Savory Spoon of Door County to Open Shop in Egg Harbor

• Michael and Janice Thomas of Ellison Bay, Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace owners, are expanding their Wisconsin Artisan Cheese concept to Egg Harbor in May 2011.

Food and cheese enthusiasts have enjoyed learning about and tasting the finest Wisconsin Artisan Cheese at the Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace in Ellison Bay since 2004 and now can enjoy a cheese shop in the newly-renovated Egg Harbor location, next to Harbor View Park. Specializing in Wisconsin Artisanal Cheeses, the Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese Shop will feature over 30 cheese makers and more than 50 types of fresh, aged, and unique cheeses, along with a wide selection of Charcuterie. Specialty gourmet food products and fine wines will also be available.

The cheese shop is also featuring Savory Originals®, artistically created sandwiches, cheese boards, and salads by Janice Thomas, chef and owner of the Savory Spoon Cooking School.

Kathy McCarthy has been promoted to manager of operations for the Savory Spoon Cooking School and Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese Shops. McCarthy has been assisting with marketing the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay over the past three years, and she will be responsible for the business development, staffing, and operations of the Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese Shop in Ellison Bay, as well as the second location in Egg Harbor. McCarthy will utilize her degree in Business Information Systems to promote the company, attracting customers to their Door County businesses and online presence.

The Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese Shop will be open seven days a week. Online orders are available along with gift certificates for any occasion.

To contact Kathy McCarthy, email [email protected] or call 920.854.6600. For more information visit http://www.savoryspoon.com.

• Peninsula Music Festival (PMF) announced that Katie Somero has been hired as music librarian. Somero will take the position previously held by Gordon Rowley, who served as music librarian for 10 years prior to his retirement.

Somero is currently employed with Northwestern University as orchestra administrative assistant and librarian. She holds a Master of Music degree in clarinet performance from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in clarinet performance from the University of California.

Peninsula Music Festival is Door County’s professional symphony orchestra. They perform nine different concerts in three weeks each August. The 59th season will run from August 2 – 20, with concerts every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 pm and Saturday at 6:30 pm. Tickets start at $30; students and children tickets are always $10, any seat, any concert. For more information, visit http://www.musicfestival.com or call 920.854.4060.

• Door County Economic Development Corporation and the Door County Visitor Bureau will present a free seminar on succession planning for Door County business owners at the Bertschinger Center in Egg Harbor on Wednesday, May 18 from 8 am – 12:30 pm. Topics to be addressed during the half-day seminar include: “Introduction to Business Succession Planning,” “Transitioning a Family Business,” and “Business Valuation.” The agenda also will provide for facilitated small group discussion and networking opportunities. Speakers will include legal experts, accountants, realtors and business owners from Door County and across the state of Wisconsin.

To attend the free seminar, register via email by Monday, May 16 to [email protected].

• Liberty Square in Egg Harbor has transformed over the winter, doubling the size of its kitchen, adding new kitchen equipment, and remodeling The Board Room into a full scale Italian Steak House restaurant complete with a 15-seat antique mahogany bar. The restaurant will feature original wall paintings by local artist Ernest Beutel.

The Italian inspired cuisine featured in the menu, overseen by Executive Chef Josh Blevins, resulted from extensive research into favorite recipes from the various regions of Italy. Blevins also is planning to introduce new lines of pizza.

Anthony Stump, one of the company’s most popular veteran servers will serve as front-of-the-house manager for both The Board Room and The Bistro.

Liberty Square is a 15,000 square foot structure with a colorful Victorian exterior, meandering interconnected shops, restaurants, a bar, a specialty food/deli store, two outside eating areas, and now employs about 70 area people in season.

For more information call 920.868.4800 or visit http://www.libertysquareshops.com.

