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This week’s guest is Chef Thaddeus “Tad” Drechsler. Tad was born in Ely, where he lived for the first few years of his life. Then, he moved to Oregon with his mother and brother. Later, they moved near Walker, MN to live with his grandmother.
While growing up, Tad spent a lot of time exploring the nearby Chippewa National Forest. His connection to food and cooking began at a young age. His family had a large garden and his grandmother would often take him foraging for ingredients like fiddlehead ferns and mushrooms.
At the age of 13, Tad began working in kitchens and never looked back. After high school, he moved to the Twin Cities where he worked in a variety of restaurants. Tad’s impressive resume includes a fine dining French restaurant in St. Paul, called Meritage, where he worked for nine years.
While there, Tad gained a foundation in classical French technique, as well as great attention to detail and an overall passion for cooking.
Throughout his career, Tad also took part in opening a number of restaurants, including Masu Sushi in Northeast Minneapolis, World Street Kitchen in Uptown Minneapolis, The Handsome Hog in St. Paul, and Apoy in South Minneapolis. More recently, he held the title of Sous Chef at the restaurants Red Cow and the Oceanaire Seafood room in Minneapolis.
Last winter, Tad moved back to Ely after getting burnt out from the corporate aspects of some of his jobs. He needed to reignite his passion by engaging in the slower paced north woods.
Since his return, Tad has enjoyed reconnecting with his roots while foraging and fishing. He works nights at Insula where he occasionally helps with the seafood specials. He also caters with a colleague and recently started at Tower Cafe, where he has been contributing a French flair to the seasonal menu. Some of the items you can expect to see will include French Onion Soup, Croque Madame, and a selection of artisan quiches.
Chef Tad and his team will also be hosting a family-style dinner at Tower Cafe in mid to late October. This menu will showcase German inspired dishes that highlight seasonal produce and the flavors of fall.
As for this week’s recipe, Tad learned to make it while at Meritage. This dish hails from the French region of Alsace that borders Germany. Not surprisingly, Alsatian cuisine features a harmonious blend of French and German flavors.
Choucroute Garnie a l’Alsacienne would make a lovely Oktoberfest celebratory meal. It will also be the featured main course for the Tower Cafe fall dinner.
I would like to thank Chef Tad for sharing his expertise and well-detailed recipe with us. I think we can all appreciate the amount of love and attention that goes into the food he makes. Check out the Tower Cafe Facebook page for more details and to book tickets for the fall dinner.
