Article and photography by Fitz
Lead photo of Cook Jon Scheidt at Streats
It should be said that I used to work with Jon Scheidt. It was 2015, in Nouvelle’s small open air kitchen, that I, a mediocre server and awful bartender, gained a deep respect for him as a cook. Jon was the first in the kitchen and the last out. He was head chef and owner Rina Estero’s workhorse. A true Sous. Not merely in title, but in never ending dedicated action. For a bit over two years, he put his sweat into Estero’s inspired vision and I believe helped to put Nouvelle in the hearts, minds, and bellies of serious eaters in Norfolk.
Jon Scheidt making burgers at Streats
When Jon got off from his shift back then, like many in the industry, he would want to nurture his beaten body and soul with beer. On particularly trying nights maybe with spirits as well. Around tenish, six nights a week, after pushing the mop across the floor, taking out the trash, and locking the doors, he would often have to walk home. On the four mile walk, he could have stopped at Public House. He could have stopped at Taphouse. He could have stopped at 80/20. But more often than not, he bellied up to the bar at Streats. It was his bar of choice. He could get his type of beer, often O’Connor’s Otis, and food better than you would expect at a bar open late. It was a place where he didn’t have to worry about people raising a nostril at the sour smell unique to the shirts clinging to people working in kitchens after a long shift.
Jon Scheidt in the Streats kitchen
It’s only fitting therefore that after it was time to permanently walk away from Nouvelle, he would end up the number two guy under Jamie McGuffey at Streats. He fits. Jon will tell you, “I want to bring the customers back to an older time. Serve them dishes they’ve known since their childhood. I like to take aspects of food I grew up with, things that take me back to being a kid, and elevate them. But I don’t want to go too far away from tradition. I want people to know what they are getting.”
Approachable food done right in a laid back environment is why you’ll find many others in the industry, like Jon, stopping into Streats for a pint, or four, after a shift. That vibe also fits well with another aspect of Jon’s approach to food, taking your time. As he explained to me, “I don’t like to rush with food. When you do, the taste goes down. It’s important to handle food with care and give it time.”
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Jon nowadays tries to focus on eliminating stress in his life–both professionally and personally. As he told me, “I try to be easy going. I don’t like to stress out about things. I’m not one of those people that yell in the kitchen.” As I personally remember it, during the Nouvelle days, it was often he that took to the role of peacemaker when frustrations with staff happened to bubble up.
In the years he’s been working in Hampton Roads, it’s safe to say it’s been bittersweet. At Nouvelle, Jon endeared himself to many patrons and industry people both with his infectious banter on the line and his spot on translations of Estero’s signature dishes on her days off when he was running the show. He also took second at the inaugural Nomarama Burger battle representing Nouvelle and doing a rendition of their, now classic, lamb and beef burger. However, Jon left his hometown of Baltimore to work at Nouvelle in large part because of his friendship with Estero’s significant other and co-owner of Nouvelle, Luke Brigham. Jon and Brigham met in the army. Both were cooks and regularly competed against each other. Out of their culinary rivalry, they became close friends. It would not be a leap to surmise that had Jon known he ultimately wouldn’t be part of the Nouvelle family long term, he may not have left his biological family behind.
“Double Decker” Streats Bar Burger
That, however, is Jon’s past now. In true hard hat, blue collar form, he’s picked himself up, dusted off, and is focusing on the job in front of him– making delicious food. Jon brings with him to Streats new burger offerings (the rotating bar burgers), a five-hour braised pork belly with house-made kimchi, and a seriously mean crab dip among other offerings. Most significantly, though, Jon brings with him a desire to comfort diners with food rooted in nostalgia but executed with the touch of a cook coming into his prime.
For more on Streats visit them online HERE
Streats is located at 915 W 21st St, Ste A Norfolk VA 23517
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