A Culinary Journey: The Story of Wine Knot’s Chef Brian Haberski
Wine Knot has long been a staple of the local dining scene. Behind its success is the Executive Chef and General Manager, Brian Haberski. His culinary journey is as rich and varied as the dishes he creates.
Chef Brian didn’t always know he wanted to cook for a living. In fact, it wasn’t until his senior year at Xavier University that he realized his love for food. “I was the pickiest eater as a kid,” he recalls. But college life—and the reality of being a starving student—pushed him to explore new foods and get creative in the kitchen. The more he cooked, the more he realized this could be more than just a hobby. “I didn’t want to regret not trying it later in life,” he explains. So, after graduating from college, Brian enrolled in culinary school just three weeks later, diving headfirst into a career he would soon make his own.
Brian’s path to Wine Knot, however, was serendipitous. After being laid off from Hyatt in Milwaukee, his wife began bartending at Wine Knot. One night, Brian stepped in to help with an event, and as fate would have it, the original chef was leaving to start his own business. He recommended Brian for the role, and from there, “the rest is history.”
Now serving as both Executive Chef and General Manager, Brian admits that balancing these roles isn’t easy. “The short answer is… I don’t!” he laughs. But he credits his team, whose dedication and hard work make his job possible. “I’ve been fortunate to have great employees over the years,” he says, highlighting their ability to solve problems and keep the restaurant running smoothly.
At Wine Knot, there’s no such thing as a typical day for Brian. “Some days I’m the handyman, some days I’m the accountant, other days I’m sweeping or planting flowers,” he says. But one thing remains constant: his commitment to serving up delicious, internationally inspired American bistro food. From meatloaf to Asian-inspired dishes, Brian’s menu reflects his personal tastes and experiences. “I usually just put on the menu the things I like to eat at that time,” he shares.
Wine Knot may have started small, but under Brian’s leadership, it has grown steadily over the past 17 years. He attributes the restaurant’s success to making sound financial decisions and continuously improving the space. “We look nothing like we did when we first opened,” he says.
One of Wine Knot’s signature dishes—its highly praised meatloaf—started as a joke. “I put it on the menu to see if customers would admit it was better than their wives’ or mothers’,” Brian reveals with a chuckle. He never anticipated it would become a permanent menu item, but the feedback was so positive that it stuck.
With a smaller menu than most restaurants, Wine Knot focuses on variety and quality. “Big menus creep me out,” Brian confesses, explaining that it’s impossible to serve everything fresh with such a wide selection. Instead, he offers a carefully curated menu with just eight entrées, each one thoughtfully prepared with high-quality ingredients. And though the menu changes twice a year, there’s always something new and exciting for diners to try.
Beyond the food, Wine Knot is known for its impressive selection of over 50 wines, each one handpicked by Brian himself. “I just carry the ones I like,” he admits. For those with similar palates, his personal preferences make for a delightful wine list, and his favorite pairing? The halibut with Albariño.
As Wine Knot continues to evolve, so too does the downtown Kenosha area, and Brian couldn’t be happier to be a part of it. A resident of HarborPark for the past decade, he has witnessed firsthand the growth and revitalization of the neighborhood. “The downtown gets better every year,” he says.
Even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wine Knot adapted, offering cozy outdoor dining experiences with heaters and gazebos that became so popular, they’re now available year-round. And while rumors persist that Wine Knot will eventually expand to a larger dining area, Brian remains cautious. “That’s always a thought,” he acknowledges, but he’s mindful of the limitations of his kitchen. “We can only put out so much food.”
On his days off, Brian enjoys dining out and exploring new culinary experiences. And while the future may hold expansion or new ventures, for now, Wine Knot remains a beloved gem in Downtown Kenosha, thanks in no small part to the passion, creativity, and leadership of Chef Brian Haberski.
Visit Wine Knot at 5611 6th Ave. • Kenosha, WI •262-653-9580
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