New name, owners on menu for downtown restaurant...

What has come to be known as one of the more elegant downtown Bloomington dining spots has new owners and a new name, but at least some of the faces will be recognizable...

Rob Freitag, a waiter at the restaurant formerly known as Richard's, became a co-owner with Jan Lancaster and her partner Tony Robbins when Richard Kurtz decided to put his restaurant up for sale recently.

...One of the owners' first moves after purchasing the restaurant was to hire chef Chad Sanders...

..."We're going to stay with the same style of food and service that Richard has been doing," Freitag said.  "We plan on being hands-on owners.  And our menu is going to be a little more price-flexible than Richard's, but we're still doing somewhat progressive things."

...A few more pasta dishes will be offered as well as some new cuts of meat.

There will also be a daily features menu that will change twice a week with fresh fish and more upscale entrees available and several other appetizers...

...Although Freitag is hoping to expand the business to lunch and catering as the staff settles into its routine, the first priority is dinner.

"In the beginning, we just want to concentrate on seven dinners a week and do it well," said Freitag.

This article contains excerpts from an article by Steve Hollister
Pantagraph business writer

Lancaster's on board for Bloomington Normal's heart-healthy food fest

...(Rob) Freitag has been in the food service industry in Bloomington for about 20 years, beginning at the age of 16 for Bob Johnson's, Brandtville Restaurant.  Johnson, he said, "gave me my start."

Freitag stayed at the restaurant when Bob Knapp took it over.  "I spent 10 years there, working as a bus boy and finally as general manager," Freitag said.  "When the Knapps closed the restaurant, I went to work for Richard (Kurtz) at Piccolo Piccolo, where I got "upscale" experience," he said.

He then helped Kurtz open Richard's about 3� years ago, Freitag said, and when Kurtz opened Di Vino's Ristorante Italiano on Veteran's Parkway near Cub Foods, Freitag and his partners purchased Richard's and reopened it as Lancaster's...

"It was a perfect opportunity to get into a place I already knew," Freitag said...

"People like to do business with the owners.  I try to visit every table," Freitag said.

Described as an "upscale" restaurant, Lancaster's menu is much the same as Richard's was except "our menu is a little more flexible," Freitag said in an interview with Pantagraph business writers when the new restaurant opened.  Lancaster's menu ranges from $14.95 for roasted chicken to $20.95 for a 10 oz. filet mignon, and also offers fresh seafood, lamb, duck, appetizers, desserts, and alcoholic, and soft beverages, among its many menu items.

Chef Sanders worked at Richard's for a year and a half, leaving to stay home with a new daughter for eight months.  He has two daughters, ages 1 and 3.  He came back to work at Lancaster's when it opened...

"The menu is similar to Richard's but we have a larger staff so it's not quite so hectic," he said, "I'm only working about 50 hours a week."

This article contains excerpts from an article by Nancy Gordon
Pantagraph food writer

Imagine the tender breast of pheasant, slightly chilled and served over a bed of mesculin with a delicate Dijon sauce.

Imagine a small cake of Gorgonzola in a slightly salty crust, it too served on a bed of mesculin, with toasted baguette slices to smear it on.

Imagine selecting a worthy companion from a list of 49 wines by the bottle and 14 by the glass, in a wide and friendly price range.

So begins dinner at Lancaster's, the downtown Bloomington restaurant formerly known as Richard's and under new ownership and management.

It's simply a delight...

This article contains an excerpt from an article in The Pantagraph Gourmet.