Preface: A great idea only comes to fruition when all the pieces of a puzzle come together as one.
I am sad to say that I am plagued by a habit that commits a level of ill justice or a type of severe analysis by mere glance. It can also be described as judging a book by its cover. In this very case, I would be guilty of judging a restaurant by its menu. My mind likes to tell me that a restaurant with multiple entrees in excess of $20.00 accompanied by a two hour wait will most likely equate to one expensive evening. I often come to the conclusion that such places may not be worth my time and money. Call me cheap if you’d like, but I don’t get paid to go to college (at least not yet). As a result of not giving myself the chance to even step foot inside, I have once again made a terrible mistake.
I wanted to be proved wrong about what little information I have held with me about a place on the corner of Main and Center Street. After having the chance to speak with co-owner Matt Balmer and Chef Michael Bild of Everyday People Café, I began to build a new perception of their establishment.
Is there something behind the curtain of E.P.C. that separates them from the others? Well, yes, there are indeed some noticeable differences…
Matt and Michael educated me on a specific philosophy that has brought them a wealth of success in recent years. Their philosophy can be described in a two-word phrase they call a “Meal Experience.” What is a meal experience you say? When you say meal experience, you are characterizing something that encompasses more than just the most amazing dinner plate you have set your eyes on. It’s more than that. Besides, what is an award winning dish without a little ambiance anyways? Its just a dish, not an experience.
The experience all begins with the pieces of a delicately manicured puzzle. If you are familiar with a puzzle (I’m going to assume that 99.9% of the readers are) then you know that a puzzle can be broken down an infinite number of ways. However, no matter what you think you are capable of, a puzzle can only be put together in one way. In relation to Everyday People Café, their unique puzzle described as a “Meal Experience” is pieced together by four simple components attached with one golden rule: Food, Service, Atmosphere, Price… and doing all of them Consistently.
Matt Balmer has displayed his level of commitment to his customers with a strong sense of value. If you flew, drove, or hit the midnight train down to Chicago you would probably pay twice as much for any entree that you can find at Everyday People Café. The quality might be rivaled, but the value is absolutely unrivaled by anyone! The average passerby might not understand that what they are eating is relatively inexpensive in comparison to like-restaurants, yet it is still of the highest quality.
People may also not grasp the fact that a lot of what they are eating is pumped out from local farmers and producers. Mr. Bild whips up dishes that include items from places like Dancing Goat Creamery (the only certified organic goat cheese/milk producer in Michigan), Hoffer Farms, Visser, Palazzolo’s, Crane’s Pie Pantry, Blue Star Meats, Schroeder’s Sugar Shack and many more!
Did you know Michael and the crew throw down all of their foods from scratch?
If you are listening to some patio blues in the summer or you are nestled up by the fireplace in the winter, E.P.C. is continuously hitting you with generous portions of cultured cuisine. It is casual dining at its finest after all! They have been serving comfort food to patrons for the past 13 years.
Comfort Food? Hmmm…….
E.P.C. delivers what they like to call comfort food with a twist. And no, this doesn’t mean that your steak will unexpectedly morph into something else as your evening hits the midpoint (that’s just absurd). This simply means that those familiar foods you know and love have a little spice thrown into the mix. The great thing about a night with your guests at Everyday People Café is knowing that you can count on a consistent result. The taste doesn’t change day to day or week to week, and Matt Balmer will stand by that.
Whether you are looking for a bright, knowledgeable staff member to help you select a particular type of “Grower Champagne” or the right type of pasta concoction; you can feel at ease, because you are in the hands of seasoned veterans that know how to satisfy your meal experience to the utmost degree!
Everyday People Café has something special in the works here in Douglas, and don’t be shy to drop on by. Just remember, even though you have to wait like everybody else (Hint: It is called Everyday People Cafe), I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed!
Now go get served!
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