The Thirsty Sturgeon

Oct. 16, 2015

Eclectic Fare in the Wilds of Wolverine

FROM THE GREENS TO THE RIVER

Dave Marsh had his first restaurant job at the age of 12, as a dishwasher. By 14, he was a line cook at an Italian grill in Southfield, Mich. Sous chef was next on the restaurant ladder, but by then, Marsh had learned there was more money to be made in the front of the house.

“So, I became a server and bartender, and continued that all through college,” he said. A food systems management degree from Michigan State University should have solidified his future, but he diversified temporarily, becoming a PGA professional and managing several golf courses and country clubs until he and his wife Sheryl sought a new life.

“In 2001, after 9/11, we decided we wanted to get out of Detroit,” Marsh said. “We’d also decided it was time to make money for ourselves, instead of making money for other people.”

Musician and longtime friend, Mike Ridley, encouraged the Marshes to head north, so Marsh took his PGA experience to the Indian River Golf Club, which he managed for a decade while he and his wife slowly formulated ideas and scouted properties.

When the Meadows Bar and Grill came up for sale, they watched it for 14 months as the price dropped.

“We finally bought it in January of 2013,” Marsh said. “We live locally on the Sturgeon River and this is where we wanted our restaurant to be.”

BACK TO THE LAND

While running the Indian River Golf Club, Marsh and his wife would often cook meals for special club events, with Marsh drawing on his restaurant experience and Sheryl being “just a really good cook,” he said. “People would always tell us, every time, ‘you should open up a restaurant,’” he added.

Once they found the right property, everything else lined up quickly, as their approach was already formulated.

“We were personally tired of going to restaurants where we just didn’t enjoy the food,” Marsh said. “So we decided we’d craft artisan comfort foods.”

Keeping those foods local was a priority. “We use farm products as much as we can — meat from Circle M Ranch, Lay’s Chips and a local consortium of farmer’s markets for produce,” he continued.

They also wanted to maximize the property itself.

“We felt that the land was way underutilized,” Marsh explained. “We’ve got 300 yards right on the Sturgeon River, 50 yards on the snowmobile trail, so we need to be ready for all four seasons. We get hikers, cross-country skiers, morel mushroom hunters, kayakers, and we’re right on North Central Trail No. 7, the main biking trail between Gaylord and Mackinaw City.”

They’re also looking at hosting a small music festival in the near future to draw music fans.

The only missing piece of the puzzle was the restaurant’s name, and they found that during a trip to Wisconsin to visit Marsh’s brother.

“There’s a place on US-2 called The Thirsty Whale,” he said, “and since we live on the Sturgeon River, we combined the two and thought that was pretty cute and a perfect fit.”

SOMETHING FISHY AND MORE

With a name like The Thirsty Sturgeon, you’ve probably guessed there’s an emphasis on fish, and you’re right, at least as far as decor goes. Marsh’s son Nick is a top-ranked college team bass fisherman (Adrian College), so his parents proudly display his accomplishments with lots of fishing photos.

“The rest of the place is pretty comfortable and low-key,” Marsh said.

Calling the restaurant “an old northern Wisconsin supper club dropped into northern Michigan,” the overall feel echoes a waterside lodge, all pine with log siding, comfortable seating and warm tones. The food is a pleasant contrast to its surroundings with eclectic ingredient combinations and new interpretations of traditional comfort foods.

“It’s different food, artisan food. You’re not going to find anything like it anywhere else in northern Michigan,” Marsh said.

EIGHT DAYS A WEEK

Most of the food at is made from scratch and there’s something special for every day of the week, from soups to their most popular appetizer, the wrylynamed Reuben Balls.

“Everything that’s in a Reuben sandwich is in these, including our spicy pickles, which we sell separately in jars,” Marsh said. “The Reuben fixings are rolled into balls, dipped in panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), deep fried and served with Thousand Island dressing.”

Another favorite starter is the Schmeers, grilled herbed bread “schmeered” with toppings like bacon jam or spinach-artichoke spread. Casual entrees include salads like the Greek chicken mix, sandwiches like smoked pulled pork on a brioche roll or Great Lakes whitefish with classic tartar sauce and cole slaw, and a range of ½ pound Circle M burgers.

Sample dinners include pizza made with homemade dough, baked Parmesan walleye or shrimp Sambuca served over linguine.

“And don’t forget to leave room for dessert,” Marsh said, “because we have the best one, our banana bread-bread pudding.”

The Marshes recently expanded the restaurant from 98 seats to 208. All the better to welcome more guests to enjoy their popular nightly specials: Monday’s Mexican Buffet, Tuesday’s All You Can Eat Pizza, Wednesday’s Pasta Night, Thursday’s Wings Night, Saturday’s Prime Rib and Sunday’s Comfort Food night, which changes every week.

“Everything from shepherd’s pie to beef stroganoff,” Marsh said.

It’s all part of keeping the menu diverse and the surroundings friendly. “We want to continue supplying good food,” he said. “And we’re here for the locals. I like knowing that I have 10 different families working for me who can be self-sufficient in their lives and careers. I like the people who come in, and I just like the camaraderie of the place.”

The Thirsty Sturgeon is located at 11900 Scott Road in Wolverine. Fall hours: Sunday through Thursday 11am–8pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–9pm. For more information, call (231) 525-9151 or visit facebook.com/ TheThirstySturgeon.