- [Tom] On this eatable edition of "UTR," we go back to some of our favorite palate-pleasing places.

We hit Kate's cool Kitchen, Miss Kim's Korean, and boast about Prost!

Then we take a hike all the way up to Harbor Haus and even bite into a beefy burger at Big O's.

Get ready to rediscover why Michigan is the greatest place in the world to eat, drink, and be merry.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

- [Announcer] Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay Region community.

Visit gogreat.com for more info.

- I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to, and the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin and this is "Under The Radar Michigan."

(upbeat music) (logo whooshes) (air whooshes) You know, our food segments are by far our most popular, so much so that we can't stop showing 'em to you.

So that being said, here's some more.

Yep, I'll admit it, on "UTR," we eat well, so well that we want to share it all with you, and that's why we do the hard work, so to speak, of discovering tons of fabulous food finds for you.

So grab a napkin and a notebook because first up, we hit a place down river that's downright delicious.

(logo whooshes) (air whooshes) Well, in the vernacular of current kids speak, if you're down with down home cooking, you gotta come down river to Kate's Kitchen 'cause the food here is downright awesome.

True that.

That's right, or I mean, right that.

If you're looking for real food cooked by real people who really love what they do, this is a place you need to park your palate.

Now, at first glance, it looks like just a little unassuming diner tucked away on Huron River Drive in Flat Rock, but once your taste buds take a tour of their menu, you'll be a fan.

Since way back in 1979, Catherine Zornischenko's family has been holding down the fort, rolling out the dough, and serving up sweet and savory selections fit for bonafide foodies like you and me.

And I'm trying not to get a big head when I say this, but I've never planned on going to a restaurant before where more people were more excited than us coming here.

- Well, that's wonderful.

- [Tom] I don't know what you're doing.

- That is wonderful.

- We're gonna find out.

- Okay.

- But oh my gosh, people were like, - That's wonderful.

- "Oh, you're going to Kate's, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

"Oh, their lemon meringue pie.

"Oh, you gotta try this, you gotta try that.

"They're the sweetest people.

"It's such a cute little place."

And this all started like in 1979 with your mom in a basement or something.

- Yes, it did.

Actually, at the time, I was waitressing at a little restaurant up on the corner and who ended up being my future mother-in-Law.

Her pie maker quit, and I was waiting tables and I was 15 at the time, and- - So you know how to make pies?

No, but you're gonna learn.

- That's what... No, I did.

I said, "My mother makes pies."

And I came home and I told my mother.

I said, "Mama, they need pies," and she started.

She made the fruit pies, and my dad made the pudding in the basement of our house right here on Arsenal.

- Wow.

- And then the Health Department got wind of that, and then they bought this.

- There was a raid.

(laughs) - Well, yes, exactly.

And then they bought this building, which happened to be vacant at the time.

So it worked out quite, quite well, yeah.

- How long have you been in this cute little building?

- Since 1979.

- In this building since '79.

- [Tom] Oh my gosh, so you kind of grew up much in this.

- Yes, yes.

- So you're probably... That's why you're so good at what you do.

You've been doing it for a while.

I've been doing this show 13 years.

I still am terrible at it.

- Well, with the help of very, very talented people.

It's not me.

There's many talented people here, but it's not just not me.

- Well, I was gonna say.

I was gonna say that for a place this size, there's a lot of people back there working real hard.

I noticed the majority of your kitchen is girl power.

(hands smack) So you go, girlfriend.

(Kate laughs) Kate, well, I was gonna ask you, what is the secret of a really good pie crust?

- Lard.

- Lard, L-A-R-D?

- Didn't you see our sign over there?

- What does it say?

- Oh, you have to see it.

It's on the other side.

"They're happy because they eat lard."

- Oh, that makes sense.

- Yes.

- What do you open, like, you know, in the morning, then you're done at two?

Well, but no.

- You're not done at two.

- No, they're still going to late, you know, in the evening.

- And early in the morning.

And people don't realize - And start in the morning.

- A place this good, this kind of quality food, how much work and love goes into because you have to love what you do.

- Yes, but I am beginning to think that we are a dinosaur because everything we do now is all handmade.

Nobody does this anymore.

And people don't understand why they have to wait for things.

They want it now.

They're so used to getting it now, but here, someone actually has to make it.

We have to brown the sausage and get the milk hot for your gravy.

Someone actually has to make the dough for your biscuits and put in all that delicious lard in the biscuits, and they have to bake for 25 minutes.

You have to wait for, you know... And when you come in the door, we don't have tons and tons of meat fried up.

