Spice up your life - The Mining Journal

2015
GOOD EATS AND DRINKS
SECTION D
PROGRESS
Tuesday, March 31
A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL
ALSO
INSIDE
Root 41
Also:
Blackrocks Brewery
PAGE 2D
Rare Earth Goods
Also:
Just Right Catering Bakery
and Deli
PAGE 3D
Econo Foods expands
Spice up your life
Spice Merchants of Marquette
joins city’s downtown
Also:
Cognition Brewery
PAGE 4D
Jackson’s Pit
Also:
Coachlight Restaurant
PAGE 5D
Ore Dock Brewery
PAGE 6D
Java by the Bay
Also:
Bayou and Chocolay River
Brewery
PAGE 7D
Located on West Washington
Street, Spice Merchants offers an
array of spices, teas, cocoas and
utensils. (Photos by Elizabeth
Bailey)
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE—Downtown Marquette gets an
added taste of the world with the new Spice Merchants of Marquette shop nestled in the 100
block of West Washington Street. From the outside it looks like most of the other shops downtown, but once inside, one can see this isn!t your
ordinary shop. Spices and teas from around the
world cover the walls and tables throughout the store,
with shelves made from old barn beams. But the store offers much more than spices and teas; cocoa, chocolate, salts
and other baking necessities line the walls along with tea infusers,
salt blocks, and grinders, just to name a few.
“There!s everything from curries, barbecues, things for pastas,
chicken and pork ...” said co-owner Michael Carl. “Really, if you
want to do it right, you have to spend like a half hour, at least, just
going through and smelling each one.”
The store which has only been open since Black Friday, was
booming around the holidays but has since slowed down a little,
nevertheless that hasn!t stopped owners Carl and his wife, Carolyn, from being optimistic about the future, especially with summer
coming up.
“We did extremely good of course around the holidays and it!s nice that we!ve had a lot of repeat
customers since ...,” he said.
As franchise owners they get a lot of their spices
and teas from their supplier, but what makes the
shop special is that about one-third of their spice
mixes are made in house, including a very popular
Marquette Rub for barbecue.
Spice Merchants, a company based out of
Saugatuck, Michigan, prides itself on having a wide
variety of spices, teas, and blends that “no matter your
personal preference, our wide selection will be sure to please
you.”
That is is exactly what the Carls hoped to do by bringing such a
store within the city limits.
“We saw a store similar to this three years ago, and we thought
one would really go up here,” Carl said. “ So it took a while to find a
location ... but we love it here, I mean it!s just neat, this end of the
block is so neat because there!s so much around here, with you
know restaurants and bars and such.”
Elizabeth Bailey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her
email address is ebailey@miningjournal.net.
2D -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Root 41
Cozy comfort at new Chocolay restaurant
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
CHOCOLAY—Nestled in the trees off
of U.S. 41 in the old Grove restaurant
stands a new blossoming business —
Root 41 Restaurant. Started up and
owned by sisters, Sarah and Barbra
Tullila, who thought it would be a
great place to fulfill their
dreams to own and run
a diner.
“We!ve
both
been in food service and have
been for most of
our lives, and this
restaurant is basically opportunity,”
said Barbra Tullila.
“It was empty and
had been for a while,
and Sarah had a lead on it,”
Tullila said. “The more we
started talking about the
vision for our restaurant,
and in this space particularly, it just came to
be.”
As for the set up of the new
place, despite being a restaurant previously, work needed to be done to make
it the cozy place it is now.
“We pretty much did at top to bottom
remodel, front of house and the
kitchen,” Tullila said. “Time wise we
pretty much moved in, in Feb of 2014
and opened July 15th.”
Despite only being open for less than
a year, the sisters have taken steps to
make sure their business has and will
be booming.
“It!s been a rough winter weather wise,
but we got our liquor license the day after Christmas, Santa made a last stop,
and that has defiantly helped too, so
yeah it!s going good,” she said.
But part of the reason people come
back is their menu, serving breakfast all
day with daily specials makes decisions
endless. And coming up with menu
items was a fun process, according to
Tullila.
“We took the concept of classy comfort foods ... and based our menu off
that, so the classy comfort, home
cooked foods that you!d expect from a
nice little diner, but up a notch,” she
said. “With presentation, home
cooked, made to order
fresh food and that!s
how we came up with
the menu, rotating daily soups specials,
fish fry along with
our base menu of
breakfast all day,
lunch and diner specials.”
All of the food served
are decently priced making going out to eat easier on wallets.
“We had to keep location in
mind, but not sacrifice on
quality either, so, you know
there is industry standards
of what you should be
making per plate, so we
took the rule and broke the ones we
needed to,” Tullila said.
