Small Spaces

By KIM GRONNIGER Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ

Most people outgrow their childhood desire for a fort fashioned from blankets, but many still crave the joy of occupying small spaces in companionship with others. Three Topeka hospitality venues offer cozy destinations with creative food and drink selections in decorative spaces specifically designed for convivial gatherings. }

Brett Martin mixes up cocktails in The Principal’s Office.

Photo by JENNIFER GOETZ

Salut Wine & Cocktail Lounge —•— The Principal's Office

Marc & Katie Sonderegger and Matt & Larissa Slimmer, Owners

Longtime friends Marc and Katie Sonderegger and Matt and Larissa Slimmer frequently traveled to Lawrence and Kansas City to enjoy cocktails and conversation in sophisticated surroundings. When COVID-19 confined their travel to backyard firepits, they circled around the idea of opening a local lounge featuring all the upscale amenities and high-end adult beverage selections they’d sought elsewhere.

In December, retail space opened in the couples’ Westboro neighborhood, and their interest escalated, culminating in a spring break decision to tour the space. Soon after, they leased the building and hosted a grand opening celebration in late July.

Marc Sonderegger is principal of Wanamaker Elementary School, Katie Sonderegger is principal of Farley Elementary School and Larissa Slimmer serves as a counselor at Wanamaker Elementary School. Matt Slimmer is a commercial plumber.

The owners did their homework, which included launching a successful Kickstarter campaign and creating a business plan in consultation with the Washburn University Small Business Development Center.

Marc Sonderegger said the hardest decision they encountered wasn’t determining the décor or the menu but coming up with a succinct name that accurately conveyed their aspiration for the space.

“We wanted to showcase that we’re a neighborhood place and finally settled on Salut Wine and Cocktail Lounge,” he said. “Salut is a friendly French greeting that can also be used as an expression about sharing food and drink with companions, so it fits our concept nicely.”

The lounge features an outdoor patio and a long bar on one side with seven padded stools. On the adjacent side, up to 28 patrons can nestle into curved and vibrantly colored velvet chairs for small-table seating. A rotating gallery of Kansas art will soon adorn the walls.

“We wanted to create inviting, comfortable areas that would be more like a living room than a restaurant to encourage people to linger,” said Sonderegger.

In addition to sipping drinks, patrons can also enjoy small plates. Selections include grazing boards, marinated olives, dips and various tartines—grilled bread with toppings like brie and apricot, fig and prosciutto and smoked salmon and cucumber.

“You won’t find any fried cheese sticks or TVs here,” said Sonderegger, laughing. “We want people to focus on each other when they’re here instead of competing for attention with a screen.”

Salut offers a variety of fine wines and cocktails like a New York sour, an Oaxaca Old Fashioned and a Hemingway daiquiri.

“Larissa and Katie wanted to offer nicer wines that may not be found

Photo by JENNIFER GOETZ

elsewhere in the city, and we wanted to experiment with a new take on traditional drinks,” said Sonderegger. Kickstarter backers at a certain level were invited to meet with Adam Clary, a Standard Beverage mixologist, to create signature cocktails for the menu. “A lot of the drink names are based on nicknames or occupations,” said Sonderegger. “The Indigo Mist gin and tonic is named for a woman named Dee and is made with her favorite gin. Her husband is an attorney who drinks scotch, so his drink is The Barrister.” Sonderegger says plenty of nonalcoholic beverages with fun twists are available too. Salut infuses cocktails and cuisine with seasonal fall flavors like a Brown Butter Rum Old Fashioned and a tartine made with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, walnuts and an apple cider vinaigrette. Promoting collaborative local business partnerships is essential to the couples’ entrepreneurial approach. They serve Blue Jazz Coffee Roasters coffee and } November/December 2022 TK Business Magazine 61

Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ

beers on tap from the Blind Tiger, Happy Bassett, Iron Rail Brewing and Norsemen Brewing Company. & Restaurant. The couples also enlisted Hazel Hill to create a signature Salut truffle for inclusion in their dessert trio option.

Weekend brunch service includes Bloody Mary’s, Bellinis, mimosas and sparkling cocktails complementing such fare as crème brûlée French toast, a Croque Madame tartine and almond croissants.

The couples get extra credit for transforming Salut’s basement into The Principal’s Office, a reservation-only speakeasy with a separate back-door entrance designated with an old-school principal’s paddle.

