What's Laird Drinking Now?

It’s hard to believe it’s been over twenty years since I walked in the back door of the Yellow Brick Bank. At the same it is impossible to be who I am without it. I have intertwined my life with that of the restaurant. I met my wife there, made my best friends there, and found my passions for food and wine.

Over the years, through good times and bad, the Brick has been a constant, like an old friend you can count on. I have been lucky enough to be a small part of thousands of people’s memories. The marriage proposals, birthdays, anniversaries’, and reunions that punctuate the lives of our guests have been my pleasure to host.

The Yellow Brick Bank is as much a state of mind as it is a restaurant. Fancy enough to be special, yet as familiar as an old sweater. We welcome new friends and remember the tastes of long time regulars. The great strength of the Yellow Brick Bank, even more than the venerable, quirky building has always been the staff. So many talented, energetic personalities have come through our doors. I always smile thinking back on the mental rolodex of great chefs who have worked the line here, so many of them have gone on to run other great restaurants, or to start their own. Bill Powell, Matt Miller, Damian Heath, Scott Guarino, Jim Carey, Moss Rudley, Rick Bishop, Carl Brown, Larry Messenger, and many more all contributed a true love for the craft of cooking and built the foundation of a really great restaurant. Mike Luksa anchored the staff as head chef for most of that time. I always thought his greatest ability as a chef was fostering and guiding talent. He got his cooks to hone their skills and really blossom into chefs. Today we are again blessed to have another head chef with the same gift. Chef Jeff McGee has a huge wealth of knowledge and talent but he also allows his staff to show off their own gifts for creativity on the menu and with our specials. From week to week I never know what will emerge from the minds of our kitchen staff and that keeps things exciting.

The front of the house has always been a melting pot of personalities with an emphasis on fun. We are not the most formal or stodgy, but hopefully the most genuine. The model for this, and our anchor, has always been Clifford Branson. Seventy-six years young, he quite simply is the Yellow Brick Bank. Always quick with a greeting and a smile, Clifford is as much an institution as the building itself. I am often reminded of just how special a place I work in by the return visits of former staff and the great nostalgia they have for the place.

Long ago I asked Kevin Connell, who founded the restaurant, just what it was we were trying to accomplish with the Yellow Brick Bank. He said, “…everybody needs a favorite restaurant, a place to feel welcome and to belong, that’s what we are.” A few years ago the Bank changed hands and the new owners, Ken and Mary Lowe, have stayed true to that notion. The future and the menu hold more surprises and fun in the beautiful old Bank building, while the familiar sounds of laughter and jazz play in the background. I’ll see you there.