Chef’s Corner: Annette Weathers

Born from an underground supper club captained by pseudonymous cooks, Bona Sera (200 W Michigan Ave) boasts self-described “colorful comfort” cuisine responsible for establishing the restaurant as a downtown Ypsilanti culinary mecca. Picture dishes like the Italian-inflected bibimbap variant Bi Bada Bing or the Chicken Dijon Shepherd’s Pie with dijon goat cheese cream sauce (gluten-free, no less). This month, the restaurant’s chef/owner Annette Weathers explores kitchen car crashes, local daikons and the moment she decided to stake her livelihood on professional cheffing.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you in a kitchen?
A car crashed into the front door of the building and poured transmission smoke into the kitchen. We opened for lunch.

What’s your go-to local grocery store when cooking at home?
Plum Market.

What’s your earliest memory of cooking?
Watching my grandmother make dinner rolls.

What local ingredients do you use in your restaurant?
Beautiful daikons from Growing Hope, heirloom tomatoes from many local farmers and fresh-smoked rainbow trout from Indian Brook Trout Farm in Jackson.

Where do you go for a night out?
To bed, but if socializing is required: Knight’s, Sushi Town, Encuentro or Selden Standard in Detroit.

Where do you get your culinary inspiration?
The great and varied foods of Italy, the American South, France, Latvia, Vietnam and Japan.

What’s your favorite all-time meal with drink pairing?
Frutti di Mare made with local seafood from Campo Santa Margherita in Venice and local red wine from a neighboring campo.

What would you want for your last meal on Earth?
Beef bourguignon, carbonara, Barolo, RoosRoast coffee and a perfect peach.

Describe the moment you decided to become a chef.
I’m still thinking about it.

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