Dinner Date: Epicurean Classic Aims to put Northern Michigan on the Dining Map

Gather a group of food lovers together and what do you have?
How about “Foodstock,” the cooking world’s Woodstock.
Music has groupies and those passionate about cooking are known as “foodies.” It all sounds synergistic, doesn’t it?
It does to Traverse City residents Matt Sutherland and Mark Dressler. Well, sort of. The idea of “foodies” and wine lovers coming to Northern Michigan is exactly what Sutherland and Dressler have been envisioning for a few years. Calling it “Foodstock” lacks the sophisticated feel their gathering will have over the weekend of October 1 in Traverse City.
Hence, “The Traverse Epicurean Classic” is the appropriate title for what will be the greatest gathering of top chefs, wine experts and cookbook authors Northern Michigan has ever seen.
Dressler and Sutherland formed the Traverse Epicurean Alliance, a 501c3 non-profit organization, a few years ago to organize an annual food and wine experience in Northern Michigan àla Aspen and Jackson Hole. The primary benefactor of the Epicurean Classic will be the newly-created Great Lakes Culinary Institute located on West Grand Traverse Bay. The Institute, its staff, students and its state of the art kitchens will play host to many of the weekend cooking classes, demonstrations and dinners.

WHO’S WHO
First year events are always difficult to organize but Dressler and Sutherland have found a way to attract some of the nation’s leading authorities on food and wine. With the likes of author and food and wine expert David Rosengarten (famous from his Food TV Network days), Chef Bobo from the French Culinary Institute and author/chef Stu Stein (“The Sustainable Kitchen) to name a few, The Epicurean Classic is certain to be a hit with all who participate.
So far the biggest challenge for the organizers has been the date.
“We picked this first weekend in October to showcase the beauty of the area,” said Sutherland. “We didn’t know that Wolfgang Puck had an event that same weekend out west and several major chefs and others had already committed to his event. Many have expressed interest in participating with us in the future so we are moving the date into September next year.”
But that is then and this is now and what is happening this weekend is heaven on earth for connoisseurs of food and wine. Despite the Traverse Epicurean Classic being only days away, organizers will still take participants in most of the 46-plus events taking place over the weekend.
“When we set out to do this, we made a commitment to be flexible and that means literally taking reservations for participation right up until the day of,” said Dressler. “It also means creating a food and wine experience that has something for everyone. When you look at what we have created with our classes, lectures and dinners, we have an opportunity for everyone that participates to take something home and incorporate it into their own culinary lifestyle.”

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Another important component was making the event accessible to all.
“When we looked at models in other communities, we saw that these events were geared to the very affluent,” said Sutherland. “We don’t want to be exclusive in our approach so we have a structure in place to allow for maximum participation, regardless of your wallet.”
Sutherland points to a couple of events in particular:
“Simply going to 310 on Friday night for an a la carte menu with chef Andrew Gillen, owner of Q, San Francisco’s funkiest soul-satisfying restaurant. Gillen will join the 310 staff in preparing appetizers and small entrees priced between $7 and $14 and you couple that with a stellar wines-by-the-glass list from some of Australia’s top wineries, and this is a real affordable way to experience the weekend with no other commitments,” said Sutherland.
“There will also be times during the weekend when those who want to may show up for book signings with no participation cost -- just purchasing the book. Classes and demonstrations are also very reasonably priced. If you look at the dinners -- especially the Grand Reception on Saturday night -- to have six of the best chefs in the country preparing a meal with 100 plus wines available for only $85 is unheard of anywhere.”

LOCAL & BEYOND
Sutherland and Dressler want the Classic to be seen as an opportunity for participants to experience what is beyond our local horizons while at the same time celebrating what we have to offer regionally on the culinary landscape.
“This type of event would not work if we didn’t have a culinary region of note,” said Dressler. “We have a lot of talented chefs and several great restaurants in the area. Many will be participating throughout the weekend.”
Some of those local chefs have garnered national recognition, including Phil Murray of Windows, Pete Peterson of Tapawingo and Jim Milliman (Hattie’s) of the soon to be opened Hanna in downtown Traverse City. The three have been responsible for creating a culinary reputation in the area that has paved the way for Northern Michigan to join the “destination dining” craze. All three chefs will offer cooking classes over the weekend along with chefs Dave Denison and Jon Eakes of Amical, and Myles Anton from the hot new Trattoria Stella in Traverse City.
Interest in The Epicurean Classic has gone beyond expectations for the first year. Inquiries have come from all over the country and several participants are traveling from Chicago and Detroit.
Both Sutherland and Dressler see many benefits to the community as a result.
“These celebrity chefs and authors along with other wine industry professionals and members of the food and wine media will be experiencing our area. They will leave here and take with them the best we have to offer,” said Sutherland. “It might be a local wine, or it might be the best whitefish or rabbit they have ever had. I feel our culinary reputation will be enhanced as a result.”

