Tastemakers: Lunch at Mary‘s Kitchen Port - Westmalle Dubbel Trappist Ale

Jan. 18, 2006

Lunch from Mary’s Kitchen Port
The Traverse Epicurean Classic along with the increasing number of fine dining restaurants in Northern Michigan has put a recent spotlight on the region’s pursuit of gourmet cuisine. However, Mary’s Kitchen Port (located on Front St. in Traverse City) was on the cutting edge of “foodie enthusiast movement” when they opened their door 25 years ago (they started their catering business 30 years ago) offering the “home chef” quality cooking utensils.
But Mary’s has always been more then a kitchen paraphernalia shop; it has been one of the area’s most popular take-out lunch eateries. Mary’s is home to the “White Bag” lunch with the kitchen staff preparing an array of lunchtime goodies fresh daily. For connoisseur of soups and sandwiches Mary’s always has an assortment, the clam chowder is a must-try along with ham and provolone croissant. The coolers are always packed with several delightful side dishes.
Particular favorites over the years (see photo) include the Southwest Bean Salad, made with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, fresh cilantro and avocados. The Rustic Italian Pasta is made with penne rigate-piccolo and kalamata olives, French feta and sun-dried tomatoes. Mary’s Provolone (smoked) Potatoes are a wonderful alternative to greasy fries. The Maytag Slaw is made with a brand of blue cheese developed by that famed appliance guy Fred Maytag at his small dairy farm in Iowa during the 1940s.
These sides collectively make a great lunch for two, or individually pair well with Mary’s soups and sandwiches. The smiles and courteous helpful service easily puts the Mary’s Kitchen Port staff in the Tastemakers Customer Service Hall of Fame. So whether you are looking for a good paring knife, omelet pan, coffeemaker or a good lunch, Mary’s is your place. Oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the gourmet chocolates; a good lunch is always finished with dessert.-- Rick Coates


Westmalle Dubbel Trappist Ale (Belgium)
(Featured at the Stella Winter Beer Dinner)

On January 19 Trattoria Stella in TC will host their first Winter Beer Dinner. Now, Stella is known for its great made-from-scratch-local-ingre-
dient-Italian inspired cuisine and having one of the region’s best wine lists. But beer? Oh yeah, the crew at Stella is definitely up on their hops. In fact last summer they put Stellar Ale on tap. It’s their very own signature brew handcrafted for them by Joe Short at Short’s Brewery; plus their cooler is stocked with a unique collection of micros and imports that are all cuisine-friendly.
So this beer dinner makes sense, especially since everyone is having wine dinners or martini nights, the beer connoisseur in Northern Michigan has probably felt a little neglected. The six-course dinner will feature six beers paired with epicurean delights that include a pheasant & duck liver pâté, Halpin Farms lamb ravioli, Columbia River sturgeon and a Denver elk shank.
Bottoms Up has profiled five of the six beer offerings in previous issues (Anderson Valley Brewing Triple, Stellar Ale, Hobgoblin, Fuller’s Porter and Short’s “Cuppa Joe” Stout). The sixth in the Stella line-up is Westmalle Dubbel Trappist Ale from Belgium. The Abbey of Westmalle is one of only six Trappist breweries in the world and Dubbel and Tripel are considered to be the benchmarks for tasters of this style. The Westmalle Dubbel is well-balanced with a brown-amber color and holds a nice head when poured in a chalice or red wine glass. The dark malt aroma has subtle hints of cherry and ginger. This ale pairs wonderfully after dinner with espresso or before dinner with sweeter and soft style cheeses.
Chef Myles Anton has chosen to pair the Dubbel with butternut squash bisque, toasted pumpkin seeds and white truffle oil. Excellent choice as this rich consommé will draw out the molasses and brown sugar elements of the ale. The Winter Beer Dinner at Stella will offer plenty of camaraderie among beer enthusiasts and also prove that fine brews are definitely in the same league as wine when it comes to pairing with gastronomic pleasures. For reservations or further details visit
www.stellatc.com or call (231) 929-8989.