However you travel through Southwest Michigan, whether on Red Arrow Highway as it parallels the Lake Michigan shore or along back roads winding through the countryside, there are treasures to discover in its towns and hamlets. These wonders are all part of Harbor Country’s rich mélange of small wineries, orchards, distilleries, farm-to-fork cafés, breweries and artisan food producers. But the ultimate distillation of what makes Harbor Country a wonderful destination may be Sawyer, population 1,455.
Once called Troy, the name changed when Silas Sawyer built a mill there in 1854. That’s long gone now, but Sawyer’s heritage—agricultural, Scandinavian, entrepreneurial, architectural—remains. Visitors can find a butcher shop with roots going back more than 70 years, a brewery, garden market, ancient-grain tortilla maker, coffee roaster, restaurants, a tasting room dedicated to wine, beer and spirits made in Michigan and a beverage maker specializing in old-time techniques.
“I think Sawyer is going to be the food town for Harbor Country,” says Michael Fultum, owner of the Peasant’s Pantry on Red Arrow Highway in Sawyer.
Fultum, who will open a French bistro next door in the upcoming year, describes Sawyer as more than the sum of its eateries. “It’s also about the quality of the food, and we have that here,” he says. “And we have wonderful spaces— our downtown is classic, with historic buildings, and the places to visit are all in close proximity.”
The Peasant’s Pantry, for example, was originally a Scandinavian gift shop. Its distinctive butterfly roof reflects that Scandinavian influence as well as an architectural style known as Googie. This futuristic style of angles, sheer sides and large windows was popular in Southern California from the 1930s to the 1960s but rare in the Great Lakes region. If you remember “The Jetsons,” a 1960s cartoon show about life in 2062, you’ve seen the style.
The Peasant’s Pantry, where so much is locally sourced or made in-house, is one of three must-stops strung along Red Arrow Highway.
The Falatic family opened a butcher shop in Northwest Indiana 70 years ago and in 1976 started their Sawyer store. Run by the family, Falatic’s has a large smoker where they cure sausages, turkeys and bacon. They also corn their own beef, a big seller around St. Patrick’s Day. Their meat repertoire includes hard-to-find cuts of meat—crown roasts, tomahawk steaks, 2-inch thick chops, goat, rabbit and veal—but they don’t neglect the sea, selling fresh perch, soft-shell crabs, lobster tails, shrimp and halibut. They’re so well known for their Scottish salmon that they sell hundreds of pounds a year.
Forty-five years ago, Falatic’s was filled with large barrels of pickled and salted herring. There’s still a call for the delicacies, particularly around the holidays. To honor these food traditions, Falatic’s ensures they’re well stocked with lingonberry jam, herring and varieties of bondost, a Swedish farmer’s cheese that comes plain or with carraway seed. Christmas is also the time they grind and stuff endless links of potato sausages and make lutefisk. The latter is a particularly pungent dried cod that is soaked in cold water and lye for several days before its ready to eat—though someone would argue that it never is edible.
“It’s an acquired taste,” says Nick Falatic. “But people love it.”
If Falatic’s is the patriarch of Sawyer’s food-centricity, Local Pour, whose tagline is “A tasting room with a twist,” is the youngest of the family. Opening their doors in mid-June, owner Chalet Sturgeon and her good friend and general manager, Jayme Neumann, created a way for all wine, beer and spirit lovers to taste the state.
Local Pour offers wine made locally—Domaine Berrien Vineyards and Dablon Vineyards, both in Baroda—and further away: Traverse City’s Brengman Brothers Vineyards and Lake Leelanau’s Laurentide Vineyards. Brews include Right Brain and Witch’s Hat, and there are also hard ciders and seltzers, as well as spirits produced by Burl & Sprig in Muskegon and Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville. Enjoy your choice in the spacious indoor area with its large tasting bar or at the tables set among racks of bottles. There’s also an outdoor garden area. Snacks are available, and Sturgeon and Neumann plan to offer charcuterie soon.
“I wanted to make this more than just a wine-tasting stop because then what do people who like beer order? Now everyone has something to drink,” says Sturgeon.
Unless you’re into hoes and seedlings, Sawyer Home & Garden Center might sound off-putting, but this sprawling complex of rooms is a mega-market. It is filled with fresh produce, including unique finds such as three varieties of fresh currants. The market also features locally and regionally made foods, cheeses, meats and more. Other spaces are dedicated to kitchen essentials as well as wine, beer and spirits. Oh yes, there are vast expanses of trees, flowers and shrubs out back, along with pottery. Founded 35 years ago by Barry and Linda Patejdl, Sawyer Home & Garden Center is an all-season destination, with a fantastic holiday tree and gift selection in the winter.