“It has a different vibe with a retro feel,” said Sonderegger. “We found a lot of the vintage furniture at stores in the NOTO Arts District, West Bottoms and Lawrence. While we were cleaning out closets, we discovered an old console with albums, so we play those and encourage people to bring their own vinyl when they reserve their spot.”

Wooden school desks serve as end tables in the venue, which is dimly lit with lamps and candles. Old globes, books, framed maps and rugs accessorize several seating areas that can accommodate up to 24 people.

A former mural purchased at Wheatland Antique Mall has found new life as a back-wall display. The artist, Mary Dunbar-Smith, created the piece for a high school musical and recently autographed it in its new location.

Reservations for The Principal’s Office are made online for two-hour “detention” increments. An email provides instructions about parking, accentuating the speakeasy attribute of secrecy.

“We often ask individuals on arrival what they did to deserve detention, and we’ve had some very interesting answers,” said Sonderegger.

Classic cocktails have themed names like Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room (an Old Fashioned served smoking), Hot for Teacher (a jalapeno margarita), Hopscotch (a butterscotch drink) and Crossing Guard (a classic Boulevardier with a slight bitterness from Cynar).

Simplified snacks include housesmoked nuts and spicy pretzels. Adult lunchables comprising meat, cheese and crackers are served on a cafeteria tray.

Open only a short while, Salut and The Principal’s Office have both enjoyed brisk business with many patrons drawn by social media and word-of-mouth.

“It’s been gratifying to have people saying that this is something that’s been needed in Topeka,” Sonderegger said. “Instead of Topekans traveling to Lawrence, Manhattan and Kansas City, we’re seeing people from those places traveling here.” }

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Photo by JENNIFER GOETZ

The Knox

Adam & Kasie VanDonge, Owners

In an 1888 downtown building where prohibitionist Carrie Nation was once chased out the back door, a new lounge offers an enticing space for spirits and spirited conversations on soft leather sofas and velvet couches or in cozy nooks with whiskey barrels serving as tables.

The Knox, named for the bank that once occupied the building, retains its original black-and-white tile flooring, brass handrails and monogrammed doorknobs, lending a timeless nod to elegance now executed through transactions involving classic cocktails instead of deposit slips.

Located across the hall from The White Linen, Adam and Kasie VanDonge’s five-yearold fine dining restaurant, The Knox makes it convenient for customers interested in having a drink before or after their dinner reservations while accommodating individuals who just want to catch up with family and friends in novel surroundings.

The walls are adorned with a couple of colorful paintings by John Holcomb, a Mayetta native and friend of the VanDonges who shows and sells his work internationally.

In addition to drinks, patrons can order charcuterie plates, black truffle popcorn made in collaboration with Cashmere Popcorn and small plates featuring ingredients used in The White

Photo by JENNIFER GOETZ

Linen’s rotating monthly pre-fixed menu.

“When my wife and I go out, we want to have a nice conversation in a quiet place with good drinks, good music and good lighting, so The Knox grew from that concept,” said VanDonge. “We’ve really had fun with the lighting here because that sets the mood. We have seating capacity for 28, the same as the restaurant, because we prefer smaller, more intimate settings and our customers do too.”

Each quarter VanDonge and his creative bartenders introduce a dozen or so new cocktails reflecting seasonal elements to complement a standardized menu of traditional favorites like Old Fashioneds, martinis and daiquiris. New cocktails are named for historical elements pertaining to the building and Topeka.

“Our bartenders are great guys who take pride in preparing cocktails, so we ask customers to be patient,” said VanDonge. “They’re mixing a lot of ingredients and the good stuff takes time.”

Suspension of time at The Knox is part of the aesthetic and the attraction. A framed television shows old-school movies without sound so the diversion doesn’t distract from the lounge’s musical selections, which are often Rat Pack family favorites.

VanDonge learned to appreciate the importance of

slowing down and savoring culinary experiences while watching his paternal grandmother cook. “She made everything from scratch, whether it was a pasta dish or a pie, and she always played records while she did it—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin or Nat King Cole,” said VanDonge, a Kansas City Culinary Institute graduate. “Even though I grew up on a farm in Soldier, my grandmother embedded a 1960s Las Vegas vibe in me that has influenced my love for fine dining and lounges ever since. Everything’s come full circle.” The Knox offers an artistically arranged wall of premium bottles of bourbon, scotch, rum and tequila } November/December 2022 TK Business Magazine 65

Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ

so connoisseurs can purchase one ounce pours of libation labels they might be curious about.

