What do a former Michigan State University linebacker and a life-long educator have in common other than their love for some great basting and barbecue sauce and their love for one another? They just happen to be the husband and wife team who have brought “a taste of “Nawlins” to Harbor Country in Michigan’s Great Southwest.
Together Chef Patrick Williams and General Manager Daina Mileris have established their new eatery, Grampa Boo’s Kitchen on N. Elm Street in downtown Three Oaks.
Grampa Boo’s Kitchen offers regional comfort food and BBQ featuring Grampa Boo’s Basting & BBQ Sauce alongside Cajun & Creole specialties of the house in the historic village of Three Oaks. It’s their new restaurant and brewery featuring all sorts of comfort food and New Orleans’ specialties alongside that great BBQ and sauce.
They conducted a soft opening around the 4th of July holiday, but now they’re inviting the world to “Let the Good Times Roll,” during their Grand Opening at 9 N. Elm Street in Three Oaks this Friday afternoon. The Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce will commemorate the occasion with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30 pm this Friday, July 14th. Chef Patrick and his wife Daina invite the public to toast their Grand Opening with one of their delicious mocktails during the event.
Grampa Boo’s Kitchen (GBK) offers regional comfort food and BBQ as well as Cajun & Creole specialties, as Chef Patrick uses his own BBQ sauce made from a 100 year old family recipe. His Grampa Boo’s Basting & BBQ Sauice is also available for sale in the restaurant.
The restaurant, which continues its soft opening, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring a menu that includes smoked BBQ ribs, chicken and salmon as well as gumbo, a few vegetarian dishes and salads among other dishes made with locally sourced food. Fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes will be harvested from Grampa Boo’s rooftop garden which is already producing rosemary, basil, mint, oregano, hot peppers and cherry tomatoes. Summer specials include Friday Fish Fry’s and shrimp boils. Also planned in the near future will be in-house artisanal brews and hard cider.
Chef Patrick and Daina are thrilled to have their doors open, especially since the opening of the New Orleans influenced restaurant took some time and effort. Daina explains, “Even though we helped open the successful, Coho Café in Frankfort, Michigan, opening our own restaurant has been a 24/7 job for us both.”
Cornerstone Alliance assisted the owners in making the new enterprise possible. As Margaret Adams, Manager of the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance says, “Daina and Patrick have worked hard to make Grampa Boo’s Kitchen a reality.” She adds, “They have been patient with the many requirements needed to launch a business. Their unique Cajun and Creole-style dishes will certainly add more variety to the area. We look forward to their success as a new business launches in Three Oaks”.
Chef Patrick was born and raised in Michigan, played MSU football and has traveled the world. He loves NOLA, graduated from Kendall Culinary School in Chicago and served as Sous & Executive Chef in several Chicago restaurants. The Chef also served as a mentor in The Chicago Public Schools where his wife taught; he also taught students culinary skills. They have been living and working in Chicago, but plan to make Three Oaks their full time home.
Patrick learned to cook from his grandparents and mom, Nadine Williams. He is a professionally trained chef who has been an executive chef, a private chef in Chicago, as well as owned his own catering company, Comfort Cuisine. He was a linebacker for MSU back in the 80’s and has the injuries to prove it. In spite of these & some other physical challenges (MS) Patrick is fulfilling his dream of opening his own restaurant in the state he grew up in.
Daina is Chef Patrick’s wife and co-owner of Grampa Boo’s Kitchen. Although she is a veteran educator of 33 yrs, most recently with The Chicago Public Schools, Daina has both front-of-house and back-of-house experience in various restaurants over the past 37 years, including Pizza Papa’s in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Coho Cafe in Frankfort, and at the Heartland Cafe and Moody’s Pub, both in Chicago. Like Chef Patrick, Daina has worked part-time with The Chicago International Film Festival for many years and is a free-lance photographer. In fact, many of the photos on display at Grampa Boo’s Kitchen were taken by her.
For more information about Grampa Boo’s Kitchen, you can visit their Facebook page, call the restaurant (269) 820-6050, visit grampabooskitchen.com or email Chef Patrick at Chefpw@gmail.com.
