Robert Eugster

1937 - 2021

"A great chef knows that great dishes are those that make great memories."

Father, Opa, and friend, Robert Eugster left us the morning of November 8th with an abundance of great memories and love. He had been battling against Parkinson's Disease for the past few years, but succumbed to an apparent heart attack.

Robert was born in a small village near Amriswil, Thurgau, Switzerland in 1937. He lived most of his young life with his parents Robert and Emma (Rechsteiner) Eugster, and his sister Emma Eugster in Bischofsezell, Switzerland. They eventually retired to Urnaesch, Switzerland where he, his sons, and grandchildren would gather every couple years to visit.

Robert left home at sixteen to start his apprenticeship at The Hotel Hecht in St. Gallen, Switzerland where he was classically trained as a chef and for restaurant management. After graduating in 1956, he served as an infantryman in the Swiss army.

After he was discharged from the army, Robert begun to travel the world as a chef. Some of the most notable kitchens being The Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, The Schweitzerhof in Berne, The Dorchester in London, and The Bermundiana Hotel on Bermuda. But, it would be his stint at the quaint little Pineapple Hill restaurant in Maui, Hawaii that would change the course of his life.

In Maui, Robert met a young waitress, Patti Harned, and they married shortly after. They moved back to Patti's home here in the Lehigh Valley and he soon became the head chef at The Stockton Inn, in Stockton, New Jersey. In May of 1969, they bought Cab Frye's Tavern in Palm, Pennsylvania.

Robert transformed Cab Frye's into one of the most popular spots for dinner in the Lehigh Valley. Robert's philosophy was to treat the customer to world class dining in a casual atmosphere. Menu favorites included his delicious Mustard Steak, Veal Oscar, Tenderloin Tips with Artichokes, and of course, his famous Swiss Onion Soup-a recipe that he would never share, even with the then popular Gourmet magazine. His bernaise sauce was sublime. Robert could make even the simplest dishes taste wonderful. Ironically, his favorite meal was meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Robert retired and sold Cab Frye'sTavern in 1992.

In addition to his love of cooking, Robert had many other interests. He had a love for sailing from a young age. He had sailed all over the Chesapeake Bay, the Eastern seaboard and had two epic voyages to Bermuda. He was an avid skier, skiing all over Switzerland and Austria, Vermont, and took yearly trips out West. He helped teach both his grandchildren how to ski. In the late 1970s his love of motorcycles morphed into an interest in motocross racing. Robert and his sons traveled the East Coast, racing competitively until the mid 1980s, when his son Chris, won the 1984 National Championship.

Robert is survived by his son Robert (Röbi), his wife Susan, and their children, Gretchen and Maximilian. And, his son Christopher, his wife Colleen, and her children Ellen and Neil Underwood. He kept a close relationship with his former wife, Patti, and the whole Harned family: Suzi & Freddy, Peggy & Janet, Hillie & Joe, and Michael & Susan. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Emil Gerschwiler of Urnaesch, Switzerland.

Robert built so many friendships over the years through the restaurant, skiing, sailing, his sons, neighbors, and motocross. He cherished you all. Friends and relatives will be notified of Robert's memorial celebration, in the near future, where memories will be shared. And, maybe, finally, the elusive recipe to the Swiss Onion Soup!