“We wanted to plant our roots here in
Chocolay, being on 41 we thought it was
a fun little play on words between r-o-ut-e and root. We also come from a logging family ... so the tree motif, being in
the woods and being on the highway we
want to plant our roots and stay here for
a long time.”
Root 41 Restaurant is open Tuesday
through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and
stay open until 9 p.m. on Fridays. And
Sundays they!re open 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
For more information visit their Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/root41restaurant.
Elizabeth Bailey can be reached at
906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is ebailey@miningjournal.net.
Top, the old Grove restaurant has
transformed into a comfy, familyfriendly diner, Root 41 Restaurant. Middle, a view of the counter
where people can pick from a variety of domestic and craft beers
as well as liquors. At right, coowner and operations coordinator
Barbara Tullila pours coffee at the
drink station. (Photos by Elizabeth Bailey)
Blackrocks Brewery
State and hometown pride brew
quality beer in Marquette
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Named after the popular leaping-off point in Marquette!s scenic
Presque Isle Park on Lake Superior, the Blackrocks Brewery was, for two Marquette residents, a leap of faith in itself at a time of economic uncertainty.
Friends and homebrewers for many years, founders David Manson and Andy
Langlois originally worked together as pharmaceutical representatives, until downsizing in the company saw Langlois laid off. So they took it as an opportunity. Manson worked longer hours, Langlois planned, and together, they worked and saved
to make their dream a reality.
“It was definitely not easy on either of us to do it,” Langlois said. “But it was really
fun and rewarding to know that we were starting to control our own destiny a bit
and making the business what it is.”
Back in 2010, they started with a one-barrel system in their pub at 424 N.Third
St., a refurbished yellow house with orange trim. The reception was overwhelming,
but there was one problem: they were running out of beer. Soon, they added a
three-barrel system to meet demand. By 2013, they had expanded to the old Coca
Cola Bottling Plant on Washington Street, where they maintain a 5,000 gallon system and distribute beer around the state.
But enjoyment and stability, more than growth, continue to be the driving values
for Manson, Langlois and their 12 employees.
“We don!t have to take over the Midwest; we don!t have to take over nationally —
you know, that!s not really what our goal is,” Manson said. “We!ve got a lot of great
employees, and we want to make sure that they!re happy and can live a sustainable life out of our operation here. We!d like to have a sustainable life and living.”
At the pub, they make use of their three-barrel system to produce the beer on tap
and keep their one-barrel for experimentation. This way, customers play a part in
the process of tweaking and perfecting different brews, they said.
“That!s the one thing that!s been really nice about using the pub as a tasting
grounds,” Manson said. “We can knock off a one-barrel of something, and if that
gets well-received, we!ll scale it to a three-barrel, and then maybe that!ll make it into the tanks and become a distributed beer. We do have the ability to put out a lot of
different beers with the one-barrel and the three-barrel in the pub, so there!s always something pretty unique.”
With Michigan rated in the top five states for its number of microbreweries, Manson said there!s a pro-growth spirit within the industry to raise the bar on quality.
“When you say you!re a Michigan brewery...you want to make sure that it!s some-
A pallet of Blackrocks Brewery!s 51K IPA. Full of earthy grapefruit, apricot and piney hop
flavors, this beer is unique to the Marquette area. Part of the proceeds help fund the Noquemanon Trail Network. (Journal photo by Mary Wardell)
thing that makes people say "Michigan makes great beer,!” Manson said. “There
are a lot of great breweries in Michigan, so it!s in everybody!s best interest to make
sure that everybody makes the best product they can to represent, not only your
hometown, but the state. Because people from Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and all
points beyond are amazed at what we!re doing. We!re solidly in the top five, and I
think we!ll be in the top three in the next couple years.”
Manson and Langlois value giving back to the community that has made it all
possible by donating to various benefits and individuals in need. Mountain-biking
enthusiasts themselves, they have been able to make a sizable contribution to the
Noquemanon Trail Network through sales of their 51K beer (a continuing effort),
which was a proud moment for Blackrocks, they said. But they don!t see their business as special for that reason.
“There!s a lot of businesses that give back to the community and we don!t want to
pat ourselves on the back too hard,” Langlois said. “Because really, I think, if you
live here, and you!re being supported by them, you better do something. You don!t
need to, but I think it!s important to give back what you can, and at this point, we
can.”
Blackrocks is also a popular music venue in summer, when local bands play on
the outdoor patio in the evenings. Their most popular beers are 51K, Coconut
Brown and Grand Rabbits Cream Ale, they said, which are distributed throughout
the Upper Peninsula, Northern Wisconsin, and Northern lower and West Michigan.
