If you are looking for a home-cooked meal that will soothe your soul, then look no further than Annabelle's Own of Midland.
Owned by Ann McLaughlin and her partner, Melissa Grandy,
Annabelle's Own features comfort food, from traditional roast turkey with a side of mashed potatoes smothered in gravy to dishes that aren't typically found on the same menu, like the Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich and fresh-baked focaccia bread, says McLaughlin.
"I just believe that ingredients and cooking technique is not all there is to cooking," McLaughlin says. "A lot of it is the fun you're willing to have with the food and the twists and turns you can take to make it exciting."
It's hard to pin down a certain style to describe the food here, as it throws in a little bit of Greek flavor here, Mexican there, Italian on this, and Yooper style in that.
McLaughlin enjoys the fact that many of her customers are willing to try new things, giving her a chance to try new recipes and experiment with dishes.
Their menu will make most people's mouths water; dishes change with the season, like the Barbeque Blue Cow Pizza, complete with shredded beef, cheese, caramelized onion, bacon bits, and blue cheese crumbles; the Super Stuffed Baked Potatoes (they even have one with mac and cheese on it!); and the Loose Meat Italian, an oven-fired grinder-style sandwich.
Step back 17 years--long before the idea of opening a restaurant even came to fruition. McLaughlin and Grandy had made the switch from big city living to small town life, which was quite the change.
"I became bored and somehow in my boredom started canning all sorts of jams, jellies, salsas, sauces, etc.," says McLaughlin. "It was something my mom always did so it seemed interesting."
Choosing the name Annabelle's Own to sell their product under at craft shows, McLaughlin's mother, Bev McLaughlin, and Grandy joined in the canning and jarring effort for the next six years, harvesting much of their own produce and canning approximately 3,500 jars in their final year.
McLaughlin's mother was a true help to their business by helping with funding, the canning process, and catering, which they began doing during this time also. The Annabelle's Own logo represents this partnership.
"The logo is three apples, one yellow for me, one red for Melissa, and the little green one in the background always holding us up is my mother," McLaughlin says. "She passed away three years ago and there is not one single day that goes by that her support and influence is not appreciated. She was a simple cook. I didn't really learn to cook from her, but I learned to nourish the soul from my mother. And, that is the greatest lesson I was ever taught."
The restaurant portion of the Annabelle's Own brand is a fairly new venture. About a year ago, McLaughlin and Grandy decided there was no better time than the present to really get their business off the ground. While they had been catering for about 15 years, it wasn't enough alone to support them and both worked other jobs. After taking some time off from their catering business, McLaughlin took up baking for a nearby farmer's market and began dabbling in catering once again.
"That's when it came to the all or nothing decision," McLaughlin says. "I love to cook for people, I love to cook what I want, I love to celebrate my successes and learn from my own mistakes."
Securing their storefront, they opened the catering side of their business in October and the restaurant opened its doors in January.
"It has been a mountain of challenges that has rewarded us with so much support from family, friends, and now what I call 'Annabelle's Army,'" McLaughlin says. "There are many people out there that cheer for us and support us."
For young people hoping to open a restaurant or catering business someday? McLaughlin has this advice to offer:
"You will never work harder then when you work for yourself and if you don't, you won't last long. Heart, soul, body, and mind is required and you may give more than you ever realized possible," she says. "But, when you do it right and you make a difference in a family's celebration or event you can reap overwhelming rewards."
Annabelle's Own is located at 579 East Isabella in Midland. Follow them on
Facebook to stay up-to-date on their happenings and next time you are looking for a good, hot meal, stop by and be sure to say hello to McLaughlin and Grandy. You may just make a new friend.
Julia Woehrer is a freelance writer, photographer and Internet content manager. She attended the School of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University where she concentrated in photography and minored in journalism. She volunteers at a local no-kill cat shelter and enjoys spending time with her cats, Bella and Macy.