(upbeat music) (energetic music) (all laughing) - [Jim] On this episode of UTR, we feature five little lost alumni and one producer who found a new home right here in this show.

You'll see.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that are still out there making us proud to be from Michigan.

(gentle upbeat music) - [Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

- [Announcer] Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit gogreat.com for more info.

- I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to, and the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Dalton, and this is "Under the Radar Michigan."

(energetic music) - I know what you're thinking.

I remember the regular guy wearing a hat and a mustache.

So who the heck is this guy, and where did Tom go?

Well, you know, occasionally people need to take time off for fun stuff like tongue scraping and shoe shopping.

Tom's no different, except for the tongue scraping.

I'm Jim Edelman, and some of you have met me at book signings and our speaking engagements.

Tom and I created the show together, and it's been one of the most rewarding things we've ever been a part of.

So why am I here?

Well, it doesn't happen often, but some of the places we featured on the show are just no more.

People retire, places go out of business.

They change plans.

So we've been taking those shows off the air so we don't send you to a place that's no longer there.

But what about all the other people and businesses featured on those shows that are still out there doing what they do?

Well, fear not because we're getting them back where they belong, on the air and in your living rooms.

We took a bunch of those segments and got them a proper program to call their own.

You may not have seen these folks in a while, but they're still out there making us Michigan proud.

So get ready to reminisce because first up, we're going here.

Now at the end of season four, we had a chance to check out the Tall Ship Celebration in Bay City.

We saw all kinds of pirates, little ones, tall ones, famous ones.

Plus we saw some big sails, you know, because of the big ships.

Well, watching all the tall ships enter through the drawbridge is really something you need to see.

So, Matt, press play now.

- If you've always wanted to sail the Seven Seas, but you kind of like living in Michigan, have I got a festival for you.

The Tall Ship Celebration is an absolutely incredible event that happens right on the river in downtown Bay City.

And if you can catch this great festival, you'll witness some of the most majestic masted ships still sailing the Great Lakes.

(cannon booming) Oh gosh, here come the ships.

- Here we go.

- You have to do the salute.

Do it with me.

(cannon booming) When the cannon went off, did you jump?

- Two feet.

- Yeah.

Now I heard there'd be some pirates to be found in these parts, so I set off to finds me some, argh.

Totally makes sense, tall ships, tall pirate.

- That's it.

- Have you done this before?

- Never.

- Are you guys kinda a scared 'cause there's pirates here?

- Nah.

- Argh.

- That's pretty good.

Where's your parrot?

(attendees laugh) Your mom is your parrot?

Dude, you're blowing my mind.

Are you who I think you are?

- Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy.

- So those are real musket or guns?

Oh.

(trigger clicks) - Not loaded though.

- Oh, not loaded, good.

Yeah, that's good.

Shirley Roberts is one of the dedicated people who work so hard to make this fantastic floating festival fun for all.

What does it take to put on an event like this?

- I consider myself to be a bit of a wrangler, kind of watching after a million little pieces and trying to herd them all in the same direction, a lot of detail.

- I'd say wrangling cats is like wrangling boats.

- A lot.

- It's probably even tougher.

- And boat people, yeah.

(laughs) - [Tom] Right, right.

Where are these boats from?

- They really come to us from all over.

The ship that comes from the farthest distance is the Sorlandet, which hails from Norway.

We do have a lot of ships that are from the Great Lakes and come from our own backyard, including Appledore, which is actually based here in Bay City.

- Now, can people actually board these ships?

- They can.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of our event, the ships are available for boarding and touring.

Today is the day when the ships arrive, and there's a lot of work going on, and it's sort of organized chaos.

We have a good crowd who come out today to see all of this, but boarding starts on Friday.

- Well, now that the ships are all docked, you think they'd let a landlubber like me on one of these boats?

- Well, they might.

We'll see if we know somebody.

Do you wanna go check it out?

- Heck yeah.

- Let's go.

