Tastemakers: Montgomery Inn BBQ Sauce - Traverse Brewing Sleeping Bear Brown

July 12, 2006

Montgomery Inn BBQ Sauce
It has been nearly five years since Ted “The Ribs King” Gregory passed away but his legacy continues. Gregory was founder of the famed Cincinnati, Ohio based Montgomery Inn that for the past 25 years has ranked in the top 20 highest grossing restaurants in the country. The BBQ legend was a friend of Presidents Regan, Ford and Bush Sr., all who politely were told no when they asked for his secret BBQ sauce recipe. Even celebrity Bob Hope couldn’t
finagle a word out of Gregory, so Hope had 3 bottles shipped to his home every week until he passed away. Gregory started his “Rib” empire in 1951 and became an overnight sensation. While it was his mother who developed the recipe for the famed ribs, it was his wife, Matula, who created the legendary sauce. The sauce was so secret that Matula never told her husband (the real reason he never told anyone) the recipe. Only her daughters know it. To this day, either Matula or her daughters blend the seasonings in the sauce. There are many great sauces on the market, this ranks among the best. The secret is to warm the sauce in a pan and slather on meats or poultry as they come off the grill. Warm with Chateau Fontaine Cherry Wine for delicious ribs. A trip to Cincinnati is always a delight but not necessary to track down the sauce. Look for it at area meat markets or groceries or order online at www.montgomeryinn.com


Traverse Brewing Company
Sleeping Bear Brown
It’s been a dozen years since Traverse Brewing Company founder Jack Archiable brewed his first batch of Manitou Amber Ale. That batch was the first microbrewed beer made in the region since the craftbrew industry emerged in the state during the late 1980s. Manitou quickly became a regional favorite and remains so today (so popular that it is currently sold out). Traverse Brewing followed Manitou a year later with the release of their second ale Sleeping Bear Brown. Classified under the English Brown Ale category it is hazy amber in color. The initial nose of Sleeping Bear reveals subtle hints of chocolate, roasted coffee, toffee and caramel.
On the palate, expect a well-balanced hop and malt sensation with notes of citrus and herbal flavors. This brew pairs perfectly with a sunset picnic at Pyramid Point (north of Sleeping Bear Dunes). Be sure to bring smoked whitefish pate from Carlson’s and sourdough chips from Stonehouse Bread (both in Leland). Look for Sleeping Bear on tap, most pubs and restaurants in the north carry it. It is also available in the bottle. Try it at the brewery located just south of Elk Rapids
(5 miles north of the Grand Traverse Resort). Archiable, along with music man Seamus Shinners, hosts a concert series at the brewery throughout the year.
Archiable isn’t quite where he expected to be after 12 years of business. “I never expected there to be 70 microbreweries in the state, there were only a couple when I got started,” he said. “It is a very competitive marketplace that is for sure, but the competition makes for better quality beer.”