It’s the morning of Game day and perhaps you would like some breakfast before heading over to Bill Snyder Family Stadium. You’re unsure of which restaurant to go to, but you realized you wanted to shop for some K-State Apparel on Poyntz Avenue. Finally, you turn on Fourth street and realized there’s a restaurant called “The Chef”.
The Chef originally opened in 1943 by a person named Charles
“Cotton” Limbocker. It was nothing but the famous horseshoe counter in a small
room that was present at the time, and all you had to do was eat fast so the
next person in line can eat. In 1971, Bob, Teryl, and Gertie (the cook) soon
took over the business and transformed the cuisine of homemade pies and
meatloaf home cooking to quick and tasty lunches for the downtown business
folks. As the Chef became a popular place to eat, the lunch and coffee crowds
soon grew. Once the restaurant grew, they expanded another space next door. By 1986,
the Chef closed down and now presently in 2008, local fiends decided to fill
the diner downtown for some breakfast. Kevin and Kurstin Harris, along with
their friend Zach Filbert, reopened the Chef in September 2008. The Chef was
transformed into a modern, comfortable, family café. Since the Chef has been
around for decades, The Riley County Historical Archeological provided the
original chef neon sign to hang outside. The menu today is served with
delectable comfort favorites and spirits.
I came here once with my mother and tried it for the first
time. It was K-State Graduation Day and it was packed crowded. I would have to
say it was pretty delicious. So I decided to come back again for another review
on a typical ordinary day when it was not so crowded. Now as I compare between
both days, I ordered The Classic Breakfast(which includes two eggs, bacon, hash
browns, and toast with a side of a biscuit and gravy). This is usually your
typical everyday comfort breakfast, but the one thing that stuck out and gave
me the best review was the biscuits and gravy, and the hash browns. When you go
to most restaurants, hash browns are generally flat and golden crispy at the
top. These hash browns were not a disappointment. They were super thick and
enough to satisfy yourself. Thick, hot, and fluffy potatoes was like eating a
potato pancake. The biscuits were made from scratch with homemade sausage
gravy. The second time, I decided to
order the homemade corned beef hash(delicious and chunky hash topped with two
poached eggs and a slice of toast). What impressed me about this dish was the
fact that the potatoes were thick, and the corned beef was actually pieces of
real corned beef and not like the mushy stuff you would see in a can. Of course
I couldn’t leave without ordering the hash browns. Overall, the food is enough
to leave you feeling satisfied. The portion sizes are decent in making sure you
are not left feeling hungry.
Service is always the number one broken management in the
restaurant business like any other restaurant. Sometimes service is due to lack
of training or the person itself. When it comes to service for me, it needs to
be friendly and efficient. Here at The Chef, the waitresses are nice and
friendly, but perhaps there can be times where a check up is needed. They know
when to provide an extra refill and when to stop and talk about certain
things(hence the history above). I would give the service in general a 9 out of
10. I do enjoy the professionalism.
The overall atmosphere of this establishment is very
inviting and warm. The theme is what sticks out the most. Since this is known
as a breakfast café, the theme is hen, rooster, or a chicken. Each rooms has
the pastel colors of blue and yellow to the restaurant with hardwood floors,
booths, and tables set up for your enjoyment. On both sides, there are
televisions so guest may sit and enjoy a Saturday football game. On the
original side is the horseshoe bar that was originally created in the chef.
Although it’s expanded, it still stands the gem to this day. The menu itself is not over priced including
the spirits. The price ranges from a mixture of $4.00 to $11.00 not including
the A La Carte items. So for your money, it’s worth a go. I have had many
friends eat there on mornings before class or during Finals week. It’s one of
Manhattan’s number one choice to eat Breakfast. This Restaurant was featured in Food Network Magazine and the 2012 Local Eats Top 20 Breakfast Winner.
The Official Website The Chef: A Breakfast Cafe
My Rating: 10 Stars
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/182/1346259/restaurant/Kansas/The-Chef-Manhattan"><img alt="The Chef on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1346259/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>
