"At least the place didn't get BLOWN down..."

Atlanta Tornado (photo by Shane Durrance Photography)

In 2008, we opened Stella Neighborhood Trattoria in Grant Park (it is now Doc Chey’s Grant Park – it turns out, Grant Park residents prefer Asian noodles over Italian pasta -- but I digress…). 

We worked hard to get the restaurant ready to open and scheduled our mock services for March 14, 2008.  As with our first Doc Chey’s mock service, we invited hundreds of our best friends and customers to evaluate our menu and service. 

Everything was going great - the food was coming out of the kitchen at a steady rate, our servers were doing a great job taking care of our guests and the restaurant looked great.  Unfortunately, no one told Mother Nature that we were having a party that night. 

As the night wore on, the skies over Oakland Cemetery started to look ominous.  I stepped out on the patio as the wind started to kick up – the Memorial Drive corridor was like a wind tunnel.  I did not think too much of it.  A couple minutes later, someone pointed out that the wind was really kicking up and I could see signs and other larger objects starting to fly down the street. 

Sensing something bad beginning to happen, we advised all of our staff and guests to get under the tables as an unforcasted tornado was building up to full speed.  They always say that a tornado sounds like a freight train and they aren’t kidding.

There are two things I will always remember from that night:

The first was our rookie 17 year old hostess, Miranda.  As grown adults were freaking out all around her, she calmly took charge and instructed them to get under the tables for protection.  If I ever get caught in a tornado again, I hope Miranda is somewhere close by so she can slap me when I freak out. 

The second was my wife Maura. Maura loves a party and she was in her element as she was able to enjoy an evening of good food and beverages with old friends.  As the freight train was chugging down Memorial Drive and Miranda was calmly positioning everyone under tables, I looked over the dining room and the only people still sitting in their seats were Maura and a friend.  They were so deep in conversation that they didn't even notice the tornado!

That was a devastating night as one person was killed, close to 50 were injured and Cabbagetown was devastated.  Shortly after the tornado, we organized an event called “Dine Out for Tornado Relief”. Thirteen of our restaurant friends participated in this event and helped us raise $12,000 for Cabbagetown tornado victims.  I continue to be impressed with the resiliency and spirit of the businesses and residents of Grant Park and the neighboring communities.

-Rich Chey

"At least we didn't BURN the place down..."

It was 1997, and Brook and I were ready to open Doc Chey's.  

The last hurdle we needed to clear before we opened for business was to conduct a mock service.  A mock service is where our staff gets a chance to operate a shift with live bullets -- real guests and live orders.  It is also an opportunity for us to invite family and friends in for a sneak peek of the restaurant.

On the night of the mock service, every thing was ready to go -- all ingredients prepped, all equipment on, all staff trained and ready to serve.  Guests started to arrive and we had them wait outside the restaurant as Brook went through the last items of his pre-service live-up.  

As Brook was wrapping up his "go team" speech, we all heard a faint "poof" from the wok range.  We looked back and noticed that someone had left the burner on under the frying wok that contained about 5 gallons of cooking oil.  

It started out as a small orange flame that danced on the surface of the oil.  We all stood mesmerized by the flame.  I guess it would have made more sense if one of us actually thought about extinguishing the flame.  

Within a matter of seconds, that small dancing flame turned into an inferno that was so big and hot, it actually singed the hair on my arms.  Luckily, the fire suppression system was more reliable that we were, and our kitchen was soon covered with fire retardant foam.  

When the fire was extinguished, we looked out the front of the restaurant only to see our families and best friends with their noses pressed against the window enjoying the pyrotechnic show that had just taken place in our kitchen.  Unfortunately, there would be no mock service -- we sent them all away hungry that evening.

It took us a few days to clean up the mess from the fire suppression system, re-prep all the food we had to throw away, and reload the fire suppression system.  We conducted our mock service about a week later with great success.  

