It started on vacation. I mean...all good things start on vacation, don't they?
Not that we planned it that way. The trip was already booked and paid for when I found out that the company I worked for had been bought by a VC firm, and my position was being 'downsized'. So we did the only responsible thing -- packed our bags, sunscreen, cool vacation hat and shirts -- and being the adults we were -- got on a Frontier Jet (of course!) and went anyway.
That whole trip I was listening to this same book. On the beach, at the pool, in the hot tub...it was really resonating with me. It was Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality. Judy and I talked about it a lot. It kept bringing me back to something I had done 25 years ago, put in my rearview, and swore I was never going back to...Remember Excalibur Nightclub in Collinsville? No? Well...Google it. It's out there still. The Ghosts of the internet don't forget.
Beaches, margaritas. And dreams. That's how it starts.
But where it goes next? Well, that's where it really gets interesting.
You see, when we got back -- out of paradise in Cancun and landing back into Lambert STL, slapped in the face by snow and cold -- it started to feel like a dream. Fueled by tequila and limes, not really REAL...but it would not let go of me. It started to turn into a plan. A vision. Honestly? We were terrified. I mean, it was a huge leap. It literally meant taking everything we had saved, including the equity in our home....and rolling the dice. A bet on ourselves. And a bet that Belleville wanted the same thing we did.
I called Munsok So to talk me out of it. A good friend since our early 20s, and a legend in the St. Louis culinary scene -- you probably know Drunken Fish.
Instead of talking me out of it, he said “Well, you’re not doing this without me.”
That’s how we wound up partners.
The idea behind it was pretty simple: build the kind of place we would want to go ourselves. Great food, amazing drinks, genuine hospitality, and a room you actually want to spend time in.
We originally imagined Stein Haus as a Roaring 20s style Craft Cocktail Lounge serving a smaller menu of appetizers and shareables.
Then something funny happened.
People kept showing up for dinner.
So we listened.
The kitchen grew. The menu expanded. And Stein Haus became something a little different than Judy and I originally planned.
You shaped it more than we expected.
It became a collaboration between us and you -- our guests. That conversation kept happening, and is ongoing yet today. And what we have is better than what we saw in our mind’s eye on those beaches.
Today we’re a Scratch Kitchen, Craft Cocktails and a VIP Gaming Lounge, just a few blocks from downtown Belleville.
The Kitchen
Everything is made here. Pizzeria quality dough (which we had to learn how to make from scratch). Wings that are marinated and smoked, family recipe pasta sauces and appetizers built to share with your friends.
Come when you want to slow down, settle in and enjoy yourself, not get rushed out the door.
The Bar
Classic cocktails built correctly, originals that are ours, and a curated whiskey list.
Most nights you’ll find at least one of us on the floor checking on you, in the kitchen making sure your meal comes out right, or behind the bar talking about that amazing hard to find Bourbon you just HAVE to try.
The Room
Dinner leans towards quiet and relaxed. Later in the evening the music picks up and the room can become something completely different.
Live music, karaoke, DJ nights and special events are all part of Stein Haus, but so is simply sitting down for dinner and lingering over another drink.
It’s a room, not a hall, and it’s purpose built to keep you connecting, with new friends and old.
Extreme Hospitality
In his book Guidara called it Unreasonable Hospitality. We swapped one word and made it ours.
Making sure you leave feeling better than when you walked in.
We believe every guest is a regular in the making, whether it’s their first visit or their fiftieth.
Judy and I are here most days, and we look forward to meeting you.
805 S. Illinois Street, Belleville, IL. We only have about seventy seats, so please call ahead for parties of four or more -- (618) 531-2349.
Oh yeah, that book I told you about?
Here it is...maybe it will spark
YOUR next adventure!
unreasonablehospitality.com