Located in the old Flynn Theatre, circa 1928 (rumored to be where Al Capone took in a show or two when vacationing in the area), Susan’s features a curated, eclectic menu. Think Japanese Sweet Potato with Honey Butter, Charred Spanish Octopus accompanied by Potato Pavé, Spanish Chorizo Sofrito and Aioli as well as that quintessential Atlantic coast dish: lobster roll with Old Bay fries. Owner Cecilia Peterson has an eye for detail. The soft colors of the exposed brick walls and wood floors, the large Palladian-style windows and outdoor patio accented with flowers and shrubs all meld perfectly to create a comfy but stylish vibe.
The ever-expanding Greenbush Brewery gets its moniker from nearby Harbert, formerly known as Greenbush. The brewery’s retro-industrial-chic restoration—featuring corrugated metal and brick walls along with a hand-crafted, solid copper, 7-barrel brew kettle—reimagined what was once an auto/laundry/plumbing shop. The menu features a cross-section of American classic sandwiches: Chicago Italian beef, brisket po’ boys, New Orleans muffulettas, Cubanos, Reubens and Hot Browns. The latter was created in Louisville, Kentucky, as a late-night antidote for those who had over-indulged at the city’s speakeasies.
Infusco Coffee Roasters transforms exotic, single-sourced coffee beans from green to black during their slow roasting process. But that’s not the end of their dedication to flavor. Another 24 to 48 hours is devoted to degassing the carbon monoxide buildup in the beans, so that when you order one of their exotic coffees, such as Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling or Mexican High Grown Altura, you’re getting the beans at their best.
Next door to Infusco, Aaron Harris, founder of Molino Tortilleria, is grinding an heirloom dried corn grown on small Mexican farms into masa, which he uses to make tortillas. Molino’s chewy and dense tortillas, painstakingly made the old-fashioned way, are beyond amazing—and colorful as well. The Bolita Belatove corn they import produces a reddish tortilla, while the Chalqueño Azul is an earthy, muted blue.
Clever marketers in the early 1900s came up with the term “fruitbelt” to advertise the cornucopia of Southwest Michigan’s produce. Fast-forward a hundred years, and Fruitbelt is the name of a popular tonic that distills the fruits and botanicals of this region into a healthful drink. They don’t have a storefront, but Fruitbelt Tart Sparkling
Tonics are found in stores throughout Michigan and in South Bend and Rochester, Indiana. The drink is made with heirloom apple varieties along with their own “Orchard Bitters” containing Aronia berries, chicory, dandelion and propolis, and sweetened with just a tad of honey. It’s good for mixing or drinking on its own.
Just a few miles southeast of Sawyer and worthy of the slight detour, Molly’s Corner Store in New Troy is located just before the road curves toward the three-story flour mill built in the mid-1800s. The exterior of the small store with its bright yellow awning advertises Polish foods, Walt’s Crawlers and free-range eggs available just a few miles down the road. But this is more than an outpost for fish bait and booze. High-end liquors and craft beers are among the unexpected finds, along with Polish foods made by owner Helen Lath. There’s a variety of pierogi—spinach, mushroom, sauerkraut, blueberry, meat and more—stuffed cabbage, homemade chicken noodle soup and dumplings. The deli case contains American cold cuts, potato salads and Zywicki, hunter and Krakowska sausages—just what you’d need to make a pot of bigos or hunter’s stew.
“We’ve been here for 17 years,” says Lath, as she cuts off a thick hunk of smoked bacon, “and we’re still selling a lot of Polish foods. Even the young people are buying them.”
With all that Sawyer has to offer and the changes each season as chefs put local harvests to good use, there’s always a reason to return.
The Peasant’s Pantry
269.405.1284
thepeasantspantry.com
Falatic’s Meat Market
269.426.3224
falatics.com
Local Pour
269.405.1262
localpourmi.com
Sawyer Home & Garden Center
269.426.8810
sawyergardencenter.com
Susan’s Sawyer
269.405.1185
susanssawyer.com
Greenbush Brewing Co.
269.405.1076
greenbushbrewing.com
Molino Tortilleria & Market
269.326.5855
molinotortillas.com
Infusco Coffee Roasters
269.213.5282
infuscocoffee.com
Molly’s Corner Store
269.426.4980
facebook.com/MollysCornerStoreINC
Copyright ©2024 Edible Michiana. All rights reserved
