FOOD AND DINING
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New Culinary Studio and Kitchen Boutique Offers Gifts, Classes and More
by Gary Scott Beatty, editor, On the Shore magazine
Jill and Rob Hansen opened the Cichetti Culinary Studio and Kitchen Boutique at 702 Holton Rd. in North Muskegon in June of this year with the goal of teaching people to, literally, cook outside the box.
"We are a fast food, box food society," Jill explained. "I don't teach people how to cook with boxed goods that they can buy from a store, rather with food they can buy from a face. We utilize our local vendors and the farmer's market. Everything I cook here is from scratch."
There are many ways to enjoy good food at Cichetti. People can take a variety of classes. Customers can buy gourmet ingredients from bulk containers. Jill is there to offer advice on what to give for gifts, or what to make for dinner. Much of the food Jill makes from her recipes is available on the shelves and she even offers fresh, prepackaged dinner ingredients customers can take home and prepare in their own kitchens.
Jill said she collected her recipes and cooking techniques from a variety of cultures while raising three children and living in Europe for 16 years, always talking her way into kitchens to talk with chefs. The former musician and interior decorator in Upstate New York moved to North Muskegon, where her husband was raised, after the couple spent years in Finland, the Netherlands and Germany. "Living all over the world really rounds you out as a person. I think all of that combines to make the artsy person that I am. It certainly comes out in my personal style."
Her style is on display at Cichetti, where antiques, French dishes and candlelight suppers provide a comfortable atmosphere. "I have had customers tell me that! They sit down and take a class and they're still here after the class! Finally, one woman said, ‘I just don't want to leave.'"
This is just fine with Jill. "We've become such a society where food is reflexive action, it's just hand to mouth. I'm trying to bring back the appreciation of good food with fresh ingredients and enjoying the process of making it."
Classes at Cichetti are designed for people of all skill levels. "My classes are for people who have no cooking skills at all, all the way up to people with skills who just want to cook. People often come in quiet at first and by the end of the time they're all talking together and exchanging ideas. It's fun!"
Jill's focus at Cichetti is Italian. "Cichetti means ‘Small bites of food with wine,'" she explained. "It's the Italian counterpoint to Spanish tapas."
The seasoned sea salts, pastas, varieties of homemade breads, homemade ice cream and gelato, sun dried tomato paste and more are made at Cichetti. Spices and rubs, dried mushrooms, dried flowers, orzo and rice are all available from bulk containers.
In addition to the cooking classes Jill holds private events. From birthday and office parties, to couples who want to go out to dinner, the studio's Italian stone table and fireplace make for "comfortable interaction," said Jill. "I had a bridal shower recently that was a high tea."
Next spring Cichetti is even planning a culinary tour in Italy. Jill said she hopes to bring a European focus on fresh food to North Muskegon. "It's such a huge difference (between Europe and America). Every village has their own market, year ‘round. You have your little basket and you shop daily for your food at the market. You buy your bread from the baker, your vegetables from the green grocer, your meat from he butcher and even your candles from the candlestick maker. The food is fresh, simple and delicious. It's not about how much money you spent on the pan, it's what you're putting in it."
With the holidays approaching, Jill said she is planning a celebration. "This place is going to be decorated to the hilt." November begins Saturday gift workshops, with all the decorating tools to wrap gifts and post office boxes with packing material to package them. She'll then mail customer's gifts herself.
With Jill's help and the variety of custom items there, Cichetti is designed to be a place to go for gifts. "I have a little bit of everything here. I have antiques and books. I have new, commercial cooking items. I have homemade food. So it is really like me -- very eclectic."
North Muskegon's former Thomas Kinkade Gallery has been transformed into a place to celebrate. "Food is food," said Jill, "but the creativity and the artistry of making it a pleasurable experience is my joy."
Cichetti Culinary Studio and Kitchen Boutique at 702 Holton Rd. in North Muskegon offers classes, gourmet items and more Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Call (231) 855-4118 or visit the website at cichettisalts.com.
Mr. Scrib's, "The Better Pizza Baker," Celebrates 50 Years
by Gary Scott Beatty, Editor, On the Shore Magazine
Weekly prize drawings are being offered at the three family-owned Mr. Scrib's locations in the Muskegon area to thank the generations of customers that have made the pizza stores successful for 50 years.
Entry blanks are at Mr. Scrib's stores and on delivery bags. Weekly prize drawings of gift certificates and Mr. Scrib's products culminate in a grand prize drawing December 5. The grand prize winner will receive a 16 inch pizza a week for 26 weeks.
The grand prize appeals to the stores' generations of loyal customers, said Don Wierengo, purchasing agent for the stores, who has been with Mr. Scrib's for 38 years. "We have a very loyal following," he said. "I'm sometimes amazed at the lengths some customers will go through to eat our pizza!"
A recent drive through customer at the Laketon store was a good example. "She lives in Grand Rapids, works in Muskegon and every Friday night she comes by on her way home for pizza at Mr. Scrib's.
Probably a dozen times a year people will come in and explain they have a son in the service stationed in California or Florida, he can't get a good pizza, can we help? Or they say they're going to visit a cousin in Texas, is there any way they can take some pizza?" Mr. Scrib's stores can make up pizzas, precook them half way and freeze them for customers to send all over. "We had a woman a few years ago that Fed Exed pizzas overnight to Hawaii."
