Tom Wahlstrom doesn't even flinch as his knife slides into the Kobe beef.
Most people who would be cutting into one of the most expensive pieces of meat in the world to create a perfect steak for a $70 meal would probably be a little bit nervous. Not Wahlstrom, who is the current
Upper Michigan Chapter of the American Culinary Federation Chef of the Year and the chef/owner of
Elizabeth's Chophouse in Marquette.
It's not that Wahlstrom doesn't know the value of the meat, it's just that he knows what he's doing.
"It's like cutting gold," he laughs when asked about it.
Instead of letting his nerves get rattled, Wahlstrom simply applies the skills and the knowledge he's been crafting since being just a young boy.
"I was born in the hospital and then put to work in a coffee shop," he says.
The Wahlstrom name is a bit synonymous with food in the Marquette area. He recalls the walls of the family's namesake restaurant being put up when he was just about five years old. Some clear memories are not only of walking from the now-closed Silver Creek School and getting to work in the kitchen washing dishes but also of eventually of cooking side-by-side with his dad, and other fine chefs who had made pit stops at the restaurant during their own culinary journeys.
"I wish I would have paid more attention back then, when I was young," says Wahlstrom.
While he may have missed the boat on a technique or two during his younger days, Wahlstrom has more than made up for it throughout his years as a professional chef. Not only is he the owner of Marquette's premier steakhouse, Wahlstrom is a Certified Executive Chef, an honor given to chefs who have demonstrated a level of culinary competence and expertise through their education, work experience, culinary knowledge and skills.
Wahlstrom admits that the honor of being named the Upper Peninsula's top chef last year was one that he was grateful to receive, though it is not something he had set out to accomplish. Instead, he has always just tried to be the best chef and, eventually, owner he could be.
His wife, Elizabeth, was the first to applaud his accomplishment, however, putting a banner out in front of the restaurant to announce the honor.
The banner has long since been rolled up and put away, but Wahlstrom doesn't have to go far to be reminded of the feeling he had when he first received the Chef of the Year honor, or when he saw the announcement his wife had made.
The restaurant is his crowning achievement. It has proven to be everything he hoped it would be: upscale dining for lunch or dinner, a stylish bar and some of the best service that can be found.
"I love this," he says, gesturing around the restaurant that has quickly climbed to be one of the top locations in Marquette, if not the entire Upper Peninsula.
While every establishment will come across its share of naysayers, the chophouse has a line of supporters who just can't wait to get back in the door and back to some fine dining.
"I was shocked from the first moment I stepped in to the restaurant," says holly1989, of Gladstone, in her review on
TripAdvisor.com. "It was like being transported to Seattle, New York, or some other big city. Great atmosphere and the staff is very professional … I look forward to heading back up to Marquette to try the great bar and dinner menu. By far the best in Marquette."
That's what Wahlstrom likes to hear. His restaurant has pushed the boundaries of what can typically be found while traversing the culinary scene in the Upper Peninsula. Prime rib? Sure. Every day. Fresh fish all the way from Alaska? Once the season starts out there, there are several different selections. How about Caesar Salad? That's everywhere, right? How about in the traditional style, with a full leaf of Romaine tucked into a hollowed out crust of French bread? Yeah--didn't think so. But at Elizabeth's Chophouse that's exactly how it will come to your table.
Even with all the kudos he's received, Wahlstrom isn't looking to turn his establishment into a chain, or open any other doors while his concentration is on Elizabeth's. Instead, he wants to continue doing what he was raised to do--make dining a wonderful experience for each and every person who walks through his door, be it with Kobe beef, fresh halibut or a simple salad.
"I've heard people say that they can't afford to eat here every day," he says when asked about the pricing on the menu. "That's OK. I'd rather that they came when they wanted a meal to remember. We will make that happen. All they have to do is sit back and enjoy themselves."
If the quality of meals that Wahlstrom and his outstanding kitchen crew prepare, paired with the top-notch service at Elizabeth's, is any indication, then enjoy themselves they will.
Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of the U.P. Second Wave and a full-time freelance writer. He was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula. He's dined at Elizabeth's Chophouse several times. The prime rib is his favorite, as is the Caesar salad. Eggleston can be reached via email.