New Executive Chef Makes Huge Menu Changes To Public House Restaurant

Public House’s menu is undergoing a huge transformation. Once known for its electric sliders, hushpuppies and cocktails, the Working Class Outlaws restaurant group have allowed its new executive chef to do as he needs.

That chef – Nick Erven – is tossing out the mini burgers. The Working Class Outlaws restaurant group tapped him for the position after executive chef Brandon Zarb left. Erven began developing a menu for the Antihero restaurant in Ferndale. However, his focus has shifted to the group’s other restaurants such as the Public House in Detroit.

And, it won’t be long before the Imperial menu gets a makeover.

The Public House menu will have some familiarity to it such as the soft serve ice cream and deviled eggs, but it replaces some of the more commonly seen items. According to Erven, the change brings some maturity to the restaurant. He said he doesn’t want to put off long-time customers, but something different is necessary for it to stay competing with other restaurants.

He said sliders are great, but their time has come and gone.

Instead of sliders, the menu will offer sandwiches like fried bologna on Texas toast with American cheese, pickles, shredded lettuce and dijonaise, the double meat, double-cheese stacked burger with butter pickles, caramelized onions, Smokey 1,000 Island dressing on a brioche bun and the beer-battered fish sandwich with a green tomato gribiche and herb salad.

Erven is also introducing several vegan and vegetarian items such as the vegan sauerkraut-rye doughnut holes with smoked applesauce and mustard. Erven was once the owner of a highly-known Southern California vegan restaurant.

He’s also introducing the “Fancy Ass Hash Browns,” which includes a layer of crispy cheddar enveloping hash browns cooked with egg, bacon and scallions that are topped with caviar and crème Fraiche.

Erven, who has been working with Jasmine Hughes, chef de cuisine, will make changes to the brunch menu lineup as well. For example, the braised mushroom and grits is likely to be introduced during the brunch service.