the great northern

a story of polenta

A person wearing glasses, a green baseball cap, and a white chef's coat, stirring a large pot on a stovetop in a kitchen. They are pouring a yellow liquid from a cup into the pot, with a whisk in their other hand. The kitchen has shelves with books and ingredients, and there is a small bowl and a tin with blocks of butter on the counter.

One of the most cherished dishes on our menu is our creamy polenta.

If you have ever tried it…

you know from the first bite on, you will be blanketed in warm decadence. This dish hits all the senses for a top comfort food. We have served this dish since we started catering out of our home back in 2010.

Close-up of two slices of beef topped with green sauce and sesame seeds on a wooden cutting board.
Person holding a black tray with a dessert topped with berries, nuts, and powdered spices, wearing a light-colored outfit with a tattoo on their arm.

Frank was coming up the ranks as a butcher and working at Shelburne Supermarket and then at Healthy Living, and I was working at American Flatbread. We would spend our summer and fall months catering Vermont weddings out of our home kitchen. Our first child Louden was a newborn at the end of 2010, and I even catered a few weddings very pregnant, too.

In those early days we were learning as we went. Many Saturday mornings Frank would send me to the downtown Burlington Farmers market to gather fresh vegetables and fruits for the wedding menu. One day we needed bread, and as luck would have it, the August First bread bike was making its way through our neighborhood and calling out “fresh bread, fresh bread!”

Frank quickly ran out into the street and bought all of the bread. That was what we served at the wedding that evening.

It’s serendipitous that in 2022 we acquired the August First bakery and cafe. Now we highlight that amazing bread and other August First delights on our catering menus!

in the midst of a busy beginning, a serendipitous bread bike

A man wearing a cap and apron is cooking on a barbecue grill outdoors, with a scenic landscape of mountains, green fields, and a cloudy sky in the background.

growing with love

But back to the polenta. We certainly made some mistakes and learned a lot through the years of catering out of our home.

My role in our home catering business was to help run the service side, manage the staff, and I was also the bookkeeper. But I did have a role in the kitchen as well, and it was to make the creamy polenta.

Frank taught me how to make it and I would set up 2 large pots on our home stove stirring and whisking the polenta to ensure it didn’t clump or burn. I would have both hands whisking at the same time and occasionally with Louden or eventually our second child, Louisa, on my back in a baby sling.

We were growing as word of mouth spread, and we found ourselves booked every weekend in the summer and fall.

Then in 2016 after looking at location after location, and writing many different business plans, we found a location that fit!

A large tree with multiple branches and green leaves in a backyard, with decorative jars hanging from its branches, and a white bench in the foreground.

A RESTAURANT ON PINE STREET

We partnered with Zero Gravity to open The Great Northern restaurant and catering company. We put our Pace Catering LLC to bed and watched as craftsmen built the gorgeous Great Northern dining room down on Pine Street.

Finally, we moved the catering business out of our home and into a commercial kitchen. We continued to make the creamy polenta for events, as it had become one of our beloved staples on the menu.

We opened our restaurant in 2017 and ran it with much acclaim from the community.

Like many other restaurants, we had to pivot during the 2020 pandemic. We sheltered but kept working, collaborating with the Zero Gravity team to keep our kitchen open, serving to-go food and drink out of a makeshift counter, and by building up our outdoor patio space.

As it came time to reopen our doors, we made the decision to turn over our dining room to Zero Gravity. They opened the space up and improved their taproom to its current layout. The Great Northern restaurant transitioned into a catering business that has continued serving the ZG taproom food as a subcontractor.

At that time, we were also in the midst of purchasing August First Bakery and Cafe. These were exciting times!

Interior of a restaurant with wood accents, hanging white pendant lights, bar area with bottles, and tables set with glasses and napkins.

We are incredibly grateful to be able to serve our community through catering, Zero Gravity Beer Hall, and August First. Whether we are at a private home or one of the many fabulous Vermont venues, our catering is special because we are thrilled to enhance a gathering by feeding our guests delicious meals. The contentment we receive when guests appreciate a menu crafted with love and intention is as comforting as our creamy polenta.

It makes you feel good and it’s why we continue to serve both our community and those that visit our bountiful and beautiful state of Vermont!

So we invite you to host your events and have us be a part of the magic that happens when family and friends gather for a meal.

comfort, contentment, and community

warmly,

marnie and frank

Close-up of a bowl with a creamy dish topped with shredded cheese, ground meat sauce, and herbs or spices on a dark surface.
People gathered around a table outdoors, enjoying a barbecue with sandwiches, salads, and drinks, during a sunny day in a park.
A young boy wearing a green baseball cap with a circular logo, leaning on a wooden table with food plates, during a gathering at a restaurant or food event.