Eleven years ago, Peter Mills stumbled upon the space just below the Davis Street Metra station in Evanston. Garbage was piled to the ceiling, pipes were burst and the graffitti-covered walls had fallen in.
He said he thought it would be a “fantastic space” for a restaurant.
Chef’s Station opened in 1997 at 915 Davis St., the latest occupant of a space that was a jazz club in the early 1980s and later served as a storage area for the railroad company.
“This space had been left empty for 15 years,” Mills said. “I kept trying to work with the railroad to see if they would be interested in leasing it out. After a long and interesting negotiation and two different railroads, I finally managed to lease the space.”
Mills was able to clean up the station and turn it into a restaurant that reflects his personal style. Since he decorated the restaurant himself, it is filled with “little jokes” that he finds entertaining, he said.
“I think that you got to have some sense of humor,” Mills said. “Our food is very serious, but we’ve got to be comfortable and fun.”
The Chef Station’s lead chef, José Romero, 32, has helped to create buzz for the restaurant. Last year, his pan-seared walleye was named one of the best 124 dishes in Chicago by Chicago Magazine.
Romero, who came to the United States from El Salvador when he was 17, worked his way up from a dishwasher to lead chef. He said he started in salads, moved to pastries, and soon knew cooking was what he loved to do.
“I’m one of the people that always wants some more,” Romero said about having his dish recognized in the magazine. “So it’s nice, but it’s never enough. It’s never enough for me, but it’s good and we should be proud of what we’re doing over here.”
Assistant Manager Jesse Taloey, 27, said the best part about his job is interacting with the customers, who are mostly older North Shore residents. He has been assistant manager of the restaurant for 10 months.
“It’s generally an overwhelmingly good reaction to both the restaurant and the food,” Taloey said. “They like the ambience of the restaurant: kind of low-key, not too stuffy or uptight.”
Mills, who is 77, said that he enjoys spending most of his time at Chef’s Station.
“This is the greatest retirement man could ever have,” Mills said. “I absolutely love it.”