Food Dance Café: the best of the local harvest
served daily
I was so pleased to be invited to spend an afternoon at and write 
a
story about a true Southwest Michigan dining landmark, downtown Kalamazoo’s
Food Dance Café. I distinctly remember when Food Dance first opened
in 1994. Its presence downtown was, at the time, sorely needed. Its opening
was nothing less than a leap-of-faith for Food Dance owner and Executive
Chef, Julie Stanley. Over time, its proved to be a successful concept
and has paved the way for multiple other, newer downtown dining establishments.
“I originally set out to open a breakfast and lunch café,
serving real pancakes and real eggs,” Julie Stanley tells me. “I
had a kid and loved the idea of having half a day at home everyday.” She
quips, “That didn’t end up working out as easily as I had
hoped, so we eventually got a liquor license and started serving dinner.”
Curiously I ask Julie what she means by “real” pancakes. “We
make ours totally from scratch every other day,” she replies. Julie
explains that the pancakes are hand-measured and hand-mixed. They are
cooked perfectly and then served with local, natural maple syrup (from
Jack and Jill Brown, maple syrup supplier, Paw Paw).
To fully appreciate Food Dance Café, one must understand the
extraordinary amount of painstaking detail and effort that goes into
every meal it serves. This superior level of quality has become a Kalamazoo
tradition at Food Dance. Now in its twelfth year, Food Dance has blossomed
into a mature restaurant, operating with a level of confidence that breeds
consistency and quality with daily bursts of creativity.
The pick of the harvest
Food Dance offers an authentic and original menu with an emphasis on
local, seasonal food. It was the first to bring this type of cooking
and eating to Southwest Michigan, and is a recognized leader in the
local foods movement.
“I tend to cook with what I have,” she says, “rather
than first deciding what to cook and then hunting down all of the needed
ingredients.” For example, currently it’s corn season. Therefore
corn is prevalent on tonight’s menu. Three of the dishes include
corn and the risotto has been made out of corn stock. Even tonight’s
special swordfish (pictured) is served with corn along with cream, bacon
and citrus with fennel.
“I’m a major supporter of the farmer’s market downtown,” Julie
explains. “I buy food from the farmers who grow it. I have total
reverence for their lives. They are a dying breed and its important to
support them.”
Through fostering relationships directly with the farmers, Julie can
monitor how the produce is grown and how the animals are raised. She
tells me that all of these factors impact quality and taste.
“Two years ago we introduced hamburger. We didn’t know how
it would work, but now it’s very popular,” Julie explains.
The beef served at Food Dance has no growth hormones or antibiotics,
and Julie is very familiar with how the supplier raises its cows. Julie
explains that taste is impacted by the nutrients the cows receive while
living, such as how much sunshine they get each day. She tells me that
her supplier keeps its cows alive for one to two years longer than larger,
commercial beef producers.
Its become somewhat trendy now for local restaurants to buy and use
local products, a concept Julie Stanley locally pioneered. She still
remains an innovator in the local produce movement, surpassing many of
her colleagues in selection, quality and freshness.
Menu Highlights
Julie’s high standards for selection and freshness culminate with
a terrific menu and daily, seasonal specials.
She points out the selection of breakfast scrambles ($6.95 - $8.50)
as particular customer favorites. The Bolero Scramble is two scrambled
eggs with green onions, spinach, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese. The
Pig in the Garden Scramble is eggs with sautéed mushrooms, bacon,
tomatoes, green onions and white cheddar.
Lunch offers a creative selection of open-faced, grilled, or cold sandwiches
($7.95 - $11.95) and gourmet hamburgers ($10.95). A terrific list of
salads ($6.50 - $13.95) is perfect for any business luncheon.
The dinner menu offers exceptional daily features, such as tonight’s
swordfish. The service offers enhanced versions of the lunchtime menu
along with terrific pastas ($12 - $17.95) and innovative entrees, such
as the Grilled Jerk-Rubbed Niman Ranch Pork Chop, served with soft polenta,
tomato-ginger jam, herb oil and seasonal vegetables ($16.95) and the
Roasted Otto’s Farm Chicken Breast, rubbed with fennel seed, lemon
and vanilla, served over herbed spaetzle and braised leeks, with seasonal
vegetables ($16.95). A full bar, superb wine list and specialty desserts
round out the experience.
Delightful Interior
The Food Dance interior decor is as unique and memorable as the menu.
A hand-full of local artists collaborated on the interior, including
muralist Conrad Kaufman. Kaufman has adorned the walls with garden
and produce-themed murals which are accented throughout the establishment
by numerous, tasteful fine art prints and specially-made artifacts.
Each of these design elements all come together perfectly to achieve
a delightful garden bistro setting in the middle of downtown.
Caring Service
The Food Dance staff is well trained and undergoes continuous education.
Julie takes her staff to the farmer’s market to discuss quality
and teach selection. She encourages familiarity with the calendar of
local seasons (to know what’s in season when) and the chart of
locally grown products. The staff reviews daily pre-meal notes and
weekly staff notes. Julie and Chef Robb Hammond often hold comparative
tastings to encourage the development of the staff’s palettes.
“We practice what I call ‘caring service’ which means
we gladly take food back and will modify it (for the customer) to the
point of craziness,” Julie says with a slight chuckle.
Each member of the staff knows his/her role. I take pleasure in watching
Julie interact with her staff as they move about preparing for the evening’s
dinner service. Throughout our conversation, kitchen staff members intermittently
stop by with items and ingredients from the evening’s menu for
Julie to taste, comment on, and approve.
The ongoing staff development efforts have recognizable benefits. Julie
tells me that customers often write letters complimenting the staff on
the high level of service. “And many regular customers have adopted
staff,” she adds. “They take these kids under their wings.” Julie
explains that she has witnessed customers giving staff Christmas gifts,
Valentine presents and, in one rare instance, a free car.
The Near Future
Food Dance Café is excited to announce that its moving to an expanded
location in the early spring 2007. The new location will be in the historic
401 East Michigan building, just one block east of its current location.
The new location will feature a market with an extensive selection of
fresh food to take out, gourmet packaged food, locally made chesses,
wines and beers, and fresh bakery goods.
Be sure to visit the beautiful and useful Food Dance website, www.fooddancecafe.com,
for up-to-date events information, video interviews with farmers, and
articles by Julie Stanley on selection, produce, quality and more.
story by Matthew Downey, photos by Amelia Falk
Food Dance Café
161 E. Michigan, downtown Kalamazoo in the historic Haymarket Building
Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Tuesday - Saturday 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM (serving breakfast only)
269-382-1888; www.fooddancecafe.com
Every
day Julie and her chef Robb Hammond execute meals that use only the
highest quality ingredients. They are proud of their long-standing
relationships with the farmers who supply the restaurant with fresh,
natural products. Some of the strongest of these relationships are
with Otto’s Poultry, Middleville, MI; Rose and Bill Scobey of
Scobey’s Produce, Wayland, MI; and Dennis Wilcox and Genevive
Malek who own and operate Blue Dog Greens, Bangor, MI. (Visit