Glen Lake Restaurant Week profile: Nonna’s at The Homestead
From staff reports
In advance of Glen Lake Restaurant Week, May 1-9, we reached out to several participating restaurants to ask our local chefs what excites them about this culinary opportunity before the local tourism season kicks into gear. Participating restaurants will offer their own 3-course prix-fixe dinner for $25. Some establishments will offer $15 lunch specials as well. Glen Lake Restaurant Week began in spring 2014.
Next up is Chef John Piombo and Nonna’s at The Homestead.
Glen Arbor Sun: What delectables will you offer on your Restaurant Week menu? What’s your personal favorite?
Nonna’s: A condensed version of our menu will be offered. The Carpaccio and the Agnolotti
Sun: How did you fare during Restaurant Week 2014? Did you see a boost in sales?
Nonna’s: It was a slow go last year, but this year, this year you can feel the buzz!!
Sun: Are you experimenting with any new foods or courses this year that folks should know about?
Nonna’s: We are featuring Creekstone Farms Meats on our menu. Creekstonefarms.com
Sun: How, when and where do you typically conceive of new recipes? I.e., on the boat, in the shower, or on a trip to the Caribbean?
Nonna’s: They just come at all times. Something completely irrelevant will spike my creativity.
Sun: OK, so what’s the perfect day in Leelanau County? That is, what’s the ideal way to spend a day that concludes, of course, with a meal at your establishment?
Nonna’s: Fall is my favorite season. No place more special than Leelanau County to see all of nature’s beauty. Drive around the peninsula and you will be rewarded 10 fold.
Sun: Were you to pair your cuisine with a particularly place in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, what would you serve, and where would it be enjoyed?
Nonna’s: I would set a table right across from The Homestead off of Westman road in the fall. (off the road of course). Polenta, Charcuterie and loads of red wine.
Sun: As Northern Michigan becomes more and more of a “foodie” haven, what challenges does that present? How do you distinguish yourself?
Nonna’s: Stay true to your philosophy. Don’t be a dinosaur. Change.
Sun: Any other restaurants (in Northern Michigan, or the world at large) you’re dying to check out?
Nonna’s: I have to make a pilgrimage to Clyde’s Drive-in in St. Ignace.