“Instead of spending $300 on a bottle of something you’re not sure you’re going to like, you can sample it before you commit,” said VanDonge.

A fan of bourbon, especially in Old Fashioneds, VanDonge said his go-to drink is made in batches.

“People do a lot of experimental stuff with Old Fashioneds, but ours is just a simple, delicious drink that I think we’ve perfected,” he said. “It’s probably our top seller.”

Patrons who prefer wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages have choices too. About a dozen craft beers, including regional favorites, are rotated frequently while Michelob Ultra and Modelo are always available.

VanDonge also operates a private membership speakeasy down the hall that serves about a dozen people at a time and provides discounts for restaurant dining. Usage is by reservation only between 4 p.m. and “whenever the last person leaves,” he said.

Transforming a historic, distinctive space into an elevated entertainment destination downtown has been a gratifying journey for VanDonge, who first conceived his idea for The White Linen through monthly word-ofmouth gourmet dinners he hosted in the Holton sandwich shop he previously owned.

“I love history and I think it’s cool that we’ve turned a place where Carrie Nation got chased out of into not just one bar but two,” said VanDonge, laughing. “It’s awesome to have guests who’ve lived in Topeka all their lives come into this building and learn about it while having fun with their family and friends. I just love our spaces and I’m glad other people are discovering them too.” }

Photo by JENNIFER GOETZ

1905

at The Topeka Country Club

Clay Meininger, President and CEO Member Reservation Only

A former bakery housed in The Topeka Country Club’s basement has been transformed into a niche dining destination for members. Named 1905 in honor of the year the club was founded, the venue hosts up to 14 people for a multi-course epicurean experience. Edison lights with filament bulbs add to the ambiance while a vintage 200-pound Hobart mixer once used to make dinner rolls pays homage to the area’s pie making and bread baking heritage. The first 1905 dinner took place April 4, 2015, as an experiment to boost business on traditionally slow Saturday nights. “We began offering two or three dinners a month and they were sold out in minutes,” said Meininger. } 68 November/December 2022 TK Business Magazine

A few days before each event, Meininger surveys the members who are coming regarding food preferences, allergies and even whether they are left-handed or right-handed to assist with seating placement in consideration of novelty dining accessories that might be introduced for a particular dish.

“If someone is allergic to shellfish or gluten, then we won’t create a menu that has those things,” said Meininger.

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with drinks and appetizers comprising the first two courses. A third course, referred to as the “Below Freezing” portion of the evening, features a protein delicacy and a festive cocktail served in the basement’s converted stainless-steel cooler. North Face® jackets purchased for this purpose are often distributed to guests to ward off the chill as they enjoy gourmet deviled eggs, crab mousse with sweet pea puree, blackberry glazed chicken or some other inventive treat.

“Visiting the freezer with a cocktail in hand is always a popular part of the night,” said Meininger. “Drinks might be a Bellini or a peach martini, whatever signature cocktail we can think of.”

Soup, a main course, a homemade dessert and after-dinner drinks, if desired, round out the evening.

“Our chef, Billy Fuschino, prepares the main course in front of our guests, and he enjoys being in a different venue as much as they do,” said Meininger. “We have a lot of members who come back for the experience because there are few places that offer an opportunity to interact with the professional preparing your meal.”

Tristan Weinbrenner, a level one sommelier, pairs wines for the various courses. 1905 hosted its 100th dining event in October. Although Saturday nights are no longer slow with an

Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ

influx of 150 new members and families the past couple of years, Meininger said the club will continue offering the intimate dining opportunity as an extension of its commitment to ongoing reinvention.

The club recently completed a $7.5 million renovation to upgrade its offerings for outdoor recreation and health and wellness, including a water splash park and enhanced fitness center offering 30 classes a month.

Meininger, who has been with The Topeka Country Club for 11 years, said he and his team strive to find new ways to deliver membership amenities and engagement opportunities while preserving traditional activities and menu staples.

“We still make our signature vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce and serve fried chicken on Thursday nights,” said Meininger. “Our honey pecan chicken is a 32-year-old recipe and it’s not going anywhere.” TK

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