- So Shirley pulled a couple of strings, and I swabbed a couple of decks, and she got me on board the mighty Brig Niagara.

And thanks to Fourth Mate Connie Allen, I gots me the landlubber tour.

Oh wow.

- [Connie] So we're on our way down to the berth deck.

- Oh my God, the berth deck meaning this is where you sleep?

- Yeah, B-E-R-T-H, not B-I-R-T-H. - [Tom] Now where do you make the vittles for the crew?

- [Connie] Ah, that is through this way.

Let's come on through to the galley.

- Hey, you're barefoot.

That's cool.

Well, talk about economy of space.

This is the kitchen or the galley or the?

- Galley.

- Galley, wow.

I'd like to make a reservation.

Now after a quick trip to the chiropractor, I met up with ship's Captain William Sabatini.

After coming on board this ship and seeing all the people involved and all the rigging, I don't even know where to start this conversation.

I mean, how many people does it take to sail a ship like this?

- Well, Niagara originally sailed with 154 as a naval warship.

We sail with 40 today.

Of course, 154 was to man all of the guns and sail the ship.

- Now what is a ship like this normally used for?

- Well, in today's world, we're a sail training ship.

We are in the business of taking people of all ages out to sea.

They come here with an interest in wanting to learn how to sail as a crew member on board.

We don't carry passengers.

We carry only students.

- You seem like a pretty nice captain.

You ever keelhaul anybody?

- No.

(chuckles) - He is a nice captain.

I thought maybe you took people's iPods away or something.

- [William] (chuckles) No.

- Not only are the tall ships in Bay City a fascinating celebration of our illustrious maritime history.

They're also a heck of a lot of fun too.

So if you're in the mood for some incredible food, a sandy tropical getaway, or even classic ships on both sides of the water, the sunrise side is a part of Michigan you really need to explore 'cause remember, the more you see, the more you've seen.

You'll see.

- As the resident eater on the show, that means that when Tom can't finish his food, they send in the pro to do the mop-up work.

With three-bite gourmet sliders from Green Dot Stables, Tom didn't require my eating skills.

So also take note that during the interview with Les in the Kitchen, the exhaust fan was so loud, we had them shut it off for five minutes, just long enough to fill the kitchen with a layer of slider smoke.

You'll see what I mean.

- Hey folks, I'm at Green Dot Stables.

Now I'm not even sure what this place is, but I was told to come hungry.

That part was easy.

So what is Green Dot?

Well, I came in, looked around, got confused, and decided to sit down with Jacques Driscoll.

He owns the place, so I figured he'd probably know.

What exactly is Green Dot Stables?

- Well, I guess in short, it's my long-term vision and dream coming true here, a restaurant/bar that I've kind of been planning and thinking about for about the last 10, 15 years and it finally coming to life.

- [Tom] Where did the theme come from, the horse theme?

- The building when we bought it, it was previously called the Green Dot Stables.

It had been shut down.

It's been the Green Dot Stables since 1970 as a bar or restaurant of some sort.

When we came in, we had big plans to, you know, kind of gut it and like re-theme it.

We kind of redesigned everything, but as we kind of talked to people and learned about the history of the place and, you know, just thought it was a fun theme to work with and thought we could really have some fun with it.

- Well, speaking of a theme, I looked at the menu, and you guys do I guess like gourmet unusual sliders here.

Whose concept was that?

- The $2 and $3 concept was something I always like to do.

You know, my wife and I, we really like to eat food.

You know, we like to try as many things as possible, and, you know, sometimes you wanna try something new, but you don't wanna spend 15, $20 on a meal and find out you don't like it.

- Right.

- We wanted to have options where you could try things at, you know, a affordable price and, you know, where you might try something you might never have tried before.

- Well, these aren't conventional sliders.

Tell me about some of your more unusual ones.

- Well, we try to keep it fresh.

I think everyone's favorite is the mystery meat that we do every week.

