Etta’s Diner

July 29, 2016

Inspired, Fresh Cooking in a Nostalgic Setting

A 1940s recipe book passed down to the next generation, a lifetime spent as a foodie, and a food truck that almost immediately became a local favorite in downtown Harbor Springs.

These were the steps that led Steve Erber to his latest venture: the expansion of the aforementioned Etta’s Food Truck to the brick-and-mortar in Harbor Springs, where he’s serving up eclectic recipes inspired by his grandmother Henrietta Thompson, stuffed full of fresh, locallysourced ingredients.

FOLKSY FEELING

Erber, along with his business partner Fred Hackl, opened Etta’s Diner on West Conway Road as an extension of the food truck (don’t worry, the truck isn’t going away.) It’s all part of Erber’s journey through food. The Cadillac native worked at a pizza franchise in high school and then as a cook during his college years, inspired by watching his grandmother cook early in his life, especially during his summer vacations.

“The long summer days always started with breakfast made to order,” Erber said.

Even after Thompson retired, her kitchen was always open, with her whipping up everything from Southern fried chicken and hot beef sandwiches to giant stock pots of seasonal soups and a vast array of pies.

Etta’s Food Truck, and now Etta’s Diner, follow suit with their down-home appeal, menu variety and even the ambiance.

“For the diner, we really wanted that folksy feeling, combined with that of a true all-American diner,” Erber explained. “When we moved into the building, there were booths, but we took those out and replaced them with tables.”

Everything is decked out in crisp white and warm burgundy, complemented by the birch counters and black pendant lights; throwback photos keep the nostalgia going. “Fred is a history buff,” Erber said, “so he went to the historical society in Petoskey and picked up and framed a bunch of vintage black and white photos of the area.”

Included in those photos is a picture of the Oden Fish Hatchery back in the 1920s, where Etta and her husband Harrell (superintendent at the facility) lived for 20 years.

“That particular photo is in a prominent spot,” Erber smiled.

FOODIE FAVORITES

Erber considers their food truck Etta’s second restaurant, especially since the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce and the City Council dedicated four parking spaces on Bay Street specifically for food trucks, as part of an initiative to bring more people down to the city’s waterfront. The food truck spaces can be rented by the month or by the day, which makes room for both those wanting to solidify a regular location and trucks passing through only occasionally. It’s great for both variety and business.

“It’s pretty progressive for a little town like Harbor Springs,” Erber pointed out.

Even the music for Etta’s Diner was carefully thought out. After trying several dif ferent music sources and genres, Erber said that — much like traditional diners across the country — what his customers ended up preferring was what he calls “that diner feel.”

“You know — glasses clinking, plates being set down, people talking, our chefs’ ‘70s rock filtering out from the kitchen,” he explained. “That real busy, friendly, neighborly atmosphere seemed to be what people liked the most.”

The menu at the diner follows the lead of the music, as well as the lead of the truck, sticking with many of their customers’ favorites from Etta’s food truck menu, while expanding upon it.

MADE FROM SCRATCH

“The diner menu is much more extensive,” Erber said.

It includes selections like Etta’s popular CIB, or Chicago Italian beef, slow-roasted for four hours with a unique spice profile and served on the diner’s homemade buns; their pan-fried walleye sandwich, also served on homemade bread; chicken-and-waffle sandwiches; and meatloaf sliders served with potato salad.

On the breakfast menu, which includes French toast, eggs Benedict, and biscuits and gravy, their pancakes are scratch-baked and served up with locally-produced maple syrup from Far Hills in Alanson.

“Our bread, rolls, pies, the noodles in our chicken soup and our German chocolate cake, they’re all homemade,” Erber said.

“We’re rolling out some gluten-free items this spring, as well. And everything’s fresh. That’s the big thing with us: nothing is out of a can.”

Erber’s personal favorite for breakfast is The Hatchery, a special that includes two eggs, hash browns, meat, pancake, toast and coffee; for lunch, he chooses a classic burger.

“The hamburgers are extraordinary,” he said. “We have a char-broiler in the back, and then the burgers are transferred to the flattop. The guys, including chef John Giles, do such a great job back there.”

While he cheerfully admits to being biased, Erber said there’s not a bad item on the menu.

“I mean, I’ve put on a lot of weight since we started this. I’ve got to test everything, you see,” he laughed.

Part of the test for a new restaurant is, of course, seeing if they’ll be able to draw in the customers; this has been no problem for Etta’s Diner. “We are getting really busy,” Erber said, “and we were thankfully very busy over the winter, too. So we are adding some outdoor seating this year to better accommodate our customers in the summer.”

They may be adding some seating in another state, too.

“In the future, we hope to be able to follow our clientele down to Florida in the winter, with a second brick-and-mortar restaurant,” Erber said. “We’re looking around the Naples area at the moment, but we have so many great customers Up North, so we will definitely keep our diner running up here.”

Etta’s Diner is located at 1053 West Conway Road, just off M-119 near Harbor Springs. The diner is open 8am to 3pm daily. Etta’s Food Truck is based in downtown Harbor Springs on Bay Street, where they’ll be operatin until to Sept. 15 from 11am to 7pm.

Get the scoop on both at facebook.com/ettasfoodtruck or call (231) 487-8811.