Roseau Times-Region - Serving Roseau County for over 100 Years - The Official Roseau County Newspaper

by Laurel Latham

Hunting season has arrived once again in the North Woods. Family and friends from all over Minnesota and North Dakota will be arriving at deer camps wearing their neon orange. And just as in years past, the Hawk in Roosevelt will be open to feed hungry hunters breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7.a.m. to 9.p.m., 7 days a week beginning Saturday November 5 throughout the hunting season.

"The Hawk will be offering an All-American breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.," explained Chef Richard Morris. A grouse hunter himself, Chef Richard knows what hungry hunters want for breakfast. "Our breakfast menu will include eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, toast, pancakes and biscuits and gravy. We will serve omelettes with several choices of ingredients and a Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with Fruit Compote and whipped topping."

The Hawk will offer hunters lunch specials including chili and cornbread and pizza specials. The regular lunch and dinner menu of starters, pizza, bomb burgers and funky fresh salads will also continue to be available.

"There has been some confusion with our dinner specials," reports Chef Richard. "When the Hawk advertises a dinner special on their Facebook page, that means that special is available until it runs out. Often that lasts over two or three nights."

Chef Richard and wife Shauna Morris reopened the Hawk this past July and have acquired a happy clientele who enjoy their extensive menu and variety of dinner specials.

"We only serve the highest quality of food," said Chef Richard. "With our ribeye special, I begin with a demi-glace' and a citrus rub with secret seasonings that brings out the mouth watering flavor of the meat."

Chef Richard gives credit to his wonderful wife, Shauna, who works by his side.

I could not do without my talented wife and staff," exclaims Chef Richard. "My wife doesn't get enough credit. My staff become like family. I want them to enjoy working at the Hawk."

Richard Morris met his wife Shauna in Medora, N.D. where she worked as HR Director for the Theodore Roosevelt Foundation. Richard had taken a job as a chef at the Rough Rider Hotel. While Shauna grew up in North Dakota, Richard was a very long way from his home in South Africa.

Richard learned to cook in the family kitchen and trained at City and Guilds Vocational School under classically trained chefs. Then at 21, after gaining experience as a chef, Richard enrolled in a work and travel program that took him to Florida.

"I worked at a country club in Florida and then extended my visa five times," remembered Richard, "I was a chef at a lake resort in Arizona and worked at ski resorts in Colorado and Utah. At 24 I returned home to Cape Town and was a chef at Extrablatt, a popular German Restaurant."

Three years later, Richard's love of travel inspired him to once again enroll in the work and travel program. "Life is good in the U.S.," explained Richard." There are so many job opportunities. When I returned to the U.S. I worked six months in North Palm Beach and then extended my visa to take the job in Medora."

Richard and family were living in Fargo when Chuck Lindner offered Richard the position of the department manager of the deli at Doug's Supermarket.

Buying the Hawk has been a dream come true for Richard and Shauna Morris.

"Working as a chef in my own restaurant is a goal I've always wanted to achieve," said Richard. "The Hawk comes with a lot of history. Shauna and I are happy to add to that history."

The Hawk will serve a Thanksgiving buffet Thursday November 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Shauna's family is coming up from Fargo. We will be cooking for our family, so I thought, why not cook for the community? We will take reservations ahead of time," added Richard. "The buffet will include prime rib, turkey, stuffing, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, cheesy broccoli and cauliflower with a caramel apple dessert."

To reach Chef Richard at the Hawk please call 218-442-2470