Jan. 21, 2022 – During an Aug. 21, 2021 telephone interview with Chaîne, Chef Daniel Schurr, Chaîne member and Executive Chef at the Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern in Raleigh, North Carolina, said he had the $!#% scared out of him as a young adult when his father requested a meeting with him.
The father-son tête-á-tête immediately changed his life when Daniel learned he would be losing his credit card and all funding. Daniel recalls his father telling him, “You better find something you like to do and be damn good at it because you have expensive tastes.” For the past 25 years, Chef Schurr has been offering his guests a superior fine dining experience in a beautiful 19th century Victorian home that Ted Reynolds and his family restored over a two-year period before opening it as a restaurant in 1997. Kim Reynolds, Ted’s daughter, is the current owner/manager who has been carrying on her father’s legacy since he passed away three years ago.
Second Empire History
The Hinsdale family owned the home from 1890 to 1971, which perfectly fit their formal lifestyle that included eating every meal in the dining room with their good silver and china. Built originally for Mayor William H. Dodd in 1879, local Raleigh residents in the 20th century came to know it as the Dodd-Hinsdale home. 21st century Raleigh residents and visitors know it as Second Empire, a destination restaurant and tavern where memories of a lifetime are seared as strongly as the seafood paella on the menu, an entrée since day one, Daniel said. “I can’t take it off the menu.”
In 1971 when the last Hinsdale family member died at the age of 92, many individuals and groups attempted to acquire and restore the house to its original grandeur but to no avail. This exquisite southern example of Second Empire Victorian architecture, a style developed in France under Napoleon III (1808-1873), fell victim to more than two decades of vandalism and deterioration as the 20th century was drawing to a close.
In 1993, Ted Reynolds, his wife Peggy, along with their daughter and son, Kim and David, obtained an Option to Purchase the property. After two years of planning to convert the house to a restaurant, they completed the purchase and began a two-year renovation with a commitment to retaining the building’s original 14-foot ceilings, deep bay windows and ornate elements to honor its architectural and American history.
The renovation maintained the home’s original exterior, heart pine flooring, masonry walls, and doors and windows. New leaded glass panels were installed in the four original front doors. The original kitchen has been converted into a corporate dining room and a grand new entrance has been constructed in the area formerly used as a rear entrance. An elevator was installed adjacent to a 3,000 square foot, two-story kitchen, bakery and food storage area.
A tavern, additional private dining rooms, and a glassed Atrium that seats 42 people have also been added. Today the restaurant seats 240 guests offering Contemporary American Cuisine.
Chef Schurr’s Path to Second Empire
Following his tough but loving jolt into adulthood, Daniel found a job in a hotel as a barback. He had to walk through the kitchen to get to the bar so he regularly crossed paths with Michael Mack, the chef. “He was a really great guy and asked me one day if I wanted to learn how to cook,” Daniel said.
For the next 12 months, Chef Mack mentored Daniel. It did not take long for Daniel to realize he had talent and best of all, he enjoyed the entire culinary atmosphere. Not yet “damn good” as his father had advised, Chef Mack took Daniel as far as he could go so he sent him to work under a chef in Birmingham, Alabama. After one year, his new mentor convinced Daniel to cement his culinary career with a degree. Daniel enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.
After graduation, he secured a job at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia and in 1996, moved back to North Carolina. Now a “damn good” chef, the Reynolds family hired him to launch their new restaurant where he has been Executive Chef ever since.
What has been and continues to be the secret to his and Second Empire’s success?
“It’s consistency in every aspect of the business. You can’t have a restaurant without the front of the house. Having great managers like Ashley [Dyson] and great staff are the liaison between you, the food and the customer,” Daniel said.
With 240 seats, he has a total of 50 employees. Daniel is acutely aware of customer experience, the linchpin to repeat business. While he pushes himself to be creative, he also strives to keeps things simple. Daniel said he learned that lesson from one of his favorite chefs many years ago who told him if the menu says roasted quail, it must taste like roasted quail. It’s as simple as that. Daniel said if he cannot get something that will compromise the quality of the dish, he will take it off the menu.
Given the trend away from fine dining, Second Empire remains an oasis for guests seeking that experience. A few months ago while walking through the restaurant, Daniel noticed they were serving many younger guests that evening so he sees a bright future for fine dining.
Daniel keeps his staff laser focused on ensuring customers understand the menu and the wine list. Before customers even open the door, they can be intimidated by the formal Victorian architecture so his staff is trained to warmly welcome guests, answer questions and never be pretentious. “My staff are the educators for people coming to dine at the restaurant,” he said.
Second Empire offers guests the choice between a quiet, subdued formal experience on the second floor or a louder, more casual experience at the tavern on the first floor. For a time, Daniel offered different menus but decided to transition to one menu throughout the restaurant, a decision he said simplified operations and has been popular with guests.
There have been many challenges with the pandemic but the layout of the restaurant with multiple rooms helped them easily implement social distancing guidelines when the restaurant reopened in summer 2020 after being closed for about three months. Most of the staff returned although Daniel mentioned he struggles as many restaurants currently do to recruit and hire new employees.
However, there would be no compromise on service because of the pandemic, he told his staff. “Even with a mask on, you’re going to smile with your eyes.”
Omicron is the pandemic’s most recent Covid curveball but Second Empire remains open. While people are canceling reservations due to illness, they are making new reservations so the latest viral variant has not affected them too terribly, Ashley said to Chaîne in a Jan. 11, 2022 email.
Second Empire hosted a Chaîne event in June 2021, which was the first time many members had been out to eat in a very long time. “There were lots of smiles that day,” Daniel said.
Carrying on formal traditions of the Hinsdale family and Ted Reynolds who had the vision to convert the Victorian home to a fine dining restaurant, Raleigh residents and visitors are the beneficiaries of both legacies. Walking into Second Empire is a step back in time and by all signs, a firm one into the future as Daniel has mentored his staff and made his mark.
“I’m still here after 26 years so I must be doing something right.” he said.
Tough love, talent and tenacity are “damn good” ingredients!
LINK
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern (Raleigh, North Carolina)