BAR:
STEUBEN’S
Steuben’s, 523 E. 17th Ave., is run by Josh Wolkon and Matt Selby — with Brandon Biederman at the stove. It’s a mix of hipster bar and old-school diner, named and modeled in honor of Wolkon’s great-uncle’s family restaurant, Steuben’s, in Boston. It’s noisy and cozy and busy from the bar to the booths. And the food is everything from dainty to greasy. The menu may be simple, but Steuben’s cares about local purveyors and ingredients. The boys opened in June 2006 — and it was an immediate hit; now it’s even more so as the low prices fit with the recession-conscious. And look for lotsa tattoos in Steuben’s, from the bartenders to the wait staff. Think ink.
GRILLED:
PETE MARCZYK
Pete Marczyk, 43, hails from Northampton, Mass., where he was raised and schooled (he insinuated himself into the local prep school) before running off to the University of Vermont. A good high-school student, he says he just wasn’t designed for college, dropping out after three years studying philosophy. He always worked, painting houses, hanging wallpaper, and traveled for a few summers to Anchorage, Alaska, for more manual labor. He landed in Denver when he was 23, for more painting and plastering, when he landed a job at Merrill Lynch brokerage house. He had been a stockbroker for eight years when he left to start Marcyzk Fine Foods, a gourmet market at 770 E. 17th Ave. It celebrates its eighth year this month. He is married to Barbara Macfarlane, and they have a son, Kaz, 8. Pete asks the bartender to make him something special, so Sean Kenyon sends out a Sazerac Cocktail made with Leopold’s Rye Whiskey White Dog.
BH: Why a market?
Marczyk: I was always interested in food. I loved cooking. If it were not for my ability to cook, I never would have had a date. I had to develop some skills because I wasn’t handsome.
BH: But a market?
Marczyk: I had to convince my wife, kicking and screaming, that this was a good idea. I loved growing up with neighborhood markets. I loved the food, the wine. I thought to myself when I was at Merrill, God, I don’t want to sell stocks and bonds and mutual funds and options for the rest of my life. So I settled on food.
BH: Do you regret it?
Marczyk: No, I love it.
BH: Is it tougher or easier than you thought?
Marczyk: Way tougher. You told me it was the business of pennies and nickels, and it is.
BH: What about naming it “Marczyk?” Didn’t people tell you not to do that?
Marczyk: Everybody told me not to do the whole thing. Don’t open it, please don’t do it. Peter, they’d say, you have a good job at Merrill Lynch. It’s a good firm. Stay there. Of course, I couldn’t.
BH: What’s your guilty pleasure in food?
Marczyk: Lay’s potato chips.
BH: Is there anything that you would not eat?
Marczyk: I will not eat processed convenience-store food. Ever.
BH: What’s your son’s favorite food?
Marczyk: He loves macaroni and cheese.
BH: Do you make it out of a box?
Marczyk: Nope. We make it from scratch, we really do. I know people who cook differently for their kids. The parents eat the good food and the kids eat the junk. We just don’t eat like that. But we’re not about no fat, no carbs, but a wide, balanced diet.
BH: What do you think of Safeway and King Soopers?
Marczyk: We just don’t eat a lot of mass-market food. We use the big markets for paper goods.
BH: Whole Foods?
Marczyk: They raised the bar and are very good at what they do. Very good. Our concept is a whole different thing, but Whole Foods, that’s our competition.
BH: Do you exercise?
Marczyk: I love to ski. It’s a big reason that I moved here. And I figured there were lots of pretty girls here.
BH: Really?
Marczyk: Hey, I was coming from Anchorage.
BH: Does selling meat in the market confuse you?
Marczyk: No. I grew up in a rural environment. I raised chickens when I was a kid, and I was the one who had to harvest them.
BH: So you really know what a chicken with its head cut off looks like.
Marczyk: Yes. But that’s a whole other story. The tragedy in animal cruelty is when animals lead dismal, horrible lives in confinement in feeding operations. But if animals are allowed to express themselves naturally and are harvested for their flesh and consumed, I don’t have any argument with that. I enjoy meat and meat products and they supply an important niche in our culinary lexicon. Salamis, bacon, sausages.
BH: You’re only talking about pork
Marczyk: A wonderful, magical animal.
BH: Do you sell anything in your store that embarrasses you?
Marczyk: I brought in Red Bull, and my staff was all upset. And I’m, like, why not? It’s OK with me. I’m not trying to make some total statement here.
BH: What are your favorite restaurants in town?
Marczyk: I love Barolo Grill. It’s close to where I live, a great owner, great chef, great bartender. It’s a just great place. I love Lola, TAG, Steuben’s, Solera.
BH: Do you throw up much?
Marczyk: I am not a vomiter. I pride myself on my ability to moderate.
BH: What’s your midnight snack?
Marczyk: I never do that. I eat dinner and that’s it.
BH: Do you like being married?
Marczyk: I love being married. In the lottery of babes, I hit the jackpot. And I love being a dad. He’s a really good son, a fun kid.
BH: What’s your biggest fear?
Marczyk: Screwing it up.
BH: What don’t you like in other people?
Marczyk: Sleaziness.
BH: In yourself?
Marczyk: Procrastination.
BH: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Marczyk: Skiing equipment.
BH: What’s your current state of mind?
Marczyk: I am nervous in general. I have a lot going on.
BH: On what occasion would you lie?
Marczyk: When I’ve done something incredibly stupid.
BH: What do you dislike about your appearance?
Marczyk: Most everything.
BH: Do you like a certain amount of chaos in your life?
Marczyk: I don’t like it, but I create it.
BH: What’s your idea of complete misery?
Marczyk: Having to eat bad food cooked by people who don’t care.
BH: Are you a good boss?
Marczyk: I am a horrible boss.
BH: Favorite movies?
Marczyk: Only one. “The Blues Brothers.”
BH: What’s on your iPod?
Marczyk: A bunch of Dead, Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket. Some barbershop.
BH: What’s the happiest part of your day?
Marczyk: When I take Kaz to school. I walk him in and I love it. I give him a big kiss and whisper in his ear “THHF.” And then he goes, “Shhhhh.” Like it’s our secret.
BH: What does “THHF” mean?
Marczyk: “Try Hard, Have Fun.”
Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Bill Husted: 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com.
