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Hotch-A-Do: A Family Affair
Story and photos by Laura Richard
David Storm would be very
proud of his children. On November
10, 2006 from 5 to 10 pm, his second
oldest, Angie, is honoring his
memory with a fundraiser for the
Wisconsin Chapter of the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society at the grand
opening of her new restaurant,
Hotch-A-Do, an organic bistro
located at 1813 E. Kenilworth.
In 1983, at the age of 37, David
Storm was diagnosed with leukemia.
His doctors aggressively attacked
the blood and bone marrow cancer
with a bone marrow transplant,
radiation and chemotherapy. After a
year of treatment, his cancer was in
remission.
David went on to lead a highly
productive life as a husband, father
of five and vice president of Harley
Davidson. He was the type of man that
people were drawn to: charismatic,
intelligent and respected. His family
was very important to him and
he continually charmed them and
others with his sparkling sense of
humor. He became active with the
Wisconsin Chapter of the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society, serving on
their board. Life was great.
Fast forward 15 years. David
started to have health problems
again, although, it was not his cancer
that was causing his pain. For two
years, he went through test after test,
only to come up empty handed. In
the fall of 2000, the doctors realized
that he had Hepatitis C. Seventeen
years earlier, as part of his treatment
for leukemia, he had received a blood
transfusion, at a time when there was
not awareness of the importance of
testing blood for diseases.
He was placed on a waiting list for
a new liver. In the summer of 2001,
his wish came true and he received
a liver transplant. For three months,
there was hope for a successful
recovery. Then on October 3, 2001,
his family received a fateful call from
the hospital and later that day he
passed on. But his memory and love
are alive and strong.
Hotch-A-Do is overflowing with
family love. The fabulous lighting
and wood working was designed by
Angie’s brother Ted. Her sister Jamie
designed the menu. Another brother,
Tim, designed the website and
brother Will is one of the managers.
And all the family contributed to
the delicious delights on the menu.
Secret family recipes are the key to
the success of the fare. The menu
includes such mouth-watering treats
as cheesy potatoes (which are present
at every family event), her mom
Carol’s famous spaghetti sauce, and
Angie’s taco dip.
When Angie saw that the old
laundromat on the corner of Oakland
and Kenilworth was up for grabs, she
immediately knew she wanted to have
it. Already owning one successful
restaurant (Erbert & Gerbert’s Subs
& Clubs), she knew that she wanted
another one, but wasn’t sure what
kind.
“I didn’t just want a bar and I didn’t
just want a bar/restaurant. I wanted
to create a location that was really
comfortable,” commented Angie.
The next step was to decide what
to serve. One night as she and a friend
were eating pizza at her house, her
friend asked her where she got the
pizza from. Angie confessed that she
had made it, and as her friend raved
about how great it was, the idea of
building a restaurant based on family
recipes was born.
The decision to create an organic
bistro came from her beliefs. “I am
concerned about antibiotics and
growth hormones in foods and
think people should have healthy
alternatives. The quality of life for
animals is better and they deserve it.
It is also the best thing to do for the
environment and the quality of taste
in the food is much greater.”
Things you definitely should know
about Hotch-A-Do: they offer FREE
wireless internet access, 15 varieties
of beer, 18 varieties of wine, and
outdoor seating, although it might be
a little cold for that right now. They
are open Monday thru Saturday from
8 am to 10 pm and on Sundays from
8 am to 3 pm.
A great time to check out Hotch-
A-Do is on Friday, November 10
from 5 to 10 pm for the grand
opening fundraiser to benefit the
Wisconsin Chapter of the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Society.
Riverwest Currents online edition - November, 2006
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