Eating Seasonally Made Easy with Red Haven

Red Haven Restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Anthony Maiale and his wife Nina Santucci. After 10 years of living and working at top restaurants in great food cities across the country, the couple settled in Nina’s home state of Michigan ready to open their own restaurant. In 2011 they opened the Purple Carrot Food Truck and after a successful first season were able to make the move into a brick and mortar restaurant with the opening of Red Haven.

The food truck and restaurant operate under one simple premise, local first. Nina explains their inspiration, “Living in Michigan we are surrounded by an abundance of fresh food, talented artisans and hundreds of farms, however we were shocked to learn how much of our local harvests end up leaving the state. We wanted to make sure our brands focused on being as local as possible to help keep these great products in our state. This means we not only have access to some of the countries best raw ingredients but we can also help support and grow the local food movement in Michigan.” 10547653_10152172562006300_6265810675384205828_n

Red Haven prides itself on sourcing as close to 100% of its ingredients from local farmers and artisans as possible year round. This includes, but is not limited to their produce, meats, fish, dairy, vinegars, flours, grains, spirits, beers, soda, etc. in a constantly evolving menu. The menus change with the seasons to showcase the best of Michigan in innovative, creative and delicious dishes designed to deliver fresh and bright flavors in a comfortable atmosphere. IMG_5501

To allow the customer to enjoy as many great dishes as possible, the plates are shared amongst the table and served in a paced out fashion to bring a fun and interactive dining experience to all of the guests.

All year the flavors of the season shine bright across each menu. In the winter the dishes are hearty and include the best of winter squash, potatoes, greens and decadent sauces. As spring emerges, you will find dishes featuring the best of the Michigan woods with ingredients such as morel mushrooms, wild leeks, and fiddlehead ferns complimented with farmed asparagus and spring peas. Summer is packed with color from a large array of edible flowers, squash blossoms, stone fruit and lake fish. Fall closes the year with flavorful ingredients such as corn, peppers, end of season tomatoes and autumn squash. They invite you to experience the cuisine of Michigan year round at Red Haven.

Nina Santucci is the co-owner of Red Haven with her chef husband Anthony Maiale. Red Haven restaurant is located at 4480 S. Hagadorn Rd., Okemos, MI 48864. Contact Nancy at [email protected]