- Right, everything's made to order, made fresh.

- When you come in and order, you know, it's like you do at home.

And if you're not willing to wait, then maybe, you know, perhaps you shouldn't come to Kate's.

- I've never gotten so much excitement from people saying, "Oh my gosh, "you're gonna love Kate's."

- That's wonderful to hear.

You know, everybody wants to know, they want me to tell 'em afterwards, you know, what I thought.

So I've got like 25 people I have to call back, tell 'em, "It was great, it was great.

"Kate's was great.

"I love the pie.

"She was really nice."

- I hope so.

- Well, you know us on "UTR," there's only one thing we like better than talking about food, and that's tasting it, and, boy, did we.

Can you say feeding frenzy?

So after several heaping helpings of home cooking, we administered heartfelt hugs to all and continued on to our next adventure.

If you're looking for real food that'll make you feel good inside, outside, and even all the way home, consider a caravan to Kate's Kitchen in Flat Rock.

No matter how far, trust me, the food will be worth the drive.

Oh, and as far as our next adventure, after what we just ate, that would be a nap in the car.

Nighty night, bunny rabbit.

(logo whooshes) (air whooshes) You know, I heard that Korean food was really good, so I called over there for some carry out, took a week to get my food.

Not good.

So I figured out a better way.

It's called Miss Kim Korean Restaurant, and it's right here in Ann Arbor.

Now you may remember Ji Hye Kim from such TV shows as "Under the Radar," episode 107.

That's back when she was the official cheese chooser at Zingerman's Deli.

Well, guess what?

She got inspired, stepped out, and opened up her own brick and mortar, only this one's filled with fantastic food where she's from.

And people are telling me it's the real Korean deal.

Okay, be honest.

Do you even remember being on "Under the Radar?"

- Kind of don't - You kind of don't.

It was eight years ago.

- Okay.

- We were at Zingerman's Deli talking to Ari, and he said, "You simply have to talk "with our cheese expert."

And we went over and you were wearing... Do you still have that hat?

You were wearing this wonderful silly hat, and... You don't remember?

Dude, this is awesome.

- I have a several silly hats, so I'm trying to remember which one I embarrassed myself in.

(laughs) - Well, you knew so much about cheese.

Are you a real cheese expert as well, or do you just play one on TV?

- I just play one on TV.

- Okay.

- No, I think at the time I had a lot of knowledge.

Now I'm probably a little off.

- [Tom] But now you're doing your own restaurant.

- Yes.

- How does that feel?

- [Ji Hye] No, that feels wonderful.

Well, it feels tough, but it feels great at the end of the day.

- [Tom] Yeah, restaurant business, it's a labor of love because you have to completely love it, and it has to be a passion for you.

- [Ji Hye] Yeah, you know what I love about it?

- What?

- The people, but also it's never boring, never boring.

- Now, you were actually born in Korea?

- I was born in Korea, and then I came here when I was 13.

- What is unique about Korean food?

- I think what's unique about Korean is its treatment of vegetables.

There's a lot of fermentation, yeah, and how easy and simple it can be because there are three mother sauces in Korea.

So there's ganjang, which is soy sauce, doenjang, which is fermented soy paste, and then gochujang, which is fermented chili paste.

- Oh, I have some of that in my fridge.

- It is delicious.

- Yes, it's very spicy.

- It's good on everything.

- Yes, yes, you add a little bit of that to anything and it's, yes.

- Yeah, and I think those three things takes a lot of technique and a lot of time to make, but if you have those, utilizing them with whatever you have in the fridge actually takes shorter amount of time 'cause all the effort and the time has already been built into those mother sauces.

Those three sauces come from like the desire to preserve things, yeah.

So I think that's really interesting.

- That's what I personally love with my experience with Korean food is it's so much more multi-dimensional.

I mean, in my house it was like we're gonna can some tomatoes, and we just salt, tomatoes, can, boil, you know.

But yeah, the range of spices and and the kimchis and the sauces are just...

It's endless.

- Yeah, it's delicious.

And I think I do not necessarily take the rigid approach to Korean food.

I try to understand the philosophy behind the Korean food like preservation, fermentation, seasonality, locality.

I mean, what that tells me is that a little bit of playing around, especially using what's available in your town, is totally okay, and I think that's actually behind a lot of long world cuisine.

- Now I know your name is Kim.

- Yeah.

- But is that why you named the restaurant Miss Kim?

- No, I'm actually a natural introvert, and that would sound too egotistical to me.

I was thinking of a name, and we thought of like two million names and none of it was good enough until I was thinking like, what do I wanna convey in a name?

