Located in the Williams Mini-mall at 1353 U.S. 2 in Crystal Falls, New Leaf Bistro officially opened for business July 7.

Duke did face some initial obstacles to getting her venture up and running. She originally opened New Leaf as a supper club but was forced to close after only a few months when the building was sold out from under her.

Duke would spend the next several months remodeling another location, but bringing a 100-year-old building up to code proved to be just too much.

Then the opportunity came up to take over the Fob’s location when then-owner Nancy Bonno decided to retire and did not want to simply close the doors.

THE EXTERIOR OF New Leaf Bistro, in the former Fob's site in Crystal Falls. The bistro opened in July. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

The switch from Fob’s to New Leaf Bistro was a rapid one, with the restaurant closed for just two weeks while Duke upgraded the kitchen equipment and did other small improvements. Larger changes, she said, had to wait.

Duke’s other experience in the food industry was 26 years as a food inspector, a job she still does.

Since opening on July 7, New Leaf Bistro has picked up where Fob’s Restaurant left off. According to Andzeski, taking over for such a popular establishment has proved to be a double-edged sword — it brought an established customer base but tied their hands in some ways.

“We kept the Swedish pancakes, the breakfast items, the open-faced roast beef sandwich and the pies. We added some things and did some things a little different. I guess you would say we kept the staples,” Andzeski said. “They (Fob’s) did not have a really extensive menu, so we kept those items.”

Andzeski brings a lifetime of restaurant experience with him to New Leaf Bistro. He started as a dishwasher at a country club when he was 14 and would soon work his way up to cooking, which he did all the way through high school.

After high school, Andzeski attended the Culinary Institute of America and would open his first restaurant at age 22. He has worked all over the country and comes to Crystal Falls by way of Phelps, Wis., and Chicago.

Andzeski also worked as executive chef at the Embarcadero Resort Hotel in Portland, Ore., when the resort was used as a base by the Discovery Channel for the show, “Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove.”

Andzeski considers Mediterranean-style cooking to be his specialty and favorite.

Both Duke and Andzeski say that they believe the key to success in the restaurant business is to consistently deliver both great food and service.

“We try to make it a dining experience. We pay attention to detail and try to make sure our services are good; it is not just a slop and feed,” Andzeski said. “We try to use the best products — our burgers are cut with three different meats, our bacon is probably the best bacon you can buy; I do not know a better one. We just try to give the customer the best product for a fair price with fair portions.”

By keeping some of the Fob’s menu staples, Andzeski has been able to try a wide variety of menu items and the community has responded well to the new items. New Leaf Bistro’s menu can be described as wide and eclectic. The menu has everything from nachos and burritos, steaks, shrimp scampi, chicken parmesan, chicken marsala and chicken piccata.

Fridays offers a fish fry that features true Lake Superior perch, walleye and poor man’s lobster. Fish are available beer battered, pan fried, seared and uncoated.

Popular breakfast items include chicken and waffles and the Swede platter, which has Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam and Swedish meatballs.

In addition to hamburgers, the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, made with prime rib, is popular for lunch.

Saturday evenings feature king and queen cuts of prime rib. Also on the menu are hand-cut, dry-aged ribeye and New York strip steaks that are available all the rest of the week.

On Sundays starting at 10 a.m. New Leaf Bistro has a brunch buffet. In addition to breakfast fare, the buffet will feature a rotation of items that may include fish, shrimp, pot roast and meatloaf, among other American comfort food.

New Leaf Bistro is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Starting Nov. 24, New Leaf Bistro will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.