Suzy’s Seafood Boils: Have Pot, Will Travel

Low Country delicacy brought directly to you

By Geri Dietze | Aug. 17, 2024

Of all the inventive business and lifestyle ideas that were birthed—whether by accident or necessity—from the pandemic, Suzy Brown’s might be one of the most serendipitous.

In her quest to host an 80th birthday party—during a time when restaurants were operating at around 25 percent occupancy—Suzy took matters into her own hands and created an authentic Low Country shrimp boil for family and friends. She reflects on the energy of that day, and “the interaction around the pot, [and] the smells.” She continues, “Everyone loved it. It was an easy, summer-fun thing to do.”

The rest is flavor history for this Charlevoix-based enterprise. The party was a big hit, the pictures ended up on social media, and before Brown knew it, she had a business. (Brown is a bookkeeper, previously based in Rochester, but now she and her husband are permanently located at their Lake Charlevoix home.)

When Northern Express caught up with Brown for a chat, she was heading across the Mackinac Bridge on her way to spin her seafood magic in Cedarville, the Lake Huron village about 35 minutes northeast of the Mighty Mac. Brown covers all of northern Michigan, and will take the party downstate upon request. (Travel charges may apply.)

The Bounty of the Sea, by Way of GR

The menu, with some exceptions, is pretty much set: Wild caught and cleaned jumbo E-Z peel shrimp, authentic Andouille sausage, fresh red potatoes, sweet Vidalia onions, and corn on the cob, all flavored with Suzy’s proprietary seasoning blend and fresh cut lemons. Southern biscuits and all the butter you could possibly want rounds out this moveable feast.

Lobster tails and crab legs are popular add-ons, and she “might consider” serving clams and mussels, upon request. (It doesn’t hurt to ask if you have an off-menu favorite.) But that’s pretty much as far as it goes for special orders: Brown is licensed as an “at-home mobile chef.” Straying from the menu would require a catering license, and she’s happy with the status quo.

Ingredients are sourced from Superior Foods in Grand Rapids, a top tier supplier, with seafood creds going back to 1959. (It started as Superior Fisheries, transitioning to Superior Seafoods in the 1970s before becoming the powerhouse it is today, representing over two dozen Michigan producers of meats, breads, cheeses, condiments, and more.) And, when available, hand-picked sweet corn is sourced from Boyne City’s Johnecheck Farms, a famous name among northern Michigan producers and corn on the cob aficionados.

So, How Does This Work?

Every location is different: The dump—emptying the contents of the pot—might take place on a covered banquet table outdoors, or, at least in one case, on the hostess’s dining room table. Brown calls that the “logistics” of the event. She visits the clients pre-boil to get the lay of the land, presenting the host/hostess with a lagniappe, or little gift, in French (in this case, Amish made molasses cookies).

Two hours before “dump time,” Brown and her helpers arrive with everything needed, from all the fixings and an appropriate-sized pot, plus red-checked table covers, brown paper runners, lobster bibs, bamboo cutlery, tin pie pans or cardboard boats for eating, and rolls of paper towel for napkins. (Leftovers are packaged for the clients, and clean-up is easy, fast, and mostly recyclable.)

This is an interactive dining experience. “People are around the dump table 99 percent of the time,” Brown says. And every event requires some “catchers,” four to eight volunteers depending on the size of the dinner, who watch the ingredients spill out of the pot and use tongs to keep them from rolling off of the table. A smart move, when every single thing coming out of the pot is a flavor bonanza.

It’s What’s for Dinner

We find it hard to think of an occasion that wouldn’t lend itself to a seafood boil: private parties, family reunions, weddings and anniversaries, bachelor and bachelorette parties, corporate and business events, and charity fundraisers.

This summer Brown had the honor of serving the Sylvan Lake gathering of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs of Detroit, the downstate chapter 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 the hospitality arts through competitions and scholarships. (Heady company, indeed.)

If you want to book your own boil, remember that like any popular brick-and-mortar establishment, Suzy books up fast. “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 into mid-August.” Things settle down after that, but still, plan ahead so there are no disappointments.

Repeat clients know what a good thing they’ve got: This summer, a Leland hostess has had Brown on rotation every two weeks for 12-25 people. These are fun, flavorful, and memorable events; the set-up is a dream for the host and it’s hard not to love the experience. “[Usually,] I will leave someone’s home [with] a new friend,” Brown jokes.

Is she interested in taking Suzy’s Shrimp Boil to the next step of expansion? No. “It’s simple and easy,” she says. “I load my car”—or boat, if the boil is on Lake Charlevoix—and “off I go.”

Find Suzy’s Seafood Boils online at bookaboil.com or call (248) 935-9866.