It all started at roller derby tryouts. Valerie was already on the team, and Wendi had her heart set on being a Dallas Derby Devil. Fast-forward twenty years, the Loyets are now married and a bit more buttoned up. They have two daughters, Clover and Raven; a house; and a business.
Calculated risks, that is. You see, Valerie is a full-time actuary. Her job brought the family to Rochester in from Dallas. So when Wendi, the creative one in the relationship, wanted to retire from her marketing career and open a restaurant, they had to make the numbers work.
They opened Crisp last year and plan to be around for the long haul. Big windows in the front create a sort of fishbowl vibe. On busy Monday afternoons, like the day I came by, the space is packed with ladies lunching, couples enjoying a meal together, and large groups just catching up. Her fondness for fried chicken and biscuits comes from her grandmother, who taught her to cook. But Crisp also refers to a keen attention to detail. Wendi loves throwing dinner parties and was attracted to creating a space where people could feel comfortable dressed in either sweats or taffeta.
Its Texas-inspired menu has become quite the destination for brunch on Sundays and Mondays. It was their Tex-Mex sensibility that first caught my attention and made my mouth water waiting to get a reservation. Yet, it was the special touches that made my meal memorable.
The slightly-sweet, frothed drink reminded me of a beverage I might sip during the holidays: warming and cozy, like shearling-lined slippers or a cashmere sweater. Foamy milk stuck to my lip, and it made me smile. Each perfect strip is candied and dotted with pepper flakes, creating an addictive sweet-spicy-salty combination. You can order it for brunch or dinner, which feels so right. The two house-made buttermilk biscuits are the ultra-crumbly variety, suggesting copious amounts of butter are used to make them.
