Frog Commissary

Frog Commissary is a catering company in Philadelphia, founded by Steve Poses in 1976.) The restaurant struck a chord with young urbanites and quickly became a dining destination that built a needed sense of community. With the need for expansion, Frög moved to 1524 Locust Street in 1979, going from “neighborhood casual to upscale elegant.” Signature dishes include Three Noodle Appetizer, Vegetarian Chili, Sautéed Calf's Liver and Thai Chicken Curry. Frog was cited by Philadelphia Magazine on the occasion of the magazine's 25th anniversary as the “Best Restaurant” of the past 25 years.
In 1977, Poses built on the success of Frög by opening The Commissary, an informal, 7am to 11pm eatery that had a cafeteria on the first floor and a sit-down restaurant on the second floor. In 1979, The Commissary added one of Philadelphia's first upscale takeout options, The Market at The Commissary, and a Piano Bar. The atmosphere at The Commissary was casual, with a vintage 1946 Indian Chief motorcycle hanging in its two-story front window. During its heyday The Commissary was one of the highest grossing restaurants in America. The 100-seat cafeteria served as many as 1500 people a day. The cafeteria's menu included housemade pâtes and caviar. Poses often said, “Hardly anyone ordered caviar. But people felt good eating in a cafeteria that offered it.” The Commissary pioneered housemade pastas, wines by the glass, sushi, house-made ice creams, house-blended and drip decaf coffee - unheard of in American and especially local restaurants where decaf was usually a packet of instant Sanka.
While Frog offered more expensive options, the atmosphere at The Commissary had a laid-back feel. Among the most legendary items was the carrot cake, which remains a staple in the catering kitchen. The Commissary eventually morphed into the USA Café, serving American Southwest cuisine.
Additional restaurants under Poses’ Shooting Star Inc. umbrella included 16th Street Bar and Grill (1981), City Bites (1983) USA Café (1983) and two locations of Eden (1979; 1985). After a 14-year run, Frög was closed in 1987; the Commissary was closed in 1994, and Poses focused his business on catering.
Catering and Beyond
Frog Commissary Catering was officially launched in 1976, with its first event, a 1,200-person dinner at the unfinished Academy House for the AIA Annual Convention. The party served as a trial by fire—Poses has said that naiveté allowed the company to do great things without worrying about the limitations—and it was the first of many large events to come. In essence, the company worked to create the experience of a “table for two” times 400, maintaining the high quality food and drink of its smaller ventures.
Building on the reputation of Shooting Star Inc. restaurants, Frog Commissary quickly learned to harness the demand for creative events with stylish, memorable food, redefining the parameters of traditional catering through the power of teamwork. In the mid-1980s, the company employed 300 to 400 staff members and served up to 3,000 people a day. At the three-day Jambalaya Jam celebration held on Penn's Landing in 1986, the company fed some 60,000 people without a kitchen. Frog Commissary also catered Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Eugene Ormandy's 80th Birthday and the annual Beaux Arts Balls, in addition to countless weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, galas and other special events. Some notable guests have included Kermit the Frog, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Luciano Pavarotti, Jacqueline Onassis, Barbara Bush, Bill Gates, Lily Tomlin and Liza Minnelli.
In 1994, the company opened Noah's Kitchen, a kosher catering division. The same year, Frog Commissary also moved its headquarters to the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Frog Commissary returned to restaurant service, collaborating with a number of local arts institutions to offer better eating options. In 1997, contracts included the Bravo! eatery at the Academy of Music and Bravo! At the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, where the changing lineup of concession stands included Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, barbecue, pan-Asian and Cuban options. In 2006, Frog Commissary opened the expansive Frog at the Yard dining hall at the Urban Outfitters headquarters at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
In 2010, Frog Commissary moved from its longtime home in Northern Liberties to headquarters at 30-year collaborator the Franklin Institute, where it serves as exclusive caterer. At the Franklin Institute, the company produces private and corporate events in addition to operating the Franklin Foodworks, a family-centered quick-service eatery. Frog Commissary has also created pop-up restaurants at the museum, including Tut's Oasis, and Frog Burger.
Poses and Frog Commissary were instrumental in creating the permanent Kitchen Science exhibit at the Franklin Institute, which is part of the Franklin Foodworks and open to the public, and explores the relationship between cooking and science.
Frog Commissary has a staff of more than 200 and also caters events offsite across the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Impact
Poses is widely considered the leader of the first restaurant renaissance in Philadelphia. In an era where dining was defined by tradition-bound hotel dining rooms, steakhouses and seafood restaurants like Bookbinders, Frög broke down barriers and created a new kind of experience for a growing influx of young professionals in Center City in the 1970s and 1980s, including an Eating School for exploring new flavors and reading about food. Together with Frög chef Kamol Phutlek, Poses developed an amalgam of French, Thai and American flavors, which came to be known as “Philadelphia Cuisine. and At Home by Steve Poses: A Caterer’s Guide to Cooking and Home Entertaining.
Christina L. Sterner
Christina Sterner is the CEO of Frog Commissary, Inc. Since her arrival in 2009, Sterner has brought her 30 years of arts leadership experience to bear, transforming a family-owned food business with a rich cultural legacy in Philadelphia into a thriving, financially robust 21st-century company, while continuously improving its high standards for excellent dining experiences. Prior to joining Frog, Sterner worked as a producer and arts executive, honing her skills in creative collaboration, finance, marketing, and business development. For two decades Sterner previously served as CEO of Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, and Baryshnikov Productions, Inc., spearheading the creation and development of Baryshnikov Arts Center, and producing and overseeing Mikhail Baryshnikov's projects from White Oak Dance Project to negotiating licensed product, movie, real estate and restaurant deals, and managing the company's financial investments. A board member of several organizations, she is also president of sternerprojects inc., a brain trust of arts executives assisting innovative artists and art managers in their work.
The Frog Commissary Cookbook
Steve Poses along with Anne Clark and Becky Roller, published The Frog Commissary Cookbook in 1985. Over 100,000 copies have been sold.
At Home by Steve Poses: A Caterer's Guide to Cooking and Home Entertaining
In 2009, Steve Poses published At Home by Steve Poses, a compendium of more than 400 recipes, how-tos, tips and illustrations aimed at helping people create memorable dining experiences for their guests at home.<ref name=":1" />
Further reading
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