FOOD: The Time an English Lass Tries a Cornish Pastie in America ...

Give me the chance of trying an American's attempt at the British staple that is the Cornish Pastie and I would have been a fool not to take up the challenge. While visiting a huge, huge antiques mall in Traverse City, I noticed upon the city map a mere three stores down Cousin Jenny's Cornish Pasties, we just had to try it out (you might remember my post on visiting a The Red Fox - a British themed pub back in July 2012). 

The pastie shop was all things British, a red phone box greets you, over-sized teddy bears stand the over the doorway dressed in Queen Guards attire and it's all talk of tea and bright red tea pots, it was home away from home. Boards around the restaurant illustrate the history of the Cornish Pastie in Michigan particularly in the Upper Peninsular whereby Finnish immigrants followed the tradition of the Cornish miners who had immigrated during the 1850's taking the pastie into the Copper Country mines. Today pasties are strongly associated with the Finnish culture in this area of Michigan but their availability is now reaching lower into the state (although they are pretty non existent in the south east). 

Rather then opting for the staple traditional pastie I went for chicken and Joe ordered the French Potato both served with an option of gravy or sauce, neither disappointed. Thing is they are so many to choose from it was hard to pick - they also have options for steak 'n cheddar, Italian and German among others. The crusts were lovely and thick and the pastie oozed with taste, and they are huge, really huge. There was no case of soggy pasties here (which I sadly experienced in another pastie shop a couple of days later in Mackinaw City which I had to admit let the whole pasty down and made me a little sad). The British decor was something I enjoyed and they had certainly gone to town with honoring in British culture.

It's always interesting to see how others see and interpret your own culture and if we lived any closer, it  probably would be a local haunt.

Want to make Cornish Pasties yourself - you'll find my attempt here!