CULINARY INSTITUTE
The fact that the Great Lakes Culinary Institute will be highlighted throughout the weekend will be another benefit.
“This is the state of the art culinary training facility in the Midwest,” said Dressler. “These visiting chefs will be blown away and will definitely be talking to others about this place. Another benefit will be that the current students will have an opportunity to work with legends in the kitchen during the weekend.”
With so much going on, from a cigar dinner featuring the BBQ Queens from Kansas City, to lectures from the likes of acclaimed author Michael Ruhlman (“The French Laundry Cookbook), or Brian Smith of the Culinary Institute of America and the author of “The Sommelier’s Guide to Wine,” to cooking classes with Chicago’s hottest chef Jacky Plutton, to a surf & turf dinner featuring lobster and bison prepared by New England lobster chef Tom Gutow and Louisville’s most innovative restaurateur/chef Edward Lee, how does one choose what to do?
“I think there are two ways to approach participation based on the calls so far,” said Dressler. “We have people signing up just for the evening dinners and the Grand Reception & Wine Auction on Saturday night and doing other things during the day like touring the local wineries. This group is what I call the leaf peepers. We have others that are selecting a demonstration or two and then catching one of the dinners. I think it works best to study all the options on our website and select what interests you the most.”
There are a total of 22 classes and demonstrations between Friday and Saturday. They range from “Wine Friendly Rustic Autumn Dishes” by chef Paul Virant from Chicago’s popular Vie restaurant to “Resurrecting the Christmas Goose,” hosted by Zingerman’s Todd Wickstrom of Ann Arbor.
“We have so many great chefs coming in and to have the opportunity to interact in the kitchen and learn from the likes of a Stu Stein, who truly is one of America’s top chefs, is an impressive thing,” said Sutherland. “I hope people realize that you are going to be right there with them at the stove. Unlike watching on TV, when you have a question you will be able to ask it.”

MASTER OF WINE
What about for wine lovers?
“We have a lot in that area as well,” said Sutherland. “Master of wine Bob Paulinski (Village Wine Shop, where Blue Goat is now) returns to the area to lead a couple of seminars and will serve as auctioneer at our Grand Reception & Wine Auction on Saturday night. Bob is probably the most powerful wine buyer in the country and certainly one of the most powerful in the world. It will be great to have him back to lead some blind tasting seminars.”
Dressler is quick to add that Paulinski and the other presenters over the weekend are approachable.
“This weekend is geared to the novice food and wine enthusiast, to the expert, as well as the industry professional. We want to emphasize that if you know a lot, you are still going to learn a lot and if you don’t know anything, you are going to learn something all while having a lot of fun.”
Dressler and Sutherland’s access to the many authors over the weekend comes from their work as publishing industry consultants.
“Mark in particular has developed over the years great relationships with several cookbook publishers,” said Sutherland. “These publishers and authors want to travel and promote their books. These types of food and wine events are great opportunities to release new books. Both Rosengarten and chef Bobo have new books coming out this fall and this will be the first place these books will be made available to the public.”

CIGAR DINNER
Other weekend highlights include the kick-off dinner on Thursday, September 30 under a tent at the Culinary Institute. The Smokin’ Kansas City Cigar Dine Around will allow participants to watch the BBQ Queens in action as they smoke ribs and grill pork tenderloin.
“A lot of people signing up for this would not normally go to a cigar dinner, but when they look at the menu they are sold on it,” said Dressler. “I have to remind them that we will be smoking cigars.”
On Friday classes run 10 am til noon with a lunch break and afternoon sessions resuming at 1 pm. The evening will feature four dining options known as Great Chefs-Great Wines. Stu Stein and a representative from Robert Mondavi will be at Amical. Stella will welcome chef Paul Virant along with wines from Italy, while chefs Gutow and Lee will be under the tent at the Culinary Institute with the Lobster and Bison affair featuring an assortment of upscale wines to match the courses. Chef Gillen will be at 310 with an a la carte menu and Australian wines. All dinners start at 6 p.m.
Another option on Friday night is the Michael Ruhlman reception and talk at the Culinary Institute. Sponsored by the Friends of the Traverse Area District Library, the event will serve as their annual fundraiser. The reception will feature appetizers and small dishes from Ruhlman’s book, “The French Laundry Cookbook,” prepared by the Culinary Institute students, paired with wines from Toasted Head Vineyards.
Classes and demonstrations resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday highlighted by two grape picking/lunch in the vineyard opportunities on either the Leelanau or Old Mission Peninsulas.
The weekend closes with the Grand Reception & Wine Auction at the Culinary Institute. Chefs Pete Peterson, Stu Stein, Edward Lee, Andrew Gillen, Tom Gutow and Jacky Plutton will collaborate on what organizers are billing as “an epicurean experience unlike anything Traverse City has ever seen.” The evening will also consist of 150 wines from world plus the best wines from the area. Everything finishes with a unique auction of rare and coveted fine wines and a complete collection of first edition Jim Harrison books signed by the author.

HOLLYWOOD CHEF
In keeping with their open format the two received a call last week from legendary chef Patrick Terrail who plans to come and participate. Terrail is credited with bringing French cuisine to America. His restaurant, Ma Maison in Hollywood, was home to stars during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Orson Wells dined there every day for lunch and dinner during his last years, Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon would dine there often after taping the ‘Tonight Show.’ Ma Maison was the first restaurant to have an unlisted number and its chef was none other then Wolfgang Puck.
“Of course we are going to welcome a legend like Patrick Terrail to the table,” said Sutherland. “His book is sold out but we are going to have him at the dinner on Saturday night working. He attended college at Cornell with Black Star Farms owner Don Coe. His publishers plan to do a second printing so we will bring him back next year to sign copies and give a lecture.” If this isn’t enough to satisfy you, come back again next year as Sutherland and Dressler expect to double the offerings.
“I envision tents all over the Culinary Institute grounds in future years,” said Dressler. “We will have more classes, more chefs and more authors next year.”
But don’t wait. There is room for participation this year. It is all for a good cause; the Great Lakes Culinary Institute. For a complete schedule of events visit
www.epicureanclassic.com or phone
Mark Dressler at (231) 932-0475.
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