Carrie Masters

When did you learn how to forage?

I grew up in Detroit, and my dad would bring us to Belle Isle. He’s an avid naturalist and knows a lot about flora and fauna. We would hike around the island, learning about native plants and which ones were edible. We also spent summers camping in the Upper Peninsula since I was an infant, foraging a lot of our meals. I’ve always had an interest and desire to live and work as closely with nature as possible.

What makes Michigan such a special spot for foraging?

Michigan is incredible in so many ways, and because we have all four seasons—spring, summer and fall, plus six months of winter—up here, we have such a variety of items to forage for. And we have so many beautiful ecosystems with their own flora and fauna. In that sense, I feel like I am learning every time I step into the woods.

What do you find fulfilling about foraging?

It’s the thrill of the hunt! It’s like when you go shopping and find something really special that’s on clearance or on sale, and you’re just like, “Oh my gosh.” It’s going out into the woods and finding these items that you can translate into a palpable menu. That feeling is amazing.

How would you define Bird & Toad?

It’s a very unique and intimate dining experience. It’s not just where you’re going to a restaurant and you are getting an appetizer, a main and a dessert. You’re driving through the woods and into something really special.

How often do you host dinners?

Bird & Toad events only happen one to two times a month. And they’re very exclusive. I notify my email list (sign up at birdandtoadmqt@gmail.com) and post upcoming events on Instagram (@birdandtoad). It’s 12 people per night and that’s it. That’s what makes it really special—everyone gets to know each other. At the end of the night, I see people exchanging phone numbers or Instagram handles, and it’s amazing to see that everyone’s having that conversation. I’ve seen some really beautiful connections happen here.

Where did the Bird & Toad name come from?

I was a big fan of the Frog and Toad stories. They were just doing really simple, small things together. But they were always together, and they just loved doing the mundane things of everyday life. That’s kind of how I want Bird & Toad to feel. We’re doing small, precious things for people. I mean, everyone has to eat every day, and I want it to feel intimate but also unique and beautiful at the same time.

What’s the dining space like?

My partner, Matthew, started building this family home in his 20s. It’s grown to be this community space that we not only host dinners in, but we have parties and we have graduations and birthdays—and hopefully our wedding someday. It’s a really special home, and Matthew hand-built every single piece of it with mostly recycled materials.

Where do you find menu inspiration for Bird & Toad?

A lot of the time, it’s from being up at 3 a.m. and my brain just going kind of crazy. But a lot of my inspiration comes from walking in the woods and finding certain things or walking through the farmers market in Marquette. We also have a great little food store called Lakeshore Depot that has all local meats, cheeses and vegetables. So I’ll go there and see what I can find too.

Do you have a favorite seasonal ingredient or flavor combination you’ve discovered?

The roasted acorn flour was one of my favorites from last season. I used it to make the most amazing ice cream with the acorn flour giving it a toffee-like flavor. The acorns were harvested in early fall and then it took about two months to get it to the flour texture.

You do a lot of work with Milkweed Inn (an overnight farm-to-fork experience 90 minutes southeast of Bird & Toad). How has that helped you grow?

Milkweed Inn founder Iliana Regan has been the whole catalyst for Bird & Toad. I didn’t think it was possible to do pop-up dinners here, and she came and did one and it was incredible. She showed me what is possible, and she’s doing pretty much exactly what I want to be doing in the future. She’s an amazing chef, author and mentor. Milkweed’s an incredible place, and we want to have the same feel and maybe do a “Milkweed North” type of thing here.

What other Michigan creatives inspire you?

I work a lot with farmers. Seeds & Spores Family Farm near Marquette grows produce and raises hens, pigs and cattle, and is always giving me new ingredients to work with. They often are the best teachers because they have been working with things for so long. It really expands your palate and your menu when you’re given an ingredient that you didn’t know how to work with before. I also work a lot with Full Plate Farm, which is a beautiful woman-owned farm nearby.

How would you describe Marquette and the UP to someone who’s never visited?

Marquette is just so special and it’s a very hard place to leave. I love the way Marquette is connected to nature, and you can’t be disconnected from nature. You’re in every single season, and you have to thrive and live with every season here. We’re also very fortunate to be so close to the freshwater of Lake Superior, yet still live in the middle of the woods. I can step out of my front door and go hiking for miles and not see a single person. And we can ski from our front door in the middle of winter.

What other areas of Michigan do you like to explore?

I love coming back to my hometown of Detroit. I love that city vibe, and there’s a thriving culinary scene. It’s just crazy how much innovation there is and how many chefs are moving to Detroit to start something new. There are so many incredible farms and wineries and breweries that you can work with down there, and they’re all real people. There’s an authenticity in Detroit. You can’t be fake there.

What are some of your favorite places to visit in Detroit?

Every time I go to Detroit, I go to Belle Isle. I go to the island’s conservatory, which is one of my favorite spots in the world because I have memories of being on my dad’s shoulders there. The Detroit Institute of Arts is an incredible, world-class museum in the heart of the city. And there are always new places to check out. I go to Coriander Kitchen and Farm in Detroit a lot. I’ve also been to Marrow quite a few times.

If someone visiting Michigan were interested in dipping their toes into foraging, how would you recommend they start?

In Marquette, we’re very fortunate to have a lot of people who are passionate about the outdoors, and some of them offer mushroom walks, native plant walks and edible plant walks. Many of us are passionate about preserving and also educating about this bounty that we share in Marquette and the greater UP.

What’s your vision for the future of Bird & Toad?

I see Matthew and me working on a bed-and-breakfast type of destination out here. We want to build tiny homes in the hills and have people walk over to our home for a beautiful breakfast. Then they could hike and explore Marquette and the UP and come back for a nice tasting menu or dinner.

Have you ever thought about what you might be doing if you didn’t have Bird & Toad?

I went to school for something completely unrelated. I thought I would be traveling the world, working in human rights and doing Amnesty International-type stuff. But the creative in me wanted something tactile. And this is my way of giving my creative self to the world.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.