VIDEO: Nashville Hot Chicken Concept Launches at Mariano’s
Rouxster’s Cookhouse, the latest in-store restaurant concept at Mariano’s Fresh Market, celebrated its grand opening May 16 at the Mariano’s location in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Ill., at 1900 S. Cumberland Ave.
Mariano’s customers can now enjoy Nashville-style chicken and fish sandwiches, with an emphasis on comfort food, fresh ingredients and lots of flavor, helmed by Chicago chef John Meyer. The Park Ridge location joins one at the Mariano's store at 3857 S. Martin Luther King Drive in Chicago.
The Rouxster’s menu includes oven-roasted or Nashville hot chicken; fried catfish; grilled Jamaican jerk chicken sandwiches with Chef Meyer’s special jerk sauce, and shrimp po’boys. All sandwiches are served Southern style with a special sauce, coleslaw and pickles. All seasonings, batters and breadings are created by Chef Meyer. Turkey chili and freshly made chicken gumbo, along with sides such as smoked gouda mac & cheese, potato salad and collard greens, round out the savory section of the menu. Dessert selections include Meyer’s famous banana pudding, bread pudding and sweet potato pie.
Meyer is classically trained in French-American cuisine. He has worked at the prestigious University Club of Chicago and, in 1992, opened a white-tablecloth restaurant on Chicago’s South Side called the Retreat, which was housed in a renovated Victorian mansion in the historical Pullman area.
Meyer’s second venture, the critically acclaimed BJ’s Market & Bakery, opened in 1997. It combined an upscale atmosphere, comfort food and great customer service. In 2016, Meyer and his partners started Blueprint Foods, a food production facility for hot bars in grocery stores.
With more than 40 locations throughout the Chicago metro area, Mariano's Fresh Markets is operated by Milwaukee-based Roundy's Supermarkets, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. Kroger operates nearly 2,800 stores under a variety of banner names across the United States and ranks No. 2 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
Members of the Progressive Grocer team dropped in during Rouxster’s Park Ridge grand opening: Editorial Director Jim Dudlicek, Senior Editor Kat Martin, and Digital & Tech Editor Abby Kleckler.
Dudlicek chatted with Chef Meyer about the concept, his recipes and food trends -- check out that video, plus an album of photos from the PG team's visit …