(Tom laughs) Or you know, a couple days, we do something different.

We've done a kangaroo, elk, buffalo, crab cake.

I mean, you name it.

You know, we've done pheasant.

Right now we're doing a meatloaf with a lemongrass pork.

Our Chef Les Molnar, he's amazing.

He keeps it fresh and is always coming up with something fun.

- And you guys are the talk of the town.

I hear a lot about this place.

- I like to hear that, yeah.

(both laugh) - I just love coming here.

I think there's a great vibe to this restaurant.

- Just like a really cozy, down-home, and fun place to come with your friend.

- I got the Korean slider 'cause it has like kimchi and peanut butter on it.

And I thought that was a really interesting combination.

- We've tried about everything on this menu and enjoyed it all.

- It's just nice to come to a place in downtown Detroit I love coming down to and experiencing new things.

- Eating here is like having a little bit of gourmet with a little bit of home cooking.

- Chef Les Molnar is Jacques' culinary co-conspirator, and he's the reason these little gourmet sliders take your taste buds to infinity and beyond.

How do you brainstorm these different sliders?

What do you do?

- A lot of beer.

- (laughs) I heard that earlier.

- No, it's, you know, I just think of, you know, what do cooks want to eat, what good flavors go together, and just kind of be unusual because at $2 and $3, it kind of gives us an opportunity to experiment, to try different things, to really just have fun with it.

Like we've served Rocky Mountain oysters as one of our mystery meats, and we sold out on Saturday night.

- Really?

- People didn't think we could sell that item.

Am I allowed to say what that is?

- No.

- Okay.

- You're not allowed to.

Actually, I don't wanna know.

(laughs) Did you ever go to a special school to become a gourmet slider chef, or did you invent that?

- You didn't have to.

I chose to.

Yeah, I went to Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago.

- Oh wow.

- Before moving back to Detroit.

- What brought you back here?

- The opportunity to just make a bigger splash in a smaller pond.

- [Tom] So if you like friendly people, lots of Michigan brews, a horse theme, and your gourmet food in the form of a slider, and who doesn't, giddy up on down to Green Dot Stables.

It's so weird, it's wonderful.

- You know, over the years people have asked, "When does Tom take off his hat?"

Well, that rarely happens, but coming up you'll be treated to a special site when sans hat, Tom dines with a monk, a chef, at a monastery on the East Side of Detroit.

That'll make sense in this next segment.

- Now, if you show me awesome people making great food for a good cause, I'm Russian right to it.

Speaking of Russian, that's exactly what they serve here at The Royal Eagle, gourmet Russian cuisine in absolutely serene and beautiful surroundings, and it's all done to help raise money for the Saint Sabbas Orthodox Monastery.

Actually, the restaurant is right inside this incredible institution, and all proceeds go directly to maintaining its magnificence.

So not only will your visit be filling, it'll be fulfilling as well.

I had the distinct honor to sit down with Father Pachomy and Chef Petr Balcarovsky to find out more about both this Russian restaurant and magnificent monastery.

I had heard about this place, but until I got here I was, I didn't know what to expect.

And I am almost without words, which for me is very difficult.

How long has the monastery been here?

- The monastery was started in 1999.

We purchased the property, one parcel of property, and every year we're buying one or two additional parcels and then developing it into an entire monastic village.

- [Tom] Well, the fact that it's tucked away in a little suburban neighborhood is mind-boggling.

You're driving down this little street with these nice little manicured homes and lawns, and then all of a sudden there's this magnificent monastery.

And when you're in here, it feels like it's been here 100 years.

- [Pachomy] Well, the design of the monastery's in the European style, so it has that flavor of Old World, so it feels like it's been around a long time.

- And the restaurant is here primarily to support the monastery?

- Yes, it is fundraising.

- How did that come to be?

- As father was building the monastery, for a while, they were offering these tours with small luncheons.

And I found out they were looking for someone who could explore this idea and take it up to the next level.

