Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180019
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JANN MALONE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Most of these souvenirs came from customers, possibly just after massive attic cleanups.
``I can be pretty sure that this is the only bar in Richmond with a stuffed cow,'' says Joe Seipel, one of three owners.
Balance that, though, with the fact that the chef cooking the food - a mix of Tex-Mex and hearty Wisconsin sausage-and-cheese fare - used to work in private clubs here.
So, what you get at the Border is exactly what the owners wanted when they opened the place in 1982: ``We lamented that there were no corner bars like we remembered back in Wisconsin and Texas,'' Seipel says. ``We made jokes about how we needed to start our own place and show people how this was done.''
The joke became reality for Seipel, who is chairman of the sculpture department at Virginia Commonwealth University and hails from Wisconsin. So does partner James A. Bradford, a VCU painting professor. The third owner, Donna Van Winkle, assistant commonwealth's attorney in Spotsylvania County, is from Texas.
``For Richmond,'' Seipel says, ``this is an unusual bar. When people have friends come in from out of town, they get them down here.''
It's a good place to people-watch. ``If you were to come in here at any given time and walk around the restaurant and ask what everybody does, it would probably surprise you,'' Seipel says.
``The fellow at the end of the bar is a stock trader, the next guy's the chief financial officer at a bank, then comes a mathematician. The guy next to him is a house painter; the next guy's an art painter.
``It's a real mix, everything from judges to motorcycle riders.''
Over the years, champion rodeo cowboys, politicians, football players, movie stars and rock bands have dropped in. Tiny Tim and the Flying Karamazov Brothers ate there, although not on the same day.
Seipel says one of the things he likes best about the Border is that it hasn't lost its sense of humor.
Sometimes, though, the Border's reputation for being slightly off the wall works against it. ``It's hard to bring recognition here in regard to what we're doing with our menu,'' Bradford says.
That's where chef Jack Turner comes into the mix. ``The challenge for me at this place is to be able to take the less expensive foods and make nice things out of them.''
His assignment was to tweak the menu and make it better. He's adding lighter choices, including salads, vegetarian chili and reduced-fat versions of menu standards.
One new Turner touch: garnishing some of the brunch plates with edible flowers.
Some things, though, will never change: the Border's signature chili, which comes in mild, half-and-half or a widow-maker version so hot Seipel hasn't been brave enough to eat it in eight years.
Also staying on the half-Texas, half-Wisconsin menu are the popular chalupas, enchiladas, empanadas, bratwurst and kielbasa.
The Texas food outsells Wisconsin's, much to Bradford's dismay.
``It's not like it's a competition. We from the Wisconsin side choose to look at ourselves as being more selective. We do a heck of a lot more than just beans.''
The friendly rivalry has led to some confusion among newcomers to the Border: ``It's surprising,'' says general manager Addison Moss, ``how many people ask if there's a common border between Texas and Wisconsin.''
The Texas-Wisconsin Border Cafe
Address: 1501 W. Main Street, Richmond. Phone: 804-355-2907. Specialty: Chili, Tex Mex, German and sandwiches. Price range: $2.50-$7.95. Hours: 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Seven days a week. Reservations: No. Dress: Casual. Payment: Visa and Mastercard. Alcoholic beverages: Full bar. Non-smoking section: Yes. Handicapped accessible: Yes. Additional information: Musical entertainment on Saturday afternoon; Saturday and Sunday brunch.
Recipe for BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS
by CNB