A second generation chef, Judi Barsness of Chez Jude in Grand Marais began her passion for cooking growing up in her mother's French kitchen and her restaurant, Chez Jude, is a yellow cottage surrounded by flower and herb gardens. Dedicated to serving customers a "taste of the present," Judi uses locally sourced food to serve what she calls "Minnsine" - contemporary Minnesota cuisine served harborside. She pays tribute to the producers who supply fresh ingredients to Chez Jude by listing them in her menu.
One such producer and a friend of Judi's is Harley Toftey, from whom she has sourced whitefish and lake trout for ten years. Harley is a Lake Superior fisherman and co-owner of Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais with his wife, Shele. What he doesn't sell fresh, Harley smokes and processes on-site. "From the time we catch it to the time we walk out the door everything is pretty much done right here," Harley explains.
Judi takes Harley's lake harvest and pairs it with fresh herbs to create a beautiful menu. "So often we think only of the earth's harvests, but here on the North Shore the wild caught harvest from Lake Superior by fishers like Harley are not only important for the restaurant's menu, but also play a vital role in the local economy," Judi says.
