Tastemakers: Dowker‘s Polish Sausage - Trattoria Stella Winter Beer Dinner

Jan. 17, 2007

Dowker’s Polish Sausage with Agrosik Sauerkraut

During the holidays my family visited relatives in Gaylord ,and as always, Christmas dinner was steeped in Polish cuisine. With my wife’s 91-year-old grandmother, “Babu,” we made about 200 pirogues. She shared many Polish traditions and reminisced about her favorite Polish stomping grounds in Detroit. Then she said: “The best Polish sausage out there comes from Dowker’s Meat Market & Deli in Gaylord.”
Curious, I stopped in to see the market Les and Flo Dowker opened 20 years ago (though they have been in the meat processing business for 50 years) at 2261 Old 27 South near Wager Motors. Babu was right
-- the Polish sausage made fresh at Dowker’s is as good as it gets.
Seasoned to perfection with just the right amount of garlic, Dowker’s sausage is perfect for any meal of the day. Try a Dowker’s Polish omelet with smoked sausage, sauerkraut, onions, mushrooms and provolone cheese. At lunch, grill and serve on a bun and top with sauerkraut, onion and a good stone-ground mustard. For dinner, serve grilled on top of a pile of sauerkraut.
The Dowker’s also sell Agrosik Sauerkraut made in Poland, and if you think all sauerkraut tastes the same, Agrosik will prove otherwise. Pair Dowker’s Polish sausage with a growler of Big Buck Brewery’s Doc’s Extra Special Bitter. For the John Deere toy tractor enthusiasts, the Dowker’s have quite the collection on display; add that to the quality meats they offer and they are well worth a visit, regardless of where you live in Northern Michigan. For additional details or information on their custom butchery, smoking and meat processing services, give them a call at 989.732.7575


Trattoria Stella Winter Beer Dinner
with Short’s Brews

Joe Short has been hauling in the hardware at several beer competitions as of late, including a Gold Medal for his Cuppa Joe Coffee Crème Stout at the coveted World Beer Expo. Short is somewhat of a brewing madman, often offering 20+ brews on tap at his brewery in Bellaire. He will bring five of those beers to Trattoria Stella on Thursday for their Second Annual Winter Beer Dinner.
This dinner offers a perfect opportunity to experience a first hand taste of beer’s “pair-ability” with food. The pairings for the evening are a collaborative effort between the brewmaster and the culinary team at Stella led by Chef Myles. Pairings of note include Stellar Ale (the house beer brewed by Short exclusively for Stella), a hoppy pale ale with Tuna Tartar, and Aorta Ale, Short’s double red ale, paired with the Char-grilled Long Island Duck Breast with beet fettuccine, shiitake mushrooms and white truffle duck stock.
At all Stella special dinners, an Intermezzo is served, and for the beer dinner, Chef Myles is creating Nicie Spicie Granita Short’s spiced wheat ale paired with crushed ice. The second main course will feature Publican Porter paired with a Colorado Elk Chop with gold potato & montasio cheese “frico,” caramelized onions, and a rosemary veal stock. The evening will conclude with “Dolce”, featuring Soft Parade, a fruity brew Short created by fermenting 200 pounds of pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries with wheat and rye. it will be paired with Pomegranate & strawberry Crostata with vanilla crema and apricot glaze. Short will attend the dinner and offer insights on all the beers.
Reservations are required and space is limited, so visit www.stellatc.com or call 231.929.8989 to reserve a spot. To learn more about Short’s Brewing Company and for a detailed description of his brew offerings, visit www.shortsbrewing.com