Salvation in Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario threatened to be the midpoint of a pretty dismal road trip around Lake Michigan, eats-wise. The Freakin’ Korican and I were hightailing it back to the border, away from this grim half abandoned little town as fast as possible, when from afar we noticed this:



Hoping a good greasy breakfast would be ipecac for the overpriced, underwhelming tourist food we’d been choking down, we pulled up and were surprised by this:



The plot thickened. Inside we found a pair of customers putting away plates of bacon and eggs at the counter, an adjoining room filled with PCs in various states of disassembly, and far off in a back kitchen a lone figure toiling over a stove. The real surprises were on the photocopied lunch and dinner menu. Besides breakfast served all day and standard Amer--er, Canadian style sandwiches, it featured plates of beef, chicken, lamb, goat, or oxtails in curry or jerk sauce, served on rice or roti. For the next 45 minutes the gentle, smiling owner, name of Jean, prepared our order entirely from scratch and gave us the lowdown on how she came to be cooking powerfully good homestyle Caribbean-type food in a century old former lunch counter/barbershop in a city largely populated by Anglos and Native Americans. Born in Guyana (hence “South American Dishes”) of Indian descent, Jean and family relocated from Toronto last September to escape the big city where she worked for a catering operation. Tired of others taking credit for her good work, she decided to open her own place. The long wait for lunch was in no way tiresome due to her engaging personality and the pleasing dissociation of listening to her Indo-Guyanese accent heavily peppered by the distinctly Canadian “Eh?”



First, Jean griddled up this fried bread from chickpea flour stuffed with curried chickpeas and potatoes:



Next, came rich and spicy beef, carrots, and potatoes in curry:



And tender, fatty goat in jerk sauce.



Most of Jean’s customers come from the neighboring steel mill, and order take-out on the way home, sometimes phoning in as early as six am to give time for the oxtails to cook. Business is good, probably because she understands the culinary limitations of her town. She told a story of one evening not long ago, when she couldn’t bear another day without a taco. She and her husband jumped in the car and made a run for the border—to the Taco Bell on the Michigan side. One bite was all it took. She discarded vile thing and vowed to introduce a full line of tacos at J&D’s Internet Café. I look forward to trying them out next time I make a run for the border.

J&D’s Internet Café, a.k.a. Mike’s Lunch
129 Gore St.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
705-942-4527

photos by the Freakin’ Korican
hosted by G Wiv

Not sure why, but the family and I will be spending 2 nights in the Michigan side of SSM on an upcoming road trip. Anyone have any bright ideas for there? We will have to give JD's a shot when we cross over. -Will

Folks,

My family has been heading to Eastern Ontario every year since 1950. In the past ten years, we have noted that many of the small rural eateries throughout Ontario have been purchased by Indians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans.

Generally, they keep the Canadian menu intact. SOME of the new operators WILL cook a variety of curries with prior motice (even though it is NOT on their menu). And actually, it is a lot better than their normal menu.

Does anyone know if the Antlers Bar is still in operation. Went there years ago as a child and remember being mesmerized by all the mounted heads and antlers. They also did this crazy bell and whistle thing everytime a ship passed through the locks. The food was pretty much standard bar fare although I do recall Paul Bunyan Burger, a one pound behemoth.

m'th'su wrote:First, Jean griddled up this fried bread from chickpea flour stuffed with curried chickpeas and potatoes:

That looks a little like the Trinidadian "double", which I have only experienced once at Patty King in Toronto's Kensington Market neighborhood. Frankly, we thought the doubles at PK were better than the beef patty!

I don't know, now I'm not sure if the double was on fried bread, and I don't recall potatoes. Maybe I'm just conflating Canada and chickpeas. They were delicious, though.

Has anyone ever seen doubles in Chicago?

Patty King
187 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 977-3191