Hoarder of the Gateaux

If you haven’t been to Dexter in awhile or you have never been, you may be surprised by this nice little town outside Ann Arbor.  We decided to take the scenic route from Ann Arbor along Huron River Drive.  This was a great idea until I took a wrong turn and we found ourselves bumping along rutted, dirt roads and running late for our reservation.  If you don’t follow our route, Dexter is an easy and pretty 15 minute drive outside Ann Arbor.

Terry B’s is located in a former farmhouse at one end of Dexter’s downtown.  It doesn’t disappoint on the homey feeling quotient and the crowd inside was stylized in everything from Harley wear to sport coat attire.  Immediate impression was anything from a romantic first date kind’a place to casual pop-in place for a drink and an app at the bar after you’ve been soaked at the game.

Terry B's - Dexter, Mi

Inviting Space

Terry B’s was purchased by the current owners in the fall of 2005 and opened the following spring after extensive renovations.  I must confess the name of the place didn’t bring gourmet food to mind.  A good burger, maybe …house made pastries and charcuterie, accompanied by a strong wine list …absolutely not.  But we were in for a treat.

Our 6:30 seating coincided with several larger parties arriving in other areas of the restaurant.  After a few minutes of getting settled and our waiter smiling at us a few times as he rushed past, the bartender stepped in to get us started on drinks and wine.  We liked Sean so much we decided to keep him.  Despite doing double duty at the busy bar and our table Sean had that easy manner that you wonder if anything stresses him out.  His first act of good service was to bring over a very nice, dry martini.  For those of you who have already noticed a trend of martinis among our posts we’ll arm-wrestle anyone who says we don’t know a finely made cocktail.

The basket of bread arrived with our drinks.  Don’t be shy about asking for more of the Parmesan crisps.  Deeeelicious!  I wiggled in my seat as I realized I was going to eat way too much and be happy, happy, happy.  Next…pecan dusted calamari with a sweet bourbon ginger syrup complimented nicely by a Meyer lemon vinaigrette and green apple slaw.  We order calamari a lot and we love it, but I don’t expect to be surprised by it very often.  This dish had me trying to figure out all of the ingredients so we could give it a go at home.  One person at the table wished the pecan coating was crisped-out a bit more …always one in the crowd.

Smoked Salmon Pastrami

House Charcuterie

We also sampled the Dexter Plate and the kitchen sent out the House Smoked “Pastrami” Salmon as a specialty of the house.  As expected, the charcuterie plate offered a variety of meats, cheeses and sides.  Someone I believe Sean referred to as “The Doctor” makes the cured meats in-house.  He has the skills.  It was a beautiful selection although a bit overwhelming with all the varieties and a bit tricky to divide the samples between multiple people.  The House Smoked Salmon however was a perfect presentation and proportioned for everyone to have a nice taste.  At the end of the night it made favorite dish for one member of our party.

The specials that night included a rack of lamb presented on a ramp risotto with a subtle cherry glaze.  Done!  Two orders for the ladies at the table please.  We also ordered up the Filet.  Both entrees were excellent.  Proportions across the board were good for being able to sample multitudes of courses (like we did) or just add a salad to your entrée and head home nicely satisfied (without the need to run extra miles the next day …like we did).  Pricing was also reasonable not only for the type of food, but add in the level of quality and creativity and you have an exceptional value.

Filet with Bacon and Haricots Verts

Colorado Rack of Lamb with Ramp Risotto

We couldn’t leave without dessert and when one person at the table who will remain nameless (but pictured above) refused to share the chocolate gateaux after her first bite I assumed it was her favorite dish of the night.  It looked fantastic, but she never stopped baring her teeth at us long enough to scam a taste.  I had finally hit my wall of gluttony and ordered the key lime crème de pot with raspberry sorbet, which was a refreshing finish to the night.

Gateaux Plating

Chocolate Gateaux

Chef Doug came out to say hello and check on our evening.  Always a nice touch, but I tend to question the sincerity when the chef  has been alerted to the potential written word.  What if I had just been Joe Diner in here tonight?  In the case of Chef Doug he was a genuine guy.  Once the rush was over and before he introduced himself to us I noticed him circulating the dining room several times and greeting people with a handshake or by name with a smile.  People don’t come here just for special occasions they come when they want to go out, have a good meal, but feel as at-ease as they do at home.  Overall Terry B’s has managed to create an experience that offers variety to a wide clientele …families, young couples, a group of retired friends and at the end of the night they even offered a keyboardist and singer who inspired a few dancers.  Terry B’s slogan is “a comfortable place to be” they just need to add “…with exceptional food.”

