baby beets, goat cheese and candied walnuts on mixed greens is a fun alternative to a classic Caesar or mixed green salad.
A mix of unique sandwiches and entrees highlight the dedication to fresh food, as well as kitchen strategy. Lighthart buys whole chickens, salmon, and sides of beef, and uses every part of the meat.
Trims from the grilled beef tenderloin, a 6-ounce filet sauced with demi-glaze, become the Mt. Philly cheesesteak sandwich, smothered in peppers and onions and served with house-made chips or fries. While the perfectly gorgeous salmon filets are drizzled with a balsamic reduction, the equally delicious end cuts become a fresh salmon burger, topped with mango salsa.
A transplant to Vermont, Frier's love for Waterbury prompted him to buy the restaurant. The 28-year-old left his native Chicago to study mechanical engineering and business at Purdue University. A job in the R&D division at Burton Snowboards drew him east, and he made his home in Waterbury.
"I moved from a city of four million people to a town of 5,500," he says, "but I knew it would be OK because I could walk into town and have a social life."
The job satisfied his need for creativity but was a bit isolating, prompting the self-described entrepreneur to buy the restaurant when it came up for sale.
He's exploring all sorts of ways to cultivate community, including a family friendly kids menu, sponsoring a local softball team, and instituting a cardboard boat race on the reservoir — the other reservoir in Waterbury, he says with a laugh. His humor reveals itself in golf pencils stocked at the nearby frisbee golf course that state "the reservoir likes u."
One humorous gesture has paid off in a serious way, though. Patrons have begun stuffing dollar bills into the stocking on the leg lamp, and Frier's been stapling the bills to the ceiling in the bar. When the ceiling is full, he explains, all the money will be donated to a local organization.
Until then, he's testing menu specials, like the extremely authentic Chicago (hot) Dog, a Hebrew National all-beef dog topped with mustard, diced onions, sweet relish, sliced tomato, dill pickle and a touch of celery salt, served on a steamed poppy seed bun — exactly like home. Visitors from the Midwest are thrilled by his effort.
So is he. Meeting the community beats working in a cubicle, he says with a smile.
Sylvia Fagin is the Times-Argus Food and Dining Correspondent. She writes regularly about local foods and food producers. Contact her at sylviafagin@yahoo.com.
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