The Waterfront combines an exciting and inventive menu with a prime location
directly on the shore, which affords patrons a stunning view of the waters
of Green Bay and, on clear nights, the distant glow of Menominee and Marinette
on the horizon.
The Waterfront is owned and operated by J.J. Johnson. Before opening The
Waterfront, Johnson was already the owner of one of Door County’s
longtime favorite restaurants, hangouts and nightlife establishments:
J.J.’s and La Puerta (“The Door” en español).
The combined Mexican and American restaurants in Sister Bay have been
a year-round destination for locals and visitors alike for many years,
featuring the famous (or infamous) Bernie tequila shot.
Johnson has also owned the adjacent property just south of the La Puerta
restaurant for over twenty years. The property was actually the Johnson
family residence for many years. “My kids grew up there,”
J.J. says. Also on the property was one outlet of the four Door County
T-shirt retail shops the Johnson family owned and ran, only one of which
remains today. That business location was closed when the new restaurant
concept began to take form.
The old buildings were cleared about three years ago to make way for the
new construction. The decision was made to build from the ground up, and
to create a completely custom kitchen, bar and dining room. The new space,
with high ceilings and an elegant entryway leading into a dining room
in muted tones with beige walls and plenty of dark wood accents, seats
about 100 patrons. The western wall of the new restaurant has giant windows
facing the water.
The restaurant rewards its patrons with spectacular sunset views from
the dining room and the small outside patio, which is overlooking the
marina that Johnson completed three years ago, adjacent to the YachtWorks
marina just to the north. Johnson’s marina consists of twelve slips,
with another 36 belonging to his neighbor. The image of boats gently bobbing
in the harbor is one of the attractions of the new establishment.
The fare at the Waterfront more than holds its own in comparison with
the views. The Waterfront almost immediately vaulted itself near the top
of the fine dining hierarchy of Door County in its first few weeks of
operation. Johnson describes the concept of the restaurant as having a
“French flair.” The internationally-influenced, innovative
menu features a great deal of fresh seafood; steaks and an herb crusted
rack of lamb for the carnivores; and a regular vegetarian option as well.
Johnson says that the restaurant did not start out to be fine dining;
he claims, “It just ended up that way.”
Johnson’s son, Jesse, helms the kitchen at The Waterfront. “My
son Jesse graduated from the University of Wisconsin, and then he stared
getting all these brochures for cooking schools. He said ‘Dad, I’m
thinking about going to cooking school.’”
The younger Johnson wound up attending the Culinary School of the Rockies
in Boulder, CO, a small, nationally-accredited culinary school nestled
in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains that teaches students the foundation
of French cooking -- the basis of the modern culinary arts. As the son
of a successful restaurateur, Jesse Johnson’s career choice seems
almost inevitable. “He’s staying within the family tradition,”
his father says. “I guess it gets into their blood; they’ve
got a passion for it.”
During their inaugural summer season, Jesse and The Waterfront kitchen
staff immediately demonstrated a high level of food excellence and created
some instant specialties of the house. Among the early house entrée
favorites are a horseradish crusted grouper, steamed mussels in a coconut
sherry cream sauce, and gently seared sea scallops and tuna steaks. One
of the highlight appetizers featured on the menu is a fried calamari dusted
with corn meal and served with a blood orange aioli. Besides a full bar
with monster martinis, The Waterfront also features an extensive wine
list with something for every palate and price range.
J.J. Johnson assures that along with the favorites from last year, 2005
will feature some new and exciting additions to the menu, along with a
constantly changing offering of daily specials. During the off-season,
while The Waterfront was closed, Jesse traveled southward for a month
to study the cuisine of Puerto Rico and to pick up some inspiration and
new ideas from the hottest chefs on that tropical island.
Although a fine dining restaurant, The Waterfront maintains a fairly casual
atmosphere. One of the features of the new space is a large square bar,
which quickly established itself during the summer of 2004 as a destination
itself, with those outrageously large martinis and the opportunity to
eat at the bar instead of seated at a table.
As one of the few fine dining establishments in Door County directly on
the water, any discussion of The Waterfront has to begin and end with
the view. With its spectacular summer sunsets – enjoyed from both
outside on the patio during pre-dinner cocktails and inside the window
clad dining room – the Waterfront benefits from what every real
estate agent nationwide chants as a mantra: “Location, location,
location.”
“Every seat is the best seat in the house, because every seat has
a water view,” says J.J. Johnson. “That’s why I built
this restaurant. ”
above: Sun setting on The Waterfront's western facade.
