Crosby’s new owner creates new menu, keeping fan favorites

Crosby's restaurant has a new look courtesy of its new owner/chef Bryce Vogel.

Vogel is a self-taught chef who fell in love with cooking at age 16 when he worked at Genghis Grill. He then got his "first real kitchen job" at NewBo Alehouse (where Chrome Horse is now at 1201 Third St. SE) where he connected with the Nanke restaurant group that opened Crosby’s two years ago.

They reconnected when Crosby's needed a new owner/chef.

The business model works well for the Nanke group with its several locations and is a win for someone in his position, too, Vogel said.

He also met Brittany Cole when they worked together at NewBo Alehouse. She was general manager at Crosby’s before he took over ownership of Crosby’s in April, and Vogel was thrilled to keep her in that role.

"My sole focus was mostly front of the house and overseeing everything else. Since he's come on, he has taken over back of the house, which is a lot off my shoulders,“ Cole said. ”I can focus on the front of the house and services being provided and the consistency of drinks."

Vogel said he loves Crosby’s location in NewBo.

“The location, first and foremost, is amazing. I mean where we’re at and the events we get to be part of is super intriguing. I think that the potential is really something to be excited about,” Vogel says.

Vogel most recently spent about five years at Cedar Rapids Country Club as sous chef, then chef de cuisine and a stint as interim executive chef.

He was drawn to Crosby’s because he could take his time and focus more than he did at the country club, where the kitchen cooked for banquets, weddings, dinner service and "everything under the sun” in terms of food and service.

The new menu at Crosby’s results from Vogel elevating common foods and recipes to a new level, creating modern, delicious flavors and a more visually appealing plate.

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Take the celebrated but modest Cuban sandwich.

“The plate we have on the menu is like the components of a Cuban sandwich but presented in a more upscale fashion. (We’re) taking a simplistic dish or sandwich and turning it into something really beautiful,” Vogel said. “It’s kind of fun on our end, too, on the creative side of things.”

Vogel’s version of the Cuban, which is under the Chef's Plates section, includes sliced Berkshire pork loin, a slightly spicy Tasso ham, house pickles and arugula, with a side of three mustards — Dijon, yellow and stone ground — for dipping.

The chef doesn't settle for a common side of fries or mashed potatoes. Instead, he creates and serves potatoes pave, his prized recipe. Made with peeled potatoes sliced so thin, each dish has 70 to 100 layers, soaked in cream and seasoned. The chefs bake the pan and press it overnight.

"The next day you flip it out of the pan (and) you can see the layers. We sear each side so that each layer is really visible," Vogel said. "There's a lot of love put into it."

The Manchurian Chicken Sandwich might be a nod to Vogel's cooking at Genghis Grill. The fried chicken breast is tossed in Manchurian sauce and topped with red onion and house pickles. The sauce elevates Indian-style crispy cauliflower in the Gobi Manchurian appetizer.

Crosby's longtime favorites, such as Brussels sprouts and Burrata from Crosby’s previous appetizers menu, remain, with "little, tiny tweaks" by Vogel. He enhances the Salmon BLT using different products and builds the sandwich with a zesty lemon-bacon jam aioli and focaccia made fresh on-site every day. The Steak Sandwich — sliced rib-eye, cotija cheese, chimichurri, burst cherries and arugula — is also served on the house focaccia.

"Everything we can make here, we do," Vogel said. "It’s yielding a better product."

Other menu highlights include prime rib served daily and brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The brunch menu includes classic Eggs Benedict, omelets and favorites with Vogel's spin, such as PB&J French Toast and Coffee Cured Salmon.

When it comes to drinks, Cole has kept fan favorites on Crosby’s menu such as a pineapple jalapeno margarita, sweet and spicy mule, and Old Fashion, then added to the drinks menu. There are more variations of mules and an added dessert cocktail list. During the week when Crosby's was closed for ownership changes and minor renovations, Cole says she created "the best drink I've ever made" — a Pecan Old Fashion.

"It's my favorite drink, an old fashioned. You can't beat it," Vogel said.

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He and Cole have a collaborative relationship based on open communication.

“She’s taken on social media and managing the front end. She's been a really huge asset. It’s a good balance. I think that's important. If you try to take on the world by yourself … you’re not going to get very far,” Vogel said.

Cole cultivated the 15-member front-of-house staff, and Vogel, the kitchen team of three full-time and two part-time employees, enjoy coming to work at Crosby's.

"Historically, kitchens in the restaurant industry has a lot of turnover. I have a couple of guys that I brought with me from the country club, so we’re a really close-knit group. I'm hoping to avoid turnover and inconsistency period if we can help it," Vogel said.

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