Recent times have not been kind to fine-dining restaurants in Lawrence.

PrairieFire: An American Bistro, 724 Mass., closed Dec. 15, 2001.

The BleuJacket, a French restaurant at 811 N.H., shut its doors Nov. 16.

Fifi’s, a longtime upscale restaurant at 925 Iowa, has been closed for months.

And Teller’s, a 10-year-old Italian trattoria at 746 Mass., had to rejigger its menu and cut prices in order to survive.

Whether a downturn in the economy or a glut of fine-dining establishments in the Lawrence marketplace is to blame, there’s no doubt that the choice of decidedly upscale restaurants in the city has narrowed.

But one homegrown business, offering creative, gourmet fare served up with style, has managed to outlast the competition, and, indeed, thrive in difficult times. That would be Pachamama’s, 2161 Quail Creek Drive.

The 6-year-old restaurant, which specializes in an eclectic “New World Cuisine,” has found its niche in Lawrence and held fast to that foothold, even as its competitors have failed.

Somehow, Pachamama’s has beaten the odds that face any restaurant — especially those in the fine-dining segment — to succeed in one of the toughest businesses there is.

But you don’t have to tell that to Ken Baker, chef and owner of Pachamama’s.

“The mortality rate for new restaurants opening in the U.S. is around 35 percent. In this economy that we have right now, it’s probably even higher,” he says.

Ken Baker and his staff at Pachamama's have secured the restaurant's fine-dining reputation with artful dishes like the Bartlett pear and micro greens salad with gorgonzola cream, pistachio oil and aged balsamic. At left is a roasted beet torte.

“When you’re dealing with fine dining and quality ingredients, the profit margin is tiny. We operate so I can pay my employees. Any money we make goes right back into the restaurant.”

Though it’s been an uphill battle at times, Pachamama’s is doing well these days, and Baker is optimistic about the future.

“We’ve got horrible visibility — we’re located behind a strip mall. But once customers get here, we can hook ’em,” he says.

Timing was right

Baker took a winding path to get to where he is today.

The St. Louis native has lived in Lawrence since 1990, when he came here to study history and political science at Kansas University. But, after 2 1/2 years, he figured out his passion was in the kitchen.

He has worked in the restaurant business since 1987, and even had his own catering company — Culinary Ventures — in high school.

Baker, 31, served as chef and kitchen manager at Teller’s from 1994 to 1997, then left Lawrence to attend the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. He graduated with honors from the 18-month program in 1998, earning an associate’s degree in culinary arts.

“It’s one of the top programs in the country. And San Francisco is at the epicenter of what’s going on in the food world, with all the California wine industry right there and 3,500 restaurants,” Baker says.

He later did a six-month apprenticeship in 1998 with Daniel Bonnot at Bizou, a French-Creole restaurant in New Orleans.

Ken Baker, chef and owner of Pachamama's, 2161 Quail Creek Drive, heads up a rare survivor among Lawrence's fine-dining restaurants.

“I learned the ropes under an old-guard French chef. He taught me all the basics of execution.”

After returning to St. Louis and sending out his resume, Baker got a phone call from a friend in Lawrence, telling him there was a restaurant here that needed a little assistance.

“I thought, ‘I’ll come out and help in the kitchen for a couple of weeks,'” he recalls.

Baker joined the staff in 1999, doing a little bit of everything, eventually working his way up to executive chef.

In January 2001, he purchased Pachamama’s from founder Dana Duellman, who has left the restaurant industry to work in the real estate business.

“It was an opportunity; I knew we had a good thing going. I wanted to see how far we could progress. I had such a great crew, and the timing was right,” Baker says.

‘It’s a minefield’

Pachamama’s has a unique profile in Lawrence, a quality that goes a long way toward ensuring a restaurant’s long-term success.

The dinner-only establishment — Pachamama’s stopped serving lunch about two years ago — features a menu that completely changes every month.

“I call our food ‘New American cuisine.’ I use French techniques and infuse it with local ingredients whenever possible,” Baker says.

Ken Baker, left, Pachamama's owner and head chef, and Brian Strecker, sous chef, turn out New

January’s menu showcases starters such as carnitas of duck confit or Bartlett pear and micro greens salad; entrees like miso-roasted Mahi Mahi and ginger-juniper-scented game hen in red wine; and desserts like a warm pear galette Napoleon and a Champagne mousse “cocktail.”

Entrees typically range in price from $17 to $27. A couple might expect to pay about $100 for dinner, including appetizers, entrees and a nice bottle of wine costing $20 to $50.

The restaurant’s award-winning wine list features a wide range from the world’s major growing regions, costing anywhere from $20 to $200.

“It’s fine dining in a casual atmosphere. No fluff, no pretensions. We want people to have a good time, relax and enjoy their meal,” Baker says.

“We go through all the progressions you would go through at a four- or five-star restaurant, without the white tablecloth.”

Baker shares his impressions of why upscale restaurants in Lawrence have had such a difficult time succeeding.

“I’m sure the economy has something to do with it, but there’s just not enough room yet for three fine-dining restaurants in town. Part of it is that people here are more into family-style, comfort-food dining,” he says.

“There’s a definite price consciousness. I get two or three calls a day from people inquiring about the cost of our entrees. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re making sure customers are getting a good value here.”

Baker speculates that the reason The BleuJacket and PrairieFire foundered is that they weren’t able to break out of the perception diners had that they were fancy, “special occasion” restaurants.

Pachamama’s, meanwhile, has had more success at reaching the casual diner.

“We’ve got a hard-core cadre of regular customers. It’s not a giant group, but they eat here at least once a month,” Baker says.

He estimates that about 40 percent of his business is made up of customers who come from out of town.

Baker said two things have helped Pachamama’s survive in a tough restaurant town during difficult economic times.

Baker owns his own building and land, so he doesn’t have to pay the steep rent that often cripples other restaurateurs.

And he’s diversified his business, going into catering in order to improve his profit margin.

But making it in the upper crust of Lawrence’s fine-dining market segment hasn’t been easy.

“It’s a minefield. You have to make all the right decisions,” Baker says.