DOUGLAS, MICHIGAN, USA - As the editor of this website, I get to try lots of restaurants in various parts of the country (often in various parts of the world). Every now and the there's one that stands out so profoundly it becomes a culinary high water mark. To achieve this status the place has to have more than outstanding food. Outstanding food, well prepared is a given. It also has to have heart, soul, and a big element of surprise.

The Everyday People Café in the tiny town of Douglas, Michigan, near the Lake Michigan shore, is just such a place. If you find yourself anywhere near the vicinity, a meal at the EPC (as locals affectionately call it) is well worth going out of your way for. Take note of this article, dear readers. If you didn't know about this place, you might easily pass it by. Its humble exterior resembling generic hometown diner any small town, USA, camouflages the treasures that wait within as effectively as the rough exterior of an oyster shell guards the delicate salty-sweet meat inside. For inside the diner façade waits casually elegant dining rooms and outdoor courtyards where diners feast on chef/owner Matt Balmer and head chef Michael Bild's innovative menus.

The Evolution of the Everyday People Cafe

A Michigan native and graduate of Grand Rapids Community College's prestigious culinary arts program (click for more details of this amazing culinary school), the face and personality of the Everyday People Café changed in a big way when Matt went into business with his mother in 1998. While he credits the culinary program with polishing his culinary skills, Matt makes it clear the soul of his cooking comes directly from his mother's teachings. Margaret Balmer had been a waitress at the small local diner before she and a fellow co worker bought the place in 1980. She switched from the "front of the house" to the back, serving as the dinette's grill cook, before quickly buying her partner out. As a self employed single mom, Margaret worked long hours serving breakfasts, lunches, and casual fare to Douglas's fishermen and blue collar workers. Son Matt grew up in the family business where his mother instilled in him the importance of cooking from the soul and always treating those around you with kindness and respect. He graduated from culinary school and became his mother's business partner in 1998.

While nostalgia buffs will still find one of the restaurant's dining rooms preserved much as it was in days of yesteryear, complete with the remains of a gorgeous art deco soda fountain that originally served diner customers, the rest of the restaurant has been transformed into a comfortable casually elegant space. Walls sport trendy colors and are adorned with the works of local artists.

The upscale gourmet menu rivals those found at any big city hot restaurant of the moment, but without the big city haughtiness and pretense that often accompanies food of this quality. Balmer bases his "eclectic comfort food" menus, whenever possible, on locally produced ingredients from small farms and independent producers in the surrounding Michigan area, supplementing his provisions by sending out to specialty food purveyors around the country for the best, and freshest ingredients available. His style is elegant and balanced, letting the true quality of his ingredients shine through, yet creative enough to surprise diners with new flavor experiences. Presentations are visually stunning and Matt's masterful blending of taste and texture make the meal linger in the memory long after it has left your palate.

Everything we tried here was outstanding ( I told you this is my favorite new restaurant find in recent years), so you're not like to go wrong with anything you choose. Also since the menu changes frequently, specific recommendations may or not be available when you visit. Nonetheless, if available, Matt's Foie Gras on Vanilla Brioche French Toast with an Apple Cider Infused Demi Glace has to be one of the world's all time most decadent dishes. Matt served it perfectly paired with Domaine du Tarquet Gros Mensing white wine, a little less sweet than the typical Sauternes and the perfect counterfoil to the sweetness of the vanilla brioche and richness of the foie gras. Other dishes of note include the beef Carpaccio, Char Grilled Lamb Pops with Orange Mint Aioli, and Wasabi Pea Encrusted Tuna.

Wine is something Matt is also passionate about. The Everyday People Café serves over 30 wines by the glass, not to mention a respectable collection of microbrews. The menu comes with suggested pairings for every dish. In order to make wine accessible and affordable and encourage more customers to enjoy the joy the experience of wine with fine food, Matt keeps his markups low. He also produces monthly wine dinners in the restaurant's slow season -- October through April At about $65.00 per person for wine and food (as of this writing in 2007), it's a great way to get to the know the restaurant at bargain prices.

Matt and his restaurant have accomplished several historic firsts for the town of Douglas. He's the current and first ever mayor -- that's right folks, the mayor of Douglas will prepare your dinner, expertly I might add. The Everyday People Café was also the recipient of the town's first (and so far only) liquor license in 1998. Matt's extraordinary talent in the kitchen is also putting his restaurant on the culinary radar of gourmets all over the country - even the New York Times took note.

While Douglas's population hovers around 1200 in the off season, it easily swells to ten times that size in the summer when hoardes of tourists flock to the Lake Michigan shore. Matt and his friendly staff expand their service at that time to include an outdoor wine garden that serves small bites and libations to the tunes of live jazz and blues music.

The Everyday People Café may no longer serve large platters of goulash or half baked chickens for $4.95 a plate, but it still is a place that serves quality food, expertly prepared from scratch with heart and soul. At about $7.00 - to $10.00 for appetizers and $16.00 to $20.00 for entrees, this is one of the best bargains anywhere (as of this writing in 2007). So when visiting the Lake Michigan shore area, don't let the humble exterior and plain folks name of this restaurant fool you. Sophisticated surprises await inside its doors.

Practicalities

The Everyday People Café is located t 11 Center St. in downtown Douglas, Michigan, 49406. Fir more information call 269-857-4240 or click to www.EverydayPeopleCafe.com.

The Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau can help you plan any visits to the area. Call them toll free at 1-877-VISIT-GR or at 616-459-8387 or click to their website www.visitgrandrapids.com.

More on the Grand Rapids Area:

• Great Things To Do, See, and Eat in Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Old World Elegance -- The 1913 Room - Michigan's ONLY 5 Diamond Award Winning Restaurant
• Everyday People Café - Anything but Ordinary
• Tasting America's Culinary Future at the Heritage Restaurant & the Culinary Education Program at the Grand Rapids Community College
• Hip & Trendy Grand Rapids Downtown Spots - Bar Divani, Mezze Café and Cabaret, San Chez Tapas Bistro
• Connecting with the Past at Crane's Orchards
• Casual Lunch Spots and a Foodie's Shopping Spree
• Exploring the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park