• The Jacksonport Farmer’s Market, celebrating three years, will begin the season on Tuesday, June 14. The market will be held at Lakeside Park every Tuesday morning from 9 am – 1 pm through October as weather permits. Booths are grouped along the highway and the park shelter closest to Highway 57. Vendors are reminded to sign up now to assure their participation for this season. Booth assignments are permanent for the season and made on a first come basis.

The market must be 70 percent farm products and 30 percent handcrafts as per the Jacksonport permit. Produce or handcrafted items sold at the market must be grown or produced by the seller/family member/employee. Imported items will not be allowed. The weekly fee will be 10 percent of the individual’s sales with a maximum of $25 per week. There is no entry fee.

For more information or to receive an entry form stop in the Jacksonport Craft Cottage or the Baileys Harbor Library or call 920.823.2288 or 920.493.8866. The Jacksonport Farmer’s Market is sponsored by the Jacksonport Area Business Association.

• Farm Market Kitchen Incubator of Algoma, along with two businesses from Door County and Oconto Falls that use the facility, were featured on the Wisconsin Public Television In Wisconsin segment May 12.

Liz Koerner of Wisconsin Public Television documented Penny Lane Farm, featuring their Southeast Asian sauces and showcasing owner JoAnne Penny of northern Door County. Also featured was Bill Ignowski from Oconto Falls, showcasing his marinara sauce produced by his company Papa’s Kitchen.

For more information call 920.487.9750 or visit [email protected].

• Ministry Door County Medical Center (MDCMC) Sleep Disorders Facility in Sturgeon Bay recently received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

“The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates Ministry Door County Medical Center Sleep Disorders Facility on fulfilling the high standards required for receiving accreditation as a sleep disorders center,” said Dr. Patrick Strollo, AASM president. “The MDCMC Sleep Disorders Facility is a significant resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders.”

To receive a five-year accreditation, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM. The accreditation process involves detailed inspection of a center’s facility and staff, including an evaluation of testing procedures, patient contacts, and physician training.

MDCMC Sleep Disorders Facility is directed by Richard A Hogan, MD, and is located at 323 South 18th Avenue.

• The Mink River Basin in Ellison Bay is now being leased by Tony Hintz, who has been a chef at the restaurant for the past four years. He and his wife, Heidi, are residents of Ellison Bay.

Linden and Wendi Ray still own the building and will still be seen around the establishment, as Linden will be tending bar throughout the year. The Mink River Basin is currently operating under its normal winter hours but will be open nightly for dinner beginning May 19.

The Grand Re-Opening will be held on Memorial Day Weekend with nightly food and drink specials, a new menu, and a live band on Sunday night, May 29.

The Mink River Basin is located on Highway 42 in downtown Ellison Bay.

• The Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art (KAFA) will assume new ownership on June 1, 2011. Norma Bell, owner and executive director during KAFA’s first six and a half years of operation, is proud to turn ownership over to Molly M. Johnson of Denmark, Wisconsin.

Johnson, a graduate of KAFA and the American Academy of Art in Chicago, has exhibited in many prestigious venues including the Oil Painters of America National Competition, The Wisconsin Arts Board Gallery in Madison and in 2009 presented an extensive One Person Exhibition at the Cedarburg Cultural Center in Cedarburg, Wis. Her work has also appeared in the nationally acclaimed American Art Collector Magazine.

Johnson has been an instructor at The Art Garage in Green Bay and an art instructor for the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. In addition to her ownership of the Academy, she will become the new executive director; Craig Blietz will remain artistic director. For more information visit http://www.kewauneeacademy.com or call 920.487.7220.

• The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is offering office hours for new and existing business owners in Northern Door County, providing business counseling and entrepreneurial services in Sister Bay. Individual, confidential sessions will be held on Tuesday, May 17 from 8 am – 12 pm at the Sister Bay Fire Station, located at 2258 Mill Road. An appointment is requested and can be made by contacting Sam Perlman at 920.743.3113 ext. 204 or via email at [email protected]. Walk-ins are also welcome, based on availability.