By Angela Madaras
“Join us for seasonal menus inspired by the fresh flavors of local farms and farmers’ markets.”
This is the best way Grange Kitchen and Bar can describe what they provide through their inspired kitchen and bar operating in an historic building in the Old West side of town. Their style is simple and elegant, but not pretentious. There is no dress code and all are welcomed to enjoy small plates, entrees, appetizers, and desserts with unique beverages, many fueled by one of the three partners who owns Ann Arbor Distillery. From cocktails to shrimp, the Grange Kitchen and Bar’s menu is truly an homage to fresh Michigan flavors and Ann Arbor’s community custom.
Grange Kitchen’s Chef and owner, Brandon Johns, is responsible for bringing his culinary knowledge and experience to this location ten years ago after he worked as chef for The Real Seafood Company in Ann Arbor. He is an Arborite with a deep sense of concern for resilient and old-fashioned farm practices. Most members of his family, if not all, have operated a small-scale farm at one point in their lives. He proudly lists the farms by name on his ever-changing menus. His appreciation and connection to local farmers is deep and personal. He, and his staff, along with two other partners, Robert Cleveland (a long time friend and brother-in-law who owns Icon Creative Technologies and Ann Arbor Distilling Company), and Liam Ayers (also a local Ann Arborite and long time friend who is a protein specialist for Carmela Food Company), will host the Grange ten-year anniversary dinner at Old Brick Farm. This livestock farm is owned by Larry Doll, whom Johns considers one of the team. The dedication all of the team have for the fabulous sustenance they serve and the people attached to all the products and services they use is apparent.
On a cool summer day my husband and I had an extremely comforting brunch seated at a quaint outside table in front of Grange. It was a lovely meal of shrimp and grits, rich duck fat fries with roasted garlic mayo, breakfast tacos made with perfectly spiced house made chorizo, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa verde and potatoes made just right, and three heat level varieties of homemade hot sauces. We also had a slice of almond and wild grape pie, Roos Roast coffee, and a cocktail called “Salty Dog”—their own version of a Greyhound with fresh grapefruit juice, vodka, and lime. My husband and I did not speak for a few minutes, just groaned and made other noises associated with satiated people eating freshly crafted food. The table next to us was in the same boat, except they were actually having a detailed conversation about each plate they ordered, the chef, the staff, and all that they obviously appreciated and knew well about Grange. Grange offers local food industry folks a discount to show mutual “props”. I truly appreciate this level of respect and camaraderie. It also sparked a conversation between my husband and I and the couple at the next table. Great food and people having face-to-face conversation is convivial and rare!
I happily spent time conversing with Chef Brandon Johns over the phone, and had multiple email exchanges. He is humble and real: a true Michigander. Our trail of communication is found in the words below. I will also leave you pondering a quote from one of my favorite writers and Michigan native Jim Harrison, who also happened to be a hunter, food expert, and gourmand, for whom Grange threw a special dinner at his memorial with many of his favorite wines and fare.
Angela Madaras: What inspired you to support local and ethical meat in your restaurant and catering business?
Chef Brandon Johns: I started cooking seasonally a few years before opening Grange. At the time “seasonally” meant seasonally in California or Florida when things like strawberries or asparagus come into the commodity market. But, I realized, maybe going back to my childhood, that seasonal should be what is in season right around us, in the moment. After researching the local food scene in Ann Arbor and other areas of the country, I found many different farms that were raising their animals in a slower, old fashioned, natural way. This is better for the animals, better for the final product, and better for the environment. I was moved to search out farmers that used those types of methods.
Angela Madaras: Grange means farm in its simplest meaning. Explain why this farm to table concept grabbed you.
Chef Brandon Johns: Honestly it seemed like a simple, but not so obvious, reflection of what we are trying to do as a restaurant.
Angela Madaras: Can you give me an overview of your popular meat dishes and specialties that customers request more than others?
Chef Brandon Johns: I am proud that we use whole animals as often as possible, which challenges us to use every bit. That means we serve sausages, pates, and confits as well as the more mainstream steaks and chops. We change our menu very frequently, but the most requested and complemented item is our chicken. It is because we start with excellent chicken. We purchase local chickens from farmers with whom we have built a strong and long-term relationship. Larry Doll is one of those farmers who has been with us since we opened. In fact, we are having our ten-year staff party at his farm.
AM: Where did you learn to cook?
CBJ: I had been in the front of the house in restaurants for five or six years before I went behind the line at Real Seafood Company. I have always had some interest in cooking throughout my life. I enjoyed watching my mother cook the usual family meals and I “helped” my dad grill burgers and such (I was in charge of spraying water to keep the flames down). I didn’t think much of it at the time (who does when you’re a teenager?), but I believe the interest was always there, waiting for the right time to emerge. At some point serving became tedious and boring so I started cooking at Real Seafood Company a couple days a week while still serving on others. That morphed into the sous chef job and then the chef job at Real Seafood Company. While I did learn a tremendous amount at Real Seafood Company, especially about fish, I was mostly self taught. After a couple of years I realized that this might be a career, so at age 30 I moved to New York City to go to school. I cooked for and learned from other chefs and restaurateurs.
