15 December 2014

Everyday People Cafe in Douglas on a Sunday afternoon!


Everyday People Cafe in Douglas



We'd heard so much about the Everyday People Cafe in Douglas that we decided to try it out one fine, non-snowy day in December.  You note that we said "day," because the Divas decided on a 1:30 pm Sunday lunch/brunch adventure.  Most of the rave reviews about Everyday People stemmed from its dinner menu.  We noticed on the website that the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Grand Rapids Magazine had a few nice things to say.  Carla is the only one in our group that has been there for dinner and she said it's an amazing gourmet experience.  We understand they don't take reservations and there may be a wait, which is why we opted for brunch, followed by a little Christmas shopping in Douglas & Saugatuck.  

We decided to partake in the Bloody Mary Bar ($5), where you can (after your server delivers a tall glass filled with ice and a shot of vodka - or tequila! - and a skewer) mix your own Bloody Mary. Everyday People Cafe creates its own tomato-based Bloody Mary mix.  But you can customize it with your choice of a splash of dill juice or Worcestershire sauce, an array of hot sauces, fresh limes, etc.  For garnishes, you can choose from a generous assortment of cheeses, olives, pickles, salami, shrimp, and the traditional celery stick.  Yummy!   Note - two of the Divas had a Virgin Mary which is the same price.  We were a little surprised, but the delicious assortment makes it worthwhile.

We also noticed (but didn't try it... one Bloody Mary was enough!) that EPC offers "Bubbles & Bites" on Saturdays and Sundays, which features a "bottomless glass of bubbles" along with a selection from the lunch/brunch menu for $20.  

Everyday People Cafe in Douglas is about a 40-minute drive south from downtown Grand Haven.  





Nancy Levenburg, Carla Hill, and Bari Johnson at the Bloody Mary Bar!



Nice big chunks of various cheeses and sausage, plus shrimp, and olives are a nice addition! $5




          


Breakfast Tacos - scrambled eggs with pico de gallo, chorizo, corn tortilla, creme fraiche. $12

Kelle:  "Even though I already had a nice breakfast out with family around 8:30 am, I couldn't resist a second breakfast once our waiter mentioned the tacos were on special!  I've never had tacos presented this nice and certainly enjoyed every bite.  I could only eat half and had the rest the next day.  I had a Virgin Mary and loved the assortment of snacks.  That was a fun way to start our meal.  The service was very slow, but we noticed our waiter was working the bar area in addition to the floor.  This was my first time at EPC and can hardly wait to go there for dinner now."      




EPC Scramble - three egg scamble with onion, red bell pepper, house made local bacon, topped with smoked jack cheese.  $9

Bari:  "My choice was good and I enjoyed it (even though I rarely eat potatoes!).  I was surprised at the way the eggs were prepared... scrambled and grilled in some way.  It was tasty, however, I probably wouldn't order it again.  Also, I was surprised we didn't get, nor were we offered any bread (not that I needed or wanted any).  My favorite was the Bloody Mary bar filled with yummy goodies.  Of course, I overfilled my glass, making a bit of a mess at the table.  Oh, my Bloody Mary was really a Tequila Maria since it was made with tequila instead of vodka.  On another note, our service was okay, but not great since they may have been understaffed.  As always, the company made our dining experience fun!"  



Mussels Dijon - Prince Edward Island mussles, garlic, shallot, Dijon mustard, white wine, teardrop tomatoes, basil & garlic bread.  $10

Carla:  "I've always enjoyed dinner at Everyday People Cafe and trying the Bubbles & Brunch on Sunday sounded like fun.  They have a great Bloody Mary Bar and I opted for a virgin version and added shrimp, some cheeses, and pickle spears.  Loved their homemade mix... spicy, but not too hot.  For my lunch entree, I ordered Mussels Dijon and got a very large bowl of mussels in a Dijon and white wine broth, and some French bread for dipping.  The mussels were on the small side, but there were a lot of them.  The broth was nice at first, but the mustard became a bit too aggressive as I worked my way through the pile of mussels.  All in all, I wasn't thrilled with my dish and am sorry we didn't opt for dinner.  Next time!"  


Nancy:  "I ordered the Local Shaved Beef Sandwich Au Jus ($10), which is served with Michigan smoked jack cheese and caramelized onion jam on a toasted ciabatta roll.  A small portion (about 10 fries) can be added for an additional $2.00.  The onion jam was what really made this sandwich." 

(Sorry, we goofed on the photo!)



  

Window shopping downtown Douglas


Carla and Kelle enjoyed a nice cappuccino and a mocha coffee at the Uncommon Grounds in Saugatuck after shopping!





Happy Holidays from the Lakeshore Dining Divas!

Everyday People Cafe

11 Center Street
Douglas, MI
everydaypeoplecafe.com


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The Divas want it to be noted, with all due respect, that the views and opinions shared in this venue do not represent those of the Grand Haven Tribune and are entirely based on each individual experience we encounter.  Perhaps on any other occasion, they may differ.