DENISON, Iowa | Alisha Satre graduated from Denison-Schleswig High School in 1993.
She couldn't wait to leave town.
Satre moved to central Iowa and worked in the restaurant business in both Ames and Des Moines, learning the ins and outs of food prep, management and service until 2010.
And then she came home. In December 2012, she opened Hillside Grille Steakhouse on Denison's northern edge, near a growth area for the community that consists of the new Crawford County Memorial Hospital, the Wal-Mart Super Center and the new Fareway Food Store.
"Denison is very much growing in this direction," Satre says. "It seemed logical to develop on this side of town."
The Hillside Grille Steakhouse was "crazy busy" at first, according to the owner. It has since settled into a more regular pattern, if regular means much in the food industry.
People are also reading…
"We're still hosting business holiday parties," Satre says during an interview in mid-February.
Hillside Grille Steakhouse, one of the only steakhouses, per se, in Crawford County, specializes in meat cuts like ribeye, prime rib, sirloin and New York strip. There are also items like beef shoulder tender, flat iron steak and a filet mignon special to complement regular menu offerings.
The porterhouse pork chop highlights pork offerings in a city known for decades as "The Meat Empire," for the founding of what eventually became Tyson Fresh Meats.
"The cuts of meat come mainly from Iowa and Nebraska," says Satre, who manages 30 employees, including husband Dan Satre (a mainstay in the kitchen) and their 17-year-old son, Tyler Satre, a junior at Denison-Schleswig High School.
Hillside Grille Steakhouse features seating for up to 200 when the patio is open. Forty can be accommodated in the lounge, and 100 can enjoy dining in the main dining room and another 40 in a private dining room.
Beyond running her own business in her hometown, what are the rewards for Alisha Satre?
"I know maybe it sounds a little silly, but when I log on to Facebook each day I get a lot of rewards out of seeing the comments people post," she says. "The positive feedback makes me feel good. Even knowing that a repeat customer came back from someplace like Mapleton (Iowa) or Woodbine (Iowa), it's great having those return customers."
Sure, there are parts of Des Monies and even Ames she misses. Denison's pace isn't quite as fast. Still, Satre says it's great coming home.
"I did kind of wonder after being in a larger city for nearly a couple of decades," she says. "But this is easier to adjust to than you think. My family is here. I don't mind it one bit."