As Brook and I washed the dishes at the end of the night after all the guests had left, I looked at him and said, "At least we didn't burn the place down".  Every store opening and mock service we have performed since that time has ended with those same words.

-Rich Chey

The History of Doc Chey's

The question I get asked most frequently is "How did you start Doc Chey's?".

When I moved to Atlanta, the two foods I missed the most were bagels (that is why I opened Highland Bagel) and noodles.  During my travels through Japan and China after college, I fell in love with their noodle shops.  They were the "Waffle House" of those cultures - unpretentious places of equality where suits, construction workers, hipsters and students would sit elbow to elbow and enjoy a cheap, fast bowl of noodles.

Brook & I celebrating our first sale at Doc Chey's in 1997

Highland Bagel was my first restaurant and during the long monotonous hours in the kitchen rolling bagels, Brook Messina (a co-worker) and I would talk about different food concepts that would work in Virginia Highland.  I would frequently wax poetic about the noodle shops I remembered from my youth and travels and one day I said to Brook "We should open a noodle house."  His response was a simple and direct "Let's do it!"  That was the genesis of Doc Chey's.  Our battle cry was "bringing noodles to the people".

We started working on a Pan-Asian noodle concept that would be fresh, approachable and affordable - nothing costing more than $7.  Our original menu was based on my favorite dishes from my youth.  Many of these menu items still remain on the menu today.

We opened our first restaurant in Morningside in 1997.  Since then, we have opened noodle houses in Emory Village, Grant Park and Asheville, NC.  By my calculations, we have served almost 6 million guests over that time!  That's a lot of noodles!

-By Rich Chey

Chopped Chey's

Inspired by the Food Network show “Chopped”, Doc called on his loyal Noodleheads to compete in his very own Chopped Chey’s cooking contest. 

The challenge?  Create an unforgettable dish from the mystery ingredients hidden inside Doc's bag: Chinkiang vinegar, bonito flakes, candied mango, quick oats & flank steak. 
 

Ten Noodleheads accepted the challenge.  Doc Chey's Facebook fans voted to determine the Final Four.  After a taste test by Doc & his panel of experts, the decision was unanimous.  Only 1 person could take home the title & $50 gift card prize...and that winner is...Christina Nixon!

 

 

 

Comments from Doc & the Judges Panel:

 

The Champion...

 

Christina Nixon's Mango Sweet & Sour Marinated Flank Steak with Warm Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad & Japanese Rice Balls

[view recipe]

Overall, the dish was well-balanced and delicious.

Flank Steak - we liked the marinade.  Some felt the five spice was a bit overpowering.  We all felt the marinade could have used some salt to balance the acid from the Chinkiang Vinegar and the sweetness from the candied mango, mandarin oranges and brown sugar. 

Brussel Sprouts - we were unanimous that this was the best component of any of the dishes!  The thin cut allowed us to caramelize the brussel sprouts quickly at extremely high heat.  The crumble was a very nice complement to the brussel sprouts adding texture (nuts and oats), sweetness (honey) and a little heat (chili powder).

Japanese Rice Balls - We liked these because they presented a bit of fusion between Mexican rice (lime and cilantro) and Japanese rice cakes.  One of my favorite things at Doc Chey's is the Furikake rice seasoning.  Having bonito flakes and seaweed created a rice ball with deconstructed furikake.  The only thing missing was toasted sesame seeds, which would have been a great garnish.

The Runners Up... 

 

Widdi Turner's Asian Meat and Two

[view recipe]

Love the meat and two concept. Congee brings back childhood memories.

Flank Steak – We felt the acid from the Chinkiang vinegar and lime juice overpowered the marinade. It could have used some salt or more sugar to balance the flavors.

Bok Choy Cole Slaw – We loved the use of jicama and red cabbage which gave the slaw great texture. Again, the dressing could have used some salt to balance the acid from the vinegar and lime juice and the sweetness from the candied and fresh mango.

