Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris and Roselle Touwaide.
Chris and Roselle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I set up an open air food courtyard in Kathmandu, Nepal, with as many as 10 outlets from different restaurants. The chemistry of their recipes teased my curiosity for cooking. Travelling and living abroad added to my discovery of new flavors and ingredients unknown to me. Upon the end of my stay in Nepal, I moved to the USA as I was attracted by its fame of “land of opportunity “. Chicago was my selection for its balanced blend of cultures [Northern American, Latin, Asian, Middle Eastern, European]; it is also the most manageable city for the size of the hospitality business I had in mind. I eventually opened BISTRO 6050 in January 2017.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Settling in the Portage Park/Irving-Austin area to possibly help revive its dormant potential has been a pretty hard but inspiring source for innovation. Happily enough the neighbor business owners adopted BISTRO 6050 with enthusiasm and included it as a full partner of the Irving Austin Business District; this move added to the complementarities I want to promote in a highly competitive market. Was I unconsciously obsessed by the motto ‘” Unity breeds might “?
Bistro 6050 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Actually, BISTRO 6050 is neither a restaurant nor another coffee shop; it is a snack bar where one can stop over along I-19 to devour a juicy hamburger [100% Angus beef, or vegetarian ‘humus’], to order a set of empanadas to take away to hit the road again or can drop in to relax a while surrounded by lounge music and enjoy sweet or savory velvet crêpes paired with a bubble tea or a Nutella milkshake.
BISTRO 6050 offers a no-border cuisine menu with recipes stimulated from street food from around the world after my many years of residence abroad; this reflects with a natural and neutral interior design [black & white, metal-wood-glass].
Every single menu item is freshly homemade and health conscious about oil, sugar, salt or spices –for instance the empanadas are baked as opposed to fried and the ice creams are homemade with the suitable minimum of sugar.
I also shaped CHARCOAL NUTS ™, a BISTRO 6050 unique line of mixed nuts roasted with exotic spices.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
On an early morning I discovered by surprise an unsolicited article in which the journalist spotted BISTRO 6050 amongst “Five New Bars and Eateries Redefining Chicago’s Northwest Side “; this title hints that BISTRO 6050 concept is in full swing with the mood to revamp 6 corners/Old Irving/neighboring Portage Park which was once according to the journalist, the second-biggest shopping district outside of the Loop. In addition the author quoted one of the most encouraging reviews.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6050 W. Irving Park road, on the side of the PATIO Theatre, a few steps from the Irving-Austin branch Chicago Public Library
- Website: www.bistro6050.com; www.charcoalnuts.com
- Phone: 3128836050
- Email: bistro6050@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Picture courtesy of Carma LYNN PARK
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