Seasons at Lac La Belle Restaurant re-opens with new staff Roxann Smith, left, new restaurant floor manager, and Jane Kinjorski, waitress, review the new lunch menu at the Seasons at Lac La Belle Restaurant. (Photo courtesy Cathy Westcott) LAC LA BELLE ’Äì The fledgling Seasons at Lac La Belle Restaurant re-opened Tuesday after suffering some growing pains recently when several employees, including the chef/director, resigned from their positions, causing the restaurant to close for one day. Since the restaurant’Äôs opening on Dec. 22, 2000, owners Troy and Cathy Westcott kept it open seven days a week for three meals a day, offering fine dining in the newly remodeled, nonsmoking dining room. "We were trying something that we thought would work," Cathy said, "but because of management disagreements we felt it necessary to go back to a general restaurant." Added Troy, "Cathy and I want to serve everybody in the Keweenaw with a menu of excellence. We want a nice restaurant where people can come in and get good quality food and great service." Malcolm Hudson, former chef/director of the Seasons at La Belle Restaurant Malcolm Hudson, 61, the Seasons’Äô former chef/director, who has studied culinary arts in France, prepared a variety of elegant dishes such as those one would find in a French bistro ’Äì a small, cozy restaurant that often attracts the same clientele because of the reputation of the chef for quality cuisine. However, the Seasons’Äô owners found themselves with a clientele that wasn’Äôt ready for that transition. Said Hudson, "Basically, it was a fatal mix of no experience with too much. This seldom works, and I should have known better. When you see beauty before you and you want something so much, you are less apt to see the things that make it impossible for it to work. That was for me to know, and I ignored it ’Ķ Our operating resources were not healthy enough to sustain a restaurant whose clientele must be developed over the course of time." Chef Chris Newsome, who worked with Hudson in the kitchen and had studied cooking under one of Hudson’Äôs former students, agreed the restaurant needed time for the menu to catch on. Troy noted, however, that the main reason the agreement didn’Äôt work is that he and Cathy wanted to serve everybody in the Keweenaw and Malcolm wanted to serve a select clientele. "I am surprised that a man with his experience would think he could operate a business up here without serving everybody," Troy said. Said Newsome, "It was true, honest, straightforward cuisine; but nobody gave it a chance. Everybody who tried it was appreciative." Lac La Belle residents John Kaleita and his wife Dorothy celebrated Dorothy’Äôs 77th birthday with a special meal prepared by former Seasons Chef Malcolm Hudson. Among the appreciative diners were Lac La Belle residents John and Dorothy Kaleita, who recently celebrated Dorothy’Äôs 77th birthday at the Seasons. Hudson fixed a special menu for the occasion ’Äì a sampling of some of his favorites. The first course was a tasty soup made of potatoes, curly endive, leeks, bacon, rutabaga and hamhock. That was followed by perch tempura style with Asian dressing. Next was a sautˆ©ed shrimp in curry butter sauce, followed by trout with fresh dill. A truly fresh, green salad with a secret-recipe vinaigrette dressing provided help for digestion and a light breather before the main course: marinated chicken with potatoes au gratin. The Kaleitas both voted for the trout (It melted in your mouth) as their favorite of these specialties; but what Hudson called his classic dessert ’Äì chocolate dacquoise ’Äì was a second favorite. Cathy said she and her husband appreciated the quality food and had "no hard feelings" against Hudson, Newsome or the other employees who resigned with them, including Julie Danis, dining room manager, and Kevin Blackstone, apprentice. "Malcolm is an awesome guy," Cathy said. "Both Troy and I felt very sad that he had to leave. The food was excellent here, but it was just something that didn’Äôt work out." One source of disagreement was a list of policies and procedures that employees were asked to sign after they had read it. The list included such items as health and safety, use of property, personal phone calls, drug and alcohol policy, absenteeism, tardiness, security, staff evaluations and other items Cathy said she considered "very basic and general." However some employees apparently felt the list needed some more explanation or interpretation. Hudson said he felt bad about leaving and believed the situation was nobody’Äôs fault. He predicted future success for the young owners. "What hurt me the most is that, as time went on, our lovely relationship that we had all cultivated together was slowly disintegrating into pain," he said. "All they (the Westcotts) wanted was ’Ķ the American dream ’Äì and they ran into a chef committed to excellence and nothing less. They will do well. They are resilient, quick learners and resourceful. I’Äôll always hold them in high regard." Roxann Smith, new Seasons floor manager, waits on snowmobilers John Bell, right, of Sandwich, Ill., and Ricardo Barragan, left, of Chicago, Ill. (Photo courtesy Cathy Westcott) Resilient they are, for the Westcotts missed only one day of business and began again with a new kitchen and dining room staff of only four employees. Roxane Smith of Lac La Belle is the new dining room manager; Ron Waara, owner of the Harbor Haus Restaurant in Copper Harbor, is helping out as chef; Jane Kinjorski of Lac La Belle and Erin Lydon are waitresses. Cathy Westcott (left), new co-owner of the Seasons at Lac La Belle Restaurant (formerly The Landing) and the Lac La Belle Lodge, serves hot coffee to snowmobiler Jodi Kolquist of Blaine, Minn., in the bar area of the restaurant shortly after the restaurant opened in December. Cathy Westcott noted, "For this area we tried to change too many things too fast. We’Äôre starting back on square one and trying to find a happy medium, so we can please the snowmobilers, the skiers, the local people and the people who enjoyed the fine dining here with Malcolm." Troy said the new menu will be good, fresh food, but it will be "what people have been asking for." People’Äôs suggestions are welcome, he added. The Seasons Restaurant is open seven days a week. Hours are Monday through Sunday: 9 a.m. ’Äì noon, breakfast; noon ’Äì 5 p.m., lunch; 5 p.m. ’Äì 9 p.m. dinner, with sandwiches and hamburgers served at both lunch and dinner. Take-outs are also available during restaurant hours. The restaurant anticipates receiving a liquor license soon. For reservations or information call the restaurant at (906) 289-4118 or the lodge at (906) 289-4293 or email: laclabellelodge@pasty.com. ’Äì Michele Anderson January 31, 2001