AM: Was there a long past from which grew a man who loved all things food?
CBJ: It wasn’t until later in life that I realized how much food was there for me growing up. If I had been told, even at 25, that I would be doing what I’m doing now, a chef and restaurant owner, I would have laughed. But now I believe it’s always been there. Some of my most vivid and lasting memories are of food and cooking: scaling, gutting, and learning how to fillet perch and bluegills with my dad, skipping school to help him clean buckets and buckets of smelt in our basement, watching and helping fry said fish in cast iron pans, full of Crisco, watching my mom make dinner after dinner of green beans from our garden in various dishes all summer long, the way the house would smell when my mom was canning or pickling in the late summer, making jellies and jams, helping start the garden from a yard full of scrub brush and weeds, countless evenings grilling burgers, the sweet smell of Concord grapes that grew in our bushes every August, sitting on the shed roof with my sister eating sour cherries till our stomachs hurt, eating a perfectly ripe pear from the one tree we had, the type of flavor that starts to disappear the moment you pick a pear, watching my grandfather put sugar on ripe tomatoes if there wasn’t anything for dessert. These are the memories that stuck with me.
AM: What type of people do you hire and share your space within the business? How important are the relationships to these folks?
CBJ: As a company we tend to attract like-minded individuals who believe in what we do at Grange. Working at Grange isn’t easy, as the menu and ingredients change constantly, so there is a lot of moving parts and information to organize. It requires a bit more dedication than the usual restaurant. We currently have around 25 devoted employees.
AM: Do your family and friends share the same enthusiasm for food?
CBJ: They do, for the most part. For example, my oldest daughter has worked at Argus for the last two years. My sister has a huge garden and chickens and is very supportive of Grange. When I was growing up my mom spent many hours putting up seasonal food in the summers.
AM: Tell me about the now infamous Jim Harrison Memorial Dinner you prepared after he passed away.
CBJ: Since Jim Harrison was such a gourmand, we came up with the idea of teaming up with Literati and creating a dinner of items entirely pulled from various Jim Harrison writings. Since his food references are endless, I had to narrow the dinner down to “just” seven courses. Excerpts were read during the dinner as well. It was a blast researching and executing the dinner.
AM: Who are some of your food mentors?
CBJ: Chef Simon Pesusich of Main Street Ventures taught me all about fish. Chef John Hogan helped me learn classic French techniques, and Richard Andres of Tantre Farms continues to teach me about organic farming and philosophy.
AM: Where do you eat when you eat out?
CBJ: Locally my favorites are: The Lunch Room, Lan City Noodles, Casablanca, and Cardamom.
AM: How and where do you shop for your seasonally changing menu? Explain your food sourcing a bit.
CBJ: We have built a network of farmers for all of our produce. We trade emails and text messages. Although some farmers do deliver, we generally pick things up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. We also do a fair share of shopping at Argus Farm Stop. We do have a couple of local purveyors that provide us with local meats and dairy as needed. Cherry Capital, Eat Local Eat Natural, as well as Carmela Foods all have connections with certain local entities.
AM: What would you choose to be your last meal, and who would prepare it?
CBJ: I would prepare the meal. I believe that would give me the most pleasure. Doing what I always do. I would be surrounded by my friends and family, just like the many Sunday dinners we’ve had over the years. I would be gruff and grumpy and complaining about having to always cook, but I would not want it any other way—and everyone would know it. As far as what to serve, well, it would be what I felt like cooking and eating that day. My “favorite” foods always seem to change with my mood, but for sure the cooking and the meal would start with bubbly and end with whiskey. And probably lot’s of both.
AM: I have been to many events, and even volunteered, where you prepared food. I find it amazing how calm and fun you make it seem. I sensed zero stress from you, only joy. How do you keep the joy when "the fire is hot" in every sense?
CBJ: I do like what I do, feeding people and hopefully making folks happy. Working as a team. Serving products that I believe in. Honestly, I would rather have fun than stress out. Maybe it’s just a state of mind. At least it works for me at most big events.
AM: You seem to build very close customer and supplier relationships. How important is this to you?
CBJ: Perhaps the most surprising outcome of our local sourcing is the relationships that we have built over the years with the farmers and growers. It’s not surprising now, but going into this journey that wasn’t something I thought about. However, it has been one of the most important things, especially considering the lack of community and real relationship building that seems so prevalent in today’s social media world.
AM: Lastly what is your favorite food moment?
CBJ: There are so many tasty dishes, but roasting game birds on a string on the side of the Fox River in the U.P. does stand out. There is nothing like the meat, the fire, the sound of the water, and good friends.
The Grange Kitchen is located at 118 West Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. They are open Wednesday through Saturday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. and offering curbside pickup Wednesday through Saturday 5 p.m. - 9 p.m and Sunday brunch is being served from 10am – 3pm. They have a new online carryout shop for easy carryout ordering and contactless payment. Visit grangekitchenandbar.square.site to learn more.
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