Dining on the deck at the Glen Lake Manor
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
Ah, what better way to celebrate an August early evening than with summer fresh ingredients — both on my plate and in my glass — and a view of the shifting light over Little Glen. At the Manor on Glen Lake, you can begin your dining affair with a fresh bruschetta appetizer (tomato basil, garlic, onion and balsamic vinegar on bread) and a minty mojito, and have your view too. It’s honestly difficult to decide which of the three are more deserving of your full attention.
That’s the biggest dilemma facing patrons of Scott Lee Grant’s cuisine. So yes, things could be much worse.
Grant, a graduate of the Culinary Arts Institute of Seattle and native of Clare, Mich., joined the Manor in early July after seeing an advertisement for an executive chef position posted by owner Nancy Wright. Grant and his fiance Tammy were tired of the rat-race in Port Huron, Mich. (they occasionally heard gun shots): he visited the Manor in late June, Wright hired him on the spot, and he stuck around to work Sunday brunch the next day. The couple’s move out of the city and up north has been a breath of fresh air — other than when their moving truck broke down in Flint for an entire day.
“The area sold me on this job,” says Grant, who just turned 50 years old. “Tammy and I love it up here. My four brothers and I grew up in Clare, and we’d come up here as kids to visit the Dunes and Lake Michigan.”
Grant took one look at the Manor’s deck, and its dazzling views of Little Glen Lake across M-22, and came up with the idea for “Chef on the Deck.” Every Saturday evening you can dine on the deck and interact with the friendly former army nurse, who dresses in a telltale towering chef’s hat and sports an American flag on the right breast of his coat. While getting his executive certification at culinary school eight years ago, Grant got to work with the 1986 American Olympic Prep team. The experience was unforgettable, and the patriotism stuck with him.
The Saturday menu features Jack Daniels Tenderloin with Mushroom Demi sauce, a twice-baked potato, vegetables, and for dessert, “Cherry Jubilee” or Banana foster, all for $30. The Manor also serves a “light fare,” grilled sandwiches and burgers or appetizers for $9-15. And an early-bird special between 4-6 p.m. features Parmesan-crusted whitefish, broasted chicken or glazed salmon.
My wife Sarah and I dined at the Manor in mid-July, and we were ravenously hungry, following several hours of standup paddle boarding at Empire beach. We kicked things off with bruschetta and crab cakes, served with a mild Thai coconut curry sauce. As with Nancy Wright’s past restaurants (remember Le Bear?) warm bread rolls and salads with dried cherries topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing followed the appetizers. Lemon sorbet arrived as a taste bud cleanser before our main entrees, which were Parmesan-crusted whitefish and a broasted chicken dinner, each served with asparagus and a twice-baked potato.
Chef Grant has logged his share of miles in recent years. He’s worked at restaurants in Onekema, Bay City, Grand Rapids, an upscale retirement home in Lansing, and briefly ran his own joint in Port Huron, before meeting Nancy. Grant hopes that the 104-year-old Manor is his last stop for a while. Once the summer fades and the tourists go home, he looks forward to spending his free time hunting and fishing, and planning his wedding with Tammy.
He’s also excited about the changes that could be in store for the historic building. Wright hopes to build a tavern in the east room and perhaps convert the rooms upstairs into shops. Grant’s expansion plans for the Manor include hosting picnics, weddings and private parties on the deck. And if boaters on the Glen Lakes prefer to call in their order and eat his culinary creations out on the water, the Manor will deliver your meal to the dock on Little Glen.
After all, a good meal deserves an equal view.
The Manor on Glen Lake is open 7 days a week, serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner from 5-9 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Early Bird specials are 4-6 p.m. daily. For more information call (231) 334-0150.