Rest in Peace, Kurt Eisele.....

Sad news to all sports car owners in the Atlanta metro.

Kurt Eisele, the owner and chef of Kurt's Euro Bistro in Duluth, has passed away. Kurt was long a fan of sports car racing, as noted by the prints of sports racing cars on the walls of his restaurant, and he hosted the annual Atlanta Italian Car Day for many years at his prior location around the corner, which had much more parking. (He prepared a buffet lunch for all attendees, which was very good, though his veal parmigiana tasted rather like wienerschnitzel!) I've continued to go whenever I'm up to the 60-mile round-trip drive, since Kurt's has the best German food (IMO) this side of Huntsville, and the restaurant is renowned for its steaks, which has kept it on most "Best of Gwinnett" restaurant lists.

My condolences to his wife Vreny, his son Alexander (who now runs the place) and the rest of his family, employees and acquaintances. Below is a eulogy written by Jeff Hullinger which I found on the restaurant Facebook page:

"83 year old Kurt Eisele of Duluth has died from heart complications in Gwinnett County. One of metro Atlanta’s most respected chefs/restauranteurs.
His life was like a William Wyler movie.
Kurt came to 1965 Atlanta via a Cheshire Bridge Road restaurant classified advertisement in Europe, Chateau Fleur de lis.
'I never could have envisioned what lie ahead for me here.'
Mr. Eisele was born in the middle of WWII, 1943 Stuttgart, Germany, a manufacturing hub, home to Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, an important city for the German war machine.
During the war, massive air raids over Stuttgart involving the RAF and the American 8th Air Force.
'B-17 Flying Fortresses overhead were omnipresent. Our house and neighborhood was on border woods and hills, we had a bomb shelter to protect us.'
Mr. Eisele remembers seeing heavy tarps covering homes that were destroyed.
'It was an extraordinary time and the aftermath was something none of us ever talked about,' said Mr. Eisele with his voice trailing off.
A total of 27,000 tons of bombs fell on Stuttgart; 20,000 high explosives and 1.3 million incendiary devices.
4,562 German citizens of Stuttgart were killed, as were 770 foreigners, most of whom were forced laborers.
Miraculously, the Eisele family survived the war but the aftermath was harrowing too.
'My father served time in an English prison with others (German Soldiers) and didn’t return to us until 1948 or 1949.”
Post World War II Germany was bleak, few jobs, little food and an uncertain future.
'I discovered my grandparents had died and an uncle was lost to submarine duty, 1950’s German life was hard, we learned to respect what little we had.'
When Mr. Eisele’s father returned to the family in Germany after the war, he had a challenge, how to feed five children (2 boys, 3 girls).
While in the Allied prison, the elder Eisele had learned the trade of upholstery.
'It was decided by father, I would begin an apprenticeship just a few days shy of my 14th birthday— as a cook, it wasn’t my decision, while I learned, they also fed me.'
The Eiseles consumed Sears catalogues, saw McDonald’s and wore washed out Levi’s.
American culture was taking a stronghold in the conquest of Germany.
'After 3 years of apprenticeship, there weren’t any jobs (Germany), so the options were Sweden, or Switzerland—-I went to Lake Geneva and a hotel.'
Working at the resort, Mr. Eisele met a young woman also in the hospitality business—Vreny.
They had developed a connection, a friendship. Life was looking up for Mr. Eisele.
While reading a restaurant trade publication in Switzerland, Mr. Eisele saw an Atlanta classified advertisement for Cheshire Bridge Road, and the Chateau Fleur de lis.
Terrific fine dining in the American South searching young European talent.
'I didn’t know where Atlanta was on the map, I had to look it up on a Rand McNally.'
Securing a Visa for United States emigration was a difficult task, 'The nephew of the Lake Geneva restaurant owner served as my sponsor—he didn’t know where Atlanta was either.'
The Chateau Fleur de lis was one of Atlanta’s few European style restaurants in the 1960’s.
The owner hired other Germans but kept it quiet because of lasting American rancor from the war.
Getting a visa for both Kurt and Vreny would take months.
'We didn’t really plan on getting married, but we needed to —given the legal circumstances of coming to America.'
Finally, the couple were reunited in Atlanta, they married in (1965) in front of a Justice of the Peace on Clairmont Road at 10am, both were working by 1pm.
So much for romance, the Eiseles were too busy chasing the American Dream.
Mr. Eisele was drafted in the US Army, served in Alabama, upon discharge, worked as chef at Sea Pines in Hilton Head, then back to Atlanta, the beloved Red Barn Inn (Chastain Park), and to the celebrated Atlanta Athletic Club as Executive Chef and czar of food and beverage.
'In 1985, I had an opportunity to open my own restaurant, (Legendary Gwinnett Developer) Scott Hudgens paved the way, he was a customer.'
'Kurt’s' was a favorite of Falcons players (1970’s, 1980’s), and Road Atlanta drivers.
Famous Formula 1 Porsche and Ferrari drivers could be spotted in the dining room.
In recent years, Kurt’s located to Duluth at 3305 Peachtree Industrial, but the lessons of his eventful life would remain, 'We must learn from history, it’s a mistake to bury the past. You must build on it to move forward.'
Octoberfest in Gwinnett will not be the same."

 

I think I enjoyed the Italian Car Days at Kurt's more than any of the ones since. It's too bad he had to give them up when he moved to a location with less parking. I remember his boutiful buffet lunches, which he also served on Father's Day. The fact is that the food at the current location is even better; I used to go to Huntsville to get good German cooking, but not any more! And when he wasn't making Bananas Foster at tableside, I'd usually find him sitting at the bar, where we would chat about the state of sports car racing.

 

I hope to go this week or next. In Kurt's honor I plan to order "Kurt's Favorite", which is goulash over spaetzle, essentially the German equivalent of spaghetti with meat sauce!