White Gull Inn Wins Online Vote for Good Morning America’s Best Breakfast Challenge, 4 Judges Votes Announced Sunday Live at 7 am
Posted on 08. May, 2010 by Staff Reporter in News
A total of 14,965 votes were cast online with the White Gull Inn at the top with 5,736 votes! The Breakfast Klub came in 2nd with 5,337 votes, Sunny Point Cafe in 3rd place with 3,044 votes and The Friendly Toast with 852. The online votes make up 50% of the tally with the 4 GMA celebrity judges weighing in for the other 50%.
Andy Coulson, innkeeper at Door County’s famous White Gull Inn was not watching television last Friday when the call came in, but was doing what he often does in the morning – bussing tables in the dining room.
“The front desk told me someone from Good Morning America was on the phone,” Coulson recalls. “It was Ameya Pendse, a producer of the morning show, calling to
let me know that we were one of four finalists in their Best Breakfast Challenge.”
Pendse and correspondent Marysol Castro explained that they would be at the White Gull on May 4, to learn how to make Cherry Stuffed French Toast, and shoot footage for Good Morning America (GMA).
“I nearly dropped the phone,” Coulson says.
Pendse informed Coulson that guests of the White Gull had entered the inn in the challenge and that GMA had selected four finalists from thousands of entries.
“You wouldn’t believe what nice things your fans are saying about you,” Pendse told Coulson.
“The first person I called was my wife (and co-innkeeper) Jan, who was as excited as I was,” Coulson says. “Then the staff, and then, of course, all of our regulars.”
The excitement built through the next few days, and on Tuesday, when Pendse and Castro walked into the inn a little before 8 am, the dining room was packed with well wishers.
“We open at 7:30 am usually,” the Coulsons say, “but we opened the doors at 7:15 because the lobby was full, and we were worried that the noise would wake up our inn guests. In retrospect, I doubt if any of them were still sleeping! It was like a big party, very festive.”
Pendse and Castro were ushered into the White Gull kitchen where day chef Julie Zak was waiting to show Castro how the inn’s now famous specialty is made. After mixing the Door County cherries with Wisconsin cream cheese and stuffing the fresh egg bread with it, Zak and Castro dipped them in batter and spread them on the White Gull griddle. After tasting her work, Castro seemed pleased.
“It’s like dessert for breakfast,” she exclaimed over a plate of the French toast accompanied by the inn’s turkey hash.
Wielding a camera, Pendse then walked through the dining room capturing White Gull
guests at their tables. Anchor Jeff Alexander and a camerman from ABC Green Bay affiliate WBAY-TV were on hand to cover the coverage.
“The timing was perfect,” Jan Coulson says. “We had closed for the month of March for heavy cleaning, painting, recarpeting and a general facelift of all of our buildings. On Tuesday, the sun was shining, the cherry blossoms were peaking and the tulips in front of the inn were in bloom.”
The four finalist restaurants will be featured on Good Morning America on May 15. On line voting by viewers will take place that day, with the winner to be announced live on the show the following day. The Coulsons are aware that the White Gull is up against some stiff competition, from restaurants in Houston, Asheville, North Carolina and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, not far from Boston.
“We’ll need all the votes we can get,” Andy Coulson says. The final decision is partly from viewers voting on line and partly from the judges. “We are trying to let as many of our friends and guests as possible know via email, our website and Facebook.”
“I’m not that competitive,” says Jan Coulson, who has operated the inn with her husband since 1972. “Just to be recognized and included in the final four is such an honor.”
According to the Coulsons, the White Gull staff, many of whom, like Zak, have worked at the inn since the 1980’s, deserve a lot of the credit for the recognition.
“A restaurant is a thousand little details, day in and day out, year in and year out, and our staff – the cooks, the wait staff and everyone is incredibly dedicated. This is just as much for them as it is for us,” Andy Coulson explains.
“They are the best, and we are very proud of them,” Jan adds.
The inn is gearing up for another festive scene on Saturday, May 15.
“I know it’s not typical of the White Gull,” Andy Coulson says, “but there will be TV’s in the lobby, the dining room and the kitchen. Those who are having breakfast or who are working at the inn those mornings should not have to miss the show!”
LINKS:
White Gull Inn a Contender in ABC’s Best Breakfast Challenge – Here’s How to Vote Online May 15
“Good Morning America” Bites Into Door County Breakfast
Follow @doorcounty for instant DC Style news
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