Tastemakers: Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery/Higher Grounds Cardamon Latte

Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery

Funny how things have a way of coming full circle. Take the Traverse City State Hospital for example. When it opened in 1885 under the leadership of Dr. James Decker, patients were treated with kindness, comfort, pleasantry and the philosophy that “beauty is therapy.” In its heyday the former mental asylum was fully self-sufficient with a working farm, fruit canning operation and farming operation. If you haven’t visited what is now The Village at Grand Traverse Commons to see its re-transformation, then make sure you do so soon, as it seems to be taking on its original personality (minus the bars in the windows).
It starts with the people who have moved to or started businesses at The Commons. Gerard Grabowski and his wife Jan and their children Anna Rose and Galen own Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery. The family started their bakery out of their Bear Lake home (Pleasanton Township) in Manistee County 15 years ago. With a focus on organic (Grabowski was way ahead of the curve) ingredients grown locally, he, along with a few other visionaries, helped to launch this cool “foodie” community we now have here in Northern Michigan.
I told Grabowski I was recently in a local grocery store that was marketing fresh organic breads from San Francisco. Grabowski shook his head and chuckled. “We have too many wonderful bakeries like Stonehouse and Bay Bread right here to buy bread made elsewhere,” he said. Pleasanton’s new location at the Grand Traverse Commons has a state of the art brick oven that retains heat for days. Other businesses such as a pie company and a biscotti company come in after hours to use the oven for their wares. Grabowski uses a natural leavening process and all natural organic Michigan-grown grains. For the Christmas, Winter Solstice and New Year’s celebrations, try their Parmesan Olive Herb, Cranberry Pecan and Cherry Chocolate breads. They also have great cookies and breadsticks. They are open to the public Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more about Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery, visit The Village Holiday
Open House, December 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. or call Gerard directly at 231-941-1964.


Higher Grounds Cardamom Latté

Chris and Jody Treter have come a long way since they arrived in town six years ago with a couple hundred dollars in their pocket and big dreams. The Treters were in their mid-twenties then and armed with college degrees that could have taken them anywhere in the world, but they decided to buck the trend. While their generation has made a mass exodus from Michigan for greener economic pastures elsewhere, and most high school aged Northern Michiganders have an “I can’t wait to get the hell out of here” mindset, the Treters saw opportunity for young entrepreneurs here in Northern Michigan. They started Higher Grounds Trading Company in 2001 near Leland with a $3,500 loan from Jody’s grandmother. Now after growing their business that focuses on fair trade and organic coffee, they have moved from Leland to the former laundry facility at the former Traverse City State Hospital, renamed The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. They share the building with Left Foot Charley, the first urban winery in the Midwest.
The Treters have built their business on a different model. Sure they could get their beans cheaper and make larger profits but they don’t. When I first interviewed them years ago I was amazed at their vision and mindset and this statement has always stuck with me: “In the fair trade philosophy we are not compromising our profits we are sharing them. In order to make the world a better place you have to understand how each decision you make impacts the world around you.” The Treters have had a worldview from the inception of Higher Grounds. They travel often to visit the farmers who grow the coffee beans they sell and they go to great lengths to fundraise for these coffee growing communities. They also support numerous local charities. With the new location, they have opened a coffee bar. This relaxed setting is perfect for a midday coffee break, and I recently enjoyed their Cardamom Latté. The presentation was perfect with chocolate pairings and the quality of the roast was fantastic. I drink Higher Grounds Coffee most days (I also enjoy coffee from other local roasters) and I literally taste the goodness in each sip, not only in the quality of the coffee itself, but in the quality of the people who roast it. You may visit Higher Grounds Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday’s they offer a free public cupping at 2 p.m. that includes a tour of their production facility. For additional details, go to highergroundstrading.com, or for directions call them at 231.922.9009. View On Our Website