I’m sorry that I haven’t been around much lately. Between working to get Biden elected, taking care of the kids, and helping to get an award-winning, five-star restaurant off the ground here in Ypsi, I just haven’t had time to engage in the debate over the rapidly imploding right wing conspiracy theory about Hunter Biden’s laptop, or whatever other nonsense people are talking about these days. With that said, I wanted to let you know that we’ve been listening to all of you who, over the course of the past two months, have asked for us to concentrate on our pick-up offerings here at Bellflower. While I can’t share too much at this point about what we have in store, I can tell you that we’ve perfected our smoked turkey recipe, and we’re now taking orders for Thanksgiving meals. Here, in case anyone is interested, is the basic package. [We have other, bigger packages that include more items, and larger quantities. You can find them outlined here.]
Thanksgiving Package 1: Half Smoked Turkey (5-6.5lb averages), Mashed Potatoes (32 oz), Turkey Giblet Gravy (16 oz), Milk Bread Custard Stuffing (10” pie tin), Cranberry Chow Chow (8 oz), 2 Milk Bread Po’ Boy Rolls, Green Bean Casserole (10” pie tin), and Apple Cobbler (10” pie tin) …$98
It’s a good value, and I’m super proud of our team for putting it together. I know that a lot of you, due to health concerns, still aren’t eating out, and, as that’s the case, I haven’t talked much about the restaurant here. I didn’t want to post photos of the food, or the reviews, and, in doing so, encourage people to come out who might otherwise be quarantining at home. I understand that eating out isn’t for everyone, even in the most responsible restaurants, and I didn’t want to encourage people to do anything that they weren’t comfortable with, or might later regret. And, if I started posting photos like this, I knew that’s what would likely happen.
While we have outdoor seating, an open kitchen, and follow all of the state health guidelines to the letter, I just didn’t want to encourage people to come out until we had a system in place that would allow them to pick up food in a contactless manner, etc. Now that we’re making headway in that direction, though, I feel better about sharing a little more about what we’re doing at Bellflower.
A few weeks ago, we opened up our online wine shop, featuring a few dozen bottles — many of which are under $20 — selected by our sommelier, Jenn Lucier. [If you’re interested, I’ve posted an interview with Lucier on the restaurant’s website, which I’ve been making a lot of content for.] Well, the orders have been going well. [Thank you to everyone who has bought a bottle so far.] And now we’re working on our packaged food offerings. In fact, based on the response we’ve received thus far from the community, we just decided to invest in an enormous smoker, which is going to allow us to do more in that area. It’s still too early to talk about things like weekly dinners and the like, but I wanted to post something today, letting you know that we’ve entered into an agreement with a turkey farm to supply free-range, all-natural birds for the holiday, and we’re now taking orders.
Anyway, if you’ve been hearing from your friends and neighbors about how damn good dinner is at Bellflower, but you haven’t felt like coming in, now’s your chance to see for yourself. Our team has gone all out and created a terrific, affordable menu for Thanksgiving, and I’m super proud of them. So, if you’ve wanted to see what all the fuss is about, here’s your chance. And, of course, you can still stop by during lunch for one of our sandwiches. Just be sure to come early, as we’ve been selling out by 2:00 or so each day. [We serve our sandwiches on milk bread rolls we make ourselves, and we only make 100 loaves a day.]
OK, I guess that’s if for now…. I just wanted to let you know that, if you weren’t heading home for the holidays to see your extended family, there was now a really, really good local option. And I mean that sincerely. I have never in my life had the pleasure to work with a team like I’ve been working with these past two months at Bellflower. Every day they set the bar for professionalism and quality, not just in Ypsilanti, or in Washtenaw County, but in the entire state of Michigan. The food we produce every day, and the level of customer service that we’ve been able to maintain, is truly spectacular… which is why, I suspect, that, as of right now on Google, 83 of our 87 reviews are five-star reviews. We are doing truly incredible work here, and I’m so happy to finally be able to share it with all of you, and not just those of you who feel like eating out at a restaurant.
If you’d like to order a Thanksgiving meal, and see what Bellflower is all about, just click here.
Oh, I should also mention that Jenn Lucier, not to be outdone by our cooking team, has put together three wine bundles for Thanksgiving. Here’s what she has to say about the first one, which includes a 2018 Krone Brut Sparkling Pinot Noir from South Africa, a 2018 Château Les Miaudoux Sauvignon Blanc from France, and a 2017 Zantho Blaufränkisch from Austria. “Our 3 bottle bundle gives you the perfect curated package to accompany your Thanksgiving feast. The Krone Brut Sparkling Rosé calls for a celebration with its festive bottle and a bright nose bursting with notes of red berries and buttery biscuits. Let it stand on its own, or drink throughout the meal, it will compliment everything from the turkey and stuffing to baked fruit and pastry with dessert,” she says. “Vegetable side dishes (or main courses!) will be highlighted by the flavors of stone fruits, minerality, and hint of spice found in the Château Les Miaudoux Bergerac Blanc, and nothing pairs better with turkey and gravy than a Blaufränkisch. This vibrant, fruit-forward red wine with flavors of cranberries, black currants, baking spices and subtle smokiness will accentuate your holiday bird no matter the preparation!” The three bottles are just $60, and you can order them from the Thanksgiving menu in our online store.
One last thing, as long as I’m praising members of the team… The loaves of Ypsilanti Rye that our baking team produced last week sold out not just here at Bellflower, but in both Argus Farm Stop stores in Ann Arbor. As a result, we’re baking even more this week. If you’re interested, stop by Argus on Sunday.