Food Dance revamps its market to offer humanely raised meats and more

Kathy Jennings | Thursday, November 7, 2013

Food Dance

Sometimes you want to sit down and eat a meal next to a giant corn stalk with a fairy dancing on the leaf and sometimes you want to take your Food Dance experience home with you. For the latter, Food Dance recently has redesigned its Market.

The 500-square-foot space has been rearranged (some housewares selections are gone but plenty of food-related gifts remain) to offer guests meat from sustainable, humanely raised animals, including house-made sausages, cured meats, fresh ground beef, beef cuts, pork cuts and more.

The meats all come from the Food Dance butcher shop, an old office space outside its bakery in the basement converted for cutting and curing meat, complete with its own cooler.

Julie Stanley, owner of the restaurant at 401 East Michigan Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo, says the move to redesign the market brings it more in line with the original vision to offer a Food Dance experience to take home. In the first month since the redesign, customers have praised the move and offered positive comments about the new offerings.

More breads and savory baked goods, along with the same pastries from the Food Dance bakers are offered along with the expanded meat selections. There's also olive oil, Anson Mill’s polenta, vinegars, condiments, fresh ground spices and pastas, as well as a selection of wines and local beers.

The Food Dance market staff handles carry-out orders, helps customers put together American cheese and meat boards, and helps guests find the perfect gift for all their foodie friends. They also do custom orders with advance notice. For the holidays they will offer boneless leg of Lamb from Carlson meats, Pork Crown roast, and Standing Rib Roast.

"We have our sausages in our freezer along with ham hocks, leaf lard, stocks, chicken pot pies, veg pot pies, and lots of great pantry items to stock up for great entertaining or just great eating," says Stanley.

So far no staff has been added to the market, but in the new year a person with deli, meat or cheese experience will be hired, Stanley says. The presence of Executive Chef Robb Hammond and the restaurant's butcher has increased since the market was revamped.

"You have to come to experience it," Stanley says.

Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Julie Stanley, Food Dance

Food Dance revamps its market to offer humanely raised meats and more

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