thank you
Thank you, all our friends, our dear dear friends in our beloved city and beyond, thank you.
This outpouring of support, I am at a loss to express the gratitude I feel, and the frustration that I won’t get to cook for you this evening, to show my appreciation.
To my beautiful and amazing staff, it’s so vital that you remember that this is just life, the passions that went into making Heidi’s a unique and special experience still remain, in you, in me, in us, it surrounds us, and beckons us to accept our challenges, embrace them, and look to the horizon for new opportunities to do this work again.
Yesterday at some point in the afternoon, I called my mother, I wanted to hear her voice and be comforted. A forty year old man standing on the street being consoled by his mommy, what a sight. it worked.
I feel OK, in reality what happened yesterday was that a building burned, but what remains is what we always had. It was a great honor of my life to be your cook these years at Heidi’s.
Thank you.
62 Comments to “thank you”
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[...] in the Lynnhurst neighborhood of Minneapolis, destroying a corner that had been home to several popular, locally-owned businesses. Including the Blackbird, where a friend of mine had been and a server. [...]
If the fire suppression system that was supposed to extinguish the fire was installed and/or maintained by ——-, I would seriously recommend having it forensically examined completely! The article says the system functioned the way it was supposed to but the fire was too large? Something doesn’t sound right. There was a fire in November of 2003 that burned down a ————–. ——— serviced that system, and it was found later there was a critical part missing from the system. If it was a newer UL-300 system, there is NO REASON that it should not have successfully extinguished the fire. It it was Pre-UL300, then——–technicians are NOT happy with their employer, as they are treated like garbage! ———– and read up on all the complaints about this company! If it wasn’t ———–that serviced it, then I don’t know what else to say.
Just a comment.
(this post was edited)
Dear Heidi, Stewart, Frank, and all the staff, I am so sorry for the loss. I am still grieving and I know I am not evolved enough to be as wise as Shefzilla. I am sad, and angry, and stunned about the terrible tragedy of the fire. I am happy that you have a leader that can rise above it and see that is was “just a building”. I loved Heidi’s and had many special times there. I am trying to focus my grief and look to the future for you! With the talent that you have at hand, I know that Shefzilla is right, the best is yet to come. Let us know if there is anything that you adoring public can do, we are so ready. We love you, and wish you and your staff, strength during this most difficult time.
We found out about the fire in the restaurant a little bit late (today) and we are truly shocked and saddened by the news. My wife and I were looking forward to a great dinner tonight but I guess it’ll have to wait … but we’re sure the wait will be worth it! We hope that this is only a minor detour along the way. We’ll see you at Heidi’s 2.0!
Doug,
I would encourage everybody to resist the temptation to speculate on any aspect of the investigation. I can assure everyone that a thorough investigation is underway, and I am very confident in the professionals I have met with, they have both the experience and expertise to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to this fire. I will not play out any aspect of said investigation on this blog, let the pros do their jobs.
I don’t blame anyone for curiosity or even speculation, it’s natural. I am not criticizing you for that Doug, and I do appreciate your sentiment.
It’s only a matter of time for the rumor mill to start cranking out some real garbage, that will also happen. Again I would encourage those that are tempted to participate in that sort of activity to be mindful that this is a very difficult circumstance for all those involved directly and indirectly, embellishing events, for any reason, is not a legitimate or morally acceptable activity. For the sake of decency, please refrain.
On a personal note, we had our first night of sleep last night, and are just beginning to absorb the reality that are lives have changed. We are strong, and looking forward to making the dream that was Heidi’s, be re-born, and renewed. Lots of love to all, and thank you again for your emails, and notes. stew
I just want to echo everyone else’s thoughts here. I’m so very sorry for your loss and am sending up prayers for the strength and resilience to triumph yet again! Your grace and fortitude at this time of loss is also admirable.
Chef Stewart, sorry for the loss and good luck in the future. If your kitchen staff is looking for employment send an email soon. I am looking to fill at least one position this week. Best Regards.
you always have a home away from home in St. Paul while you rebuild–The old Vintage/Il Vesco Vino building is vacant right now. How bout you guys come on over! We’d love to have you.
(ok, so not a small intimate space like before, but you could fill it up in no time….)
About 30 minutes after she said “yes,” my best girl and I sat down at Heidi’s for a January 5th meal to celebrate our engagement. I hope your future includes someplace that she and I can return to to mark other weighty dates.
I was in Atlanta planning to walk in that evening after my flight arrived and I was online reading the Star-Trib when I saw the news
. I am patiently/impatiently awaiting your return, I agree with Zac come to SP.
[...] later, the restaurant named for his wife was being destroyed by fire. Woodman blogged about the fire on shefzilla.com [...]
I had a dinner reservation the night of the fire and was so looking forward to taking my East Coast guests to one of the Twin Cities finest restaurants. We’ll be first in line at your new establishment. Keep your spirtis up!