Many local Leelanau County businesses rely, in part, on J-1 international student workers to shoulder the load through the busy summer tourism season. Each Labor Day weekend, we honor and thank those workers. Meet a few of them here—from Anderson’s Market, Art’s Tavern, Grocers Daughter Chocolate, Blu, Crystal River Outfitters and La Becasse.
Contemporary American with flavors from around the world, this is Blu. The daily changing menu sources the freshest local ingredients available with Chef Randy Chamberlain’s unwavering desire to be spontaneous.
In advance of Glen Lake Restaurant Week, May 1-9, we reached out to Blu chef Randy Chamberlain to ask what excites him about this culinary opportunity before the local tourism season kicks into gear.
It’s cold and dark in the north country, and the cheery onslaught of tourists is many months away. But those of us who stick around through the winter still deserve to eat, and eat well. Thanks to a bevy of deals and discounts offered at local restaurants, we shall not starve.
Ever since Wednesday, August 17, Northern Michiganders have both embraced and grappled with the news that the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and surrounding region are considered the “most beautiful place in America” — at least according to 22 percent of 100,000 voters who participated in the ABC show Good Morning America’s online competition the second week of August.
A chef demonstration featuring Randy Chamberlain, chef and owner of Blu in Glen Arbor, will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2 at the Glen Arbor Farmers Market. The chef demo is free, and everyone is welcome to watch Chef Randy prepare a meal using fresh produce and products from the farmers market.
Blu proprietors Randy and Mari Chamberlain like to emphasize local sources of everything for the quality that brings to the experience of dining. Randy takes no short cuts here — the presentation of each dish, the rich and creative combinations of flavors — everything bespeaks his heightened sensitivity to the artistic crafting of each meal.