What’s Cooking at Little Bay Gourmet

Inside the eatery’s deli, catering, and holiday menus

Chef Sarah McDonnell of Little Bay Gourmet seems uniquely prepared to helm her Petoskey deli slash meal service slash catering enterprise. Her curriculum vitae speaks for itself: The Petoskey native graduated from CMU in 1998 before moving on to culinary school in Chicago. McDonnell called the Windy City home for the next 20 years, beginning with her first position at the Union League Club, then tenure as executive chef with a leading Chicago hospitality group, plus a stint as a culinary instructor.

McDonnell returned to Petoskey in 2019 to purchase the Parkside Deli in Petoskey’s diminutive flatiron building on Howard Street, a fabulous location in the heart of downtown. The following year she added Chef Sarah, her catering company for events big and small, plus a private chef service, a stock-your-fridge service, and chef-prepared healthy home-cooked meals. But the building was small and McDonnell was destined to outgrow it.

Four years later, she did.

New Space, Bigger than the Old Space

Today, McDonnell’s entire venture is known as Little Bay Gourmet, now operating out of a much larger site at 314 W. Mitchell St. with a staff of three. (Sarah’s husband, Matt, helps out in a pinch.) The current location began as a House of Flavors in 1978, and the place was definitely not turnkey. “The kitchen was all out of code,” McDonnell says, and required significant renovations.

Still, it’s an inspired choice. The site is big enough to create the on-site retail food service and to also function as a staging area for catering jobs. Indoors there is seating for 24 patrons to dine in. (It’s self-serve, so don’t look for waitstaff.) But the front of the house is also big enough for groups of up to 99, and McDonnell has future plans for cooking classes and larger events.

After settling into their new digs last July and completing renovations, the catering jobs continue to grow and “we get busier every week,” McDonnell says. “[We’re] starting to come into our groove.” Little Bay Gourmet is also looking for new opportunities. “We’re looking to partner with some other caterers who have a liquor license,” McDonnell adds.

Everything at Little Bay Gourmet is made from scratch and sourced locally whenever possible; McDonnell used Petoskey’s historic Coveyou Farm Market this year for organic produce. Plus, she supports a very long list of Michigan products including Great Lakes Chips, Grand Papa’s Cheese Puffs, Faygo beverages, Top Daddy Pretzels, 313 Urban Chips, Traverse Bay Farms salsas, Fustini’s Oil and Vinegars, Blake’s pickles, Mab’s Mustard, Plath’s meats, and Petoskey’s Spoonful of Granola—small-batch, 18 flavors, and a personal favorite of Chef Sarah. Plus, the Fraser-based Carmella Foods, direct source for producers, farms, and suppliers in the Midwest and internationally, provides top tier products.

On the Menu

Little Bay Gourmet offers grab-and-go sandwiches, sides, soups, hot entrees, and boxed meals, plus a salad bar, all with dine-in or take-out options. This menu from November is just an example of what is served up:

The Take ‘n Heat Entrees include Chipotle Braised Beef Short Ribs and mascarpone grits; Lemon Dill Shrimp, with spinach and brown rice; and Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf, with buttermilk smashed red skins and green beans. Or try a soup including the Cactus Chili with brightly flavored nopales, aka prickly pear cactus; the Potato, Cauliflower & Gruyere; and the Tomato Sausage & Tortellini.

The rotating Hot Bar for the week is Teriyaki Pork & Fried Rice. (Also in rotation are the baked potato bar and chicken shawarma, among others.) The made-to-order sandwich is Hot Turkey with bacon, bacon jam, smoked gouda, and honey mustard on a pretzel bun.

Gourmet boxed lunches with a whole or half sandwich might include the Turkey and Avocado with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, white cheddar, and basil aioli; or Chicken Salad with dried cherries, pecans, and apple slices. Choose a side such as mustard potato salad, creamy coleslaw, fresh mixed fruit, and pasta salads, plus chips.

A Catered Affair

The catering menu is huge—and we mean huge—and Little Bay Gourmet can accommodate business functions, private parties, formal events, weddings, and just about anything in between.

Three or four course seasonal tasting menus might include Beef Tartar, Lemon Basil Risotto, and Carraway Salmon, for example. Include a dessert such as Cherry Clafoutis or Chocolate Port Pot de Cream.

Then there’s the cocktail/appetizer menu in case you want to wow your guests with Smoked Trout Crostini with herb aioli; Watermelon Poke in sesame cones; Raclette Cheese, Ham, and Cornichon skewers; or Lavender Honey Glazed Lamb Meatballs.

And don’t forget brunch with quiche, frittata, burritos, puff pastry, and nine flavors of buttermilk biscuits just for starters.

With the holidays coming, here’s another incredible opportunity to elevate your entertaining. Prepare your turkey, standing rib roast, duck, or ham, and then complete the menu with these selections. (These are Thanksgiving items, but you can expect similar offerings for Christmas.)

For sides choose from, among others, Green Bean Prosciutto Bundles with almond brown butter dressing, Roasted Delicata Squash with fennel and apple, Chestnut, Bacon Stuffing Rolls, or Sweet Potato Rosemary Gruyere Gratin. Dessert offerings include Pecan Pie Cheesecake, Espresso Pumpkin Buttercake, Pumpkin Crisp, Chocolate Pecan Chess Pie, and individual Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

Menus change so keep up with Little Bay Gourmet for a complete list of offerings. Look for upcoming events and classes (plus do visit often to experience those incredible dishes).

Find Little Bay Gourmet at 314 W. Mitchell St., Petoskey. (231) 622-5281; littlebaygourmet.com

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