So, and about 10 years ago, we opened up this fine dining restaurant to help raise the funds for the monastery.

- Yeah, speaking of the monastery, when you took us in the chapel, I was amazed.

I don't think I've anything seen anything quite that beautiful.

- [Pachomy] Most people don't expect it in the metropolitan Detroit area.

I mean, there's cathedrals.

The Anglicans have a cathedral.

The Roman Catholics have a cathedral.

Everyone has a cathedral, and you expect certain style of architecture.

But then when you come here, and you walk inside, you think, "Wow, this is unbelievable."

- And the public can come here to pray or reflect?

- Oh, it is open to the public on Saturday evenings and Sundays.

Most of the time it's closed, and it's just for the monastic community.

We do services two to three times a day, but for public touring, it's open on Thursday with the restaurant.

- And speaking of the restaurant, it's beautiful in here, and the attention to detail's incredible.

The food is primarily Russian?

- [Petr] Russian and Eastern European, yes.

- [Tom] Now is that something you specialized in or?

- Well, we wanted to offer a broad spectrum of choices for our guests so everyone can find something interesting and kind of do a little tour of Eastern Europe for someone who doesn't have to wanna pack the bags and, you know, board the plane.

- And the restaurant is only open certain times.

- Yes, two days a week because the main purpose of the restaurant is just to do the fundraising for the growth of the monastery, not to really become too commercial.

So we try to emphasize that and are only open for two days a week.

And we offer Russian high tea every Tuesday and Thursday and then Thursday night for dinner.

- What's on the menu?

- Hot dogs.

- [Tom] Oh, great.

(all laugh) If someone told me that someday I'd be sitting in a fancy restaurant talking to a chef and a monk, I would have never believed it, but that's exactly what happened.

And the conversation was a real treat.

If you get the chance, make time to visit The Royal Eagle Restaurant at the Saint Sabbas Orthodox Monastery in Harper Woods because trust me, the food and the surroundings are heavenly.

So grab your bucket, your bucket list, and try a trip to Southeast Michigan.

Oh, and you better bring your five-gallon bucket.

You're gonna need it.

- In the world of storytelling, there are feel-good stories, and then there are feel-good stories, you know, the ones in all caps.

When we filmed at the Field of Dreams in Southfield in season four, we all felt so good that our eyes were misty for quite a while.

- You know, some people don't believe in miracles, but if you know anything about this organization, they make miracles happen all the time.

The Miracle League of Michigan is an Easter Seals program here in Southfield that gives kids with mental and physical challenges the chance to play baseball as a team member on a real organized league, a pretty simple thing that normally these kids would never get the chance to do.

Steve Peck is the founder and director of the program and one of the extraordinary and caring people who every summer helps bring a real sense of joy and accomplishment to these special young athletes.

- Right here, Jack, coming at you.

- There we go!

(attendees clapping) - [Announcer] Come on, Gates Lindt.

- You know, you don't realize how special this is till you actually come here and see it.

I mean, for a lot of kids to go out and play baseball, you just go out and play.

but for these kids, this is really something special.

- It sure is.

I mean, it's the magic of the Miracle League.

The children that play out here, the ones you see in wheelchairs or walkers, they wanna play ball just like any other able-bodied kid.

But for far too long, their moms and dads have had to say, "No, you can't do it, honey."

So the magic is this synthetic rubber surface, so now you literally break through the barriers that prohibit them from playing.

Wheelchairs and walkers can come out here and move very easily.

- Well, I've heard the expression field of dreams a million times, but I never really...

This is the first time I think it ever really applied to something for me personally- - For sure.

- When I saw this and what it brings to these kids.

- Well, the Miracle League is an appropriate name for what we do.

- Yeah.

- I mean, there are miracles that take place on this field, and it's something I've always called a win-win-win.

I mean, when we built this field 10 years ago, I knew that it would be a win for the kids that wanted to play but couldn't.

