March 28, 2024

Maple Leaf Restaurant Blends Tradition & Style

Oct. 20, 2004
Step inside the Maple Leaf Restaurant and you’ll step into Leelanau County’s past. The building which houses the Maple City restaurant was built in 1866. It got its start as a factory that made pegs from maple timber. Eventually, a schoolhouse was built on the site, which eventually became the Maple Leaf.
The Maple Leaf Restaurant was established just outside of this town of 1,040 persons in 2001 by the Glen Noonan family who own it.
Chef-manager is John Hardy, age 39, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. and roomed with famed Rocco DiSpirito during his first year there. Hardy’s first job was as banquet chef of Nashville, Tennessee’s Opryland Hotel. After working for Marriott Corporation, he joined the Maple staff. Hardy describes his menu as “regional American fused with Mediterranean and Southwestern flavors.”
The Maple Leaf’s salad bar is very good and free with entrees or $7.50 by itself. One offering is a Waldorf salad, which is yogurt-based with dried cherries, pecans, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Another is curried chicken salad with apples and kidney beans; and a kidney bean salad with fresh basil, chili powder. Five dinner salads include a chilled marinated steak and barley on spring greens at $8.25. We liked the Caesar romaine with greens, croutons, parmesan cheese, dried cherries, toasted pine nuts, grape tomatoes with Caesar dressing, $5.95. And there’s regular leaf lettuce, tomatoes, fruits and other beginnings if you’re in the mood for a small salad.
A favorite of the house for dinner is smoked duck breast and sun-dried tomato pasta tossed with cream, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and olives over penne pasta ($13.95). Of eight “Unexpected Beginnings,” we found the hand-dipped onion rings, $4.95, very good, as were the chicken wings with bleu cheese at $5.95. We could have had the bbq’d bacon-wrapped shrimp topped with onion marmalade on cornbread squares, $8.95, among others. Of several soups, we found the chili very good.
There are three pasta-vegetarian dishes besides the smoked duck. The vegetable empanada at $14.95 is fresh veggies baked in a light pastry with goat cheese and salsa. Five “From The Grill” items run Maple City pot roast and mashed potatoes, $12.95, to Cowboy RibEye Steak, a one pounder with onion rings and smoked Cheddar cheese mashed potatoes at $23.95. Three times a month Hardy also offers bbq ribs at $15.95.
Three fish entrees run Great Lakes Yellow Perch, $16.95, bbq’d salmon, $14.95 to Michigan walleye at $13.95. Five pork, poultry and game dishes included roasted game hen at $13.95, a 14 oz. maple glazed pork chop at $15.95 and Venison Osso Buco at $23.95.
Hardy himself likes a backyard barbecued boneless pork loin or chop on the grill with roasted corn black bean salsa and has it at least twice a week. He loves sweet corn smoky from the grill after soaking the ears in their husks in water for half an hour. He prepares a medium grill and roasts the corn ears about 20 minutes, turning them with long-handled tongs as they char, then rubs them with lime wedges, salt. Better yet, he gets local corn picked in the morning and refrigerates it with husks on until cooking.
Hardy’s Maple Leaf southwest combread is served with grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon. He preheats an oven to 375 degrees and blends a cup of softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, four large eggs, half cup fresh sweet corn kernels, half cup grated smoked cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese, 2 cups flour, 2 cups corn meal, cup and a half dried cherries, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, baking the blend for 30 minutes.
Our waitperson, Ellen, was very good as were the six others in the dining room. The tables are natural maple with green cloths beneath blue chandeliers. Pictures of the old schoolhouse and its students adorn the walls.

Located at 172 W. Burdickville Road in Maple City, the Maple Leaf Restaurant is closed Mon.-Tues. It is open Wed.-Thurs., 11:30a.m. -9 p.m., Fri., ll:30a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat. 8 -10 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Weekly Sunday brunches from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. have 12 hot items with adults charged $13.95, children under 5 free. Major credit cards accepted, alcohol & wine available.
Ph. 231-228-4688

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