The Farm Restaurant and Robert McGreevy
to Present Dining On The Inland Seas
by Janis Stein

When owner and chef Pam Gabriel/Roth, along with her husband, Chris Roth, of The Farm Restaurant in Port Austin, desired to offer something different at The Farm, maritime historian and artist Robert McGreevy served up the perfect solution

Friday, May 28, kicks off Memorial Day weekend, and The Farm Restaurant will offer a 7 p.m. dinner reminiscent of the meals served on Great Lakes passenger boats during the 1900 era – when food on the boats was at its best. Following the dinner, McGreevy, who has completed over 300 paintings of Great Lakes ships, will present his 30-minute Lost Legends of the Lakes program, which consists of famous historic vessels from the early years of navigation on the lakes. McGreevy will also speak about Dining on the Inland Seas. McGreevy, armed with his collection of menus from some of the different passenger ships, thought duplicating a passenger boat dinner would be a unique way of promoting dining in the Thumb as well as reflecting upon and bringing the area’s maritime history to life. McGreevy will also display items from his personal collection that will depict what a typical place setting would have looked like. Ever the historian, McGreevy is excited about the steamboat dinner and the interest in Michigan’s maritime heritage that it will generate.

Dinner offerings will be duplicated down to the last detail – just as it would have been served on one of the Great Lakes passenger boats. Chef Pam will interpret the menu using authentic dishes and ingredients, including the correct wine – a claret – that would have been served at each table. Each place setting will have an authentic menu card that diners will use to order from by checking the items and then handing it to the waiter.

“The history of dining on the inland seas has not always been a pleasant one,” explains McGreevy. “At one time, the biggest complaint was the terrible food.” But competition changed the menu on the passenger boats. “Around the time of the Civil War, vessel owners began to realize they needed to change to compete with the railroads.” By 1900, food on the boats, according to McGreevy, was on a par with – and many times even better than – any hotel or restaurant.

Menu offerings for The Farm’s Dining on the Inland Seas event will include a choice of Great Lakes special stuffed whitefish; chicken scallopini, marsala; or roast lamb shank. Diners will enjoy oxtail soup and a hearts of lettuce salad with a choice of Thousand Island or Roquefort Cheese dressing. Hot biscuits, assorted relish, queen olives, Harvard beets and sweet and sour pickles will round out the meal, and don’t forget dessert – Boston Cream Pie!

Join The Farm Restaurant on Friday, May 28, at 7 p.m. in a unique meal and discover a taste of life on the Great Lakes passenger boats as it was during the early 1900s. McGreevy’s Lost Legends of the Lakes is guaranteed to educate and entertain – don’t miss it.

For reservations, please contact The Farm Restaurant at 989-874-5700; advance tickets are $45 per person or $50 per person, at the door. The Farm Restaurant is located at 699 Port Crescent Road, Port Austin, two miles west of M-53. For additional information about Robert McGreevy’s work, please visit www.mcgreevy.com.

©2010 Stein Expressions, LLC