What I didn't realize was the win that it was for the families because, you know, my son was able to play Little League, and I had that dream of my son playing Little League.

But when their children were born, all of a sudden that dream went away.

So now as you look around our crowd, you see the parents out there.

They're part of a Little League team.

Their dream came true.

And the final win is that the people from the community, the blue shirts, as we call 'em out here, our volunteers, well, they come out, they give back, and you know what they get out of being here.

- [Tom] You guys do this how often?

Is it all summer long you guys have leagues here?

- [Steve] This is all summer.

It begins in June, and we play seven days a week.

We've got games every single day.

We've got double-headers and triple-headers on some of those days.

We have an adult league.

We have a competitive youth league.

So we cover all the bases with the children.

- You're doing so much good for so many of these kids that everybody should come to one of these games and see this.

It's pretty special.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

- [Tom] Just spend an afternoon with these exceptional kids and their families, and you'll see what a miracle this league really is.

- My name is Pocky, and I'm from South Lyon.

- Awesome, you love playing baseball?

- Yeah.

- You a good hitter?

- Yeah.

- Really?

- Sometimes I need my dad to help me.

- I bet you're better than me.

- Yep.

(Tom laughs) - You were a superstar out there today, you know that?

- Yes.

- What do you love about this league, playing in this league?

- Because baseball's a great game, and it's a very nice place to play.

- It allows our kids that have special needs to be able to come out, be themselves, be able to be included in sports, and we love it.

- You've got how many brothers and sisters playing in this league?

- Well, there's eight of us all together, but only five of us play, but the others help out.

- So it's a family affair?

- Yeah, and my dad's the coach.

- Your dad's the coach?

I'll have to talk to your dad.

He's doing a good job 'cause you're a good player.

- Thank you.

- Have you got an agent?

- No.

- Here's my card.

Tell me, is your dad a good coach?

- Yeah, he is.

- Really is?

Are you saying that 'cause he's standing right there?

- Yeah.

(Tom and coach laughs) - At least they're honest.

- These kids and their families were having so much fun that it got, well, kind of contagious.

And when the coach called for a righty, I got my chance.

I don't know what's more of a miracle, the Miracle League of Michigan or the fact that I actually threw a hittable pitch.

Well, actually I do know.

It's the Miracle League, hands down.

And as for me...

I got it.

Don't worry about it.

No!

I should probably stick to something I do well.

Eh, as soon as I find it.

- You know, prior to this next segment, I was convinced that cranberries were only grown out East by people with Pepperidge Farm accents.

Turns out they grow 'em here in Michigan with the accent on wow.

- In Northern Lower Michigan at the mouth of the Cheboygan River is a town of the same name that's been calling our name to come back.

So guess what?

We did.

That was easy.

There's a bit of a mystery about what the name Cheboygan means, but to us here at UTR, it means a great northern Michigan town where you can relax, eat, play, or even stay for a lifetime.

There are some who say the name comes from an old Ojibwa word meaning through passage.

Well, if you are passing through, I suggest you stop.

Cheboygan is located just 15 miles southeast of the Mackinac Bridge on US 23.

You know what's under the radar for a lot of people and actually just plain under the water is Michigan's cranberry harvest 'cause in order to get these little berries off the vine, you gotta flood the fields first.

Far out.

You heard right.

If you've never seen a Michigan cranberry harvest or wondered why those guys on the Ocean Spray commercials are wading waist-high in water, it's simply the best and most efficient way to bag these buoyant berries and bring 'em to market.

Wally Huggett and his wife Sharon own and operate the Michigan Cranberry Company.

Now, is floating the berries the only way to harvest cranberries?

Or do you just do that 'cause it's more fun?

- No, we do it because cranberries are hollow, and they float, and it's an aid in harvesting.

- How long have they been doing it this way?

- Quite a number of years.

Before, they had to handpick 'em, and of course that's very arduous.