Store loyalty extends beyond customers, said Don. "We easily have three generations of customers coming in. In fact, we even have third generation employees."
Don was hired at Mr. Scrib's by his mother-in-law and his daughter worked at Mr. Scrib's. "Our personnel manager's daughters worked for us. I think it's because Mr. Scrib's is family based and family run. The families that work here are like families with each other."
Mr. Scrib's developed "the better pizza baker" reputation with time-tested recipes and great ingredients, said Don. "We make all our own dough fresh daily from a recipe Ken (Lundholm) came up with on his own. We offer a thick crust and a thin crust. Our sauce is not a concentrate, we use fresh tomatoes and add our own spices. We also blend four different cheeses. We use all fresh produce for toppings, not canned. Our sausage is a recipe that came from Ken and Jim DeMuro. Jim's son's wife has a company that still produces the sausage for us."
Mr. Scrib's Pizza was opened in the Muskegon area in the late 1950s by Jim Forton, whose mother, Ann, operated a string of lunch counters called Nibble-a-Scrib-Nib. The lunch counters were named by original owner Wayne Scribner.
After a few years Jim entered a bet with insurance salesman Ken Lundholm. The two bet Ken could not turn fortunes around for the failing Mr. Scrib's Pizza. Within six weeks the restaurant was on firm footing and Ken was working the restaurant full time. In 1961 he purchased the Laketon Avenue business.
During new development in Norton Shores in 1971, Ken built a second Mr. Scrib's Pizza on Henry Street. In 1975 he built a new store next to the original Laketon Avenue business then tore down the old building to add parking. Ken opened a Grand Haven Mr. Scrib's in February of 1988. His son, Tom, now runs the business.
There are five Muskegon area Mr. Scrib's Pizza restaurants. The Henry Street, Laketon Avenue and Grand Haven stores are family owned. Two of the stores are franchises.
Don said December 5's grand prize is appealing to the generations of devoted customers the stores are trying to thank. After all, who wouldn't want 26 weeks of Scrib's pizza?
Mr. Scrib's Pizza serves pizza, ribs, subs, seafood and more at five area locations: 565 E. Laketon in Muskegon, (231) 722-6164; 3044 S. Henry St. in Norton Shores, (231) 733-1857; 317 N. Beacon Blvd. in Grand Haven, (616) 846-5555; 1251 Witham Dr. in North Muskegon, (231) 744-4888; and 6826 E. Apple Ave. in East Muskegon, (231) 788-2301. This year Mr. Scrib's celebrates 50 years in business.
Community Important to Pizza Ranch Owner
by Gary Scott Beatty, Editor, On the Shore Magazine
Dan Westra, owner of the Pizza Ranch at 1848 E. Sherman at the East Sherman Plaza in Muskegon opened the franchise in January of 2005 excited about the company's history of community involvement.
"Pizza Ranch is way beyond food. It's about being an integral part of the community," he explained. "It's being involved with people."
Dan and his wife Val both grew up in Iowa, eating at their neighborhood Pizza Ranch and watching the franchise grow. Pizza Ranch began as an idea by 19-year-old Adrie Groeneweg in 1981, to operate a restaurant from a Christ-centered perspective. The first menu was developed by the founder's mother.
That concern for people and neighborhood always impressed Dan and the idea of opening his own Pizza Ranch was always with him. "It was in the back of my head from the very beginning when we started seeing this franchise evolve."
Consequently, the East Sherman Plaza Pizza Ranch has a number of community groups that meet at the restaurant. "We have a Community Room people can reserve to come to eat and have their meetings or parties," said Dan. "The room seats 40. Off of that room we have the Birthday Cove that seats another 25. So we've had groups of up to 65 people."
Muskegon's Pizza Ranch operates all kinds of fundraisers. "Almost every Monday and Wednesday we have Tip Nights for nonprofit organizations, where they come in and greet, they bus, they do dishes, and then all the tips that are left go to their group," said Dan. "Plus, 10% of the volume we do goes to their group as well. We've had groups in one three hour period make $900 to $1200."
Dan works closely with schools, in concession stands and with various fundraisers, including Pizza Parties.
"There are a number of other stories, not only in this Pizza Ranch, but in other Pizza Ranches where the restaurant has really been a rallying point for communities."
Dan and Val moved to Muskegon in 1997 when he took the position of principal at Western Michigan Christian High School. Shortly after she started teaching elementary music at two Catholic schools.
When Dan left WMC his family knew they wanted to stay in the Muskegon area. "We liked living in Muskegon, our kids were doing well in school. We had moved around quite a bit when they were young and we really enjoyed living here."
Now, Dan's Pizza Ranch is in one of the largest population bases of all the franchises. "We're breaking some new ground for them. Mostly, Pizza Ranches are located in towns of 15,000 or less."
What makes Pizza Ranch food unique is the host of dining options. "People will tell us we really should call it Chicken Ranch, because our broasted chicken is outstanding. The nice thing about it is, we have the full salad bar, pizza and breadsticks, chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetable, dessert, drink, a chip that we make, so there's something for everybody."
Kids Night on Tuesdays and Chicken Fest on Thursdays increase that variety of food choices. "It's something for all ages. You can have a family of three generations come in and it appeals to everyone."