Wi Mueller of Keweenaw Mountain Lodge

“You have two fishes that are thriving in the lakes: the whitefish and the trout. The whitefish I prefer to make with herbs. I choose to use the black olives coming from Morocco as they are olive oil and sea-salt cured. The flavors will shine through when enhanced with the zest of a lemon. Fresh lemon, a bit of olive oil, and herbs... keep it simple as the whitefish is delicate. Now, trout is more robust. It can handle certain flavors that are very American. I love the Woodford Reserve bourbon. It’s this punch in your face, in a good way, and it offsets the grated ginger and the sesame oil. You build the flavor of the Asian profile, and then that warmth of the Woodford Reserve combines with them nicely. This is how I marry flavors.”

That’s how Chef Widad “Wi” Mueller described her approach to preparing the flavorful fish of Lake Superior on a 2023 episode of podcast Eat Your Heartland Out, as the chef at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor. Located at the northernmost tip of the Upper Peninsula and surrounded by Lake Superior, Keweenaw County is Michigan’s least populated county with roughly 2,000 residents. A 2024 economic impact analysis showed $53 million in direct annual impact of tourism, supporting 65% of local jobs.

In October 2015, the county was awarded $20,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to study a possible change in ownership for the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, established in 1934 and owned at the time by Keweenaw County. In 2018, the Lodge was sold to Keweenaw Resort, LLC, founded by John Mueller.

After many years’ experience in banking and healthcare, Wi is now putting her passion into practice as chef at the Lodge, drawing from international roots in Lebanon, Italy and beyond to bring a remarkable fine dining experience to the quietest corner of the Upper Peninsula.

Where did you grow up, and how did you get to Keweenaw County?

I was born and raised in Lebanon. I lived there for 30 or so years of my life; as a family, we survived the first 17-18 years of war though we were in the heart of Beirut. Any war marks one’s way of thinking. For me, it built resilience and stamina in my personality and a deep sense of appreciation for many things. You learn to accept not having, to live minimally and adapt to highs and lows.

When Keweenaw County put the Lodge for sale in an auction, my husband purchased it and the first season for us was in 2019. We became open year-round in 2020 and as a family we currently live on property and work in it as well. Our son, Martin, chose Michigan Tech University in Houghton to do his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. He graduated in 2021.

How did you become a chef?

It took the right time and place for me to decide to study culinary art in a university. Growing up in a war, you seek a job and an education that will give you a sense of stability. But both my parents were craftsmen; Mom was a dress maker and Dad was a cobbler. I always loved working with food, with my hands. In 2009, at 48 years of age, and with the support and encouragement of my husband to learn something I truly loved while he was doing his doctorate, I enrolled in Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, and had three years of education, graduating with a dual degree in culinary art and pastry.

Because of the very essence of Beirut itself, you are exposed to the West and the East culturally, and the food scene is very diverse and rich. All is reflected in my approach to the food I cook and serve at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in the form of private dinners as multi-course meals: flavors, diversity of cuisines, consciousness and awareness of no waste of ingredients, as well as a wholesome style of cooking.

I’ve gotta brag: Lebanese people are hospitable and like to share their food, and it all shows at my private dinner table.

What does your daily work in the community look like?

I can give you a snapshot of the Lodge as a whole in the community. We geared the Lodge in a particular direction to sync with nature itself and bring people closer to nature as well, as you’ll see on our website. For example, our dark sky park, green lodging, the style of food we offer, the way we care for and maintain our golf course with organic fertilizers, electric machines and carts, mountain biking, hiking and silent sports in the winter, all the way down to the detergent we use for our housekeeping: everything is harmonious with our environment. This indirectly benefits our community as well, by attracting a particular crowd who appreciates our endeavors and style of operation.

I am here daily, working the breakfast burrito line with a colleague and doing all the routines of the kitchen, followed by the main focal point of being the chef: prepping, cooking and serving private dinners with a menu that I change weekly.

What are your dreams for the Keweenaw area?

We are hoping that the community shifts away from a seasonal mindset and unemployment payments during the winter to a more vibrant and sustainable tourism year-round. Not big centers and supermarkets, but more diverse restaurants that are open all year and quaint businesses like you would find in Colorado’s former mining towns. We would need well-controlled and managed development plans to allow growth without damaging the characteristics of the Keweenaw, and people becoming open to change and to a healthy, well-planned improvement to the area.

I would also like to see more dreamers/entrepreneurs and doers – those who can bring a positive change and more opportunities. I dare wish for a school of trades closer to Houghton. We are at the tip of the Keweenaw and we need people of crafts and trades to help fix problems when they arise.

What do people find here?

I can only speak for myself. Those who come to the lodge seek quiet, a place to unwind and a slower pace, outdoor activities and culinary experiences. On a wider spectrum: the beautiful nature and the untouched forests, the body of water and the open space and dark sky where you get to see the stars; the Milky Way and the Northern Lights are some of the main attractions to the Keweenaw.

I enjoyed going with my daughter to watch the sunset on the beach of Lake Superior or from the top of Brockway Mountain. I enjoy watching the ever-changing sunrises and sunsets. I enjoy the scent in the air after the rain and the quiet of snow falling and the wildflowers that we allow to blossom on the property.

How do you approach being both a chef and an artist?

Both intertwine in me. More than once, when I am describing the flavors and how I prepared a certain dish to my guests at a private dining, they immediately perceive the passion and the creativity expressed in the food and they tell me, “You are very creative… you are an artist.” More than once, I have been asked to teach because of the passion and the intuition with which I cook.

Yes, I received a wonderful education, but I think who I truly am is expressed in the food I prepare. In my language there are two sayings that explain part of who I am and the culture I come from: “Join us for a bite and honor us with your presence at our table,” and “Never forget the bread and the salt we shared - we have now a connection.”

What I have learned living in the Keweenaw country has increased my ability to live remotely and to adapt to a bit of isolation. I receive my dose of socializing with the guests I host for dinners. I believe I enrich them and create an experience for them, and they do the same for me.