Comfort food like macaroni and cheese, chicken and waffles, and Sanders Hot Fudge cream puffs were on the menu when we visited The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan recently for the museum's Local Roots Winter dinner.
We loved sampling the menu of Michigan favorites as we strolled around the museum on a cold February evening, but I especially enjoyed the fact that the dinner was tasty evidence of the museum's continuing commitment for supporting local farmers and food producers.
We started our evening with a cup of chili chosen from a table featuring several different kinds of chili and toppings. I opted for a white chicken chili, while Tim went with a more traditional ground beef chili, both accompanied by a corn bread muffin.
We chose chicken and waffles, dressed with a Michigan Maple and Mustard sauce as our next course, and the chef attending the table told us that the dish is a popular appetizer choice for banquets at the museum. The sauce was a nice mixture of sweet and spicy, as opposed the plain maple syrup as I've seen served with chicken and waffles elsewhere.
Our next stop was the station featuring two kinds of meatloaf carved to order beneath the museum's giant '49 Ford billboard. I chose turkey meatloaf, while Tim had the more traditional beef variety. We especially enjoyed the accompaniments of Guernsey Buttermilk mashed potatoes and Vernors-glazed heirloom carrots at this stop (we buy local Guernsey-brand milk at our grocery store and Vernors Ginger Ale is another favorite I always have on hand at home).
It was a good thing we had plenty of time for walking around the museum as it helped us walk off at least a few calories before we headed on the next two courses!
I'm a big mac 'n' cheese fan, so you can imagine that the station featuring two different varieties of mac 'n' cheese along with ham and greens was a must-do for both of us. We sampled both varieties of mac 'n' cheese offered, which included Michigan Shrimp and dill havarti dish and a variety featuring smoky cheddar cheese from Detroit's Traffic Jam restaurant (which also produces its own cheese, ice cream and beer, among other items).
Our last stop was at the museum's vintage-1946 Lamy's diner, where we each had a cream puff with ice cream and Sanders Hot Fudge sauce as we snagged a seat in one of the diner's booths.
The Local Roots Winter dinner is one of five such events scheduled for 2014 to showcase the museum's local menu items.
The Henry Ford established the Local Roots initiative in 2006, increasing its local sourcing and staging events to showcase their involvement with local farmers and food producers in subsequent years.
We're frequent visitors to The Henry Ford, and we've noticed the steadily increased use of Michigan ingredients in restaurants and snack counters at The Henry Ford and its outdoor living history museum, Greenfield Village, in recent years.
The Henry Ford's also expresses its emphasis on local foods and commitment to locally sourced product at the museum's special events throughout the year, on the schedule of educational classes and in the food products that appear on the shelves of shops at The Henry Ford.
Jesse Eisenhuth, director of food service and catering at The Henry Ford, takes special pride in the Local Roots program.
Basing the entire food and beverage operation on local sourcing at The Henry Ford has several benefits, according to Eisenhuth. Local sourcing supports the local economy at large and creates jobs as it supports local farmers, food producers, and distributors of Michigan products.
"Whenever possible, we make a committed effort to purchase good from local farmers or producers located within 200 miles of our campus, or at the very least, the State of Michigan at large," said Eisenhuth via email.
Using local sources helps ensure the purchase of healthier and fresher food for museum guests, as well as reducing the environmental impact of transporting the food to the museum.
Be sure to look for the Local Roots logo on menus when you stop for a meal at The Henry Ford to make sure you try some of southeastern Michigan's best and freshest food.
Check out this list of local food sources working with The Henry Ford. There are lots of favorites that we regularly buy when shopping or eating around the Detroit area that include: Dearborn Sausage, Bettermade chips, Detroit Popcorn, Garden Fresh Salsa, Faygo, Founders Brewing Co. Guernsey Dairy, Motor City Brewing Works, Zingerman's and Detroit Eastern Market. It also pleases me to find that The Henry Ford works with Forgotten Harvest, a great metro Detroit hunger and food rescue organization.
Upcoming Local Roots dinners at The Henry Ford include: a preview of this season's menu at the Eagle Tavern in Greenfield Village (April 14); The Paris Influence on Michigan cuisine at Eagle Tavern (May 2); a backyard-style BBQ and blues meal at the Greenfield Village Pavilion featuring the Front Street Blues Band (August 8); and Elegant Game Dinner at the museum's Lovett Hall (November 7). Tickets cost $68 and include dinner plus two drink tickets and access to a full cash bar.
Thanks to The Henry Ford for hosting us at this dinner for review, with no further compensation.
© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved
Comments