Tastemakers: McMode Burger/Pumpkin Spice

Nov. 7, 2007

McMode Burger
This past July, Northern Michigan lost a restaurant and hospitality legend with the passing of Bob Mode, proprietor of Mode’s Bum Steer in Traverse City. Having worked in the hospitality industry for several years myself, I cherished my conversations with Bob over the years. He truly was a master, and I took a lot away from talking with him; especially his “service” philosophies.
From 1969 to 1975, he was the resident manager of the Park Place Hotel, and prior to that he worked for the Ramada Inn in Orlando, where he oversaw the opening ceremonies of Disney World. In 1975, along with his wife Anita, he opened Mode’s, and the place quickly became popular for business lunches, after-work cocktails, and great meals. Mode’s has always been about consistency, efficiency and great service. I was always amazed at their ability to put out 300 dinners a night in a kitchen smaller than my son’s bedroom.
What has made Mode’s special from day one (besides their quality cuts of meats and fresh seafood) has been the service. At Mode’s, the staff is not seasonal; they are professionals. Some of the servers have made it their career, and have been at Mode’s for years. Being a food service professional seems to be on the endangered list today, yet the staff at Mode’s said that the professionalism started with Bob and Anita, who “treated and compensated them as professionals.”
Another secret to Mode’s longevity was that they kept the same hours for years, and you could always order a burger right up until 1:55 a.m. I developed a passion for McMode Burgers during my early days in Traverse City and still enjoy them today (though now at lunchtime, not 1:00 a.m.). Bob was only 61, an avid sports fisherman, golfer and boater, and his passion for first class hospitality will be missed. A great way to honor Bob will be on December 17, when Mode’s hosts their annual Christmas party for customers, with the proceeds benefiting the local firemen’s fund. For additional details, phone 231-947-9832, or stop in and order one of the McMode Burgers topped with Canadian bacon and special sauce.

Pumpkin spice
A few weeks back when I profiled pumpkin beer, I was immediately contacted by Pernod Ricard (pernod-ricard-usa.com) about their new “seasonal” Pumpkin Spice liqueur released on October 1. Now, the beer industry has been known for its seasonal ales - and this time of year there are a lot of them - but this is a new concept by the spirits industry - to release a seasonal item. Pumpkin Spice will be distributed each year only in October and November; essentially pumpkin season. The alcohol industry is finding that holidays are important triggers for sales, and recent marketing studies show that Halloween and Thanksgiving have expanded the traditional holiday sales season that previously began in December.
Produced by Hiram Walker - who just celebrated their 150th anniversary of producing quality spirits and liqueurs - Pumpkin Spice has notes of graham crackers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and essentially tastes like pumpkin pie in the bottle. It has all sorts of potential for various pumpkin flavored drinks, or even to cook with. As with all of Hiram Walker products, Pumpkin Spice is made with all natural flavors and is low in alcohol content at 30 proof.
Try a Pumpkintini with one part Pumpkin Spice and two parts Grand Traverse Distillery True North Vodka; shake over crushed ice and strain into a cinnamon-sugar rimmed martini glass. Pumpkin Spice works great in warm drinks such as tea or coffee, too; add a little Frangelico to both, top coffee with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices, and in tea, add a cinnamon stick. This liqueur is also great in Pumpkin Crème Brulee, and on Halloween I used a couple of shots in a Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe, which was quite tasty. Pumpkin Spice is very versatile and offers several cocktail opportunities.Hiram Walker is even having a cocktail recipe contest at www.hiramwalker.com