RR Brannstrom |Daily Press At Horizons Steakhouse at Island Resort and Casino, executive chef Michael Timmins, who has been running the kitchen for nine months, cooks up shrimp scampi.
HARRIS — Located on the top 12th floor of Island Resort and Casino, Horizons Steakhouse has evolved since opening in 2021 and continues to grow and improve.
Executive Chef Michael Timmins, whose 35-year career has also included executive chef positions at Landmark Inn in Marquette and Forest Dunes Golf Club in Gaylord, joined Horizons nine months ago. He came forward to decide on the direction of the kitchen. Since then, changes have been made with a focus on developing seasonal menus and educating staff and customers to improve the overall experience.
Prior to 2021, fine dining restaurants were located on the ground floor. The expansion will take the casino’s Palm Tower to new heights, add a nine-hole golf course, create a Splash Island water park, add 128 new hotel rooms, and add Horizons at the top of the tower. A steakhouse was also installed. Opening in late December 2021, the resort and casino’s fine dining has relocated to a venue with panoramic views of fields and trees to the north, forests to the east, and Sweetgrass Golf Course to the south.
While many visitors and employees enjoy the view, Horizons for Timmins takes pride in its carefully selected seasonal menu and the transformation the staff has undergone since he took over as executive chef.
“For the last nine months, they’ve been given a crash course in cooking. They’ve literally been raised at least five times over. I’m so proud of them all.” Timmins said.
“The front desk managers and supervisors have done a great job of educating the front desk staff on how to treat guests.My job as a chef is to educate all the back staff on food, how to prepare it, and They’re used to it like ducks to water.” he continued.
Horizons is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5pm to 10pm. Whenever a new special comes out, Timmins schedules it for staff at 4:45 so they can taste it and know what they’re selling to customers. I explained.
“And based on each ticket that comes in, we can see which servers liked the special.” he said with a laugh.
Player Services Manager Robin Bourdeau said the menu items meet the following criteria: “Price range array” There is also a kids menu.
The content of the offer has changed. “very” Located below Timmins, it rotates seasonally.
“I’m a chef who likes to use local ingredients whenever possible.” He explained and gave examples. One source is AquaTerra, a hydroponic greenhouse in Hannaville.
Winter menus are dominated by comfort food, currently featuring dishes such as pot roast poutine and steak burgers, and light meals such as salads become more prominent in the summer.
When menu changes occur, more complex tastings and discussions among the team take place.
“We’ll spend the night, all the food will be prepared, then the chef will come out and talk about it, and then (the servers) will all eat it.” Stephen Gagstatter, the island’s food and beverage director, explains: “So when they’re at the table and someone asks them, they can personally answer, based on their own experience, what that dish is.”
One thing management is trying to do is better educate the public about the different cuts and grades of meat. They are considering creating a menu insert and adding some FAQs to their website.
“We only use the highest quality, prime meat for all of our meat.” Timmins said.
When locals visit Island Resort and Casino, they may be thinking of the games, concerts, or the pool and spa. Many people still don’t even know that Horizons exists, tucked away at the top of the tower. But some people come back again and again, booking separate rooms for special events.
Horizons offers a more intimate convention space for private parties than the larger space downstairs.
Coming soon is a signature drink menu that Timmins and Gagstatter are currently working on. Available only at Horizons, which has its own bar separate from other dining options at the resort and casino.
This year, Timmins said she wants to reach out to local chapters of the Culinary Foundation of America to see how they can be used as a resource and provide more connections to local farmers.
Further expansion of the island is underway to expand convention facilities and further growth is expected as guests from far and wide travel for this event. “Amenity combination” Offered at Island Resort and Casino.
As Bourdeau said, “There’s always something on the horizon.”
