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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, Muskegon Chronicle reporter Rose White thought she was going to write about a new ice cream shop. The story she ended up telling was about historical hot fudge, a family's deep Muskegon roots and a love of community.
That's what happens so often when our reporters set out to write Michigan's Best Local Eats features.
Born during the pandemic, this weekly series in the eight local newspaper towns MLive serves has become a spotlight on grit, innovation and inspiration.
“It was a really rich story with this couple,” White said of Occidental Eats, the sweets shop that was named after a beloved, but long-gone hotel. “She's a Muskegon native and had worked in offices for 20 years, and they decided to branch out with this ice cream shop. They've been having a lot of fun with it, and also being able to pay homage to the community as well.”
The restaurant features décor salvaged from the now-demolished hotel, including items donated by patrons. One of the co-owner’s great aunts worked at the candy counter at the hotel, making the hot fudge. And in an apt completion to the story arc, the new owners resurrected the hot fudge recipe from a 1920s-era clipping they found from the Muskegon Chronicle.
Every Saturday, we publish stories just like that featuring an eatery, from traditional restaurants to food trucks. And while the menu items range from the mouth-watering to the eye-popping – for instance, a 21-pound pizza – the star is the people behind the food.
“They’ve gone through so much over the last several years, with this global pandemic,” said Isis Simpson-Mersha, a reporter for The Flint Journal who writes Local Eats features. “They are looking to help their community, whether that's serving food that they love to make, or giving someone a free meal, or offering them a job or just having a place for someone to get together.”
The genesis of Michigan’s Best Local Eats indeed was in the COVID-19 crisis. Small businesses were hit hard in the initial wave of social restrictions in the pre-vaccine period, and restaurants perhaps were hit hardest as indoor dining was banned.
MLive responded with a series of restaurant profiles titled Takeout Tuesday.
The idea was to draw attention to the entrepreneurs – many of them Mom-and-Pop operations – who were struggling to stay afloat, and to give readers ideas about how to spice up stay-at-home dinnertime while also helping their neighbors.
The features were so popular, and the stories we told about the people behind the businesses so compelling, that we have kept the series running. We changed the name to Local Eats to acknowledge the return of indoor dining as social restrictions were lifted. And about a month ago, we added the “Michigan’s Best” tag because all of our state’s best dining experiences have local roots.
White noticed that a lot of high-profile restaurants around Muskegon had been written about in the past. So, she dug a little deeper.
“I searched on social media, started looking at Chamber of Commerce lists – looking at some of these restaurants that haven't gotten a ton of attention,” she said. “At the end of the day they have really interesting stories and a lot of good food to offer.”
Beyond the food and the unexpected tales, Local Eats also has become a showcase for the diversity of entrepreneurs in all of our towns: Racial minorities, immigrants, women, young people, friends, whole families.
These small businesses share a common thread.
“Everyone obviously has a story to tell,” Simpson-Mersha said. “What I've truly learned is that they are so resilient, and they are always looking to help each other, regardless of their situation.”
So, come every Saturday for the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Mexican street corn. Stay for the amazing stories about people and resilience and community. ###
🎧 Simpson-Mersha and White were guests on this week’s Behind the Headlines podcast. To hear how they find great stories about entrepreneurs and food in their towns, and what it’s like to be on such an enticing beat, click here.
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Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at editor@mlive.com.
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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