SEM Swarms the Five Lakes Grill - the Sequel
Article and photos by Dave Burton
May 15, 2005 dawned cold and cloudy. No bonus for the weather chair this event
but hopefully, no snow either! For the truly afflicted, Sunday started with a
garage meet and backroads tour hosted by Sebastian Gaeta and Bill Rohrer
that culminated with a nice lunch in Dexter. A similar “conflict” occurred during
our last, inaugural Five Lakes Shine & Dine but we learned from that and
scheduled the start of this spring event a little later, taking advantage of the
longer daylight hours. The weather never cleared, but it never rained (or
snowed) and our members didn’t shy away. We drew fifty Porsches along with a
BMW 2002 Turbo and a first-issue Audi TT (and although they hailed not from
Stuttgart, at least they were German).
A great cross-section of members brought out an equally diverse assortment of
our favorite marque, populating the parking lot with 356’s, 911’s, 930’s, 944’s,
964’s, 968’s, 986’s and 996’s in many configurations, all capped off with a
beautiful silver Carrera GT. A neat juxtaposition was the Carrera GT alongside
its’ ancestor, a ’61 Roadster. Another lovely pairing were matching Turbos, Red
Dragon One and Red Dragon Two. Chef Polcyn and his staff circulated through
the gathered throng offering greetings and hot hors’doerves.
Soon enough, it was time to repair indoors and delight in what Five Lakes had
created in our honor. After seating and beverage orders were sorted out, Chef
Brian led us through the evening’s menu. Last fall’s theme was more German
in nature while this menu celebrated American ingredients. Brian prides
himself in the wide variety of the freshest meats and produce his recipes
entail. He has developed relationships (often exclusive) with Michigan farmers
and producers that allow Five Lakes to present continually interesting menus.
Tonight’s menu is no exception. We started with House-made Duck, Sage and
Roasted Garlic Sausage served with Potato Pancake, Organic Micro-Greens and
Sour Cream Sauce. Delicious! The Second Course consisted of Grilled Block
Island Swordfish on Extra Virgin Olive Oil Roasted Early (very early) Summer
Vegetables. Scrumptious! For an Entrée, we were presented Whole Roasted
Spice Rubbed Certified Black Angus Rib-Eye with Charred Corn Salsa, Texas
Style Beans and Cotton Onions. Fabulous! Dessert of Toasted Pecan Flan with
Chocolate Caramel Mousse in a Chocolate Cup followed. Perfection with a cup of
coffee!
Five Lakes Grille is one of Diane’s and my favorite restaurants. The menu
continually evolves, changing with the seasons. The dining room has matured
into a warm and inviting place to enjoy an intimate meal. Yet, Five Lakes can
easily accommodate a large, boisterous group without missing a step. Their
staff always hits their marks, moving smartly when your schedule is tight and
allowing you to relax and enjoy your own pace when time is not an issue.
Tonight, folks lingered over dessert, enjoying the company of friends new and
old. A hearty round of applause was given to Brian and his staff for the
excellent food and service, all agreeing that we need to do this again. Some
suggested that we choose a date when warm, pleasant weather would allow
more enjoyable top-down driving. I guess we need to elect a new weather chair
for this event—any volunteers?
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