Bonito Oatmeal Congee – I loved the idea of using the rolled oats for a Chinese style congee; however, some of my fellow judges had trouble getting their heads around it. I found that the water in the recipe was insufficient and added considerably more water to make the congee the consistency of the congee I ate as a child – more soupy than oatmeal-like.

We just loved Widdi's Chopped YouTube video!


 

 

Drew Stone's Hawaiian Marinated Flank Steak with Oatmeal Quinoa Salad and stirfried bok choy

[view recipe]

What a creative dish. The quinoa salad recipe is a keeper!

Flank Steak – Most of us found the chili oil in the marinade to be overpowering. The marinade also changed the texture of the beef making it more fibrous, which was unpalatable. I liked the pineapple/teriyaki combination.

Quinoa Salad – This salad was a winner. I was skeptical as I added the toasted oatmeal to the rest of the ingredients knowing that the salad would be dry and the oatmeal tough and chewy. Boy was I wrong. The salad was delicious. The quinoa was nutty and has a beautiful texture. The candied mango worked well in the salad adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the vinegar in the dressing. The recipe said to cook the quinoa in ½ cup chicken stock. I ended up using at least 2 cups of liquid (I lost count of how much because I had to add water so many times) to cook the quinoa properly.

Stir-fried Bok Choy – Conceptually, I liked the idea of braising the veggies in Sweetwater 420 beer. In reality, it did not really work for me. The judges were split on this. Two of us liked it and two of us did not. We all thought the bonito salt was creative and added a nice accent to the veggies.

 

 

Karin Sullivan's Broiled Flank Steak with Faux Risotto

[view recipe]

Loved the creativeness of the faux risotto.

Flank Steak – The consensus was the marinade imparted little flavor in the meat and the resulting steak ended up dry and lacking flavor. Because of equipment restrictions, we grilled the meat instead of broiling it as recommended in the recipe which might have been the cause of our dry flank steak.

Faux Risotto – We all agreed that the use of oats for risotto was extremely creative. Using cream cheese to mimic the starch released from Arborio rice used in traditional risotto was smart. The texture of the risotto was good but most of us felt there were too many competing flavors – the earthiness of the mushrooms, the smokiness of the bonito flakes, the acidity of the vinegar and the sweetness of the candied mango. Too much going on for one dish.

 

 

The Conclusion...

What an impressive set of Chopped entries. Each dish was creative and had one of two components that were awesome.  Our dream plate?  Christina's brussel sprouts, Drew's quinoa salad, and Doc Chey's marinated Korean beef.

Want to participate in our next Chopped Chey's contest?  Stay tuned to our monthly e-newsletter so you don't miss out.
 

 

 

Doggone Good Karma

I look out and see the stray German Shepherd lying against a neighbor's fence. She appears to have a heavy weight belt strapped to her hindquarters.

As an owner of three rescue dogs, I have a soft spot in my heart for a canine in need, so I attempt to corral the dog. I approach the dense underbrush with a leash and a handful of treats. After about an hour, I coax her close enough to loop the leash around her neck.

Back at home, I remove the 30 pound weights. My wife makes her a bed in the garage where the tired young pup settles in and sleeps for 15 hours straight.

Cut to: time for work at Doc Chey's. The dynamic between the new dog and my three isn't fantastic, so I have no choice but to take the Shepherd with me. Obviously, a restaurant is no place for a pooch, so I let her rest in the shade of the crepe myrtles while I work my shift.

Inside, I chat with my manager, Melanie, telling her about rescuing the Shepherd, and how I hoped she wasn't bound for the Humane Society.

Just then, as karma would have it, a guest sitting across the bar leans in and says, "My husband and I were at the Humane Society yesterday looking for a Shepherd to adopt for our family."

I am stunned by the serendipity and take her right outside to meet the dog. Their bond is instant. The karma is instant. 

 

I hand over the leash. 

 

 

 

-by Christopher Cunningham
Doc Chey's Employee since 2001
Published writer of 15 books