And I thought, like, I wanted to clearly communicate that it's a Korean restaurant.

And Kim is like the most popular Korean last name.

And then I wanted to...

I am like incredibly proud that this is a woman owned-business and... - Yes.

- Yeah.

My mother was a small business owner.

- She's a woman too.

- Yeah, yeah, I know, right?

Yeah, surprise.

Yeah.

(laughs) So I wanted to clearly say that this is a woman-owned business and we do Korean food.

So that's where the name Miss Kim came from.

- Ji Hye really is a special chef who has a totally enlightened and almost zen-like approach to her food, and the colors, flavors, textures, and totally tantalizing treats we tried were as if they came from another wonderful world.

So don't wait a week for your authentic Korean culinary creations to come in the mail.

Just get yourself to Miss Kim Korean Restaurant in Ann Arbor, and before you know it, they'll be right in front of you.

Mm, I can't pronounce it, but I sure love it.

(logo whooshes) (air whooshes) Now, if you've been, been to Frankenmuth a few times, but you're looking for a new happy place, (chuckles) I've got one word of advice for you, Prost!

In German, the word prost means cheers, but here in Frankenmuth, it means an awesome place to meet friends and family for good wine, awesome edibles, cool cocktails, and a great atmosphere.

It's called Prost!

Wine Bar & Charcuterie, and barring any interruptions, it's where me and the fellers plan to spend the next few hours.

Zak McClellan and his wife Korina had a dream.

Then they added some wine and a selection of fine cured meats and cheeses to it, and, voila, they're living it.

How did you end up in Frankenmuth with a really cool wine and charcuterie place?

- Well, funny story, so my wife is 100% Italian.

- And mine too.

- Really?

- Well you got half.

(laughs) - So, you know, yeah, so she's never lived in Frankenmuth, just visited, things like that, but every time we'd go to her family's house, they would always...

I mean, you wake up for breakfast, you're gonna have cured meats, some fruit, and you're gonna have wine.

You know, you do it at lunch, it's the same thing.

And we just fell in love with it.

You know, when we'd go to her house and her family's or cousin's, we just loved the fact that they would just have fresh foods, cured meats, and wine, and we wouldn't watch TV.

You know, they'd bring out an accordion and play it.

We'd end up talking and having fun.

And you know, when we came back home, or when I moved back home to help my family in the candy business, we really missed a place to go with wine.

Frankenmuth is a wonderful, you know, beer city.

And so we felt like we could maybe help with the wine aspect of it.

- Yeah, until I met Jim and Eric and started doing this show, I didn't even know what charcuterie was.

I thought what's a cuterie?

Why does a shark need it?

- That was kind of the key.

I didn't even know what it was either when we started it.

No, I'm just joking, but we've put that in the name for the reason of we wanted people to instantly try to engage and try something new.

- Right.

- So we wanted them to have to ask, what is charcuterie, you know?

And then that gave us the chance we felt like to start the experience of a whole meal of trying something different.

We wanted 'em to try 'em different wines, and we wanted to help try to educate people with our staff.

So that was exactly why we did that.

- Now the wine, if you need somebody, if you need a wine taster on staff, I'm your guy.

Yeah, I'm your guy.

- I love it.

- (laughs) But, yeah, who picks the wine?

- So, you know, we have an awesome staff, and three of 'em have gone through the first level to be a somm, and they just are really enthusiastic about it.

- Yeah, for you folks at home, a somm is just sommelier, which is a wine expert.

- Yes, yes.

- Which I want to be someday.

I'm working towards it.

- So we collaborate.

You know, I think it's funny when reps come along, you know, there's usually like four or five of us, but we always embrace it and we talk about it and then we pick it just on how we like it.

- [Tom] Yeah, this gotta be fun having a place this nice.

- [Zak] You know what, it is.

We have a really good time.

We're lucky we have a small staff.

Everybody gets along really good, and, really, it sounds cheesy to say it, right, but we have- - No, the Cheese Haus is right across the street.

- Exactly, but we really have a lot of good people, and they make it a lot of fun.

They're really into what they do, and that makes it fun for us too.

- Well, whoever designed the inside is incredible, and this outside patio area is...

I mean, this place is made for me.

- Hey, thank you.

- You know, I'm only an hour and a half from here, so you'll see me again.

- Exactly, it's a quick trip.

You know, once you hop on 75, before you know it, you're getting off at our exit.

- Can I practice my wine drinking here for my sommelier test?

- 100%, we have three of 'em.

