Page 11 - Leisure Living

Chef in the Spotlight Chef Marie Schroeder of
Hooligans Irish Pub
By JD Noll, Feature Writer
Serving 500-800 hungry diners on busy days, there is no shortage of “pub grub” at Hooligans Irish Pub, Put-in-Bay. Located in an 1886 historic building, the property has had several transfor- mations. From its original saloon and billiards hall beginning, it has housed the Independent Odd Fellows Lodge, a gift shop and even the old post office among others. But, since 2009 it has been Hooligans.
Owned by the Booker/Sheehan families of Put-in-Bay, “the massive bar was dismantled and shipped in from an old Irish pub in Chicago,” Manager Marisa Rence says. With the look of an old world pub, Hooligans is not affiliated with any franchise, but was named from a contest initiated by the owners.
From the beginning, Marie Schroeder began as their kitchen manager while experimenting with various recipes to make them “her own.” With 18 years of previous restaurant experience, it was her great cooking that caught the attention of the Bookers, resulting in her hiring. “I was attending house parties that Eric and Jen Booker would also attend, and Eric would always ask, “Who made this? It is so good.” And, a lot of the times, it was what I made and brought with me to the party,” Marie says. That was seven years ago.
A native of rural Illinois, Marie grew up on a vegetable farm that sold fresh produce. “I’m used to working hard for a living and to this day, I have a huge garden and I love every minute of it,” Marie emphasizes. At 18, she decided to move to sunny Arizona for six years until she heard about Put- in-Bay where she began vacationing. That was 25 years ago, and today, she never plans on leaving.
She attributes many of her cooking techniques to her Greek grandmother and lots of practice. When not dishing up Irish specialties, you can find her cooking Greek favorites. “My secret in- gredient in everything I make is “love.” You have to like what you’re making or it won’t taste half as good,” Marie says. “Being a female chef in a predominately male profession hasn’t always been easy,” she laughs. “At first I didn’t get much re- spect, but now we have a lot of fun.”
To relax, Marie loves gardening and fishing as well as spending time with her two daughters. She has been described by friends as “passionate,
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