By Amy Salvagno GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Andre Neimanis grew up with a fascination beyond his years. Foregoing customary cartoon watching, the then-5-year-old would turn the channel to cooking shows featuring Julia Child, Graham Kerr and Martin Yan. By age 8, he was grilling up barbecued fare for an astonished family. “I always had a passion for it … I was fascinated,” said the now 35-year-old general manager and executive chef of the Dirty Dog Jazz Café in Grosse Pointe Farms. The young restaurant — it opened in early February — on The Hill commercial district features live music and a bistro-like tapas menu, which is just the kind of thing Neimanis enjoys. “It goes back to basic cooking techniques — high-end food and flavors that go well together. There are no shortcuts,” he said. “For me, it’s just pushing yourself a bit to take that extra step. I don’t allow things to be (just) ‘good enough.’” As a teenager, Neimanis’ first job was as a dishwasher at a short-order diner, and when time allowed, he’d cook up his own creations when he was ready to eat. By that time, he says he was so interested in food that he buried himself in sophisticated cookbooks. When the chef didn’t show up at the diner one day, Neimanis stepped into the role — and then held onto it, preparing lunch and dinner for the 40-seat restaurant. “I was a natural at it,” he reflected. Neimanis landed his first professional job at age 18 at the Somerset Inn, exaggerating his prior experience a bit to get it. He ended up staying in the Troy kitchen for six years and apprenticed in classical French and Italian cuisine. Then, at 23, he became executive chef at Sparkey Herberts in Grosse Pointe Park, once a pass-through, Neimanis says, for some of the area’s top chefs. Here, the young cook managed to excel and gain more and more knowledge. Four months later, he moved onto a different hotel, back to Somerset Inn and then to south Florida to a five-star resort. Neimanis had a few other jobs in between his current position, including five years at The Hill, sharpening his skills and his creativity even further. “I’ve always been blessed with being in a situation that when I work hard enough to be trusted to run a kitchen, I’ve used it to my advantage — to experiment with what I want.” At Dirty Dog, Neimanis created the small plates menu. It’s ever-changing, except for the core dishes, with daily and monthly chef’s offerings. Inside the dark-paneled café, dotted with antique fixtures and framed black-and-white posters of jazz greats, guests can enjoy selections like Crab Fritter — with caramelized onions and lavash crackers, cornichons and poached egg — and Beef Brisket Sliders — with Vidalia onion roast, aged cheddar and celeriac slaw on a sourdough roll — while listening to the smooth sounds of local artists. “The concept is great and the food is fantastic,” says Neimanis. “I hope people are given a real ‘wow’ factor. The concept of a jazz club is unlike anything around here. I’ve had people come in who can’t believe the kind of food here. They don’t expect it.” Owner Gretchen Valade, known for solidifying and expanding the Detroit Jazz Festival, says she’s surprised at how well the restaurant is doing — but not at Neimanis’ abilities. “He’s great — very ambitious. He’s been very helpful with the restaurant, getting the name out,” she said, noting a few of her favorites include the porcini mushroom soup, the crab cakes and the fried egg BLT. “It’s a very diverse menu. Andre is very creative.” “I make sure that I put anything on the menu that if I was to come in, I would want to eat it,” he said. “We have a huge success rate here. The food goes out and there are no complaints.” The Dirty Dog Jazz Café is open for dinner and live performances from 4:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The first show seating is from 6:00-8:00 p.m., with an 8:30-10:30 p.m. seating for the second show. Call (313) 882-JAZZ or visit www.dirtydogjazz.com. You can reach Staff Writer Amy Salvagno at asalvagno@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1037. |