They'll test you tonight.

- I don't think tonight's a good idea.

I got some more studying to do.

- Yes, no problem.

- Well, now that I know my way around a charcuterie plate and can even spell it, I have to say that the guys and I ate and drank like a bunch of Bavarian bosses, and with the atmosphere here, it was the perfect way to end a long and crazy day.

Like we'd have at any other way.

So if you'd like to add a certain level of sophistication to your journey to becoming German, come toast the fine folks at Prost!

'cause they have everything you need for that gesture to succeed.

And even if you're just a little Germanic, don't panic because the town of Frankenmuth's got you covered.

Heck, even if you're not German at all, you'll still have a ball in Michigan's own little Bavaria, (speaks German).

(logo whooshes) (air whooshes) Well, as you just heard and can plainly see, the city of Calumet is totally worth a "UTR" type adventure.

It's a great place to think, wonder, wander, and discover even more about this lofty Michigan latitude.

So get U-P here as soon as you can.

And speaking of up, we drove as far north as we possibly could on the Peninsula to do something we always seem to do on "UTR," you know, eat, but first I have to say that the 45 minute drive from Calumet up to Copper Harbor is probably one of the most spectacular drives you'll ever take in Michigan.

And if you take 26 North through Eagle River and Eagle Harbor, the road winds along the rugged shores of Lake Superior with absolutely incredible views of both the water and ancient rock formations just offshore.

It's pretty darn spectacular.

And if you get a chance, when you get there, take the short drive up to the top of Brockway Mountain for a breathtaking view of both this tiny town and the natural harbor below.

In a word, wow.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh, that's right, food!

So the real reason we're in Copper Harbor is for yet another classic pure Michigan dining experience.

I'm, of course, talking about the iconic Harbor Haus restaurant.

It's famous for fantastic food in elegant surroundings and incredible views of this mightiest of lakes.

But before we once again make you sit at home and watch us enjoy yet another incredible meal in awesome surroundings, sorry about that, I thought I'd best check in with a man who helps make the magic happen every evening, Chef Dan Harry.

Well, Dan, I was gonna ask you for a table with a view, but I looked inside, every table in there has an incredible view of this harbor.

- Yeah.

- What's it like running an iconic eatery like this?

- Well, it's a daunting task.

For 172 days a year, basically, we're committed.

We look at it as a deployment (both laugh) for 172 days of culinary commitment.

And I got an awesome staff here.

And with the village we have here, we house all our employees.

It's a lot of fun.

- You worked in paradises, but this is also paradise.

- This is home.

This is where I'm from.

I was born and raised up here.

I left here.

I left here in 1980.

I came back in 2010, and I've been here ever since.

And we bought this.

We bought the Harbor Haus seven years ago now.

- [Tom] Well, now are you guys seasonal?

- We are seasonal.

We are open from the Friday before Mother's Day 'til the third Saturday in October.

- Oh, so you're hanging there pretty good, yeah, yeah, - We've got 59 days to go, but who's counting?

(laughs) - You can tell this guy works hard.

Yeah, again, though, like I said, now tell me about this mid-century modern spaceship-looking tree house behind us here.

I understand you can actually stay here.

It's called the crow's nest.

- [Dan] It's called a crow's nest, yep.

So we rent it out the 160 days a year.

- Well, you guys have a another wonderful tradition here that I've heard about, but never experienced.

I guess when the boat comes in from Isle Royal, your staff comes out here and what happens?

- Well, they do a traditional German dance, and they all line up from the grass right here.

And they Isle Royal Queen leaves at eight o'clock in the morning.

It comes back at around 6:20.

Today, it'll be right on time because nice day for sailing.

It'll come in down, and the boat will just turn in here, and it'll come and honk its horn.

All the people on the boat, the 60 or 70 passengers on the boat will come out and start waving, and they'll wave and dance for 'em.

- Really?

And so they don't dock here, but they just- - No, no, they dock down there.

- Down there, but they come by here and put on a little show.

- Yeah, yeah, so it's a lot of fun.

- Well, I'm Irish Italian.

I'm not German, but would it be okay if I came out and joined in the celebration?

- Absolutely, you could dance with 'em.

They'll show you how to little (indistinct).

- Is that an offer or a challenge or a threat?

(laughs) - Kind of a like, well, it's a challenge.

(both laugh) I'll bet you can't.

- Okay.

(both laugh) The Harbor Haus restaurant really does make for some mouthwatering Michigan memories.

We ate, we talked, we laughed, and as always, we ate too much and had a magical evening.

