Rick Coates

Dining Rick Coates 2010 Food/Restaurant/Beverage Trends
The world of food and beverage is changing quickly and with the start of a new year, and even a new decade, it is time to talk trends. Concerns over food safety and health-related issues (using your diet to combat influenzas, disease and new world viruses) are two driving factors in a changing food world that has consumers seeking out local and organic foods. Look for similar books to Dr. John La Puma’s popular 2009 ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover’s Road Map to: Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, Getting Really Healthy.
But with that said, the hot menu item is fried chicken. But look for healthier versions of this classic popping up on menus with free range—skin off—oven-baked fried chicken leading the way (traditionalists will beg to differ). Lamb dishes are also hot, pork is not, and burgers are getting mixed reviews (but does anyone think that a good burger will ever lose favor?).

Dining Rick Coates A Conversation with Chef Ted
By Rick Coates
Executive Chef Ted Cizma epitomizes the modern day chef—“this is not a
job, it is a lifestyle”—seven day work weeks, 15 hour days and
believing that being a great chef is more than just about the food, it
is about creating a “memorable experience.”
He took time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Dining Rick Coates Gravlax (Lox)
This time of the year lots of people reach into the family cookbooks preparing foods in honor of their heritage. We just finished making a year’s supply of pirogues in my family, honoring my wife’s Polish ancestry. One of my favorite ethnic dishes this time of the year is Gravlax, and since our region is rooted in Scandinavian settlers, I always scan the appetizer tables at parties looking for it.
Gravlax (Gravad Lax, Lox) is a traditional method of preparing salmon by coating spices and then covering and weighing down to draw out the salmon flavor. It’s also prepared in Germany, Nova Scotia and Scotland.

Music Rick Coates They Wuz Robbed...
KISS gets passed up for ABBA at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
By Rick Coates
Recently, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland announced its
2010 induction class.  But with a major band being snubbed again this
year, many are now calling it the “Rock and Roll Hall of Shame.”
When the nominations were announced nearly two months ago, KISS was on
the list and everyone had them as a shoe in; everyone that is, but
those who select the members. The outcry is over the fact that Swedish
pop stars ABBA made it in and KISS didn’t.

Dining Rick Coates Christmas Dinner
Bob Dylan was right, the times, they are a-changin’. It started with grocery stores offering pre-made holiday dinners years ago. You could pre-order dinner and simply warm it up and relax and enjoy the holidays. Many hotels for years have been offering meals during the holidays as well for the traveling public.
Now restaurants are joining in and with good reason. More and more families are on the go; and going out to dinner on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day makes sense for many. As one friend told me “it takes the stress out of the day for us and it is less expensive.”

Music Rick Coates Calling All Rock Stars
Rock Your Way To
The Top Is Back
By Rick Coates
Last year was the inaugural year for Rock Your Way to the Top, a talent contest for rock and roll bands in Michigan. A smashing success, the event returns in January of 2010.
Hosted by the Turtle Creek Casino and co-produced and sponsored by Joey Callahan of Radius Recording, this has quickly become the premiere music competition in Michigan.
This marks the final week for bands to submit their recordings for consideration. The winning band will receive $2,000 in cash, production with a Grammy award-winning producer, studio time at Radius Recording, and an opening slot for a major headliner this June at Leelanau Sands Showroom.

Dining Rick Coates Hash Brown Pizza - Fife Lake Inn
Growing up in East Lansing I learned to appreciate “pizza for
breakfast” from my classmate Dave Marriage. His parents would order us
pizza during the many sleepovers he hosted and then the next morning
we would eat leftover cold pizza for breakfast.

Music Rick Coates Aaron Tippin
puts Charity Effort into Overdrive
By Rick Coates
Superstar Aaron Tippin has the reputation of being “the hardest
working man in country music,” and is affectingly referred to as the
“Hillbilly Hercules.”  

Dining Rick Coates Michigan Culinary Tourism Initiative
The tourism industry in our part of Northern Michigan was built on the beaches, lakes, streams, ski hills and trails. While those components remain important today, the future of tourism in the region may look -- or should we say “taste” -- different. Just last week the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced the formation of the new Michigan Culinary Tourism Alliance.
“With agriculture and tourism as the state’s second and third largest industries, it makes sense to promote Michigan as a rewarding travel destination for educational, healthy and tasty food experiences,” said Don Koivisto, director of the MDA.

Features Rick Coates Stage Set for Energizing
TC’s Opera House
By Rick Coates
After being embroiled in the center of controversy for the past month, the drama at the City Opera House appears to be coming to an end. Or could it be just act one is over? Maybe the next couple of weeks during the holiday season will be the intermission and in January of 2010 the second act in the drama will begin to unfold.

Dining Rick Coates Shay Station
7-Layer Tuxedo Cake
Sometimes going out just for dessert is fun. Most of us talk about going out for dinner, but when was the last time you said “let’s go out for dessert”? Sure, in the summertime we say let’s go for ice cream, but going out for dessert is something we should embrace year-round.

Features Rick Coates ‘Soap’ Opera House
The drama continues over the destiny of TC’s City Opera House
By Rick Coates
The most exciting theatrical performance in the 120-year history of the City Opera House in Traverse City is not taking place on its own stage, but rather in the city commission chambers of city hall and coffee shops around town.
The debate over the future of the City Opera House easily could be a script right out of some nighttime reality soap opera show. It has all the twists and turns and the “he said, she said” and the “she did, he did” that has residents, supporters, user groups and others at the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next.

Dining Rick Coates Grand Traverse Pie Company Northport Pumpkin Pie
The Grand Traverse Pie Company is busier than normal this week, filling thousands of Thanksgiving orders for its Northport Pumpkin Pie, or for that matter, any of the 30+ pies they offer daily. So if you are unable to buy one for your Thanksgiving table this week, at least slide down to their Traverse City or Petoskey location and have a slice of their pumpkin pie with a scoop of Moomer’s vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee for a mid-day stress break as you prepare for this festive weekend.

Features Rick Coates ‘Tis the Season to Shop Local
Gift ideas from local artisans support Northern Michigan
By Rick Coates
Each year during the Christmas holiday season there are always those hard-to-buy-for family and friends. Here are a few suggestions that certainly will please even the toughest person on your list and help to contribute to the local economy:

Dining Rick Coates The OTC sandwich at Old Town Coffee & Eatery
Mark Fowler has built a reputation over the past 15 years as being the “Maestro of the Sandwich.” For several years he owned a couple of popular luncheon eateries in Cadillac, most recently The Bistro, where he perfected the art of a tasty sandwich prepared quickly. He has brought his talents to the Old Town Coffee & Eatery (located on Union Street in Traverse City in the “Old Town District”) as general manager, barista and maestro of the sandwich.