When the Cottage first opened its doors back in the fall of 1974, two of its most notable features were location–it was in the heart of the culinary wastelands of Calumet City–and the fact that it had a female chef. No one had ever thought about opening a fine-dining spot in south suburbia, let alone in a town primarily associated with raunchy bars and corrupt small-time pols. And a woman’s place may have been in the hash-house kitchen, but haute cuisine was strictly a male preserve. Carolyn Buster, the chef, and her husband Gerry, who worked the front of the house in a tuxedo and a walrus mustache, were a couple of fugitives from the old Bakery restaurant on Lincoln Avenue. The two south suburbanites fulfilled their culinary dreams by building this quaint European inn on a road best known for franchise dining and gas stations.
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But it was more than novelty that brought it lavish critical attention. It made most “top 40” lists, and Buster was selected as one of 13 “Great Chefs of Chicago” for the PBS series. Through the years she moved the menu from elegant but traditional continental/French stylings (at moderately low prices) to cutting-edge cuisine influenced by international trends (with haute prices to match). By the spring of 1990 the Busters were exhausted and shut the place down for an eight-month sabbatical, reopening with a lower-priced, earthier menu that kept such old favorites as the unique lemony pork schnitzel and the savory steak Madagascar with a creamy green peppercorn sauce. Among the new dishes were ribs with Asian and American seasonings and a zesty lamb sausage. Gerry and the waitstaff discarded their formal garb.
Soups ($3.95) have always been a Cottage specialty, leaning toward the hearty and full-bodied. We tried both of the day’s offerings, which reappear regularly. One was veggies in a potent broth zipped up with a heady swirl of pesto, the other a chunky, thick potato scented with lots of fresh dill. Both were well worthwhile.
