Local Foodie

MODERN MASTERPIECE

A modern spin on the classic New York brasserie, Francie opened in Brooklyn in December 2020. Although the opening was delayed several times, owner John Winterman led the upscale restaurant to earning a Michelin star in May 2021.

Worth the Wait

Get in line at Evansville native John Winterman’s newest NYC restaurant BY DALLAS CARTER

JOHN WINTERMAN

Waiting for a table with more than 200 other restaurant patrons at modern brasserie Francie in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, you may notice familiar names have reserved seats at the bar: Two are for fashion designer Halston, and another pair for Van Halen’s David Lee Roth. These famous Hoosiers won’t be dining with you — the signs are how owner and Evansville native John Winterman stays connected to his Indiana roots. Open five nights a week, Francie serves starters, including portions of shellfish, soufflé cakes, and duck saucisson; handmade pastas; main courses such as côte de bouef and dry-aged crown of duck; a cheese cart; and delectable desserts, teas, and coffees.

“The restaurant has a very comfortable vibe to it,” says fellow Evansvillian Tim Roe, who visited Francie with his wife Jennifer and their two children in June. “The food was fantastic.”

Roe met Winterman as a teenager through mutual friends and has stayed in touch through the years. He also dined with his family at Winterman’s first French-inspired restaurant, Bâtard, in 2019.

“When John was opening a new restaurant, I told him I was going to come eat,” says Roe. “My favorite part was seeing John in his element. He is built to be in the restaurant business.”

Winterman had a long journey from the Tri-State to Brooklyn. He grew up with a taste for Tri-State favorites such as Roca Bar’s Italian salad and Hilltop Inn’s brain sandwich that he still carries with him. The 1988 Castle High School graduate got his first real experience in the industry as a busser at a now-closed establishment in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he moved after receiving bachelor’s degrees in English and history from Indiana University in 1993.