Blackrocks beer will hopefully be coming soon to Metro-Detroit, they said.
Mary Wardell can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is
mwardell@miningjournal.net.
The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31 -— 3D
PROGRESS2015
Rare Earth Goods
Ishpeming business
now serving lunch
Rare Earth Goods! employee Debbie Gronvall stocks the
shelves with selected wines. (Journal photo by Zach
Jay)
By CRAIG REMSBURG
Senior Sports Writer
ISHPEMING — Owner
Pam Perkins says serving
lunch at Rare Earth
Goods in Ishpeming
serves two purposes:
“Hopefully, to get more
foot traffic into my store,”
the Ishpeming native
said. “And, I just love
cooking. I do it all myself.”
Perkins, a 1979 Ishpeming High School graduate
whose maiden name was
Rule, started serving
lunch at her business in
December. There are
cafe tables and chairs for
as many as 25 customers
any one day.
She said all lunch items
are available “to go.”
Perkins makes her
quiche the night before
and cooks up her soup
each day when lunch is
served from 11 a.m. to 2
p.m.
“I serve tomato Gorgonzola on Monday,
cheesy cream of broccoli
on Tuesday and a "chef!s
choice! soup on Wednesday,” she said. “If I want to
pick chicken noodle or
barley, that!s what I pick.”
Thursdays feature a
hearty vegetarian soup
and Fridays, it!s corn
chowder.
Quiche is served every
day, which includes potatoes, cheddar cheese and
smoked bacon.
For those wishing to order something to go with
their soup, Rare Earth
Goods offers several different Panini sandwiches.
Besides a bacon, lettuce and tomato Panini,
there!s an Italian, one
with spinach and artichoke meat and — perhaps the favorite among
her customers — the Division Street.
“It has fresh pesto,
tomato and mozzarella
cheese,” Perkins said.
“Yesterday, I had grilled
Cajun shrimp and rice pilaf to go with it.”
She said Rare Earth
Goods! lunch items offer
the customer “something
different.”
Nothing is deep friend,
so you have more healthy
choices,” Perkins said.
She added there!s also
a “great” cheese selection
at the store and different
desserts served eery day,
be it cheesecake or banana cream pie, for example.
Free WiFi use is available and coffee from local
vendors is served at Rare
Earth Goods.
The business, located at
200 E. Division St. in Ishpeming, also offers beer
and wine, as well as locally-grown produce and
meats.
“I don!t carry any mainstream beers,” Perkins
said. “I carry craft beers.
There!s a big following for
craft beers now.
“I!ve (also) got a huge
wine selection, a lot of
Michigan wines.”
Along with edible products, Rare Earth Goods
also sells such items as
clothing, purses and
bags, household products
and jewelry.
“It!s unique ... with a
mish-mash of many different things,” Perkins said
of her business, adding
there are 140 local artists
trying to sell their work at
Rare Earth Goods.
She added she hasn!t
taken a paycheck in two
years.
“I put all the money back
into the store and new
stock to build an even
better store,”Perkins said.
Just Right Catering
Bakery and Deli
Tasty treats and deli all-in-one
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE—Right
off of highway M-35 in
Gwinn, across from the
high school sets a little
deli only the locals know
about. Opened on Sept
12, 2014, Just Right
Catering Bakery and Deli
has only been open for a
few months but prides itself of home cooked food
just right for everyone.
“I!ve always enjoyed
cooking, and I!ve always
enjoyed cooking for people and then I wanted to
have my own place to
cook and cater then it
became a little restaurant,” said Michele DeShambo, owner and
cook. “It!s something I!ve
always wanted to do.”
The location, originally
was an office building so
when DeShambo moved
in there was a ton of
work that had to be
done. Putting in the
proper work station for
cooking and setting up
the front for a deli was a
challenge in itself, let
alone putting it in such a
small area. But it works
for the hometown deli.
With
sandwiches,
burgers, wraps, salads,
fried food and even
desserts that grace the
chalkboard menu in the
front are all made to order. Along with some Upper Peninsula favorites
like cudighi
“It kind of started with
people asking if I was
going to have sub sandwiches, and I was like
"hmmm,! this was when I
was getting things ready
to open, and I was going
to open up for catering
and just like a deli thing,”
she said. “I didn!t have it
all figured out, then people were walking by asking and I was like, you
know, I can do that...”
“One thing led to another ... and I always
wanted a good burger
and fry.”
“We have fresh burger,
our bread comes from
Trenary, three times a
week we go pick up our
fresh bread, and we use
the same bread for our
buns and everything.”
So keeping it local and
friendly is what it!s all
about.
Elizabeth Bailey can be
reached at 906-2282500, ext. 243. Her email
address is ebailey@miningjournal.net.
A view of the register
where customers can
place orders from the
menu. Just Right Catering
Bakery and Deli offers
decadent treats, classic
sandwiches, burgers and
fries. (Journal photos by
Elizabeth Bailey)
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PUB PLATES
Craig Remsburg can be
reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 251. His email address is cremsburg@miningjournal.net.
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510 W. Washington, Marquette
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4D -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
Econo Foods
expands
Local grocery store adds
variety of craft beers
By CRAIG REMSBURG
Senior Sports Writer
MARQUETTE
—
Tadych!s Econo Foods in
Marquette has long taken
pride in its extensive beer
selection.
Now, that selection
has grown even
larger.
This past fall,
Econo Foods
added what
store manager
Zach Quinnell
says were 450
different types of
craft beer.
“We!ve seen this trend
(for craft beers) coming the
last couple of years,” he
said. “So, we changed our
focus.
“It!s what our customers
have been asking for. They
want more selection and
variety.”
Craft beers are usually
made by smaller breweries
and feature many different
flavors, Quinnell said.
“A lot of them are brewed
locally, too,” he
said.
Econo Foods
now carries locally-made craft
beers from the
Blackrocks
Brewery
and
Ore Dock in
Marquette; Upper Hand Brewing in Escanaba;
and the Keweenaw Brewing
Co.
out
of
Houghton.
“Craft beers see
a of of variety in malts
and hops,” Quinnell said.
“That!s what makes them
so exciting. They!re always
evolving and changing.”
He labeled the craft beer
additions a “major expansion.”
So much so, the store
needed to add more storage units.
“We added some high-efficiency coolers ... about 20
feet (long) of cooler space,”
Quinnell said. “Those new
coolers run on about 35
percent less power than
the old ones.”
The store now carries
some 600 different kinds of
beer, he said.
“(The expansion) has
been very successful,”
Quinnell said. “The response we!ve gotten from
our customers has been
nothing but positive.
“They!re saying they like
the added selection and
the variety of beers they!ve
never seen before.
They!ve heard
about some of
the beers (we
now carry),
but have never been able
to get before.”
He said for
now, there are no
plans to expand the beer
section even more unless
demand calls for it.
“We!ll let our customers
tell us what they like. If they
say they want more, we!d
love to expand (again),”
Quinnell said.
The expansion of the
beer selection came after
Econo Foods added to its
natural,
organic
and
gluten-free food areas.
“What we are trying to
do is capture every
aspect,”
Quinnell said
at the time.
“If you!re a
natural or organic eater,
what we!re
trying to do is
to have everything you
would need
for
that
lifestyle
—
from breakfast
to lunch, to
dinner, dessert
and snacks.
“We want to really encompass every aspect of
that lifestyle.”
Some of the foods Econo
expanded included glutenfree lunch meats, grass-fed
beef, and organic dairy and
soy products.
In addition, Econo has
added more Asian, Hispanic and Indian food products
to its selection.
“Increasing the variety
and selection was the goal
and we accomplished that,”
Quinnell said.
Craig Remsburg can be
reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 251. His email address
is cremsburg@miningjournal.net.
PROGRESS2015
Cognition Brewery
Brings new life to historic building
Brian Richards, brewmaster at Cognition Brewery, stands by a mash tun. This vessel is primarily responsible for extracting fermentable sugars and dextrins (non-fermentable sugars) from malt. (Journal photo by Elizabeth Bailey)
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
ISHPEMING — Brew pubs are a thing of the future,
with all sorts popping up all over the country, while at
the same time reviving a city!s past. Now there is a
new brewery on it!s way into our neck of the woods,
Cognition Brewery located in the historical Mather
Inn located in downtown Ishpeming.
Although those involved have had some minor set
backs with the set up, they plan to be up and running
by the middle of March.
“It!s kind of a long and involved story, we!ve been
going for two years,” Jay Clancey, owner of Cognition
said, “We were trying to put it in a old building over
on Main Street first...”
With business, not everything works out, things
come up and plans fall through but it!s about who you
know. Clancey!s wife!s cousin happens to own the
old Mather Inn and told him to set up his brewery
there in the little garage. Originally he didn!t think that
was enough room so plans for the brewery were up
in the air.
“About this time last year, she had the old coal boilers ... she had them scraped out of there, and she
said you should come take a look again, and I did,”
he said. “It was a no-brainer to shift the project here
because there was already a bar and a lot more
room in there.”
READERS'
CHOICE
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Troy Mills stocks the shelf with Ore Dock Brewery beer in
the revamped craft beer section at Tadych!s Econo Foods
in Marquette. The expansion of the beer selection came
after the addition of natural, organic and gluten-free food
areas. (Journal photo by Elizabeth Bailey)
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Made from scratch Meatballs
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Throughout the course of the project three tons of
celling have been removed, walls have been
knocked down and the floor was even raised up 18
inches.
“I figured we!ve moved almost 30 tons of material
through the course of this project,” Clancey said.
What!s interesting about his brewery, it!s setting up
shop in the historical Mather Inn Lounge, so you can
bet the ambiance is eerie do a degree. With that
much history how could it now be? Maybe it!s the old
style bar that they!ve kept or just the fact that it!s located in the lower level of this supposedly haunted
building.
“The capacity is like like 100 in here, and we hope
to have an outdoor area too, eventually.”
“It!ll be a trick people to find it at first ... If you!re
driving down Hematite you can look over here, but
there has to be something to see the brewery we'll
have to set up some sort of lazer light show out
there,” Clancey joked.
“Brian, the brew master, is the nephew of my sister-inlaw, and I!ve been drinking his home-brewed beers for
years and it was always unbelievable,” he said. “I just
knew he had a knack ... he!s a real serious brewer.”
Elizabeth Bailey can be reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 243. Her email address is ebailey@miningjournal.net.
The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31 -— 5D
PROGRESS2015
Jackson’s Pit
Negaunee hotspot draws
acclaim for food, music
By RENEE PRUSI
Journal Staff Writer
NEGAUNEE — Chef Alexander Baysore takes great
pride in the meals produced by the kitchen at Jackson!s Pit Gourmet Grill and Bar.
“I grew up in the kitchen watching my dad cook.
Food prep has always been a passion of mine. I love
to make people happy through their taste buds,”
Baysore said. “It is a great feeling to see a smile on
someone's face after a meal I've prepared.
“Anyone can cook, and anyone can cook for a lot
cheaper than what it costs to go out for a meal,” he
said. “So, I take extra care in presentation and taste. It
has to look good and taste good.”
Jackson!s Pit, located along Iron Street in downtown Negaunee, has a kitchen that!s open until 11
p.m. every day with a varied menu. Baysore
comes up with the lunch specials, which draw a
great deal of interest when posted on Facebook each day.
“Our menu at Jackson's Pit has many different items, and that helps when coming up
with "specials! ideas,” Baysore said. “It is fun
to create and to see what flavors are going to
compliment one another. I cook by smell and
site, if it smells good and looks good, it will
most likely taste good.
“My favorite item on the menu is our Tender-
loin Steak Spinach Wrap,” he said. “It has tomatoes,
red onions, parmesan cheese flakes, and roasted red
pepper aioli. Out of all of the sauces we make in
house, the red pepper aioli is my favorite. I love it with
our french fries, onion rings, and on our burgers.
“If you haven't tried it, it is a must when you come
here.”
In addition to its food, Jackson!s Pit offers a variety
of specialty drinks — including a bacon-infused bloody
mary; an extensive wine list; and 17 different Michigan
craft beers as well as root beer on tap.
Open since the Fourth of July 2014, Jackson!s Pit
has become a popular draw in Negaunee, some
nights having a waiting list for tables.
In addition to spectacular food and beverage, Jackson!s Pit brings
bands of all genres to provide entertainment, some
during the main dinner hours and
others into the wee hours of the
night.
For instance, every Monday,
the Louisiana Bayou Boyz —
one guitar, one fiddle and a
range of song styles —#entertain
from 6-10 p.m.
On Fridays, it!s the warm, mellow sounds
of GLC, most often starting at 6 p.m., but
Alexander Baysore works to prepare a meal in the kitchen
of Jackson!s PIt in Negaunee, above. The inset shows
bartender Shelly Binz shaking a cocktail. (Journal photos
by Renee Prusi)
sometimes an hour earlier depending on the other entertainment coming in later that evening.
The venue also frequently has bands in on Thursdays and Saturdays as owners Mike and Ivy Ridenour
consider music a priority.
“When people say we!re a restaurant that!s a misconception. It!s a bar with entertainment and good
food,” said Mike Ridenour for a February story about
the bar!s music. “We had plans to put in a stage all
along, plans for a great sound system to be here from
the beginning. It was just a matter of getting the stage
done.”
Ivy Ridenour, for that story, said: “We want this to be
a place where people can relax, where they can have
fun. Having entertainment is important to us. We are a
bar and grill,” she said. “That!s what we wanted and
we!re happy it has been so well received.”
Jackson!s Pit is located at 305 Iron St. in downtown
Negaunee. Its website is jacksonspitnegaunee.com
and its phone number is 401-0411.
Renee Prusi can be contacted at 906-228-2500, ext.
240. Her email address is rprusi@miningjournal.net.
Coachlight Restaurant
Local breakfast staple gets a facelift
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE—Through the years there
has been a few changes to the Coachlight
Restaurant, located on Washington Street
in downtown Marquette but none as extensive as what!s been happening recently.
Changes to the face of the building
were more evident than want!s been happening on the inside. For those who haven!t
been in the restaurant in a while might be
caught off guard, but will also be pleasantly surprise
by all the changes as well.
“We had time to do it (remodeling), we had a few things that
needed to be repaired, one thing leads to another and here we are,” said Mark
Scott owner of Coachlight.
What started as a basic replacing things that needed replacing turned into a
large remodel for the family restaurant. With beautiful stone work and lumber covering the walls that once displayed out of date wallpaper.
“This is the most extensive that we!ve done though,” Scott said pointing to the
stone work. “I already have the vision that it!ll look really good.”
The vision just came as the work started Scott said. With lumber that came from
Scott himself after lumbering off some land.
“This will be the third major remodel since I!ve been here, and
I!ve been here since 1976.”
Not just the inside is changing, the outside changed
recently as well, with bright purple paint and more
stone work on the facade. But despite all the
changes one thing that won!t be changing drastically is the food, so all the classics are there
when wanted.
“Business has always been pretty good (since
the start of the remodel),” said Scott. Who decided
to stay open throughout the whole process. He
doesn!t feel like it!s set him back that much, in regards to
customers coming in.
Renovations are underway at the Coachlight Restaurant. Pictured is the transformation of the back dining area with stone
decor. Lumber accents will also be added.
(Journal photo by Elizabeth Bailey)
REDEFINING
QUALITY
Our promise is to only use the freshest ingredients
to create the best-tasting food for you. Quality is
our promise and our recipe.
Elizabeth Bailey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is
ebailey@miningjournal.net.
Never Frozen
We serve 100% pure North
American beef. We believe this
is why our hamburgers taste
better and are juicier.
An Old
Fashioned Value
Since 1946…
Nothing beats a nice, hot pasty –
Ready to go for lunch or dinner!
Send a taste of
home to
out-of-town
loved ones
with our
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shipping!
Voted
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9 Years
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It’s not about serving billions.
It’s how well we serve you and
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We make every one of our
salads fresh every day, because
we’ve always believed that
fresher tastes better.
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our classic Frosty™ made from
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Ask us about our fundraising program!
Dine-In or Take-Out
Marquette Store
2164 US 41 West
226-5040
A U.P. Tradition Since 1946
OPEN 7 DAYS • www.lawryspasties.com
At The
Marquette Mall
6D -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Ore Dock Brewery
Localized ambiance meets quality craft
By MARY WARDELL
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Like its namesake,
the Ore Dock Brewery is quickly becoming an iconic part of the Marquette
scene since opening in 2012.
Homebrewers originally, Andrea and
Wes Pernsteiner, both biomedical engineers, co-founded the microbrewery after traveling around the United States
and Europe, finding breweries to be unique hubs
of local culture and conversation. They wanted
to bring that to Marquette and started
making serious
plans in 2009.
Andrea said
it
seemed
hard
to
imagine
p e o p l e
would want
to sit down
for a beer
there in the
early stages,
when
the
space was still
just a run-down car
garage.
“When we found this
building, it was in pretty bad
shape,” Pernsteiner said. “It hadn!t had
any updates — there was still knob and
tube wiring. It was just very raw, peeling
paint, all those good things.”
But the space provided an organic
template for what would become a
unique ambiance, drawn largely from
recycled materials inside the garage.
From tables made out of 100-year-old
tongue-and-groove flooring from the
upstairs, to wood beams taken from
nearby collapsing barns; from a swing
made out of a grain pallet, to stools
made of discarded pipe fittings — Andrea said it was their effort to reclaim as
much as possible that inspired the
name of one of their most popular
beers, the Reclamation IPA, which is
distributed locally.
“It was some vision, but also some necessity, that we utilized components out
of the building,” she said. “It was a
scary process because you just never
know how that!s gonna go, but it
worked out.”
While it was challenging to draw
warmth from the hard elements of concrete and stone, Andrea said, the results have been well-received.
“Every time we have an event for
someone in need, the amount of response we receive reminds me again
and again the giving nature of this community,” she said. “I firmly believe we
couldn!t have done this in
any other place besides
Marquette. You really
need that community
support to launch a small
business and have it be
successful.”
It!s a two-silo business, Andrea said,
consisting of craft
brewing and community.
“We hope that
people see us as
a place that!s
promoting
the
arts and culture in
Marquette, both
through the craft of
brewing
and
through the craft of
music or visual arts,” she
said. “Because we really try
to promote that in our community
space, and in addition, give back to the
community with the events we host
here.”
Brewmaster Nick VanCourt originally
graduated in media production from
Northern Michigan University in 2004,
but, “homebrewing got the best of me,”
he explained.
He went on to graduate from the
World Brewing Academy with an international diploma in brewing technology
in the spring of "09 and moved back to
Marquette in 2011 to work with the
Pernsteiners.
Their 10-barrel system may not be
huge, but it is unique. This is because
VanCourt carefully selects the best ingredients from across the country and
Europe, but more important, he said, is
their process.
“We!re very free with talking about our
ingredients and our recipes for beers,
but we!re a little bit more guarded in
talking about our processes,” he said.
At right, in this December 2011 photo,
Andrea Pernsteiner
points to a set of
blueprints
while
standing in the second story of the Ore
Dock Brewery before
its renovation. She
and Wes Pernsteiner,
left, are the founders
of the business. They
brought on Nick VanCourt, center, as
head
brewmaster.
Below, the second
floor of the Ore Dock
as seen today. (Journal file photos)
“Because in some cases, our processes
might set us apart.”
An example is their gluten-free beer,
called Good Grist. Made out of barley
malt, it goes through a special process
and is then tested in a lab to ensure it is
100 percent gluten free.
“It!s more work and it!s not a cheap
process,” he said. “But we do it, because ultimately the beer is so much
better because it!s made out of barley,
and we!ve processed it properly, rather
than starting with a gluten-free grain that
might not have the kind of flavor you!d
want to get or expect in a beer.”
Andrea said the name, “Ore Dock,” is
a reminder.
“Every day, I hear the fog horn here,
and I think, there!s not many places
where people get to have those sights
or hear those sounds or have that experience,” she said. “And so that!s where
Ore Dock came from — just how lucky
we are to be here.”
Mary Wardell can be reached at 906228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address
is mwardell@miningjournal.net.
• Graduation Party • Seminars
• Family Reuniun • Work Meetings
Let’s face it, you can’t make every meeting or family gathering the
most exciting event of the week. But the food? Well, that’s another
story. At KFC, we cater a hot, delicious meal of the world’s best
chicken, not to mention a variety of home style sides and irresistible
buttermilk biscuits, available as individual box meals or for you to
serve buffet-style. So give us a try, but be warned. When the word gets
out, you might need a bigger venue.
Washington, St., Marquette • 226-7728 • www.kfc.com
The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31 -— 7D
PROGRESS2015
Java by the Bay
Family friendly coffee house is the center of the community
Java by the Bay offers a variety of food, coffees, and
blended drinks to the residents of L!Anse. The shop was
recently named best coffee house in the Upper Peninsula.
(Photo coutesy of Java by the Bay)
By ELIZABETH BAILEY
Journal Staff Writer
L!Anse—Mom and pop places don!t
always get the support they need to
stay afloat but for Java by the Bay
in L!Anse have been going
strong for 3 and a half years,
despite the fact that 2014 was
a really rough year for everyone.
“I could lie to you and tell you
the business is booming, and
we've seen nothing increases over
the past year... actually I!d say,
we!ve been open for three and a
half years, and I would say that
2014 was probably the toughest
years that we!ve seen since we got
into business,” said Bob Dudo,
owner and manager of Java by
the Bay.
“Due to, I think a lot factors, but
I think weather was the biggest factor,
especially last summer,” he said. “Obviously temperature were real low and the winter prior was really
bad, so we!re looking for a little turn around if the
weather gets better, as far as tourism and such,” Dudo
said hopefully.
Owners Dudo and Nikki Collins do their best to incorporate a relaxed, family friendly environment for everyone, with a small staff of part-timers and their
daughters that work there. Severing coffee, latte,
smoothies, and cappuccinos as wells as full breakfast
and lunch menues, so there is something for everyone
at this local shop.
“I kind of see ourselves as the center of the community in some ways, we!ve kind of fallen into that position over the past few years,” Dudo said.
“...our environment here is relaxed, it!s a great
place just to come and hang out, and if you
just want to come have a cup of
coffee and sit and talk all day,
that!s great!”
The shop also offers a private room with a couple
easy chairs, couch and a
nice table which offers
the perfect meeting
place for locals or somewhere to do homework.
“We have a really good local customer base and
that!s what keeps us alive
during the winter, however, without that big influx of toursim through the
summer months, it does make things a little
bit tougher, to you know, pay the bills
throughout the winter, so the tourism is kind
of the gravy and the local business would be
your bread and butter.”
Obviously they!re doing something right, the shop
was in the running for the best coffee house in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, they took number one in the U.P. and second in Northern Michigan.
Elizabeth Bailey can be reached at 906-228-2500,
ext. 243. Her email address is ebailey@miningjournal.net.
Bayou and Chocolay River Brewery
Great suds and fun at this familyowned brewery and pub
By Journal Staff
MARQUETTE — Family-owned and operated since
2004 by siblings Tim Soucy, Chere Snyder and their
families, The Bayou Bar and Grill, at 200 W. Main St.
in Harvey, have been undergoing changes to the
restaurant with the addition of the Chocolay River
Brewery.
The CRB will be the only craft brewery in Chocolay
Township.
“It!s been a long haul. We!ve come a long way, and
we!ve made lots of improvements over the years,”
said Soucy, who also owns Soucy Electric, a commercial, residential and industrial electric company he
founded 25 years ago.
“People around here love craft-brewed beer,” Soucy
said. “We feel very welcomed by the local community.”
The restaurant underwent a significant expansion
last year to make room for the new brewhouse, which
is completely installed now and brewing beer.
Chocolay River Brewery has a five-barrel system,
which produces 155 gallons at a time. Quality craft
beer will be sold for consumption on site or in half-gallon growlers to go. They will soon be selling beer
glasses and apparel as well.
Varieties of beer include a blonde ale, pale ale, black
ale, blueberry wheat and more.
The Bayou also boasts the best fish fry in town,
Soucy said, along with delicious handmade pizzas,
apple and cherry wood-smoked barbecue (smoked on
site) and deserts made from scratch.
“People are very surprised, when they come out
here, by the food and quality,” Soucy said.
And their full-service bar features more than 75
beers, local and international, as well as wine and
liquor.
Soucy and CRB Brewmaster Grant Lyke are looking
into new food recipes (like pretzel bread and brown-
ies) that would incorporate the “spent grain” from the
brewing process, which lends a uniquely delicious flavor and texture, Lyke said.
They also have a 50 by 100 foot backyard and patio,
the perfect place to enjoy a craft brew in the summertime, Soucy said. There and in the large dining room
(which can be partitioned), they also hold receptions,
banquets and benefits. Outside, there are horseshoe
pits, a fire pit and, soon, a 70 percent shade tent to
cover the patio as well.
The Bayou is open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day
for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they deliver.
“For a while there, we were the only sit-down restaurant in Chocolay Township,” he said. “We do a lot
here.”
More information about the Bayou can be found on
their website, bayourestaurantandbar.com, with a link
to the Chocolay River Brewery. Call 249-1338 to find
out about banquets, catering, deliveries or to make a
reservation.
200 Meeske Ave., Marquette • 225-1363
Our milk comes exclusively from the
about 70 family owned and operated
dairy farms in the U.P.
New Menu
-with-
Additional Healthy Choices
We Offer A Nice Selection Of
Grass Fed
Beef
No Hormones!
No Antibiotics!
Plus Antibiotic and Steroid-Free
Chicken & Pork
223 W. Washington Street
Downtown Marquette
6a.m.-6p.m. M-F, 7a.m.-6p.m. Sat., 8a.m.-2p.m. Sun
226-7744
10-6 Mon.-Sat., Noon-4 Sun. ~ Bridge Cards Accepted
MARQUETTE
MEATS
3060 W. US 41 • Marquette
906-226-8333
www.
babycakesmuffincompany.com
Using local, organic produce - many gluten free and vegan items available
8D -— The Mining Journal -— Tuesday, March 31
PROGRESS2015
Fresh Flavor
Available 24 Hours A Day
Natural, Organic &
Specialty Choices
Whether you’re looking for
gluten free, dairy free,
hormone free or other
options to meet special
dietary needs, you’re sure to
find a variety of choices
throughout our store
Juicy Flavorful
Choice Meats
Cut in-store
to guarantee
freshness!
FRESH, CRISP PRODUCE
Daily deliveries
assure freshness.
Large variety of
conventional and
organic produce
including hard to
find items
EXPANDED CRAFT BEER SELECTION
~ INCLUDING LOCAL BREWS ~
OVER 450 TYPES OF CRAFT BEER!
The area’s largest selection of beer, wine and liquor!
OPEN 24 HOURS
1401 O’Dovero Dr., Marquette
www.TadychsEconofoods.com • 226-3500