Sol Azteca, the Mexican restaurant overlooking the Lower Harbor, got the good news last week that, at long last, it will soon be able to serve margaritas…and Corona and anything else containing alcohol.
Its liquor license was finally approved.
The restaurant has been open for a nearly a year but it took several months to buy a liquor license, and then when it came up for approval before the Liquor Control Commission, it was turned down. Reason unknown.
In any case, it appealed the rejection and won.
Sol Azteca, at last report, was waiting for the actual license to arrive. When it does, it can go out and start stocking its bar and serving its customers. Best guess is that will happen next week.
Word was, some of the restaurant’s customers over the last several months got up and walked out upon learning alcohol wasn’t available. Many others loaded up on spirits downstairs at L’Attitude before or after their Mexican meals.
But it’s a new day at Sol Azteca and not a moment too soon. It’s tough to pay the bills at a high profile location when you’re selling tacos, burritos and enchiladas.
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SPEAKING OF TIMING, how about a new toy store setting up in Marquette just one month before Christmas?
It’s Great Turtle Toys, which was hurriedly stocking the shelves at the location of the old Food Co-op on Monday. It’ll open this week.
It’s actually a pop-up store, meaning it’s only a temporary store for now, unless the owner decides to extend his stay. An employee says they’ll see how sales go.
No sign outside yet. Inside, you’ll find games, toys, remote control devices, etc. You gotta admit, it’s something Marquette needs, especially this time of year. It’s kinda like Toys “R” Us, only one billionth the size.
Incidentally, there’s another Great Turtle Toys on Mackinac Island and in Clarkston.
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PREPARE FOR MORE changes at TV 6.
The station’s new co-anchor at 6 pm, Sophie Erber, will also be co-anchoring the 7 pm and 11 pm newscasts with Greg Trick, starting December 10th.
That’s a good indication that management likes the reaction they’ve been hearing about Erber who arrived here several weeks ago from Florida.
By the way, you wanna get into TV? TV 6 has reporter openings at two of its bureaus. Abby Miller left her Iron Mountain job last month, and Sara Blakely is leaving her Houghton post on December 5th.
News Director Steve Asplund says the two reporters just decided to move on. So it goes in a business where smart, young people can look forward to job that pays in the low 20s (at best) and offers every other holiday off (maybe).
Oh, and there’s also the snow and the cold. And the equipment to lug around. And all of us critics out there who don’t like the way you look and sound.
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TALK ABOUT ELECTION intrigue.
Things are still being sorted out in Ishpeming, almost a month after the election. First unofficial returns of the voting had Mayor Mike Tall beating challenger Justin Koski for a council seat 964-961. Then the official county tabulation came in and results were reversed: Koski 960, Tall 955.
Now it gets more complicated. The state still has to certify those results, likely in December, and when that happens, Tall, the apparent loser, will ask for and be granted a recount.
But wait! Before that happens, the new councilman, apparently Koski, will likely be sworn in which means that if by some chance he loses in the recount, then he will be booted out of his seat before he even gets it warm.
And there’s more! In the election, no one ran for the two-year-term seat, so it’s now vacant. That means the new council (with Koski as a new councilman) will have to appoint someone to the two year seat. And who’s among the likely candidates for that seat? Mike Tall, that’s who.
Ah, politics. Ya gotta love it.
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ANY DAY NOW, we should be hearing from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. They’ll tell us how much of a rate increase we’ll have to pay to keep the outdated, costly and under-utilized Presque Isle Power Plant open.
The deadline for the notification is December 1st, although that could be pushed back to January 1st.
We don’t want the damn plant but we’ve got to keep it open for the sake of the grid and for the reliability of the power supply and….blah blah blah.
What’s especially outrageous is that FERC initially ruled that the UP would have to pay virtually all the costs for the plant. That could be especially tough on businesses and people on a fixed income.
UP and Michigan politicians are twisting arms to make sure that doesn’t happen.
We’ll see. It’s inevitable we’ll have to pay more for our electricity. It’s just a matter of how much more.
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THE COGNITION BREWING Company in Ishpeming is just about ready to open, but not quite.
They’re still working on the venue which is the long-vacated tap room of the old Mather Inn. Should be a great space when they’re ready.
They’re also dealing with getting their liquor license approved. They expect no problems with that. We wish them well.
They had been hoping to open in November, then it was Christmas, now it’s January. In the meantime, they’re waiting for their outdoor sign to arrive, their redoing their website, they’ve hired an operations manager, they’re setting up their online store (selling growlers and such), they’re….well, they’re doing everything but opening their taps and selling beer.
So it goes with a new business.
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SPEAKING OF WHICH.
The Marq, Marquette’s much anticipated farm-to-table restaurant, remains a work in progress.
The original hoped-for opening date was August which means today must be August 121st.
There’s still work to be done inside and outside and oh yeah, there’s also that pesky and familiar little item known as a “liquor license” to be dealt with. But it’s going smoothly, we’re told. Sure. Okay.
Best guess for an opening date? February.
Foodies are counting the days. One more thing: the interior of The Marq, featuring blacks and golds, is unlike anything else you’ll see in town.
Just a tease.
You got news? Email me at briancabell@gmail.com
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