Louise Knott Ahern

lkahern@lsj.com

Hunting season is a busy time for pasty shops in the Upper Peninsula.

Lehto's Pasty shop can ship frozen pasties anywhere in the country.

Pasties became a U.P. staple in the mid-1800s as an easy lunch for copper miners.

For 30 years, Sandy Hall has been crossing back and forth across the Mackinac Bridge between her homes in the the upper and lower peninsulas.

And every summer as she heads to the bridge for the last time, there is one stop she has to make: Lehto's Pasties.

"I've been coming here forever," Hall said recently as she stocked up before her trip. "I can't just drive by."

The pasty shop on US-2 in St. Ignace opened in 1947 — 10 years before the Mackinac Bridge — making it one of the oldest Michigan restaurants specializing in the Upper Peninsula's iconic hand-held meat pies.

Summer is usually the shop's busiest time, but Lehto's and other U.P. pasty shops are gearing up for their second-busiest — hunting season. Firearm deer season starts Nov. 15.

Just as pasties were perfect for men working in the mines 150 years ago, they're also ideal today for long stretches in a deer blind. They're portable, filling, and stay warm inside their pastry pockets.

"We'll have guys pull up with two coolers and just fill up with frozen pasties, 40 at a time," said co-owner Bill Walker. "Hunting season is like the 4th of July for us."





This is how they do it

The day starts early here.

Bill is in the kitchen by 5 a.m., because the baking has to be done by the time the shop opens at 10.

The process starts with the dough, which is usually prepared the night before with an entire 25-pound bag of flour.

Bill forms the dough into 3-inch balls and runs them through a roller to flatten them out.

Roughly two hours later, it's time to start the on the insides.

Into a 60-quart mixer, he places meat, potatoes, onions and shredded rutabaga. It runs until everything is ground up into a hash-like mix.

Once that is done, he fills the dough and puts them in the oven -- five sheets of 12 at a time.

When they're all done -- the crust light, flaky and golden brown -- some are sold fresh while others go into the freezer.

The number of pasties Bill makes every day is different, depending on the day of the week and the time of year.

But every day is the same in one important way: If you want some, you'd better get there early. They often sell out before the day is over.

"We get calls all day long," Bill's wife, Laurie, said. "Do you still have any left?"

A long history

Many historians agree that pasties became a U.P. staple when Cornish immigrants arrived in the mid-1800s in search of work in the copper mines. They brought the recipes with them, and a tradition was born.

Lehto's is certainly not the only pasty shop across the bridge.

Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties in St. Ignace has a loyal fan base after more than 50 years in business. There is also Muldoons in Munising, a relative newcomer that opened in 1989 but has quickly become a favorite among pasty enthusiasts.

On this side of the bridge, Hunt's Mackinaw Pastie and Cook Co. is also popular.

But Lehto's is one of the oldest and most recognizable. Its red, lopsided sign on U.S. 2 is a historical marker all its own.

Laurie's aunt, Cassie, started making the pies out of her kitchen after World War II. Her husband, Johnny, would sell them for 5 cents each on the dock in St. Ignace, where he worked on the boats.

Before too long, demand was so high that Cassie started making more money off the pasties than Johnny did on the docks. He quit the boats and joined his wife, and Lehto's has been a U.P. favorite ever since.

Bill and Laurie took over the business a couple of years ago.

"I'm an interior designer," Laurie said. "He's the pasty man."

New owners, same pasties

Not much has changed since 1947. Lehto's recipe is the same today as it was back then.

"We just use simple ingredients," Bill said. "Meat, potato, onion and rutabaga. A little salt and pepper."

The menu is also pretty much the same. You can get pasties -- hot or frozen. No gravy. No sides.

And it's still take-out only, just like back then, because frankly, that's how they're meant to be eaten. On the go.

The only main difference between 1947 and today is that you can now order your Lehto's pasties online and have them shipped anywhere.

"We ship all over the country," Bill said. "California. Texas. Washington State. We just sent a dozen to Port St. Lucie in Florida."

Their greatest fan might be right there at home, though.

Their dog, Ellie? She eats a pasty every single day.

Order a pasty.

Some Upper Peninsula pasty shops will ship frozen pasties around the country.

Lehto's Pasties

1983 W US 2

St. Ignace, MI 49781

Phone: (906) 643-8542

Lehto's sells frozen pasties in packs of four at $5.50 per pasty. Orders are shipped overnight or two-day through UPS.

To reheat frozen pasties: For best results, thaw each pasty overnight in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes.

Order online at www.lehtospasties.com

Hunt's Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Co.

117 W Jamet

Mackinaw City, MI 49701

(231) 436-8202

Hunt's ships pasties from the first Monday in November through the first Monday in April and only ships on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Frozen pasties can be ordered in packs of 12 for $75.48 per box, plus shipping.

To reheat frozen pasties: For best results, thaw frozen pasties before baking. Set oven to 400 degrees. Bake pasties on an ungreased cookie sheet for 13 minutes for one pasty. Add two minutes for each additional pasty.

Order online at www.mackinawpastie.com