Ludger and Julie Szmania decided recently it was time for a change.
But the owners and operators of Magnolia’s famed Szmania’s Restaurant didn’t want to make a small change. They wanted to do something bold.
That bold move resulted in the restaurant, long known for its European flair, exotic food and German influences, becoming an old-fashioned American-style steakhouse.
“It has been my dream since I was young to run either a night club or a steakhouse,” said Ludger, who has been a chef for decades. “The nightclub won’t work because I’m way too old for that. So, we became a steakhouse. At least I got 50 percent of what I wanted.”
While Ludger’s deep-seated yearning to run a steakhouse appeared to be a surprise to his wife, Julie, the two couldn’t be happier with the remodeled and re-tooled Szmania’s Restaurant.
The interior of the restaurant has been painted, a new bar has been put in and the bar area has been remodeled to be a more cozy getaway. Julie, who oversaw the interior changes in May, while Ludger was fishing and working on his cooking show in Alaska, is proud of a number of second-hand items she picked up at various stores, including Magnolia’s own, Around The Block. Some of her favorites are two metal grates once used for sifting gravel that now adorn the bar’s mantel.
But her pride and joy are two enormous French Doors that greet visitors as they step into the restaurant’s front doors.
As for the menu, many of the Ludger’s renowned exotic options, such as roasted fallow deer, ahi tuna or stuffed quail have been replaced with beef tenderloin skewers, filet mignon and ribeye steaks.
Ludger and Julie said they had been thinking about changing the restaurant’s style for many months before deciding on the final menu. Their plan is for the restaurant to have a more casual feel and be a little less formal than in past years.
The changes are a way of keeping up with the general trends that are taking hold in the dining industry and also for the changing crowd that comes to Szmania’s, which was originally opened in 1990.
“We’ve never had a view, so we’ve always had to stun our customers with our service and the quality of our food,” Julie said.
She explained that during the restaurant’s first 10 years, about 60 percent of its customers came from the Bellevue area. Now that Bellevue’s restaurant scene has blossomed, about 80 percent of the restaurant’s customers come from Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne areas.
“We have become more of a neighborhood restaurant and that is just great,” Ludger said. “We try to offer what the neighborhood would like. It used to be that you had to travel quite a ways for a good steakhouse. Now, it’s right here.”
The Szmanias acknowledge that the change has been tough for a few of the restaurant’s die-hard customers who have called to inquire if they can still get their favorite dishes. Rest assured, they say, if they have the ingredients, the kitchen can always whip up one of the restaurant’s many specialties.
However, one thing the two promise is that, just like Ludger’s famed schnitzel and bratwurst platter, the vaunted hospitality and friendly environment of Szmania’s will remain intact.
“This is a great opportunity to make an impact and bring new people into our restaurant,” Ludger said.
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