Those ‘foodies? in the area may have found a new favorite place in Urban Gourmet, located at 3651 Baldwin Road.
The shop, opened last December, features a variety of food items both ‘sweet and savory,? as owner Kim Urbanowski deems it.
On the sweet side, she said they offer a variety of dessert, baking, breakfast, cookies and much more, while the savory side features a wide array of pastas, sauces, vinegars and spices.
They also offer a variety of frozen appetizer items, as well as coffee, teas and espresso powder.
According to Urbanowski, the coffee she carries is a Michigan product, brewed in West Bloomfield.
‘It’s a good high-end coffee,? she says, noting that she is looking to carry more Michigan based items.
Urbanowski was a personal chef before opening her own store, and felt that Lake Orion ‘needed something.?
‘There’s a lot of people in this area that appreciate good food, and I just didn’t feel that you could get (those ingredients) anywhere,? she says.
While her focus has been getting good gourmet items, Urbanowski explains that she is hoping to build their inventory and continue to please their customers, such as she did in her search for espresso powder, a hard to locate product, but one that she now has in stock since her customers requested it.
‘I work really had to find what people are looking for,? she adds. ‘If you know you need something special, this is the place to go. I’m trying to establish a place in the community that people can go to get high-end gourmet items.?
Urbanowski is continuing to expand her store, and says that there is something new every week. Recently, she added salt and pepper mills and bamboo kitchen items, which she calls ‘high-quality, sturdy, beautiful stuff,? to her inventory.
‘I’m always looking for something new and different,? she adds, explaining that at the shop, they pay attention to food trends and attend food shows to check out new products.
Urbanowski also features a monthly theme, where she selects foods and recipes that honor that theme. For example, February featured ‘Romantic Foods and Chocolate,? since Valentine’s Day is a day ‘for indulgence? and ‘decadent foods.?
Urbanowski, who used to teach cooking classes at Great Lakes Athletic Club, started teaching classes and doing demonstrations at her shop in February, and plans to continue these throughout the year. There is a small cost associated with classes, and these fees include a generous sampling of the dishes made during the class, recipe cards and a $10 credit towards a customer’s next purchase at Urban Gourmet. A class schedule is available online at www.UrbanGourmetShop.com.
For those customers that are interested in staying up-to-date on what is happening at Urban Gourmet, Urbanowski sends out a weekly e-mail to keep them informed on what is going on, as well as a monthly newsletter (which customers can sign up for online).
Urbanowski also offers pre-made and custom gift baskets and always has samples out, she says with a laugh.
Urban Gourmet is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
They can be visited online at www.urbangourmetshop.com or reached at (248) 393-0202.