Rogue’s Corner marks restaurateurs’ 3rd try in downtown Elgin

Matt Habib and his wife, Jennifer Polit, have had their problems getting a restaurant to stick in downtown Elgin but they’re banking their third effort — Rogue’s Corner — will be the charm that gives them both success and longevity.

If their 109 E. Highland Ave. location seems familiar, it’s because the just-opened pizzeria with a steampunk theme is in the same place their Red Poppy Bistro occupied until closing eight months ago.

Red Poppy launched March 16, 2020, the day the state of Illinois announced all restaurants were to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It survived that setback and was gaining traction — they’d just shot an episode of the Peacock TV travel and dining show “Destination Chicago” — when a dispute with the city Elgin over a food truck parked on the property led them to close in 2022.

“The day we closed down is the day our episode aired,” Habib said.

The sudden closing, which Habib said was the result of a miscommunication between them and the city, caused a fervor on social media.

“It was a lot of different issues that didn’t have an easy fix and didn’t have a chance of being fixed if people didn’t communicate across ideologies and political spectrums,” Habib said.

“There is no easy villain,” Polit said. “I think the common ground was we want to have a thriving, safe downtown.”

Red Poppy had been their second stab in the restaurant business. Legit Dogs and Ice at 51 S. Grove Ave. was a gourmet hot dog and Hawaiian shaved ice business with a punk rock vibe and live music. It developed something of a cult following while open from 2018 to 2019, but closed because of a dispute with the landlord.

After Red Poppy ended, Habib and Polit said they had offers from other cities with more attractive downtowns and small business grants and programs but they realized they didn’t want to leave Elgin.

“It really didn’t feel right to do it. It almost felt like selling out,” Habib said.

Property owner Andrew Cummings and city officials helped them reopen at the same location, he said.

“We knew we needed to change this place over from Red Poppy, but it has a unique footprint that wasn’t going to change,” Habib said.

The couple settled on a new steampunk theme and a new menu.

Steampunk takes its style from a science fiction genre that merges the industrial Victorian age with fantasy, something Polit says she thinks is fitting for Elgin.

“It’s a perfect way to highlight the neighborhoods of Elgin and the history,” she said, including its connection to the Elgin National Watch Co., the city’s major employer for 100 years and for a time the world’s largest watchmaker.

Rouge’s building is historic, dating back to the 1800s and was once the first place Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer could be purchased outside of Milwaukee, Polit said. They recreated that bar and painstakingly added industrial touches, like gears and items from the Watch Factory, she said.

“It just fit,” Polit said of the theme. “I think nothing is an afterthought. It’s all been deliberate to create an experience. At the center of the experience is Elgin and Elgin’s history.”

Her husband put as much thought and detail into the food, she said.

When they decided they wanted a more streamlined menu, pizza was the natural choice, she said. Habib created a pizza crust that’s crispy like a thin crust but thick enough to hold the variety of combinations he wanted to try, like a combo sloppy joe/mac-and-cheese option they call the Jury-Rig.

An unorthodox mix, but one that’s delicious, said Polit, speaking as someone who previously didn’t like sloppy joes.

The Master-At-Arms is covered with homemade brisket barbacoa, black beans, corn and Barbacoa sauce with cheese toppings. Another option, Elizabeth’s Songbird, is made with caramelized pears, fresh arugula and onions topped with goat cheese and a fig balsamic and honey glaze.

The menu also includes four homemade sandwiches, including Italian beef and shaved pork loin options, and five salads. Everything is made from scratch, Habib said.

“We’re very lucky we were able to recapture all of our old staff. That allowed everyone to jump in,” Polit said

Business has been good so far, she said.

“There were moments of, ‘Oh, my gosh, is this going to work?’” Polit said, especially when there was a lunch lull one day. “The next day we had a two-hour wait,” she said.

Customers loyal to them in their previous two ventures continue to support them, she said.

“We’ve been in the industry for a long time. I cannot tell you how many dozens of phone calls and messages we’ve gotten,” Habib said. “It makes my heart melt every time.”

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.