Village Vintner’s Chef Rob Creates Masterpieces

Executive Chef Rob Wurster creates masterpieces for the Village Vintner Winery & Brewery’s Chef Seafood Night _ despite his allergy to shellfish.

“I can have a slight taste here and there,” Le Cordon Bleu Chicago culinary arts graduate said.

He’s allergic to shrimp, crab, lobster and some fish. Yet, he can create dishes like a strawberry lime glazed shrimp with watermelon ceviche and ginger sweet potatoes. Or the salmon avocado-lime topped with a coulis cream sauce made with left over sweet potatoes for Mother’s Day.

Wurster’s creations are featured on the restaurant’s menu and the specials are available on weekends.

Village Vintner Winery & Brewery will soon celebrate its first anniversary at 2380 Esplanade Drive. Wurster, known as Chef Rob, helped launch the restaurant as executive chief. His kitchen includes a Sushi Chef, Brett Faldstein and other chefs.

Wurster has created items like Tuscan chicken and western Mac and cheese, made with brisket and a variety of cheeses. There’s also his favorite dish, oven wood fired ribs that he hopes will become famous some day.    

“They are probably the best I’ve ever done,” he said, adding his secret for ribs is using a mesquite rub and a little barbeque sauce. The ribs should not be drowning in sauce, she said.

The restaurant switches up the menu adding what is popular with customers. He’s working on revamping the lunch menu for the summer, said Wurster, who has been a chef for five years and started out in restaurants as a bus boy.

Everywhere he’s worked, Wurster has learned from chefs, adding his own flavor and twists. He likes to push his own chefs to develop special and bring new flavors to the table.

Every week, he first chooses what fish or beef he’ll use then heads to grocery stores like Caputo’s in Algonquin to find inspiration for his creations. He decides what he’ll make based on what is available and fresh from his vendor.

Creativity is important, but chefs can’t get too out of the box because you can’t risk not selling the dish, he said.