Goodrich – When Marti Alexander was being a naughty youngster, her Scottish grandmother called her a cheeky monkey.
Marti and her husband Dave Alexander, owners of Cheeky Monkeys Bistro in Goodrich, named the restaurant in honor of Marti’s grandmother.
‘With all of her recipes we use, it’s kind of a tribute to her,? said Marti.
Cheeky Monkeys Bistro, located at 8217 S. State Road in Goodrich, opened last fall. With hours and a menu well-suited for commuters, it’s also appreciated locally as a friendly atmosphere in which to meet, and for its great food.
Cheeky Monkeys Bistro offers diners a complete coffee and espresso bar, inventive sandwiches like the Cuban panini, Michigan chicken salad, asiago turkey, or Cheeky cheese panini; bruschetta, oriental, and other salads, soups, homemade granola, chutneys, salsas, barbecue sauces, dips, spreads, jams, jellies, and breakfast and other baked goods made on site.
Ingredients’including corned beef for Reuben sandwiches’are the freshest possible, purchased at Detroit’s Eastern Market.
‘We like to know what goes into everything,? say the Alexanders.
Cheeky Monkeys also sells Bill Hamrick’s Grand Blanc doughnuts and bagels’formerly sold in Goodrich’and several regular and decaffeinated varieties each day of locally master-roasted ABeanToGo coffee, with real cream, and free extras like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Whole-bean and ground coffee is also for sale, with special-order varieties often available the next day.
Customers tell Marti her buttery-sweet shortbread, made from scratch using her Scottish grandmother’s recipe, is the most authentic they’ve found.
Connie Mazzola, a kitchen genius who bakes with Marti, brings her own recipes to the mix when the two bake for their customers, or for special events’like graduation parties’and the events catered by Cheeky Monkeys.
Beginning this week, diners will find a revised spring menu, featuring nightly entrees like herb-stuffed pork tenderloin, beef stew, shepherd’s pie, or chicken with a creamy fruit sauce, ‘lots of yummy stuff,? says Dave.
Also new: a fresh fruit plate on lettuce with a dipping sauce, more wraps, including low-carb, creamy fruit smoothies made with fresh fruit, frozen coffee drinks, and’whether special-ordered or not’box lunches, featuring sandwiches, salads, and other goodies.
Weekend entertainment for the coffee-bar crowd is also being cooked up. The Alexanders are eyeing local guitarists for the Friday and Saturday evening spots, said Dave.
Also new is a 10-percent senior discount, available upon request.
Customers who have tried Cheeky Monkeys? fare come back for more, says Marti.
With a cozy sofa, cable television, books, games, newspapers, magazines, and Internet access’bring your own laptop computer’Cheeky Monkeys appeals to solo diners, as well as families and groups.
It’s always a good idea for groups to call ahead to check availability, Dave said. Cheeky Monkeys can be reached at (810) 636-3287 or 636-EATS.
Many a little monkey has fallen asleep watching Disney characters, leaving mom to dine leisurely, says Marti, smiling.
Cheeky Monkeys currently employs local students, and contributes any tips to local worthy needs on a monthly basis. Per customers? requests, Marti plans to soon identify tip recipients on the container.
For the Alexanders, hospitality seems effortless.
‘What I love the most is just the people we’ve met, both customers and other business people in the area,? said Marti.
Cheeky Monkeys Bistro is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.