A transformed Wiltse’s offers plenty to eat and do, all year long
When her neighbors, the Wiltses, listed their four-decade-old restaurant for sale in Oscoda, longtime nurse Kelly Erikson saw an opportunity to leave the longtime nursing career that had left her feeling burnt out.
“I was in medicine for 30 years,” Erikson told the Visitors Bureau. “But during my career, I took up a hobby and went to culinary arts school. I never thought I’d use it, but fast forward another 10 years and we moved up to Michigan and happened to live right next door to the Wiltses. I’d done three travel nursing tours during COVID, and I was really burnt out. When the restaurant went up for sale, we put in a bid.”
Erikson and the Wiltses agreed the rebranded restaurant at 5606 F41, previously called Wiltse’s, should be something new, she said. And so, From Huron Out was born.
“We do honor the beer,” Erikson said. “Dean Wiltse is the Godfather of Beer in this part of Michigan. We use his recipes.”
Erikson has lived in New Orleans, Italy and Denver, and wanted to bring some of her culinary experiences in those locales to Oscoda.
“I make a spinach and artichoke dip, but we roll it into balls, freeze it and bread it,” she said. “The dip is essentially inside the chip, and people really enjoy that. We also do Craig’s Crispy Rolls. When I was a nurse at Tawas ER, one of the other nurses, Craig, brought in Reuben eggrolls and Big Mac eggrolls, and I told him I was going to steal his idea, but that I’d name it after him. … I honored that promise.”
Mostly, she said, From Huron Out is a scratch kitchen — and the only place in the area serving Nashville Hot Chicken.
“I buy ingredients,” Erikson said. “I don’t buy food. We make our fish batter, we grind our own burger. Everything has a lot of attention placed on it.”
She admits it hasn’t always been easy.
“It’s been a bumpy road, and we’ve had a lot to learn. I feel like, now, we have a handle on who we are and what we bring to the table. We’re very proud of that.”
There’s plenty to do in the restaurant during all seasons of the year. From Huron Out hosts Paint and Sip on Wednesdays, Pub Trivia/Latin Night on Thursdays, Burger Night on Fridays and Italian Night on Saturdays.
“The trivia isn’t computer-generated,” Erikson said. “I write it myself. One time, we had 10 questions on the origins of ketchup. It’s just the most interesting and off-the-wall categories. It’s not meant to be stuff you know.”
On Aug. 1-2, when Oscoda attempts to break the Guinness World Record for Most Merpeople on One Beach at One Time, From Huron Out will host a Merpeople Gala. On Sept. 3, the restaurant will host micro-wrestling. In the meantime, there’s a musical festival at the business March 21-22.
“We’re really involved in giving the community somewhere to go and something to do,” Erikson said. “We’re slowly but surely making this our own place, while still paying homage to what it was for a very long time.”
From Huron Out is open 3:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Hours will be expanded in the warm months.