Seitz's Tavern in Chelsea MI (Home of Jiffy Mixes)

A major highlight of a trip to Detroit last May was a stop in Chelsea and a visit to Seitz's Tavern. Chelsea (population 4398) is a surprisingly pretty, historic and prosperous little city. The town's center is dominated by the silos of Chelsea Milling plant. This family-run business has been making Jiffy Mixes since the 1930s.



Around the corner, behind the grain silos, a few doors down from the old Pontiac dealer is Seitz's Tavern, an absolute gem of an old bar.





The interior of Seitz's is much like the outside—rather plain but meticulously maintained and full of character. It's a true community center, welcoming guys from the plant who want a quick shot and a beer as well as groups of older women relaxing with an afternoon game of cards.





Seitz's serves lunch six days a week but unfortunately we were too late (it was meatloaf with sweet potatoes day!).



We wanted a snack and settled on a pickled sausage that the owner fished out of a large, murky jar behind the bar.



This hour-long visit put Seitz's high on my list of all-time-favorite taverns. I can't wait to get back, hopefully in time for lunch.

Chelsea is just north of I-94, less than 20 miles west of Ann Arbor. If you're headed to AA it seems a shame to miss Chelsea and especially Seitz's. Once in Chelsea it's hardly worth going back south to the interstate. Just take Dexter-Chelsea Road, a very pleasant country highway that passes through Dexter, home of the great Jolly Pumpkin brewery. I think Seitz's would be worth a major detour but, in fact, it's hardly out of the way at all.

Seitz's Tavern
110 W Middle St
Chelsea MI
734-475-7475

Rene G wrote:

This pic (moose in a yarmulke?) reminded me of an observation made years ago by the august Antonius that shops that specialise in carnitas (e.g., Uruapan, Don Pedro) seem necessarily to poke an excessive amount of (to my mind) tasteless fun at the poor creatures who are cooked there, though Moose seems not to be on the menu, let alone moose carnitas.

I think the moose is a University of Michigan fan (remember Ann Arbor is just down the road). That's a maize and blue tam o'shanter he's wearing.

Hi,

University of Michigan Press has issued "Jiffy": A Family Tradition, Mixing Business and Old-Fashioned Values by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds

Nearly eighty years ago, American housewife Mabel Holmes decided to make a biscuit mix so easy that "a man could do it." She began to experiment in her own kitchen, and several months later, the family's milling business, tucked away in the tiny village of Chelsea, Michigan, was selling "Jiffy" Biscuit Mix, America's first prepared baking mix.

I hope to snag her to speak here in Chicago.

Regards,

As far as mixes go, I'm not shocked to find that Jiffy is a smaller purveyor: they seem to be slightly better than many - as a matter of fact, the tiny Jiffy brownie mix is my favorite store-bought package (yes, I almost never buy them...but sometimes...)

Rene, anyplace that spells it GouLash makes it decidedly worth investigating in my book. Nice find.

Rene G wrote:I think the moose is a University of Michigan fan (remember Ann Arbor is just down the road). That's a maize and blue tam o'shanter he's wearing.

Sure enough, he is a Wolverines fan. I think you can just make out "GO BLUE" on his tam.

Cathy2 wrote:I hope to snag her to speak here in Chicago.

I hope she'll come to speak in Chicago. I wonder if she'll have anything to say about Seitz's. It's right next to Jiffy (a good spitter could hit the silos from Seitz's back door) so it wouldn't surprise me if a fair amount of Jiffy business took place there. The two have been side by side for over 70 years.

Mhays wrote:Rene, anyplace that spells it GouLash makes it decidedly worth investigating in my book. Nice find.

I really want to get back to Seitz's for lunch. I have a feeling they'd put out some good, simple food.

Rene G wrote:I can't wait to get back, hopefully in time for lunch.

Made it back before the mac and cheese ran out. Seitz's remains high on my list of all-time favorite bars. Everything about the place is classic and comfortable.





A different special is offered each weekday lunch. We visited on a Thursday so it was mac and cheese. A "small" bowl plus a double cheeseburger seemed like a good idea.





The mac and cheese is the dry style that I don't care for but I still cleaned my bowl. Seitz's simple griddle-cooked burger is a fine example of the style.



I hadn't had my morning coffee yet so decided to pass up the YUPPIE Beers (I think they're referring to Bell's). Seitz's is a real treasure.

Seitz's Tavern
110 W Middle St
Chelsea MI
734-475-7475

Stroh's?! I didn't know it was even being brewed anymore. Seitz's just made my short list when I am next in southern MI for business....

Thanks Rene G!

Davooda