Great Chefs and Coffee

Romancing the Bean Series

by Caffeine Cowboy

 Chefs Werner Vogeli and Karl Haas share childhood memories.

Tales from the Old County

  I count among my friends and mentors some venerable and highly respected chefs and hospitality specialist.  These gentlemen are revered in the Dallas culinary community. They are iconic.

  Many learned their craft in the shadows of WWII. Swiss, Austrian, French, and German influences ignited their love of exquisite dining that they eventually brought to a booming Dallas of the 70’s. It was time of great hotels and the explosion of fine dining in downtown Dallas that brought these adventurous young chefs that changed the image of dining and brought European luxury and elegance to the table.

  I always felt that they liked me, but after the research for this story I realized that my charm my have been secondary to my devotion and accessibility to great coffees! 

Chefs Karl Haas and Peter Klaus Curley

 

  Many thanks to Chef Karl Haas and to the late great men Chef Werner Vogeli and the consummate G.M. Helmut Frenzen who as a team, made the 69^th floor City Club in Dallas a legendary experience. 

  My 1st Dallas account as the Caffeine Cowboy was the City Club. I would tell people, "the closest coffee to heaven in Dallas was mine!"

  They shared pieces of their personal memories of coffee in their post war youth with me.  jb