But when they started floating 'em, well, things really started to progress.

- [Tom] Well, how did you become a cranberry farmer?

'Cause I know you've been a farmer for a while.

- Yeah, well, I've been a farmer for a while, and I was interested in cranberries and started growing them on an experimental basis down in Sanilac County, Marlette.

- [Tom] Oh, in your backyard.

You just flood the backyard?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, kind of.

There was a little development taking place, but I found out that Marlette down east of Saginaw was too far south to successfully grow cranberries.

- [Tom] I was gonna ask you why this area around Cheboygan is so good for cranberries.

- Well, cranberries were growing wild on the property when I came here.

So if they're growing there wild, you could probably grow them in a commercial manner.

- [Tom] Well, cranberries are a super food.

I mean, they're really- - Yes, they are.

- [Tom] They're really good for you.

- They're one of only three fruits that are native to America.

The other American fruits are blueberries, cranberries, and concord grapes.

Everything else we brought over with our pioneers from overseas.

- Well, we're big cranberry consumers in our house, so would you mind if I got in and took a few home?

- Help yourself.

- I will.

- Whatever you can put in your pocket you're free to.

(laughs) - Ooh, free cranberries, bonus.

Here I come.

You don't mind if I come in?

Wally said I can get some cranberries.

- [Worker] Nope, come right on ahead.

Step right on in, yep.

- And we're gonna find some.

- I'm more worried that... Yeah, just be careful of holes.

There are holes once in a while.

Yeah, always make sure your fieldings is good.

- Okay, I'm just gonna get a couple.

One, two.

Oh, I lost count, shoot.

So once I was done collecting my perfect sample pack, it was time to pay the piper and actually do some work.

Now show me how this works.

Now what do you do with this thing?

- This mainly is just to corral them in and pull 'em in so that way they go where we want 'em to.

- Oh, I see, you just make a big circle.

- Yep, we just make a big circle with it and keep swooping it around, bringing it to the pan over there is what we call it.

- Can I try it?

- To suck it up?

Yep.

Here you go.

- Like, this is heavy.

- Yes.

- Now don't worry, I got my lifesaving card in ninth grade.

- All right.

- If you go under.

- In case, yeah.

- So what you do is you corral 'em all like this 'cause they're all floating.

- Yep.

- And then you pull 'em up into the sucker thing there.

- Yep, what we call our pan.

- The pan, and then this sucks them up into the truck.

This is amazing.

I always wondered why you guys stand in water, but it makes perfect sense.

- Yeah, a good cranberry will float.

A bad one sinks.

- I think a bad one just bit me.

(worker laughs) Uh-oh.

- Yep, watch the ditch there.

- Quicksand.

Tom signing off from cranberry land.

No, I'm kidding.

I'm just kidding.

(worker laughs) So now you know that the cranberries you consume have to float first.

Oh, and you also know that if I was in charge of the harvest, cranberries would be a rare commodity indeed.

Oh, boy.

- Well, thanks so much for joining me on this time-traveling trek through UTR segments that haven't seen the light of day for years.

I can promise more of these down the road.

It's different for me, you, and Tom.

In fact, I'm pretty sure I can talk him into doing all the driving on UTR shoots from now on.

Bonus.

Oh, sorry for stealing your catchphrase, buddy.

- You'll be hearing from my attorney.

- Oh, boy.

- I don't really have one.

- Oh good.

(both laugh) There we go.

(cheerful music) - [Announcer] A visit to the Stahls Auto Collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around, a fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

Info at stahlsauto.com.

- [Announcer] Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit gogreat.com for more info.

(upbeat rock music) (upbeat rock music continues) (gentle upbeat piano music) (energetic music) - [Jim] He's been around the world, but there's one place he keeps coming back to.

On this episode of UTR, we feature five little lost alumni and a different presenter who found a new home right here in this show.

You'll see.

If you're Jim's mom, this is an "Under the Radar" you just gotta see.