Northwoods Test Kitchen

08/22/2026

heyooo 📢 chef & owner Alex here: (website live!)

Northwoods Test Kitchen has been a lot since it began in 2022; a restaurant, a catering business, an incubator kitchen for other small businesses and a community collaborator. after a few crazy years, I had to take a moment to breathe. I was beyond empty and exhausted. it was time to make a change and to decide what the goal really was. luckily as I recharged my own battery, many folks took time to reminded me the things that they and I loved about NTK - so in August of 2025 I became the official owner and have been thoughtfully thinking and planning about what I wanted NTK to be. I couldn’t feel more excited to step into the next phase of NTK, labeled “Marquette’s most unusual kitchen” by a local news article when we first opened - a title we wear proudly ✌️

to keep it short, although there are many changes, the same heart and soul is there: local food, community and collaboration and delicious simple food. you can see the full breakdown by visiting the new website linked in our instagram bio and on our page; but we will focus on: local food processing (creating simple ways to extend shelf life on local foods, with a specific focus on getting those foods into area school cafeterias), cooking classes and events that create community, retail products (coming in 2027 - beet bean dip? crackers? TBD) and lastly thoughtful catering that will primarily work with community groups and non-profits with like minded goals and missions. 🥕

really grateful for the spaces and people that have helped get us here 💚 know that we are booked for the rest of 2026 as I finish up a galley cook job on an educational tall ship non-profit - and then focus the fall and winter on processing local veggies for schools, but looking to plan for 2027!

thanks for listening & if you want to support and celebrate with us, give this post a share! ✏️

northwoodstestkitchenup.com

03/05/2026

Hey Marquette County, we are stoked to be offering two different style cooking classes this weekend in collaboration with some great local businesses. We'll be making salad rolls featuring local veggies and a Soy Maple Sunbutter dipping sauce. These classes are casual, fun and a great way to beat the winter blues. Get your tickets today! 🥕

Saturday, March 7th at 5pm at MQT Provisions | Tickets are $20 per person and include 3 rolls, complimentary iced or hot tea and sauce to take home! A great way to kick off a night in Downtown Marquette! 🫛 Ticket Link: https://sickening.events/e/salad-roll-community-class-with-alex-of-northwoods/tickets

Sunday, March 8th at 11am at Doozers in Ishpeming | Tickets are $15 (kids 12 and under are free). Class includes two rolls per person, complimentary coffee and delicious cookie treat from Doozers. A family friendly and casual environment! 🍪 Ticket Link: https://sickening.events/e/salad-roll-community-class-with-alex-of-northwoo-2/tickets

Join us Saturday, March 7th at Provisions in Marquette at 5pm for a Salad Roll Community Class with Alex Palzewicz of Northwoods Test Kitchen. Learn how to make one of our favorite past menu items, salad rolls, originated in Southern Vietnam. These salad rolls are inspired by past work experiences a...

02/18/2026

Northwoods Test Kitchen has a new location, the legendary back kitchen space at the past iconic Jean Kay's Pasties of Marquette!

Even more exciting is we are renting that back space from the main brick and mortar occupants, Presque Deli! We are so excited for them to officially open next week.

The boys, Mario, Scott and Heath have been so helpful, welcoming and we love sharing their space. Thanks guys for all you do and cheers opening soon! 🎉🔪🥪🥗

Here's are the faces behind the shop! We're just over a week away from grand opening!
Mario-Scott-Heath

09/21/2025

Come to Houghton for a fish boil this July!

09/11/2025

Hey all, chef Alex here with some updates about NTK (Northwoods Test Kitchen) 🥕

First off - apologizes that we disappeared this summer! After 2.5 amazing years of being a restaurant and catering operation inside of , we decided to pivot what we do, but I needed a break to reflect and recharge before moving forward. With that, I am changing up the structure and physical location, meaning we are no longer located at Barrel + Beam.

I can't begin to share my appreciation to the owners of Barrel + Beam, Nick and Marina, for their support. We built NTK within the B+B business, and without that we would never have existed. Their encouragement and willingness to support their community is the only reason my dream of this food business was ever possible. Beyond support, just the opportunity to pair food with such incredible brews was an absolute honor.

So what's next, you ask? Well, for me right now, there is lots of paperwork and administrative stuff as I finalize all those fun things. As boring as that sounds, it's pretty exciting for me, after almost 20 years in the food industry, to be officially becoming a business owner.

The future of NTK will have 3 specific focuses:
• retail and wholesale foods (lightly processed foods for schools & institutions AND we hope to bring things like our Spent Grain Crackers, Mushroom Pate, and Beet Bean Dip to local stores) 🥕
• culinary education (from kiddos to families & more, we plan to provide cooking demos and classes for all ages) 🔪
• collaborative catering (we plan to cater, but will specifically be working with non-profits, like-minded businesses, and other community groups who value our local sourcing practices) 🍽

I am sure ya'll have questions (with the top being "will we do ramen again?") and the answer is yes, we hope to do all kinds of fun, good food focused events and collaborations - and I can't wait for an opprotunity to pair a dish with the best beer in the world, Golden Partager, again. But for now, please allow us some time to get all our ducks in a row with paperwork, licensing, & more. Watch for us this fall. We promise to keep you updated on this new journey, so stay tuned. cheers, AP