The second restaurant concept of partners Rick Wineman and Al Barilla opened to hungry and appreciative guests just about two months ago, this one celebrating the merits of American Farm Cuisine. Named Restore Kitchen on State, Farmhouse Café and Supper, it brings fresh crafted, innovative homestyle dining to the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. The same culinary values prevail as in their first location at 1711 Lugonia, Restore Kitchen, Craft Food Beer and Wine: elevated, made-from-scratch food, good locally made craft beer and boutique wines, but this one has a more traditional dinner menu, and an expanded breakfast menu, which is also served all day.
“We went big with breakfast, big with dinner. And because of our location we are doing very well at lunch serving similar pub-style food in more of a sit-down environment,” said Chef Wineman.
It is indeed a quiet and comfortable niche just west of the old mall, soft music, no TVs, offering hearty servings of pancakes, cinnamon French toast or bananas foster waffles, great hashes, omelets, thick hand-cut Duroc bacon, homemade signature sausage, grilled steak, ham or salmon served with farm-fresh eggs. They also serve the maple glazed pork belly which is so popular at the Lugonia restaurant, with beer bacon white beans or with poached eggs on a fresh warm biscuit covered with orange hollandaise, or on a sandwich of spent grain sourdough with blackberry barbeque sauce, green apple turnip slaw and a homemade pickle.
All breakfasts come with a slice of savory-sweet pineapple upside down corn bread, just a teaser to wake up your tastebuds.
Dinner fare includes steak, salmon, pot roast and pan-roasted chicken and biscuits. Sandwiches and salads round out the menu, and of course they offer their famous Pig Candy served with sliced green apples with smoky salt, and beer chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. There are a few new dessert items that you will have to come in to try.
When the first Restore Kitchen opened in May of last year, Rick and Al were counting on an independent young millennial crowd who really enjoy elevated gastronomy along with great locally crafted beers. The flavor profiles and unique offerings were met with enthusiasm, and brought positive reviews from local press, Westways magazine and KTLA news. Along with a sustained 4.5 rating and more than 500 reviews, Yelp also helped establish their reputation in the community. “We are very grateful not only to the residents of Redlands, but the travelers who find us on Yelp and stop in to give us a try,” said Rick.
The new restaurant on State provided an opportunity to explore appetizing choices in vegan and vegetarian entrees and side dishes that appeal to folks in the Blue Zone of Loma Linda, and many of the health-conscious diners at ESRI, which is just a short walk away. There are also options for people who are gluten-sensitive. “People love it, and they love the personal attention,” said GM Al Barilla.
When asked what the pitfalls or challenges might be, they mentioned their small footprint, a business model they chose by design. They do turn tables very quickly, however, and seating protocols are carefully observed. “It’s best if people with large parties can call ahead, to make sure we can accommodate them, otherwise occasionally they can expect a short wait,” said Al.
Rick and Al were excited about the opportunity of opening a location on State Street and being downtown. “With the city planners working so hard to develop that side of State Street we feel that we are in a good position to be a part of that growth,” said Al.
“We are very grateful for our success in Redlands. We have a wonderful staff of committed employees, they understand the menu, and really are apart of our family,” Al continued. “We feel strongly that Redlands is an independent community that supports independent restaurateurs, and we are happy to be riding the crest of this growing trend.”
“The growth of our company, the number of people we’ve been able to employ, and the impact of that to the community has been a blessing, really,” added Chef Rick.