What a wonderful way to wind up our Keweenawesome adventure with a top-notch meal at the very top of Michigan.

Sure, it was a long drive home the next day, but sometimes you just have to put some miles behind you to have this much fun.

So if you get a chance, come conquer the Keweenaw up in the UP.

I guarantee you'll have a natural blast.

Besides, the whole drive home, it's pretty much downhill.

(upbeat music) (logo whooshes) (air whooshes) Now what do you get when you take a young guy who wants to control his own destiny, and then you add great burgers and killer barbecue?

You get a great Michigan success story.

That's what.

Oh, and this?

Huh, this is for me.

His name is Omar Linder, hence the name Big O Burgers & Barbecue.

And I'm assuming big because this guy is six foot, six inches tall.

But what else is tall around here are the orders he gets because word of mouth has people finding this place from far and wide.

What's his secret?

Well, first let's find out how it all happened.

First of all, I'm glad we're sitting down because you're tall.

- Sort of - Well you think?

- Yeah.

(laughs) - Last time I was here, I got a stiff neck just from looking up at you.

Before we get to the food, which is amazing, whose idea was it to let people write on the walls in here?

- [Omar] Actually we had just black walls to start.

And then, I mean, we had the artwork on the wall, and then gradually, it was like, let's just start.

Everybody seems to love it.

- Well, it's turned out to...

This place is a work of art now.

It's like people express themselves about the food, about the staff here.

And I've been reading some of the walls, and it's extremely complimentary.

- Yeah, yeah, we do a good job.

The staff here is amazing.

Like, hands down, like my staff, they take care of people from the time they walk in to the time they walk out.

And people just like the food.

The food brings people back, so yeah.

- Yeah, you think that's why we're back?

We came here a while back as you know and fell in love with the place, with the people.

Did you ever think you'd own a place like this?

- I would say yes and no.

I always wanted to have a barbecue joint and burger joint, but over time, like I would never think it would be like this successful so fast.

Like we're only like a year in,, and we're killing it.

- Well, it's word of mouth.

- Yeah, yeah.

- I mean, food goes in the mouth.

People talk out of their mouths and tell other people about it.

Yeah, exactly, but like a year ago though, you were working for?

- Oh, I'm still working.

I still have a full-time job.

- [Tom] Well, the burgers here are fantastic.

The barbecue is like from another world.

- Yeah, we tried.

- And that sauce you make, what's it called?

- Swag sauce.

- Oh, (laughs) yeah.

I mean, I took it home.

Last time when I was here, I took a little and I put it under my pillow.

(Omar laughs) I thought maybe...

I was gonna take it to a lab and have it analyzed because you won't tell me what's in it.

- No, no, no, nobody knows what's in it.

- It's got a savoriness to it I've never experienced before, but yeah, that's some good stuff.

- Yeah, that's out of bounds.

It's out of bounds.

- That's one way to put it.

Where'd you get your inspiration for the name?

'Cause you're tall?

- No, I have a son.

They call him Lil O, so naturally they call me Big O.

So that's what happened.

- That makes sense.

I thought it was just 'cause you're six foot six, right?

I got it right?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- (laughs) Okay, well, what's the most like for you personally?

Like I remember when I was here before, you said that being here, like you got your other job, but here, being here is like being on vacation.

- [Omar] Yeah, it is vacation.

This is stress.

I mean, it's stressful, but not stressful.

- [Tom] But, you know, yeah, you're right because it's something you've always wanted to do.

It's yours.

It's for you, not for anybody else.

It's for you and yours.

Yeah, and you gotta be proud of what you're doing.

- Yeah, I'm not proud, really.

We're just getting started.

It's a marathon.

We got a long way to go.

But I am pleased with the progress, and I'm pleased with the people I got doing it with me.

- Yeah, you got great people here.

- [Omar] Yeah, it's fun.

- Well, if this is vacation for you, I'd like to buy a timeshare because this food's good.

(both laugh) (Tom snorts) So if you wanna graze on some great grub, make a beeline to Big O Burgers & Barbecue in Saginaw.

And if you like what you eat, don't be afraid to tell 'em, or better yet, write it on the wall.

That's what I did.

And good thing you don't have to spell well to eat here.

Oh boy.

Well, if this show didn't make you hungry, I don't know what to tell you, other than get your family, get in the car, and go out and eat like we do on "UTR."

I mean, somebody's gotta help us do it.

May as well be you, bonus.

(uplifting music) - [Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at Stahlssauto.com.

- [Announcer] Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay Region community.

Visit gogreat.com for more info.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (gentle jingle)