The flavorful smell wafting from the kitchen at Arcademie bar and arcade is the latest venture from Turn Table. Friends DeAndre Wilson and Jeff Gott wanted to start a business together since they met as students at North and Benjamin Bosse high schools, respectively.
โThe ambition and imagination were there, that counts for a lot,โ Wilson says.
Cooking up burgers, sandwiches, and stick-to-your-ribs sides, Turn Table operated at several pop-up locations and restaurants between 2016 and 2017. After having trouble finding a permanent base, in 2018, Wilson and Gott hit pause.
Turn Table didnโt start serving again until this past May when Your Brotherโs Bookstore co-owner Adam Morris connected Gott and Wilson with Arcademie owner Carl Arnheiter, who was looking for a food provider.
โThere are a lot of learning curves,โ Wilson says. โโEntrepreneurial spiritโ means you have to just dive in.โ
The menu launched with a Thai chicken sandwich and homemade blueberry lemon pastries. It since has expanded to include smash burger sliders and chicken sliders, which feature seasonal changes. For autumn, the burger siders included bacon, and the chicken sliders were topped with an apple cider glaze. Gottโs favorite dish to prepare is the turnt wrap supreme because itโs โsimple but amazing,โ he says โ braised beef wrapped in a tostada with pickled onion, diced tomato, and avocado.
Donโt skip the crispy potato balls, a customer favorite that fries potatoes with garlic, cheese, butter, and herbs. The menu also includes a papaya salad, marinated to be sweet and spicy with the addition of carrots. For dessert, try turnt tarts with a blueberry lemon filling and topped with blueberry lemon icing.
Jarrod Hawkins, a childhood friend of Wilsonโs, began volunteering shortly after the business restarted. He helps Gott prepare food behind the scenes while Wilson plates the food and serves hungry crowds.
TURN TABLE AT ARCADEMIE
22 N.W. Sixth St.
5-10 p.m. Wednesdays; 5-11 p.m. Thursdays; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdaysย