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3. Chelsea, It isn’t just for Grandma anymore

The Common Grill
112 S. Main Street
Chelsea, MI 48118
www.commongrill.com

Related posts:

1. Zou Zou’s Cafe
2. The Mission Marketplace
3. Bumble’s Dry Goods

Related posts:

1. Zou Zou’s Cafe
2. The Chelsea House Victorian Inn
3. The Mission Marketplace

We arranged for a 36 hour get away to Chelsea.  At first I wondered why we didn’t just plan on heading that way on 2 different days and skip the overnight-er.  We would have to find a spot for the dogs, pack a bag, alert our postman …to go a few miles down the road.  I’m so glad no one listened to me!

Zou Zou's

Marie <3 the free wifi

As we pulled into town early, hungry and a bit groggy still Zou Zou’s Cafe seemed an obvious first stop.  Zou Zou’s has the main corner in town with the wooden screen door that slaps shut behind you when you enter.  The place is crowded and cozy with as many locals as visitors.  They started as a bakery and still make all their pastries in house.  Now they serve up quiches, bagels, delicious sandwiches and salads as well.  My sandwich, The Walt, had a scrumptious black bean curry paste.  Aaron helped us at the counter and gave a few words of wisdom about the town then he sent us on our way with lattes in hand and a direction.

Bon Bon Bubble Bath

I doubt we would have missed The Potting Shed without Aaron’s advice since it was about 50′ down the street, but you never know and we would have been sad.  Bonnie Clark and her husband own and operate this little gem that started as a garden shop out of their home.  They moved to downtown Chelsea six years ago and then expanded to a larger space in the old Town Hall a year ago.  Their store now includes everything from bird houses to vintage clothing, jewelry, French lotions (mais oui!) fun odds and ends and an old fashioned candy counter.  Try the candy coated whoppers. Bonnie was also nice enough to open a baby store upstairs when their daughter had twins.  Lots of unique and perfect presents for the little people in your life.  I picked up a beautiful dress for a little girl and was surprised at how reasonable the price was …another advantage to expanding out of the high rent district of Ann Arbor.

Hand Soap at Bumble's

With whoppers in hand, Bonnie pointed us out the door with suggestions of where to visit next and off we went …right across the street to Bumble’s Dry Goods.  I had already decided Bonnie was going to be my favorite in town …then I met Carolyn McNagny. Carolyn owns and operates Bumble’s.  She has a great vibe and was a joy to chat with.  She opened about a year ago and stocks goods that are US made (she admitted to one Canadian artist) from mostly small artisans.  Find toys, candles, furniture and art work in every corner of the space.  Although much of her stock comes from around the country, she is carrying more and more local talent.  I bought some beautifully soft rabbit fur gloves that were made locally from bunnies that are combed everyday for the fur they contribute.  I wonder if they want some of my German Shepherd’s hair?  I would just have to empty my vacuum bag.

Fleece Fair

Our next stop was a unexpected surprise in our weekend.  While hanging out with our new friend Carolyn we learned of a fleece fair going on at the local high school.  When the blank look held steady on my face it was explained that the fleece from various animals (sheep, lamas etc) is what is spun into knitting yarn among other things.  Ah!  My mom knits!  In fact I was in need of a new hat creation from her so off we went.  It took all of 10 minutes of being in that auditorium to make me want to start knitting.  The colors and textures… heavenly.  My friend picked up a loop of dove gray cashmere and asked if my mom could make underwear.  I declined on her behalf.  Most of the goods were still in their fleece form (hence the fair name) and on average take 6-8 hours to spin into yarn.  I headed to the racks on the side for those of us incapable of such a feat and picked out a few choice skeins to gift to my mother.

The Chelsea House Inn Living Room

As our stomachs began to grumble, we headed back to town and booked into The Chelsea House Victorian Inn which is close enough to one of the two downtown intersections that you can smell the coffee brewing at Zou Zou’s from the front door. When this little soiree was being planned I was the first to put up my hand in objection when a B&B was mentioned.  Really?  I was ok boarding the dogs for this jaunt, but now I was going to have to have my personal space invaded by someone who probably has the same cache of stories as my 93 yr old neighbor.  My jaded soul should be pinned to a chair and made to play a bingo marathon.  Not only was the place gorgeous, but our proprietor, Jim Myles, was professional, helpful and proved to be a tolerant audience for my jokes.  He greeted us, gave a quick tour of the place, asked if we needed assistance with dinner reservations or theatre tickets, made sure we had the 24/7 phone number to reach him then quietly excused himself so we could settle in.  I was smitten.

Craig Common - The Common Grill

We napped, showered and changed to head to The Common Grill for dinner.  As we were the only guests at the Chelsea House that night we were able to wander through the various suites on the floor.  We had the The Holmes Room named after the owners of the local company Jiffy Mix. The Congdon Room had a view of the garden. The Glazier Suite was the original master and sported a fireplace and period bathroom.  All three suites provided nice space and private bath. There was also a Carriage House which would accommodate families or those looking for full kitchen facilities …or a 2 person jacuzzi.  The main floor of The Chelsea House laid out graciously with fireplace, period furniture and ample room to relax.  Jim had kindly offered to leave out a wine bottle opener and glasses for us if we decided to sit by the fire at the end of our evening.  In the sitting room I found images depicting Jim’s journey with the place.  Wow, talk about a project.  Over a period of six years he had restored or recreated much of the original detailing while installing modern amenities such as en suite baths and flat screen TVs.  After checking out our digs, we headed out the door and walked the block and a half to The Common Grill which was packed when we arrived.  Our table was to be ready in 20 minutes which gave us time to test the martini making skills of the bartender.  Vodka martini dry and up …blue cheese olives if you have them.  She was spot on with it.  I was really beginning to appreciate boarding those dogs overnight.

Parmesan Crusted Lake Superior Whitefish

Rumor on the street is The Common Grill was pitched to Chef and owner Craig Common by none other than Jeff Daniels’ dad, Robert Daniels, who owns the Chelsea Lumber Company.  Yes, it is a small town.  The idea was to open a casual, fine dining experience to compliment a night at The Purple Rose Theatre (opened by Jeff Daniels if you haven’t already heard).  It worked.  Chef Craig Common has established The Common Grill as a dining destination regardless of the time of year.  The dishes ran from good to excellent.  Service was as expected since the staff was working hard to keep up with the crowd and opening curtain.  I’d like to go back on a night when the kitchen is less slammed.  As we wrapped up our last bites, our server kindly reminded us of the time.  We walked a block to The Purple Rose and took our seats.

The Purple Rose is not what you might expect if you haven’t been and no one gives you the spoiler alert.  It is intimate!  My mother hosts more people for Christmas dinner than this theatre holds.  Instead of an opera glasses required venue, you take your seat along with the other 150ish people and enjoy front row seating …along with everyone else.  The seating was set in a U shape around the performance area with the actors close enough to touch.  When the stage lights dropped on the final scene I was impressed and disappointed that it was over.  The cast took their bow and we headed back to The Common Grill for dessert and an after-play cocktail.  Turns out my favorite dish was yet to come… Warm Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Mocha and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise and Caramel Sauce …need I say more.  We were done.  We said goodnight to our friends who had joined us for the evening and as we turned the key to the front door of The Chelsea House I admitted how happy I was only steps from my pillow rather than driving toward the expressway.

The New Chelsea Market

Despite the food, fun and cocktails the night before, I was downstairs in search of coffee by 7.  Jim heard me in the dining room and came out to say good morning.  It was nice to have fresh coffee waiting even though we had arranged an 8:30 breakfast time.  After fruit filled crepes, more coffee and some chat we were ready to finish the town.

Our first stop was the wine shop, town market, The New Chelsea Market.  The shop was recently revamped by owners Kevin Riley and Francisca Fernandez and geared more to the gourmand and customer requests.  The window display pulled us in with the promises of local honey and specialty breads.  Once we were in my partner smelled the corks and hooked an immediate left into the wine area of the shop.  By the time I finished wandering around the butcher counter, the fresh produce, the pie rack and bread bin, Kevin Riley and my friend were knee deep in grape talk, small production vineyards and Michigan laws regarding wine imports.  I enjoy drinking the stuff, but I was happy to check out the light fixtures made from recycled bike parts and fans, as well as, the wine displays made from a wooden campaign sign that was at the entrance to town a year or so ago.  Both were a tribute to the creative minds behind them.  I finally left them behind and headed next door to The Mission Marketplace.

Shop Locally, Help Globally

The Mission Marketplace is a non-profit community marketplace, specializing in handcrafted goods created by those living in impoverished or disadvantaged circumstance.  Kevin Frahm is the Executive Director of Mission Marketplace.  As I walked in, I heard Kevin talking to his son and reminding him that the surest way to guarantee a snow day on Monday was to do his homework today.  Ahhh, childhood.  While wandering around the store I couldn’t help but be amazed at how much Chelsea just kept giving and surprising.  The store was stocked ceiling high with hand crafted goods, clothing, sculpture, jewelry and paintings, from around the world and our own backyard.  All geared to raising awareness and creating better living conditions for different communities …and a lot of it was plenty cool stuff.  Which we did …another pair of gloves and a scarf.  It is winter in Michigan after all.

Turns out we weren’t done at the The New Chelsea Market.  It was Sunday …and now it was after noon.  As we headed out of town we picked up a few bottles of wine.  Although we had an exceptional two days of weather for a Michigan winter we never made it outside the bounds of downtown Chelsea.  We may just have to pick a summer weekend to board the dogs, pack a bag and call Jim to see what rooms he has available…

Related posts:

1. The Common Grill
2. The Chelsea House Victorian Inn
3. The New Chelsea Market

As is typical of independent store owners, they support each other.  You will find a nice selection of take away cuisine from A Knife’s Work in the cooler.  There is a also a blog mention of them carrying “Alfajores” that they picked-up at the Farmer’s Market …some confection of biscuit and caramel dipped in chocolate …What?  Yum!  Everyday Wines also offers off-site wine tastings, co-host and sponsor instructionals to help with your vino knowledge or how to get cheesy with your wine.  I asked Giri if he had any happy surprises this spring from a wine.  You know, when you open a bottle on a Tuesday night to go with a meal you threw together and then, after the first sip, find yourself holding the glass in midair wondering how you were so lucky to happen upon it?  Giri’s answers were a little more politically correct and he offered-up some options at a few different price points.  Here is the list.  Stop in and say hello …and pick-up some great Everyday Wine.

Giri’s Suggested Sipping:

• Dragani Montepulciano: $6.99
• Domaine De Ballade 2008 Sauvignon Blanc: $10.99
• Fattoria Casabianca 2006: $12.99
• Domaine Seguinot-Bordet: $19
• Lunadoro Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2005: $25

Our tasting Notes: We picked up the Lunadoro, the Ballade and the Dragani (who can resist a $6.99 bottle?) Oh, we also got the Spinyback Sauv. Blanc. Not on Giri’s list but hey, it’s in the store so you know it’s gotten the nod.

The Lunadoro has notes of black cherries and raisins with a hint of spice and earth. Good chewiness on the tongue.

The other bottle we’ve tasted was the Spinyback. It’s a solid everyday bottle. Great notes of grass and citrus with a crisp finish. Perfect for the season. It reminds me of the Bancroft but doesn’t try as hard to blow you out.

[View with PicLens]

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Yummmm!  Is it the food?  The crowds?  The great wine list?  Yup, it is.  It is also and perhaps most importantly the staff. I sit at the bar a lot because I like to watch the mechanics of a restaurant and in Café Zola everything is viewable from the front row.  I am also required to sit at the bar at Café Zola because the man in my life, someone who regularly professes to love me, has a crush on one of the bartenders.  There you go.  All that great food, made from the freshest and best ingredients available and it is all secondary to a crush.  However, while my partner waxes poetic about the wine list with his drink-slinging goddess, I get to enjoy some great food and chat-up a few people around me …whether they like it or not.

Cafe Zola opened back in 1996.  I have vague memories of it being a breakfast, coffee, hang’in out kind’a place back then, but after a 10 year hiatus, I came back to find it all grown-up. The owners, Hediye Batu and Alan Zakalik, have managed to keep that casual, relaxed atmosphere I recalled and kindly added a whole bunch of wine!  There is a French flair to many of the dishes with bits of the Mediterranean and Italy included for variety.  As with many independent restaurants in the area, they are loyal to other local businesses using small bakeries to supply anything they don’t make on site.  Whether you plan on coming for breakfast, lunch or dinner Cafe Zola serves up everything from coffee to a Whole Fish enPapillote with attention to detail and the satisfaction of the customer.

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1. Zou Zou’s Cafe
2. Ann Arbor Winter Warriors? Take your drink outside!
3. Delicious Dining in Dexter