Executive chef
Maurice Webb has been on board since the restaurant
opened, which gives
the menu continuity.(Photo:
Max Ortiz / The Detroit News)
St. Clair Shores calls the stretch of Jefferson
between Nine and 10 Mile roads “The Nautical Mile”
for good reason. It is alive with marinas, boat
works and waterfront restaurants that take advantage
of summer in Michigan.
One of the most
appealing of the restaurants on that stretch is not
the biggest or flashiest, but it’s a place people
look forward to every spring when it opens in late
March for its yearly summer run in the Michigan
Harbor marina.
This is the
sixth season for hands-on proprietor Mike Lefevre’s
hot spot, Mike’s on the Water, a place with a
personality that reflects its owner. There’s
something just a little extra at Mike’s, from the
seasonal approach to the menu that features an array
of well-prepared fish and seafood to the friendly
service and the bar with a wine list that features
labels with a water theme.
Two bars,
actually. One is on the open air deck and the other
inside. There are many seating options here,
including a covered porch as well as the deck on the
canal that runs by the restaurant.
Customers can choose from numerous seating options
at Mike’s, including the covered porch
and deck on the canal that runs by the restaurant. (Photo:
Max Ortiz / The Detroit News)
The kitchen is
in the hands of executive chef Maurice Webb, who has
been with Mike’s since it opened, giving a nice
sense of continuity to a menu that includes both the
expected and unexpected. It offers much more than
just appealing snacks, although I certainly
recommend the fresh pretzels served hot from the
kitchen and the smoked whitefish dip.
Among the more
substantial dishes are pan-seared mahi-mahi, New
York strip steak and baked Canadian salmon, all
nicely garnished. That doesn’t mean that one or
another of the several varieties of burger aren’t
flying out of the kitchen. Choices include the
classic Angus burger with lettuce, tomato and
pickle, or its cousin, the cheeseburger. Salmon and
turkey burgers round out the category. A nice change
from the standard fries are sweet potato fries that
team well with the burgers.
Three
years ago, Mike’s added lobster rolls to the menu,
and to say the East Coast favorite has been a
success is an understatement. The restaurant keeps a
tally of the numbers and as of last week, an amazing
15,110 of the grilled buns filled with lemon-sparked
salad made with the claws and knuckles of the
lobster have been sold. Lobster rolls are available
in singles ($9.95) and doubles ($17.95) and they are
noteworthy.
An East
Coast favorite, the lobster roll, filled with
lemon-sparked salad is made with the claws
and knuckles of the lobster has become a favorite
since its introduction three years ago. It’s
served with seasoned chips. (Photo:
Max Ortiz / The Detroit News)
And so are the
tender little filets of fresh lake perch, lightly
fried or sauteed, as mine were on one visit,
accompanied by a little cup of crisp coleslaw. The
price structure is also noteworthy. Shrimp cocktails
are just $6 all day.
Mike added
dessert to the menu for the first time last year
when he found an old-fashioned ice cream truck that
he bought and parked permanently outside the
restaurant. It offers an array of ice cream bars for
those who don’t think lunch or dinner is complete
without a sweet ending.
And speaking
of endings, Mike’s will close its sixth season at
the end of October.
abraham67@comcast.net
Mike’s
on the Water
24600
Jefferson, St. Clair Shores
Call: (586)
872-2630
Hours:
11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Fri.-Sat., noon-9 p.m. Sun. (Bar later).
Prices: Appetizers $5.95-$10.50, salads and
sandwiches $6.95-$17.95, burgers $5.75-$8.95,
entrees $10.95-$21.50, desserts from the ice cream
truck outside the deck.
Credit
cards: All major
Liquor: Full bar
Noise
level: Moderate
Parking: Large attached lot
Wheelchair access:
No barriers |
