Cousin Jenny's

129 S. Union, Traverse City, MI - (231) 941-7821

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Posted By Michael Stern on July 17, 2003 3:08 PM

Pasties arrived in the northland of Michigan over a century ago with Cornish miners who came to dig ore. The men who went down into the mines were tough characters, tough as mules, and therefore known colloquially as Cousin Jacks; their wives were Cousin Jennies. These hard-working immigrants made their native land’s pasty an Upper Peninsula tradition; and although the mines are closed, the pasty persists. Essentially beef stew inside a sturdy pastry crust, they were originally favored by miners because they were easy to carry and easy to eat – a hearty pocket meal.

Nick and Jerilyn DeBoer opened Cousin Jenny’s restaurant in the 1980s, bringing pasties to Traverse City. Cousin Jenny’s is a modern cafeteria that serves pasties for both breakfast and for lunch. Place your order at the counter where you can see what’s available (there are salads and soups as well as pasties), then pay at the cash register at the end of the line. When your meal is hot and ready, it will be brought to your table.

The breakfast pasties, known as bobbies, are completely self-contained pastry pillows of eggs, bacon or sausage, hash browns, and cheese; and while they can be picked up and eaten by hand, they’re hefty and drippy and stuffed enough that a knife and fork make good sense.

The lunch pasties are available in two sizes: ten ounces or a pound; and they definitely need utensils, especially if served with gravy. They are listed on the menu as “Gourmet Pasties,” but the steak pasty is the traditional configuration, filled with beef, potatoes, onion, and rutabaga. In addition, you can get a meatless seven-vegetable pasty with cream and cheese; and there are always novelty pasties available, such as Italian (with pizza sauce and pepperoni) or German (Swiss cheese, ham, and sauerkraut in a rye-flavored crust).

Pasties can be bought partially cooked, ready to bake at home, or fully frozen and ready to ship.

Overall Rating

steak pasty

sausage breakfast bobby

Vegetable Pasty

Steak and Cheddar Pasty

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Posted By Stewart Wurtzel on January 2, 2007 11:15 AM

I am pleased to report that the Roadfood.com review of Cousin Jenny's is as accurate as ever. Jerilyn took the time to explain to us the history of the pasty and the breakfast bobbies. While we were disappointed on our way in to town to find that all the bobbies had sold out for breakfast, Jerilyn arranged a large take out order for me to pick up on the way home, including several different pasties and bobbies. She had them all specially packed for travel. Can't beat service like that.

We ordered and tried a large variety of pasties for brunch, including the chicken and the beef. Homemade chocolate chip scones were superb, although I was not as thrilled with the raisin scones on the way out.

The outdoor dining was delightful as Jerilyn brought everything out to us at the table and made sure that we did not want for anything. She brought the pasty sauce, the gravy and the sour cream, explaining which topping was suggested for which pasty (do not overload the chicken pasty with gravy as it will mask the flavor). I thought the Italian pasty was superb, with good spice to the meat but not overpowering or overly salty.

Still well worth going to on your way in and out of Traverse City.

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