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BISTRO 101 * Taste, Style, Affordability, and Innovation in Downtown Midland
By Robert E. Martin
Fortunately, those
looking for a healthy antidote to the Walmart-ization of America have no farther
to travel than Midland, where a remarkable dining & entertainment experience
that is unique, fun, and affordable in every respect can be readily found at
Bistro 101.
Located on the corner of Downtown Midland at 101 Main Street (which the
establishment was formally named) and recently acquired by Mid Michigan
Management Services in March of 2003, Bistro 101 is true to the root
European definition of the word 'bistro' - it is fun, exciting, features an
eclectic & innovative menu, regularly showcases top local talent such as Dave
Kellan, The Brush/Lopez Group, and Maybe August, possesses a
gracious, well-trained, and engaging staff, and is eminently affordable.
According to Robert Rogowski, Executive Director at Bistro 101,
his goal since taking over the helm is to take a restaurant that had gotten a
tad stale and make it a fun & happening place. "One
of the strongest assets we have is the fact that Downtown Midland is a neat
place to be," reflects Rogowski. "When I first moved to Midland in 1989 the
downtown was not the resource it is today. But since that time the Downtown
Development Authority has invested considerable money into the area, and now
we have eight different restaurants in Downtown Midland, Ashman Court
doing horse-drawn sleigh rides in the Winter months, and a rather sparkling &
imaginative alternative to shopping at the Mall and having dinner at one of the
numerous chains along Eastman Road." With
this in mind, Rogowski conducted extensive renovations of the former 101 Main
Street, adding a façade that will lift to the open air in summer months and
provide the Tri-city's with the type of street side 'open-air' dining usually
reserved only for larger cities such as Chicago & New York. And as a board
member of the Midland Downtown Business Association, he is also intent to
help bring more activities into Downtown Midland apart from the fine fare
offered at his new Bistro, with concert events in the Summer and a signature
Winter event in the works that will function as a combined 'Science & Arts
Fair', whether the focus is upon the science of cooking or the mathematics of
music. As
one that loves fine music as much as fine food, this writer is appreciative of
the fact that until Bistro 101 evolved, few establishments have made such
a strong commitment to showcasing live music in the town of Midland. "We've made
a commitment to it," comments Bob. "That's another component that makes us
unique from chain restaurants. While I have nothing against them, I want to
focus my energy on bringing something different and unique to Midland.
Everything we do from the menu to music to our wine list has its own unique
character and we protect that. Having grown up in New York City and lived in Los
Angeles, my vision was to take those things that are found in big city bistros
and do it here in Midland. We offer a neat & eclectic menu that isn't overly
expensive, and things have only improved since our General Manager Laura
Janson and her husband John, our Chief Chef, came on-board." One of the chief components of making Bistro 101 a unique dining experience is the fact that they go to great pains to come up with items on the menu that cannot be found anywhere else in the tri-cities - whether it be the flavoring of their crab cakes or the nature of the garlic cream sauce glistening from freshly grilled scallops.
"A bistro needs to be on top of trends," he continues, "so apart from certain 'signature items', we vary our menu with daily specials and usually will offer a pasta, red meat, chicken, fish, and lo-carb selection to our menu. Ingredients are very important." As one that has personally experienced the joys of their roast duckling with cherry sauce, I can personally attest to the veracity of Robert's claim. "Mainly, I want people to leave satisfied and then return again wondering what we will have new on the menu the next time around. My belief is that you have to do well ever time someone walks in the door, get creative with a smile, offer friendly service, and deliver every need a customer has. I want to see them leaving with a big old smile on their face." Obviously, any successful organization is more than a one-man operation, and Robert is extremely appreciative towards each member of his 25-person staff. "Around the time Laura arrived in February of this year, I was looking for a lead chef," relates Bob. "Laura told me to consider hiring her husband, John, which I frankly was hesitant to do. But being the persistent individual that Laura is, she sold me after about 10 minutes. John has a Marine background, possesses outstanding leadership skills, is a hard worker, and makes people tow the line in the kitchen. He keeps the costs in control and along with Matt Poulos, our Soup Chef; I have the best of two worlds. Matt is very creative and when you put the two together the result is an outstanding team of core chefs." "When you go into an enterprise you pull your life experiences into it," concludes Robert. "I'm from New York, I've lived in big cities, and I've traveled extensively throughout the world. I'm a musician and love live music. And when you think about what makes an exciting, vibrant entity, no matter what it is, it's the fact that people feed off that energy. If all of us at Bistro 101 can project that and always leave the customer guessing, that is a very good thing." "If you are not interested in change, or intrigued by something different, don't come to 101," smiles Bob.
Additionally, apart from
offering great dining & entertainment experiences throughout the week, if people
wish to reserve Bistro 101 on Sundays for parties or gatherings,
they can obtain the venue at no charge provided 101 caters the party; and with
all this said-and-done, the proof residing firmly in the pudding, who wouldn't
want them to?
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