A bougie, fine dining experience that dishes out exuberant platters of NY strip steak and plum and jam focaccia seldom has much in common with the starkly illuminated brick-claddened classrooms, save for the man, the myth, the legend himself, and newly acclaimed 5-star restaurant owner: OH science teacher Shon Keener.
Rooted, which opened on Dec. 29, 2023, serves the story of a community with a side of history.
In an interview explaining the restaurant’s origins, OH teacher Shon Keener attributes the establishment’s roots to a few places.
“First, my wife is the fourth generation in her family to live in or near Minooka, which brings a sense of pride to her community,” Keener said. “The building we purchased was a post office in the 1950s. Her grandmother had a post office box there. We actually have that box in our restaurant.”
It’s not just familial roots the restaurant has in Minooka, but historical ones as well.
“We researched the origin of the building and found out that it was a bank around the 1920s and 30s and was robbed by two bank robbers who got away with $20,000 in cash. They were never caught and rumor has it they may have been a part of the John Dillinger gang,” said Keener.
However, Rooted did not originally plan to launch as a restaurant, but instead as a wine and bourbon tasting place.
“After talking to people at our church, we heard of a chef who lives a few minutes from the building who was looking to get back into the food industry,” Keener said. “We made some contacts with him and eventually agreed to start a farm-to-table and wine/bourbon bar.”
Furthermore, the restaurant’s menu acts as a cornucopia of gluten-free and sustainably sourced free-range proteins, which supports the farm-to-table concept the restaurant honors. The principle behind the multitude of gluten-free menu items comes from the chef knowing that this diet option was important for people to be able to dine there.
Customers indulge in a reservation-only dining experience. Its esoteric reputation chalking up an impressive profile of online reviews contrived through plentiful five-star reviews on Google and 4.8 on Facebook.
The reviews applaud the dishes, commending how, “The combination of the rich, tender pork with the creamy grits was a match made in culinary heaven,” as online reviewer Sean Caverly said.
Many note that they will come back to the restaurant as its not one to leave any customers disappointed, due to the food, the warm atmosphere, and friendly staff that tie it all together.
Kim Yunker Nave testifies to this sentiment, “We just got done with an amazing dinner. The food, service, and atmosphere were outstanding. We had the Cassoulet and the Grilled Trout. Both were delicious. I loved the s’more dessert and all the wine we tasted. We will definitely come back and bring friends.”
On their Instagram profile, Rooted shares many pictures of their fancy platters that combine the flavors from land and sea, expertly concocting a wide, flavorful menu.
In addition, customers have the decision to choose from shareable and stand-alone plates, as well as a decadent dessert menu.
Restaurant ventures aside, Keener prioritizes his job as a teacher while helping out at the restaurant on weekends for four to five hours and one on weekdays.
“When I need to get teacher work done, I just go home and take care of it,” said Keener. “I’ve learned a lot over the last few months on how to run a business, economics, hiring staff, and doing what’s best for our place.”
Uniting the communal ties between Minooka and Oswego, Keener encourages students to visit and eat there even though the restaurant has more of a mature vibe.
Although the restaurant’s roots have only just sprouted, hopes for the restaurant’s future bed out five to seven years ahead as Keener hopes the establishment will have gained enough success to give them the freedom to hire a manager, giving them time for vacations and travel.
Rooted is a restaurant success story heavily embedded in the community, firmly implanting a bond between both Oswego and Minooka alike, as a sustainably sourced restaurant, historical attributes, and most importantly, Keener himself.
42Fiftys very own post-niche internet micro-ecelebrity (mid geoguesser player) that lived through a chronic gas leak that was going on in their house for a little over a year without their knowledge. Their only qualification is that they bring a silly goose vibe to the geese party.
Hola I'm Bri and this is my first year on 42/Fifty. I'm a Senior and Vice president of NAHS.
Great article! So informing. And love the choice of words, really got the point across.
Such an interesting article! Amazing job.
gots to try this
This is so cool!