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08/19/2007
Two new eateries eye openings in TC this OctoberCatch Island Grill, Red Ginger debut downtown
Dan and Pam Marsh inspect some blueprints for Red Ginger restaurant to open in the former Kurtz Music building next to the State Theatre on Front Street. TRAVERSE CITY — Kurt Fischer remembers when he was in high school and couldn't wait to get out of Traverse City. Now he's glad to be back and hopes to add to the city's growing variety of downtown eateries. His Catch Island Grill in the former Pete's Pub & Grille building at 120 Park St. is scheduled to open in early October. It joins the new Red Ginger restaurant — located in the former Kurtz Music store at 237 E. Front St. — that is slated to open in mid-October under owners Dan and Pam Marsh. Both operations want to carve out a new niche among the downtown's expanding restaurant offerings. Red Ginger will feature an upscale Asian-style menu with attractions like a sushi bar, while Catch Island Grill is described as a "Caribbean-style” eatery with an emphasis on fresh and salt water fish and other seafood. "I think it's a great fit for downtown,” Pam Marsh said of her new restaurant, located next to the revived State Theatre. "I think people in Traverse City have a little more sophisticated palate than we saw a few years ago.” Fischer hopes to shift gears in the space away from a bar-style operation to put more emphasis on food offerings that made the site a downtown staple going back 30 years. "It used to be a very successful restaurant,” Fischer said. Fischer said his eatery also will feature spicy "jerk-style” pork and ribs, traditional Midwest fare like steaks and burgers and "comfort food” offerings such as pot roast and meat loaf. He plans to price most of his entrees under $20, a bit below some of the higher-end spots downtown. The restaurant will include 110 seats and a lounge area, and he expects to hire 35 employees. Fischer's business partner is Paul Kelly, who's no relation to building owner Dan Kelly. Fischer said they will lease the building but also have a purchase option. Fischer has a hotel/restaurant management degree from Michigan State University and was a managing partner at a steak house in Columbus, Ohio, before returning to Traverse City. Dan Marsh, the executive chef at Red Ginger, also returns home to open his own restaurant in the former music store. His resume includes stints at restaurants like The Rainbow Room in New York City and Hawthorne Lane in San Francisco. "That's where most of my Asian culinary education came from, out in California,” he said. Red Ginger will offer seating for 130 and maintain 40 to 50 employees. It also will offer mainstream items like steaks and burgers for patrons who aren't quite ready for authentic Asian fare. The couple bought the building last summer from Rotary Charities Inc., which recently sold the neighboring theater to the Traverse City Film Festival. The State will be open year-round beginning in November. The Marshes said they're "thrilled” about the theater's revival and expect it to be a significant boost to their restaurant.
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