BEMIDJI -- The walls at the Four Point Grille and Bar have a rustic feel creating an atmosphere of a Minnesota lodge, yet the food being served has an East Coast flair.
Before the months of renovation worth $500,000 and its Sept. 21 opening, the building had been the site of the Peppercorn Restaurant. Owner Murray Williamson said that after being open for more than 15 years, the Peppercorn had become obsolete.
Enter Four Point and its staff including Chef Kevin Pispisa, Sous Chef Zach Maln and General Manager Samantha Smith. The three now work together in the building designed by Mandy Fiedler of Seven Days Design.
According to Williamson, the name of the building was inspired by a hunting lodge called the Four Point Shack. Williamson said Fiedler took the inspiration and expanded on it by spreading it through the building.
Fiedler also installed bright red, sliding barn style doors, as a way of contrasting the more neutral lodge colors and providing a way to split up rooms for special events.
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As for the menu, Pispisa said he developed it with the goal of keeping the food simple, yet fun. Pispisa, who has worked in New York for most of his life, including some exclusive restaurants, said 90 percent of the food served at Four Point is made from scratch.
"I plan on changing the menu," Pispisa said. "If we do have some favorites, though, of course I'm not going to get rid of those. If anything, we will probably expand those."
Maln, who's originally from the area and met Pispisa in New York while working, said so far the favorite item on the menu is the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, and another is the Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls.
Smith, who came to the area to work in restaurants a few years ago and was previously the dining manager at Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge, said in the month and a half Four Point has been open, the busiest nights have been Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
When Four Point first opened, there were some kinks to work out, Pispisa said, such as getting the ticket time orders in synch. The restaurant has been running smoothly since, he said.
"We're a good team and we have a lot of fun," Smith said.
"There's a stipulation that good food has to be expensive eating and it doesn't need to be like that," Pispisa said. "One of the reasons I wanted to leave New York was because of how pretentious everything was. I think everybody should be able to have good food."
The Four Point Grille and Bar offers catering services and meeting space. The business is located at 1813 Paul Bunyan Drive NW and can be reached at (218) 444-4400.
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