Low Country delicacies brought straight to you
By Geri Dietze | August 17, 2024
Of all the inventive business and lifestyle ideas that have emerged during the pandemic – whether by accident or out of necessity – Suzy Brown’s idea may be one of the luckiest.
When she set out to throw an 80th birthday party — at a time when restaurants were only operating at 25 percent capacity — Suzy took matters into her own hands and prepared an authentic Low Country Shrimp Boil for family and friends. She remembers the energy of that day and “the interaction around the pot (and) the smells.” She continues, “Everyone loved it. It was a no-brainer, summery fun thing to do.”
The rest is taste history for this Charlevoix-based business. The party was a huge success, the pictures hit social media, and before Brown knew it, she had a business. (Brown is an accountant and used to work in Rochester, but now she and her husband live permanently in their home on Lake Charlevoix.)
When Northern Express When I caught up with Brown for a chat, she was on her way across the Mackinac Bridge to work her seafood magic in Cedarville, the Lake Huron village about 35 minutes northeast of Mighty Mac. Brown covers all of Northern Michigan and will bring the party to the south of the state upon request. (Travel costs may apply.)
The Gift of the Sea, about GR
The menu is pretty set, with a few exceptions: wild caught and cleaned lightly peeled jumbo shrimp, real andouille sausage, fresh red potatoes, sweet Vidalia onions and corn on the cob, all seasoned with Suzy’s own blend of spices and freshly sliced lemons. Southern biscuits and as much butter as you could ever want round out this mobile feast.
Lobster tails and crab legs are popular sides, and she “might consider” serving clams and mussels upon request. (It doesn’t hurt to ask if you have a favorite dish that’s not on the menu.) But that’s about it as far as special orders go: Brown is licensed as a “mobile home chef.” Going off the menu would require a catering license, and she’s happy with the status quo.
The ingredients come from Superior Foods of Grand Rapids, a top-notch supplier whose seafood experience dates back to 1959. (The company began as Superior Fisheries, became Superior Seafoods in the 1970s and evolved into the heavyweight it is today, representing more than two dozen Michigan meat, bread, cheese, condiment and other producers.) And the hand-picked sweet corn, when available, is sourced from Johnecheck Farms in Boyne City, a familiar name among Northern Michigan producers and corn-on-the-cob lovers.
So how does it work?
Every venue is different: Emptying the pot may take place on a covered outdoor banquet table or, in one case at least, on the hostess’s dining table. Brown calls this the “logistics” of the event. She visits clients before cooking to get a feel for the situation and presents the host/hostess with a favoriteor small gift, in French (in this case the Amish baked molasses cookies).
Two hours before “drop-off time,” Brown and her helpers arrive with everything they need, from all the ingredients and a properly sized pot to red checkered tablecloths, brown paper runners, lobster bibs, bamboo cutlery, sheet cake pans or cardboard boats for eating, and paper towel rolls for napkins. (Leftovers are bagged for customers, and cleanup is easy, quick, and mostly recyclable.)
This is an interactive dining experience. “People sit around the dump table 99 percent of the time,” says Brown. And each event requires a few “catchers,” four to eight volunteers, depending on the size of the dinner, who watch for ingredients sloshing out of the pot and use tongs to make sure they don’t roll off the table. A smart move when everything that comes out of the pot is a veritable flavor spectacle.
This is what we have for dinner
We can hardly think of an occasion where seafood would not be appropriate: private celebrations, family reunions, weddings and anniversaries, bachelor and bachelorette parties, corporate and business events and charity events.
This summer, Brown had the honor of serving at the Sylvan Lake meeting of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs of Detroit, the southern branch of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest international gastronomic society, founded in Paris in 1248. The 25,000-member organization promotes excellence in gastronomy through competitions and scholarships. (It’s a truly heady society.)
If you’re looking to book your own cooking appointment, keep in mind that like any popular brick-and-mortar business, Suzy books up quickly. “Clients should book at least three to four weeks in advance,” she says. She shares that peak season starts around “the last weekend in June through mid-August.” Things calm down after that, but still plan ahead to avoid disappointment.
Regulars know what a great deal they have: This summer, a Leland hostess hosted Brown every two weeks, rotating for 12-25 people. These are fun, tasteful and memorable events; organizing them is a host’s dream, and it’s hard not to love the experience. “(Usually) I leave someone’s home (with) a new friend,” Brown jokes.
Is she interested in taking Suzy’s Shrimp Boil to the next level of expansion? No. “It’s simple and straightforward,” she says. “I load up my car” — or my boat if the shrimp boil is on Lake Charlevoix — and “off we go.”
Find Suzy’s Seafood Boils online at bookaboil.com or call (248) 935-9866.
